Sita Ramachandra Swamy Temple, Bhadrachalam – Religious Significance

Sita Ramachandra Swamy Temple, Bhadrachalam – Religious Significance

Rituals similar to Srirangam Ranganatha Swamy Temple:

As per Ramayana and other sacred texts, Ranganatha was the Kuladevatha (tutelary deity) of the Ikshvaku Dynasty, the clan of Lord Rama. Hence, Gopanna wanted this temple to follow all the traditions and guidelines of the Srirangam Ranganatha Swamy Temple. To achieve this practice, he invited five families from Srirangam who were well versed in Pancharatra Agama traditions to Bhadrachalam. He successfully implemented the religious practices of Srirangam Ranganatha Swamy Temple here with the help of the migrated brahmin families. Narasimha Dasu later introduced the Dasavidhotsavams (ten kinds of rituals), including Nitya Kainkaryams (daily rituals), Vaarotsavams (weekly rituals), Pakshotsavams (fortnightly rituals), and Punarvasu Utsavam (rituals on the Punarvasu day).

Worship Procedure:

The Suprabhatha Seva (pre-dawn ritual) begins early in the morning at 4:00 am, followed by providing Balabhoga (minor food offerings) from 5:30 to 7:00 am. The regular archana (prayer) activities are held from 8:30 to 11:30. Rajabhogam (main food offering) is served to the deity from 11:30 am to 12:00 noon; then the temple remains closed until 3:00 pm. From 3:00, the archana rituals continue, after which darbar Seva (the king's court ritual) is performed from 7:00 to 8:00 pm. After a break to offer food to the deity from 8:30 to 9:00 pm, the temple is closed after performance of the pavalimpu seva (the sleeping ritual).

Unique Abhisheka:

Abhisheka (anointment) in the main sanctum is performed only to Rama's feet on the rock structure in this temple. This ritual is also performed to the deities in the Lakshmi, Anjaneya, and Yogananda Narasimha temple exclusively on every Friday, Tuesday, and Saturday, respectively.

Dakshina Ayodhya:

Bhadrachalam is often referred to as Dakshina Ayodhya (Southern Ayodhya); Ayodhya being the capital of Rama.

Vaikuntha Rama:

The iconography of the Vaikuntha Rama form of Rama, is unique and not found anywhere else in the country. The Brahma Purana makes special mention of the temple's significance and adds that Vaikuntha Rama is capable of imparting knowledge to those who worship him at Bhadrachalam.

Divya Kshetrams:

Bhadrachalam is considered as one of the Divya Kshetrams (special temples) that sit on the banks of the Godavari River. Hence, the river's Pushkaram and Maha Pushkaram are celebrated here along with others once every twelve years and 144 years, respectively.

Saint Kabir Visit to this temple:

As per legend, when a Muslim saint Kabir who was also a devotee of Lord Rama, was once denied entry into the temple by the priests. The images of the temple disappeared for the moment. Ramadas who was there pleaded with the priests to let the saint inside the temple, after which the icons appeared again.

Centre of the Bhajan Tradition:

Gopanna used Bhadrachalam as a centre of the Bhajan tradition to spread awareness of the Vaishnavite tradition. This eventually led to the increase in the number of Rama temples in the Telugu-speaking states across the years, especially in villages. Gopanna's songs inspired Thyagaraja, another ardent devotee of Rama who composed several songs in Indian carnatic music. Thyagaraja revered Gopanna as his personal hero and he composed several songs modelled on songs written by Gopanna in praise of Vaikuntha Rama. He later inspired Narasimha Dasu, who composed songs in praise of Rama during his stay at Bhadrachalam. It helped Narasimha Dasu gain recognition as a true follower of Gopanna.

Tradition of offering pearls & Silk robes to Lord Rama:

The annual tradition of giving pearls and silk robes to Rama on the day of his marriage celebrations has been replicated at many other smaller temples dedicated to the deity.

Hindu Saints visit to this temple:

The Hindu saints Adi Shankara and Thirumangai Alvar visited the temple and offered prayers to the deity.