About Bhadrachalam (Sri Sita Ramachandraswamy Temple)

The Sri Sita Ramachandraswamy Temple at Bhadrachalam, on the banks of the Godavari river in the Bhadradri Kothagudem district of Telangana, is one of the most revered Rama temples in South India. The temple's presiding idols show Rama with Sita on his left and his brother Lakshmana carrying a bow — an iconography known as Vaikuntha Rama. The temple's fame is inseparable from the 17th-century poet-saint Kancherla Gopanna, known as Bhakta Ramadasu, who as a local revenue officer diverted temple funds to build the shrine and was imprisoned by the Qutb Shahi Sultan for 12 years — until Rama and Lakshmana miraculously repaid the treasury in gold coins bearing Rama's seal. Some of these Rama-mudra coins are still preserved in the temple museum. Sri Rama Navami is celebrated with unmatched grandeur here — the Kalyanotsavam draws over a million pilgrims.

The site is identified with Parnasala (5 km away), where Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana are said to have lived during exile, and where Sita was ultimately abducted. The temple was formalised by Ramadasu in 1674. The state government issues silk sarees and pearl garlands for Sita on Sri Rama Navami — a tradition since 1953.

Darshan & Aarti

🚌 How to reach

Last mile: Local taxis and autos are available near the shrine area.

Where to stay

Estimated expense (per person)

Estimated for a short 2-day pilgrimage.

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