Bhavanarayana Temple

Getting there

• By train

  Bapatla railway station lies on the New Delhi-Chennai and Howrah-Chennai main lines of Indian Railways.

• By road

  Frequent buses run to Vijayawada, Guntur, Ponnur, Repalle and Chirala, and National Highway 216 passes through the town. The highway connects Digamarru and Ongole.

Why devotees come here

Bhavanarayana Temple stands in Bapatla, the headquarters of Bapatla district in Andhra Pradesh. The main deity is Ksheera Bhavanarayana Swamy, a self-manifested deity, and the town took its name from this temple. It is one of the centrally protected monuments of national importance, built in the Southern Indian Hindu temple architecture style.

The main deity is Ksheera Bhavanarayana Swamy, who lives here with his consort Sundarvalli. The deity is swayambhu, meaning self-manifested. The town of Bapatla got its name from this temple, and earlier names of the town were also derived from it.

The construction is credited to Kubja Vishnu Vardhan, a Vengi Chalukya ruler, who took the title paramabhagavatha for this work. Accounts differ on the dedicatee. One names Venugopala Swamy, while others name Bhavanarayana. The temple is built in the Southern Indian Hindu temple architecture style.

The Archaeological Survey of India now controls the temple, which is one of the centrally protected monuments of national importance. Thousands of devotees take part in its Pavitrotsavam and Rathotsavam festivals, which are celebrated on a grand scale.

Festivals

• Dates not givenPavitrotsavam and Rathotsavam

  Thousands of devotees take part in these grand celebrations.

• Dates not givenChariot Festival

  The Chariot Festival is listed among the temple's festivals.

Tips for your visit

• Suryalanka Beach, also called Bapatla Beach, is about 9 km from Bapatla, and many resorts stand close to the beach.
• Vodarevu Beach, 8 km from Chirala, is one of the most visited beaches, with water sports and fishing options.

Questions people ask