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Bhadrachalam

Bhadrachalam

pilgrimage site · Telangana

State
Telangana
Type
Pilgrimage Site

Bhadrachalam, on the Godavari, is the 'Ayodhya of the South' — the seat of Sita Ramachandraswamy, whose temple was raised in the 17th century by the tahsildar-saint Kancherla Gopanna, remembered as Bhakta Ramadasu for the kirtans he wrote in prison for the temple's sake. The Sri Rama Navami kalyanam (celestial wedding) performed here draws lakhs, with the state itself presenting pearls for the ritual, a tradition running unbroken from the Qutb Shahi kings.

When to go

October to March; Sri Rama Navami celebrations

Why visit

The Ayodhya of the South — Ramadasu's Godavari-bank temple and its famous celestial wedding.

How to reach

About 310 km east of Hyderabad (7 hours by road or bus); the nearest rail heads are Bhadrachalam Road (Kothagudem, 40 km) on the Hyderabad line.

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