Bhadrachalam

[Guest guest]

Respected Ramanuja Bhaktas,

 

In our Ramanuja sampradAyam, there are two different categories of

temples. The first are known as divya dEshams. These are temples

where the AzhwArs have sung about the all-encompassing Beauty and

Wondrous Compassion of our Lord, Sriman Narayana, in His Form as the

Captivating presiding Deity in the 108 holy places where He has

manifested out of His desire to be with his devotees. Included among

these are such famous temples as the ones in Tirupati, Srirangam,

Kanchipuram, Ayodhya, Brindavan, and so on. Also included among

these are two temples that we will only be able to see when the Lord

grants us salvation or mOksham. These are the ones at thirupArkadal

at the edge of the known universe, and paramapadam, the Lord's

Supreme Abode.

 

But, along with these holy places, are several temples of rich

historic and religious significance that receive similar reverence.

While the AzhwArs did not sing about these, their greatness stands

out because of their connection to Ramanuja or his succession of

disciples, and because of the devotees who have experienced the bliss

of seeing and serving the Lord there.

 

One of the most revered among these is Bhadrachalam in Andhra

Pradesh. The presiding deity of this Temple is Sri

SitaRamachandraswamy, who is also called Sri Vaikunta Rama. Unlike

any other temple to Sri Rama in the world, the moola vigraha

(unmoving form) of Sri SitaRamachandra is seen sitting, and

presenting us with His four-armed form as Sri Mahavishnu. The

captivating beauty of this rare form of the Lord, it picturesque

location along the banks of the sacred Godavari River, as well as the

sincere devotion of those who prayed to the Lord here, makes the

temple a place of pilgrimage for devotees from all over India and the

world.

 

Recently, the Board at Bhadrachalam launched a web site dedicated to

this temple and the Lord enshrined therein. The site contains

beautiful photographs and videos that are really worth seeing,

including a photograph of the moolavar of the Lord Himself. I would

highly recommend the two-minute video of Sri SitaRama Kalyanam that

was part of the temple's BrahmOtsavam this past April. You can visit

the site, by clicking:

 

http://www.bhadrachalarama.org/

 

adiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan

Mohan