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Ksheera Ramalingeswara Swamy Temple Palakollu Guide – Timings, Poojas, and History

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Ksheera Ramalingeswara Swamy temple in the West Godavari district of Andhra, Palakollu is a grand temple of Lord Shiva that is one of the Pancharama temples. The presiding deity here is Lord Shiva whose form was established by Lord Vishnu. Locally this temple is also famous as Pedda Gopuram.

What is the history of Palakollu Ksheera Ramalingeswara Swamy Temple?

According to history, Palakollu Ksheera Ramalingeswara Swamy temple was constructed during the reign of Chalukya Bhima of Chalukya dynasty in the 9th century. Sri Velupathi designed it’s Prakara during the 10th century. The architecture is a clear reflection of the art practised during the Chalukya dynasty reigns.

During the 14th century, Sri Alladu Reddy built the Gopuram. During the 17th century, there was construction of Kalyana mantapam (choultry) and Ashtha Bhuja Lakshmi Narayanaswamy alaya.

What is the significance of Palakollu Ksheera Ramalingeswara Swamy Temple?

Significance of Ramalingeswara Swamy is that the Shivalingam at the temple is the tallest one and has a unique milky white color. The shiva lingam which is popular as moola virat is visible from all four sides of the sanctum sanctorum or garbha griha.

In addition one can also view several other gods like the Sun God, Devi Parvati and Lakshmi, Veera Bhadra, Kanaka Durga, Nataraja, Shankara, Radha Krishna from all four sides.

Locally there is a saying that staying for a day at Ksheerama is equal to staying at Varanasi.

The temple has 72 pillars made of black stones.

Timings of Palakollu Ksheera Ramalingeswara Swamy Temple

Here are the timings of Ksheera Ramalingeswara Swamy Temple:

TimingsFromTo
Open6:00 am8:00 pm

How to reach Palakollu Ksheera Ramalingeswara Swamy Temple?

Here’s how to reach Palakollu Temple:

  • Road: buses are frequently available from all the parts of Andhra Pradesh moving towards Bhimavaram to Palakollu.
  • Rail: trains are also very easily available on a regular basis from the Vijaywada railway junction.
  • Air: The nearest aiport is Vijawada from where regular flights are available.

Where to stay near Palakollu?

Some of the places where one can stay near Palakollu are:

  • Palavalli Boutique Resorts which is 12km from Palakollu town centre has a great location where guests enjoy their peace and solitude.
  • Falcon Nest Hotel behind the coastal city centre at Bhimavaram is a grand place to check in.

What are some temples near Palakollu?

Some of the temples near palakollu are:

  • Sri Someswara Temple which is 117 km from Vijaywada is one of the Pancharama Kshetras where one can visit to offer prayers to the Lord. Devotees also believe that Lord Chandra installed the main Lingam.
  • Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple is another pilgrim place to visit during this trip. It is on the top of the Seshachala hill in Tirumala.
  • Shri Lingaraj Temple is a famous Hindu temple in honour of lord Harihara, a form of lord Shiva and is one of the oldest and largest temples in Bhubaneswar, the capital of the East Indian state of Odisha (formerly Orissa). The temple is the most prominent landmark of the Bhubaneswar city.

Salihundam Guide – Timings, Poojas, and History

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Salihundam is a village in the Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh. It was known as Salivatika, which means rice emporium. Salihundam lies on top of a hill on the south bank of the Vamsadhara River. It features ruins of a number of Buddhist stupas and a huge monastic complex on a hillock amidst scenic surroundings. It is about 9 miles from Srikakulam.

Salihundam is famous for numerous Buddhist stupas. These were discovered by Gidugu Venkata Rama Murthy, in the year 1919. Salihundam shows evidence that during the 2nd and 3rd centuries, Buddhism thrived in the local area of it. Therefore, it has become one of the main Buddhist excavation sites.

What is the history of Salihundam?

  • There are numerous Buddhist stupas on a hill in Salihundam. These hills are present amid picturesque surroundings.
  • Gidugu Venkata Rama Murthy erected this Stupa in the year 1919.
  • During digging performed by the state authorities, four stupas, Relic caskets, and architectural shrines were discovered.
  • One of the main Buddhist excavations stands there as an evidence that the religion thrived at this place during 2nd to 3rd century.

What is the significance of Salihundam?

The significance of Salihundam is that it holds a lot of archaeological importance owing to the existence of ancient monuments. There are a number of Buddhist stupas and a huge monastic complex. These are present amidst scenic surroundings. here’s distinct evidence of the presence of the ‘Vajrayana’ cult.  Buddhism spread to Sumatra and other far-eastern countries from here.

How to reach this place?

  • Road: The nearest town is Srikakulam. Srikakulam is 17 km from Salihundam. There are good road connections from Srikakulam to this place.
  • Train: There is no railway station near to Salihundam in less than 10 km. The major railway station is Vishakapatnam Rail Way Station. It is at a distance of 117 KM.

What are the timings of the Stupa?

The Stupa remains open for visitors from 6 AM to 9 PM.

What is the entry fees of the Stupa?

The entry fees to the Stupa varies from Zero to 10 rupees.

What are some temples nearby?

Simhachalam Temple is located nearby in Vizag.

Ahobilam Temple Timings, Poojas, and History

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Ahobilam Temple is dedicated to Lord Narasimha and is located in the Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh. There are two sects – the upper Ahobilam and the lower Ahobilam.  In total there are nine Narasimhasthalams. They are:

  • Jwala Narasimha
  • Ahobilam Narasimha
  • Malola Narasimha
  • Kroda Narasimha
  • Karanja Narasimha
  • Bhargava Narasimha
  • Yogananda Narasimha
  • Chatravata Narasimha and
  • Pavana Narasimha.

Also, the main temple- Ahobilam Narasimha Swamy temple is a holy place that enthralls visitors every time they visit the place. It is a majestic sight to see through bare eyes. The temple is also one of the earliest, falling under Narasimhasthalams. It is at a distance of 70km from Nandyal and 150 km from Kurnool.

What is the history of the Ahobilam Temple?

According to the history of Ahobilam temple’s, there is a legend according to which this is the place where Lord Narasimha blessed Prahlada and killed the demon Hiranyakshipu. Mythology says another story that Lord Vishnu once appeared as half-lion and half-man which is one of his incarnations.

The Devas seeing him shouted crying “Ahobala” (powerful) and “Ahobila” (the cave where currently the sanctum is located) . so this place thus got its name Ahobilam or Ahobala.

What is the significance of Ahobilam Temple?

The significance of Ahobilam Temple is that:

  • The temple follows the Vadakalai mode of worship.
  • The shrine of the Ahobilam temple is on the top of the first range and is also popular as Upper Ahobilam and down below is the Lower Ahobilam.
  • The “sacrosanctum” at Upper Ahobilam was carved out of a big egg-like rock with mandapams.
  • According to beliefs, the presiding deity is a ‘swayambhu’.
  • The Lord is also popular as ‘Ugra Narasimha’ or the ‘Fierce One’ as the Lord appears in his fierce avatar.
  • Also, there are two Devis residing within the temple. They are Goddess Lakshmi and Goddess Senjulakshmi.
  • The temple also projects intricate stone art where the entire history of its building has been carved out in the stone form. The temple also is the abode of Adivan Sathagopulu.
  • Also, the tower above the sanctum sanctorum of the temple is famous as Guhai Vimanam and the Pushkarani (temple tank) of this temple are Pavanasini, Bhargava, Indra, Nrisimha and Gaja Pushkarani.

What are the timings of the Ahobilam Temple?

Here are the timings of Ahobilam temple:

TimingsFromTo
Open5:30 a.m. 8:30 p.m.

Which festivals are celebrated at Ahobilam Narasimha Swamy Temple?

There is one major festival famous as Brahmotsavam whose celebrations take place with much grandeur and splendour during the month of February.

How to reach Ahobilam Temple?

Here’s how to reach Ahobilam Temple:

  • Road: The state buses from Hyderabad, Tirupati, Chittoor, Cuddapah, Kurnool, Nellore and Chennai are available.
  • Rail: Nandyal town (74 km. on Guntur-Hubli line) and Cuddapah (118 km. on Madras-Bombay line) are the ones to avail.
  • Air: Hyderabad and Tirupati are the nearest airports where regular flights are available.

Where to stay nearby?

Here are some places where one can stay near Ahobilam Temple:

  • The Haritha Hotel at Ahobilam is a great place to check-in. It is a very suitable and homely place.
  • Malolan guest house at Sannithi street, Ahobilm is another place where one can stay. It also has a very soothing atmosphere with great amenities.

What are some temples nearby?

Some of the temples near Ahobilam Temple are:

  • Bhargava Narasimha Temple is on a hill near a pond popular as Bhargava Theertham where Bhargava Rama performed his penance. Hence the Lord of the temple is Bhargava Narasimha Swamy.
  • Yogananda Narasimha Temple is another place at a distance of 2km from Lower Ahobilam. it is the place where Lord Narasimha appears in yogic posture.
  • Further, The Prahlada Varda temple has its design as per the architectural style of the Vijayanagar Temple. Moreover, it is in the Lower Ahobilam and primarily dedicated to Prahalada Varada. A beautiful temple dedicated to Lord Venkateswara also exists in the southwest direction of the Narsimha temple.

Yaganti Temple Guide – Timings, Poojas, and History

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Yaganti Temple also known as Sri Uma Maheswara Temple or Yagantiswamy Temple is located in Yaganti which is in Kurnool of Andhra Pradesh. This temple is devoted to Lord Shiva and is supposed to have been built in the 15th century by kings Harihara and Bukka Raya of the Sangama dynasty of the Vijayanagara Empire.

Yaganti Temple is extremely beautiful and is in the middle of the Yerramala Hills, surrounded by scenic beauty. Also, there are numerous caves in the hills around the temple where quite a lot of saints reside including the great Telugu saint and astrologer ‘Potuluti Veera Brahmam Garu.’

The temple dates back to 5th and 6th centuries with donations from the Pallavas, Chalukyas, Cholas and Vijayanagara rulers. Apart from this, the temple also received valuable contributions from Vijayanagara Kings Harihara and Bukka Rayalu who completed the construction of quite a lot of structures in and around the temple.

Yaganti Temple has idols of Shiva and Parvathi engraved out of a single stone. This temple is almost certainly the only place where Lord Shiva is adorned in the form of an idol and not in the form of a Shiva Linga. It is a popular belief that Agastya performed the sacrament for Lord Shiva and appealed him Lord Shiva to make an appearance in Ardhanareeswara form. Another very bizarre yet miraculous characteristic of this temple is that the idol of Nandi here keeps increasing in size.

Yaganti Temple History

Lord Agastyar was a preacher, a Vedic saint, the earliest Siddhar & one of the Saptarishis, the seven sages who were extruded at many places in the Vedas. According to the mythology associated with the temple, Lord Agastyar desired to construct a temple for Lord Venkateswara, i.e. Lord Vishnu at Yaganti.

Accordingly, a number of rituals were performed to establish the idol of Lord Vishnu at the explicit place selected at Yaganti but to his surprise, he found that the nail of the foot thumb finger was broken. Lord Agastya was bothered to discover this and made a sacrament to Lord Shiva to be acquainted with the reason behind the incident. Lord Shiva responded positively to his prayer and appeared before him and explained that the place bear a resemblance to Kailash and it is appropriate tobe the domicile of Lord Shiva.

Sage Agastya was enthralled and demanded Lord Shiva to dwell in this place for eternity along with Goddess Parvati. So, since then the place is called as Uma Maheswara Temple where in ‘Uma’ refers to Goddess Parvati and ‘Maheswara’ refers to Lord Shiva.

Yaganti Temple is has been constructed as per the Vaishnava traditions and it demonstrates the artistic dexterity of the ancient Vishwakarma Sthapathis.

Significance of Yaganti Temple

The deities of Yaganti Temple are Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati carved on a single stone. There is also a cave in the name of sage Agastya who performed the sacrament towards Lord Shiva. The idol of Lord Vishnu which was apparently believed to be distorted was also found in one of the caves of the temple known as Venkateswara Cave.

The Nandi also termed as Lord Nandeeswara, the ascend of Lord Shiva, present in the Yaganti temple is considered to be budding in size over the decades. As per the researchers, the rock out of which the idol of Nandi is made has a special characteristic which leads the rock to grow. Furthermore, it was also discovered that the idol of Nandi increases to about 10mm per eight years i.e., 1 inch per 20 years. The Archaeological Survey of India has conirmed that the growing of the size of the idol is due to Geological phenomena as per science.

A very significant and remarkable feature of this temple is that the Pushkarini which is the temple tank consists of sacred holy water flowing from the tank. But, the water is believed to flow from the bottom of the hill.

A very bizarre fact about the place is that crows are forbidden to fly in Yaganti. This is because when sage Agastya was meditating here, Kakusara, the king of crows distracted him from his deliberation and in rage sage Agastya spelled his curse on the crows to prevent them from his entering his premises. Likewise, Shani, the vehicle of crows also could not go through.

It is also a belief that people performed Pradakshinas, rounds around the idol of Nandi years ago. One of the pillars of the temple has been removed due to the increasing size of the idol. As per the Potuluri Veera Brahman, the Basavanna which is the idol of Nandi will come alive and bellow when Kaliyuga ends.

Yaganti Temple caves are also remarkable about the place. The following are the temple caves at Yaganti:

  • Agastya Cave: It is believed that sage Agastya performed the holy sacrament here for Lord Shiva. The shrine for Godess Parvati is also located here and one has to climb 120 steps to reach the entrance to the temple.
  • Sri Venkateswara Cave: The distorted idol of Lord Vishnu can be seen here and it is a popular belief that this idol was carved preceding the arrival of Lord Venkateswara Swamy onto Tirumala hills.
  • Sri Potuluri Veera Brahman Cave: Here, the prophet Sri Potuluri Veera Brahman spent some of his time and that’s why the cave has been named so.

Yaganti Uma Maheswara Temple, Nandi: Also dissimilar to other Shiva temples, the idol of Nandi is not placed right opposite to Lord Shiva, rather it is located to the side of main Mantap. Sri Potuluri Veera Brahmendra Swamy declared in his prophecy that the idol of Nandi would come alive at the end of the Kaliyuga and would shout piercingly.

Yaganti Uma Maheswara Temple Akasha Deepam: The temple priest used to lit lamp using 4 litres of oil and 2-meter thick wick on an everyday basis. This was done in the evening on a ledge behind Veerabhadra Swamy Temple. The lamp burns from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm in an open air on the top of the hill.

What are the timings of Yaganti Temple?

Here’re are the timings of Yaganti Temple:

Darshan Timings: 6 AM to 1 PM, 3 PM to 8 PM.

The customary Poojas and rituals are performed within this time slot on an everyday basis.

Festivals celebrated at Yaganti Temple

The main festival celebrated at the Yaganti Temple is the Maha Shivratri Which is celebrated in the month of February/March. This festival is celebrated every year and a mammoth of visitors and pilgrims come from across the country and abroad to be a part of this ceremonial festival.

How to reach Yaganti Temple

  • By road: It is associated with state transport to Hyderabad, Chittoor, Tirupati, Cuddapah, Nellore, Kurnool and Chennai which is 24km from the place called Allagadda and is also connected to the rest of the major cities. Buses are also available to Yaganti from Banaganapalli twice a day i.e., at 7:00 am and 3:30 pm. One can also find buses to Banaganapalli from Cuddapah, Nandyal, Hyderabad and Kurnool.
  • By Train:  The nearest railway station to the Sri Uma Maheswara Temple is the Secunderabad Railway station which is about 7 km from the temple. Nandyal railway station which is 55 km away from the temple is the nearest railway station connected to connected to major cities like Hyderabad, Howrah, Bangalore, Goa, Machilipatnam, Vijaywada, Puri, Hubli, Vizag and Bhubaneshwar.
  • By Air: The nearest airport to Sri Uma Maheswara Temple is Rajiv Gandhi International airport, Hyderabad and it is about 12km from the temple.

It is believed that the best time to visit Yaganti is in between the months of October to March while the peak season is said to be in between the months of February to March and it generally takes half of the day to explore Yaganti.

Yaganti Temple Accommodation

There are quite a lot of hotels available in and around the Yaganti Temple. Apart from the hotels, Lodges are also available at reasonable costs with all the necessary facilities and every year pilgrims from across the world visit Yaganti on an everyday basis.

Where to Eat

Free and quality food are offered to the pilgrims on a daily basis at Annanda Hall and the timings are from 11:00 am to 2:30 pm and 8:00 pm to 9:30 pm.

Nearby Temples

There are a number of important temples located near by the Uma Maheswara/ Yaganti Temple and visitors from around the country visit these temples as well.

  • Nava Narasimha Temple: This temple is located on the upper Ahobilam at a distance of 8km from Lower Ahobilam. The supervising deity of this temple is believed to be “Svayambhu” who is worshipped as Lord Ahobila Narasimha Swamy and is also known as ‘Ugra Narasimha’ because he appears in his fierce feature.
  • Shikaresvara Temple: Located in Nallamala Hill of Srisailam, Shikaresvara Temple is atop the highest point 2830 feet termed as Shikaram. This temple is bestowed to Lord Shiva and the people residing here have the propensity to believe that Lord Shiva in this temple has great healing powers and accomplish all their wishes. The temple also consists of Garbha Griha, 16 pillared Mukhmandapam and Antaralaya.
  • Sakshi Ganapati Temple: This temple is considered as one of the most holy spots recurrented by pilgrims since time immemorial. Located at a distance of 3km from Srisailam, this temple is positioned on the main road to Sikharam. As per the legend of this temple, the Ganapathi in this temple is believed to keep habitual account of the pilgrims to tender Sakshyam which means evidence of their visit to this Kshetram and so the temple is accordingly termed as Sakshi Ganapathi.
  • Mahanandi Temple: Located in the east of Nallamala Hills near Nandyal in Kurnool district, Mahanandi temple is considered to be the living temple that abides the evidence to the harmony that depicts the Hindu way of life. Lord shiva is depicted as the Lord of Nandi, his bull vehicle. Bull is also considered to be an important aspect of the agricultural world and is also bequeathed with worship because bull here, is correlated to Lord Vishnu and his incarnations
  • Iswaraswami Temple: This is also among one of the famous temples in and around Yaganti. This temple is also most popular because of the scenic beauty and the captivating view. Devotees appear in mammoth to visit the temple on a daily basis.

Draksharamam Temple Guide – Bhimeswara Pancharama – Timings, Poojas, and History

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Draksharamam Temple in Andhra Pradesh is the abode of Lord Bhimeswara Swamy and Goddess Manikyamba. The preceding deity at Draksharamam Temple is in the form of a “Linga”, 2.6 m tall of one large Crystal (known as the “Spatika Linga”).

Another popular name of the temple is Dakshina Kasi Kshetram. The literal translation of Draksharamam is ‘Abode of Daksha Prajapathi’, the father of Sati and the father in law of Lord Shiva. Sati was the wife of Lord Shiva. The Draksharama Temple is one of the Five Powerful Temples of Lord Shiva which are known as “Pancharamas” in Andhra Pradesh.

Draksharamam Temple History

Bhimeswara Swamy temple or Draksharamam temple is 25 km from Amalapuram and 28 km away from Kakinada on the Eastern bank of Godavari River. The ‘Skanda Purana’ of Shri Vyasa exhaustively describes the history of this pilgrimage destination. According to mythology, when Dasksha decided to perform a Yagna, he made a trip to Kailash Parbat. He did so with an intention to invite the Gods and Goddesses to grace the occasion and sanctify the ‘Yagna’.

However, the Lord was in a spiritual trance and did not realize that he had a visitor. Dasksha mistook this as being indifference on Lord Shiva’s part and returned without inviting the Lord and Sati. In spite of not getting the invitation, Sati expressed her desire to attend the pooja to the Lord. The Lord warned her that she will not be welcomed in her home but when Sati insisted, he let her go. As expected, Sati was not greeted warmly in her father’s house and everyone gave her the cold shoulder.

Humiliated by this, Sati decided to give up her life instead of returning to her husband with a fallen face. She dropped down dead in her father’s house. When Shiva learnt about this tragedy, he sent his son Veerabhadra to break Daksha’s ego and he himself came down to Daksha’s home. Veerabhadra, along with other Siva Ganas, including Kali, brought down Daksha and destroyed the Yajna. Lord Shiva carried Sati’s dead body over his shoulders and danced the ‘Pralaya Thandava’ or the destruction dance.

At this moment, Lord Vishnu descended and in order to redeem Lord Shiva’s grief, he cut down Sati’s body into 18 pieces with his ‘chakra’. The places on earth where the 18 pieces fell came to be known as the ‘Ashta Dasa Peethas’ and Sri Manikyamba of Draksharama is the twelfth of them and it is believed that the left cheek of Sati fell here.

Draksharamam Temple building is two storied and resembles a fort. There are 2 “Prakarams” or paths; outer and inner. The outer path has four entrances coming from four different directions. Each entrance has the most intricately carved Gopurams and is known to be in 4 different forms of Goddesses i.e. Gogulamma, Nookambika, Moodhambike, GhattambikeIn.

The main deity of the temple is Lord Bheemeswar Swamy, in the form of a 2.6 mts tall Shiva Lingam (the tallest Shiva Lingam in the world) which is made of crystal and has black stripes on the upper portion. Legend has that these stripes were the markings of the tiger skin that Lord Shiva was wearing when he found with Arjun under the disguise of a hunter. The early morning sun light falls directly on the Shiva lingam. Visitors can take a flight of steps towards the upper level of the Sanctum to see the upper structure of Lord Bheemeswar Swamy.

Towards the back side of the temple is the shrine of Manikyamba Devi in the left corner. The Goddess is looking towards the left which signifies her as Vamachara Devatha.

Lord Vishnu, present at the draksharamam temple with his consort Lakshmi Devi, is the Kshetrapalaka of Draksharamam. His shrine is at the entrance of main Temple.

There are other smaller shrines inside the main temple. Some of them are Praakara Bhairavudu, Viroopa, Natarajeshwar, Vaamana, Visheshwara, Dancing Ganapathi, Dundhi Ganapathi, Goddess Kanakadurga and Goddess Annapurna. The Kashi Vishweshwara Swamy temple faces south and is on the right side of Bheemeshwara Swamy temple.

The water from the Sapta Godavari Kundam (seven Godavari pond) is very sacred and is used for performing pooja. According to mythology, “Saptamaharishis” or the Seven Sages divided the Godavari River into seven streams in an attempt to end their penance. Of these seven streams, Draksharamam, Bharadhwaja, Viswamitra and Jamadagni streams known as the “Antarvahinis” and are believed to have gone underground. Later, these streams merged into a pond which is now known as Sapta Godavari Kundam.

Significance of Draksharamam Temple

The draksharamamam temple’s history can be dated back to the thirteenth century and it is one of the ‘Pancharamas’. It is an ancient and a holy pagoda and is a protected monument today. It is visited by thousands of devotees of Lord Shiva and Goddess Sati.

The Archaeological Department of India as taken the responsibility of restoring and renovating the beauty of the structure. Because of the inscriptions and epigraphs on the temple walls, this place is a paradise of historians and epigraphists.

The inscriptions on draksharamam temple date back to the 9th and 10th centuries during the reign of Chalukya King Bhima. During this time, the dynasty was under the attack by the Rashtrakotas. According to the inscriptions, Chalukyas had to fight over 360 battles. There are over 400 inscriptions that date back to the 11th Later this region was ruled by the Chola and Kalinga dynasty.

Devi Navaratrulu, Karthika Masam, Dhanurmasam, Birthday Celebration of Sri Bhimeswara Swamy varu, Subrahmanya Shasti, Maha Sivaratri and Kalyanam etc., are some of the important festivals celebrated at this Temple.

Draksharamam Temple follows an ancient South Indian Architectural style. Draksharamam Temple structure consists of 2 mandaps along with two walls. The sanctum or the inner garbhaalaya consists of intricate decor and crafting which showcases the work of master craftsmanship and represents cultural grandeur of the contemporary era. The temple also serves as a library for students of archaeological architecture.

This inner sanctum of draksharamam temple consists of a pedestal which has been built for priests to perform their rituals. Aurangzeb, when he invaded the temple, plundered the diamonds that had been studded into the walls. Ever since then this sanctum remains dark as the diamonds acted as a light source.

Inside the temple, the ventilation and illumination are rather impressive and proves the sensibility of the contemporary architects of that time. One can feel the inflow of rejuvenating air and the lightning arrangements within the temple.

The inscriptions and scripts are written in Dravidian, Tamil, Devanagiri, Telugu scripts in Sanskrit and Telugu languages. The inscriptions speak of the Chola, Sathvahanas, Vijaynagara and Reddy dynasties that once ruled over this region.

The draksharamam temple has been constructed in an area of over 12 acres and is surrounded by tall walls. 26 Lords reside in the temple as a family. The visitors are welcomed by Dundi Ganapati and Natya (Dancing) Ganapati at the main entrance. The trunk of Ganapati faces to his right similar to the Ganapati in Kasi.

The temples of Lord Lakshmi Narayana Swamy, Goddess Annapurna along with Lord Visveswara Swamy and Virupaksha Swamy, Bala Bheemeswara, Saptha mathrukalu, Lord Suryanarayana Swamy, Lord Subrahmanyeswara Swamy, Lord Lakshmi Ganapati, Lord Brahma installed by Krishna Devaraya exist here. Also, present in the temple are the halls for Navagraha and Ashta Dikpalakas.

Draksharamam Temple Timings

  • Draksharamam Temple opens at 6 AM and closes at 8 PM.
  • There is afternoon break between 12 pm to 3 pm during which the darshan is closed.
  • Once a month on Masa Shivaratri and once a year on Maha Shivaratri, the temple is open throughout the day starting from 6:00 am to 8:00 pm.

Festivals celebrated at Draksharamam Temple

Maha Shivarathri is the busiest time in the temple. It comes in the month of February or March. Around the same time in the month, the marriage ceremony or “Sri Swamivari Kalyanam” is held on Bhishma Ekadasi. Following is the list of all the festivals that are celebrated at the temple, along with the months in which they are celebrated:

  1. Sarrannavarathri Festival from Asviyuja Suddha Padyami to Dwadasi every year (October)
  2. Kartheeka Monday Festivals and Jwalathoranam in Karteeka masam every year (November)
  3. Sri Swamyvari Birthday on Margasira Suddha Chaturdhasi every year (December).
  4. Shasti Festival in the Month of December every year
  5. Sri Swamyvari Kalyanam on Bhisma Ekadasi Day in Magha Masam Every year (February)
  6. Mahasivarathri Festival in Maghamasam every year (February-March).

Poojas and Rituals at Draksharamam Temple

  1. Laksha Patri Puja
  2. Laksha Kumkumarchana
  3. Laksha Vattula Nomu
  4. Surya Namaskaramulu
  5. Ekadasa Rudramu
  6. Mahanyasa Purvaka Abhishekamu
  7. Sahasra Kumkumarchana
  8. Laghu Vyasa Poorvaka Eka Vaara Abhishekam
  9. Ashtotthara Kumkumarchana
  10. Masa Shivaratri Abhishekam (Every month)
  11. Masa Shivaratri Kumkuma Puja (Every month)
  12. Abhishekam (Every Monday)
  13. Puja (Every Friday)
  14. Nomulu / Aksharabhyasam / Annaprasana
  15. Special Darshan Ticket (On Festivals)
  16. Keshakhandana
  17. Upanayanamu
  18. Abhishekam Ticket(Monthly)
  19. Kumkumarchana Ticket(Monthly)
  20. Abhishekam at the time of Dasara Festival(For 10 days)
  21. Kumkumarchana at the time of Dasara Festival (For 10 days)
  22. Rudra Homam
  23. Japam/Tarpanam /Nava Varaarchana
  24. Nitya Kalyanam
  25. Sthala Puranam
  26. Sri Swamy vari Archana
  27. Abhishekam/Kumkumarchana
  28. Ubhayam at the time of Dasara
  29. Nitya Samuhika Abhishekam, Kumkumarchana(For One Year)

How to reach Draksharamam Temple?

  • By Road: The bus route connects the temple well with the neighbouring cities. The temple is situated at a distance of 50 km from Rajahmundry, 28 km from Kakinada Town and 6 km from Ramachandrapuram and buses ply on a routine basis on these routes.
  • By Rail: The nearest railway stations are Kakinada, Rajahmundry and Samalkot Junction.
  • By Air: The nearest airport to the temple is Rajahmundry which is at a distance of 50 km from the temple.

Where to stay nearby?

In the Devasthanam, dormitories are available at a charge of Rs. 200.00/- per day. Devotees can also avail one of the two A.C. suites with attached Bathrooms at a cost of Rs. 700.00/- per day per suite. Other rooms are also available at reasonable prices and usually, the prices start from Rs.100 or 200 per day depending on the room sizes.

Right in front of the temple, a choultry is also available. Here the devotees can relax for some time and also avail food, free of cost. Accommodations arealso available in near cities like Kakinada, Samalkota or Rajahmundry and from these areas, one can take a day trip via the bus to Draksharamam.

Where to eat nearby?

In the front of the draksharamam temple is the Choultry where free food is available to all the devotees. There are other small restaurants located around the temple where local and South Indian food is available.

Nearby Temples

  • Kumararamam at Samalkota is one of the Pancharama Kshetras and is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The presiding deity is Kumara Bhimeswara Swamy and the Linga here is made up of limestone. It is located at a distance of 44 km or 1 hour from Draksharamam.
  • Sri Satyanarayana Swamy Devastanam at Annavaram is built in the Dravidian style. The presiding deity Lord Satyadeva, with his consort Sri Anantha Lakshmi on one Side and Lord Siva on the other. The temple is located at a distance of 75 km or 1 and a half hour Draksharamam.
  • Sri Uma Markandeyeswara Swamy Temple at Rajahmundry is dedicated to Markandaya, the miracle child of a Muni called Mrukhanada. It is located at a distance of 48 km or 1 hour from Draksharamam.
  • Ashta Someswarulu – Lord Chandra, in an attempt to calm Lord Shiva, installed 8 Shiva Linga’s around the main Draksharamam temple in 8 directions. The collection of these lingas is known as Ashta Someswarulu. These 8 Lingas are Kolanka, Venturu, Kotipalli, Vella, Korumella, Someswaram and Penumalla.

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