Bhadrachalam

The main attraction is the temple of Sri Ram built by Kancharla Gopanna, popularly known as Bhakta Ramadas, in 1630 AD. Ramdas was then tax revenue collector (also called as Tahsildar). He collected money from people to build this temple and when the collections were not sufficient, used tax collections and consequently was jailed for 12 years by the king Tana Shah of Golconda. Moved by the plight of his devotee Sri Ram and his brother, Laxmana repaid the money owed to the king and got Ramadas released. Two festivals are most important at Bhadrachalam: * Annual Kalyanotsavam on the eve of Rama Navami, during Sri Rama Navami(March-April) there is a huge influx of pilgrims not only from Andhra districts, but also from other distant places to attend the wedding of Lord Rama with Sita. * Vaikunta Ekadasi (Mukkoti). Sree Seetaramachandra swamy will give darshan through the Vaikuntha dwaram on the eve of Mukkoti(December–January)