The temple in Bhadrachalam is closely connected with the life of the 17th-century saint composer Kancharla Gopanna 

who was known as Bhakta Ramadas. Gopanna was the Tahasildar of Bhadrachalam (second half of the 17th century),

is said to have used money from the government treasury to build this temple, and was imprisoned in a dungeon

at Golconda. Lord Rama is said to have miraculously given the Sultan the money spent by Gopanna, after which he was

released. Gopanna then became Bhadrachala Ramadasa and went on to compose innumerable number of songs in

Telugu in praise of Rama.

Bhadrachalam and Vijayanagara are sites said to have been closely associated with the Ramayana. Rama, Sita and

Lakshmana are said to have stayed at Parnasala, 35 km away from Bhadrachalam. Rama is said to have crossed the

river Godavari on his way to Sri Lanka to rescue Sita, at the spot where the Bhadrachalam temple stands, on the

northern bank of the river. Legend has it that the son of Meru and Menaka, Bhadra, performed penances towards Rama

here. Kabirdas, a Muslim by birth is also closely associated with this temple. It is believed that the images of the deities

miraculously disappeared when Kabir was refused entry into the temple and that they reappeared miraculously upon

his being permitted to enter.

Bhadrachalam attracts hundreds of thousands of devotees from all over the world. This hill place that is encircled by

Holy River Godavari flowing towards southern direction is the famous shrine Bhadrachalam. The name is derived from

Bhadragiri (Mountain of Bhadra: a boon child of Meru and Menaka). The history of this shrine stands for the significance

of Ramayana Era, the coherent hill place existed in "Dandakaranya" of Ramayana period where Rama with his consort

Sita and brother Lakshmana had spent their vanavasa. The vicinity of the temple had its incongruous mixture in another

story which depicts the exigency of "Sri Mahavishnu" to manifest himself as Rama and shuffled again to the mortal coil

— long after Ramavatara was to fulfill his promise to his Bhakta Bhadra (a mountain king), a sage who had been

continuing the intense penance to get grace of Lord Rama.

For more information about Bhadrachalam Temple, visit the website on Bhadrachalam and Temple