Draksharama Bhimeswara Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Rajahmundry Airport serves Rajamahendravaram. It lies at Madhurapudi, 16 km north of the city centre.

• By train

  Rajahmundry railway station serves Rajamahendravaram, the city about 50 km from the temple.

• By road

  The temple is about 50 km from Rajahmundry and is near Ramachandrapuram.

Why devotees come here

Draksharama Bhimeswara Temple is a Shiva shrine in Draksharamam village, Konaseema district, Andhra Pradesh. It is one of the five Pancharama Kshetras, and its legends link it to four other Shiva temples in that group. It also houses Manikyamba, one of the 18 Shakti Pithas.

The legend behind the five Pancharama temples begins with a broken lingam. Rama is said to have worshipped Shiva here, followed by Surya and Indra. Another telling has Surya, on Vishnu's instruction, set the broken pieces where they fell and build a temple over each one. Draksharamam is also known as Dakshina Kaasi, the Varanasi of the South.

The earliest inscription at the temple is dated 1081 CE, so the temple existed before that date. The Pancharama temples are generally believed to date from the 10th and 11th centuries. The temple is very large, with three compounds, and is under the control of the Archaeological Department. The temple stands in Konaseema district, which was formed at Amalapuram from 4 April 2022.

The temple has two enclosures, called prakarams. The outer one has four entrances, each with a gopuram tower, and the west gopuram has five tiers. The sculpture in the mukha mandapam shows clear Chalukyan features. The main lingam, Bhimeswara, is enshrined in the sanctum as a ten feet high Shivalingam.

Tips for your visit

• The temple also has shrines to Lakshmi Narayana, Sankaranarayana, Ganapati and the Navagrahas.
• Two flights of stairs lead to the upper level of the sanctum, so know this before you go if stairs are hard for you.

Questions people ask