Bhadrachalam Travel
Bhadrachalam is a temple town in the Khammam district of the state of Andhra Pradesh, and a very important pilgrimage center connected with the legend of Ram and Sita and their wedding. It is situated on the beautiful banks of the Godavari River and sees a huge tourist footfall through the year. Falling within the pilgrimage circuit of Tirupati and Srisailam, Bhadrachalam is thronged by thousands of devotees from all over the country during the various religious festivals that it celebrates throughout the year.
Bhadrachalam is especially famous for its celebrations of the Ram Navami Bramhotsav, the main festival for this pilgrimage center for devotees of Ram. The other important festival, which is also a great tourist draw is the Vaikuntha Ekadasi, a religious rite dedicated to the worship of Lord Vishnu. The town also boasts of a serene natural beauty, situated on a hillock on the banks of the river Godavari. Cruising on the river is also an important part of any traveller's itinerary in Bhadrachalam.
Places to Visit
Bhadrachalam has come into prominence as one of the most important religious pilgrimage spots in Andhra Pradesh. It is said to have been the site where Lord Rama got married to his consort Sita. It is also the site where the famed saint Bhadra created a temple for Lord Rama, giving the town its name. Therefore, the town has many important religious sites that are worth visiting.
- The Sreesitaramachandra Swamy Temple in Khammam area, built by bhakta Gopanna is one of the most visited places in town. It has one of the most sacred shrines to Lord Rama, and has fabulous carvings and temple sculptures that depict all the avatars of the Lord.
- Another temple, the Abhaya Anjaneya Temple, which is a more recent structure built in 1998, is a temple dedicated to Hanuman. It is also an important tourism and pilgrimage spot.
- Parnasala, a village 32 kms away from Bhadrachalam is a popular picnic spot for tourists. It is said that this was the site where Ravana abducted Sita, and a little hut has been constructed to commemorate this episode from the epic.
Bhadrachalam experiences typically humid climates throughout the year, with exceptionally hot summers. The temperatures may soar up to 47 degrees Celsius and the weather is very uncomfortable. Tourists are advised to not visit Bhadrachalam during this season. Monsoons in the town are more bearable, although they are humid and rainy and not particularly suitable for tourism.
The main tourist seasons of Bhadrachalam are the winter and spring seasons, between October and March, when the climate is pleasant, mildly cool and temperatures stay between a comfortable 20 to 33 degrees Celsius. This is a perfect season for pilgrimages, picnics and other kinds of tourist activities.
Tourists are advised to try visiting Bhadrachalam during Ram Navami or during the Vaikuntha Ekadashi, as during these times, the town is at its maximum festive glory and it is a beautiful time to travel through. The Vaggeyakaara Mahotsavam is also another enjoyable festive season in town and music lovers have a treat at the concert that is held on this occasion.
How to reach
Bhadrachalam falls within the busy tourism route of Tirupati and Srisailam and is very well connected to all parts of the country. It can be accessed quite comfortably by air. The nearest airport to Bhadrachalam is Rajahmundry, which connects to the capital city of Hyderabad via operators such as JetKonnect and SpiceJet.
The nearest international airports are Hyderabad and Chennai which are about 325 kms away from Bhadrachalam. Regular taxis and private car services ply between Hyderabad Airport and Bhadrachalam and it takes about Rs 4,000 to avail these services. Hyderabad, in turn, is easily accessible from across the world.
The nearest railway station to town is Bhadrachalam Road also known as Kothagudem. It is 40 kms away from the main town and easily accessible by bus, cars and taxis. The Kakatiya F Passenger and Sc Mugr Express connect Bhadrachalam Road to Hyderabad. The other stations around the town are Rajahmundry (184 kms away) and Vijayawada (201 kms away).
The trains to Rajahmundry Station are Seshadri Express (Bengaluru), Prasanthi Express (Bengaluru), Haldia Express (Chennai) and Konark Express (Mumbai). The trains to Vijayawada are Tamil Nadu Express (Delhi), Jaipur Express (Jaipur) and Pune Bbs Express (Pune).
By road, Bhadrachalam can be accessed by buses, both under the Andhra Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation and private operators. The main government buses are available from Khammam, the district headquarters near Bhadrachalam, and the main private bus links are to Hyderabad.
Local Transport
The main local transport in Bhadrachalam is bus. The buses are frequent and have a good network within the main Bhadrachalam town and there are safe and regular bus routes between the town and main cities like Khammam, Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Rajahmundry, etc. Tourists are advised to explore the local bus services to avail pocket-friendly and safe travel.
Apart from this, there are auto-rickshaws which are also available within Bhadrachalam town and take tourists around to the main tourist hotspots and temples. Auto-rickshaws can also be hired to ply between Bhadrachalam and Parnasala for greater convenience of the travellers. Bhadrachalam is a fairly small town and tourists who are fitness conscious can also make a long walk out of the sightseeing and the various tours of the temples and other religious spots. Interested travellers are strongly advised to go on a boat cruise on the Godavari River to experience the pulse of the town more intimately.
Hotels
Accommodation options in Bhadrachalam are many and almost all of them are safe, clean and hygienic. Because of the heavy footfall of pilgrims and tourists, the Andhra Pradesh Government has made various arrangements for the proper accommodation of pilgrims. They have a series of hotels, guest houses, cottages and hostels to accommodate tourists from all walks of life and financial backgrounds.
The Sriram Sadan, the Tanisha Kalyana Mandapam, the Sowmithri Sadanam, the Yadagiri Sadan, the Srirama Nilayam, etc., are some of the well-kept accommodation options around Bhadrachalam. These are exceptionally pocket-friendly options. Other than these there are hotels that cater to all kinds of budgets around town.
Some of them are Haritha Hotel, Sri Sudharsana Residency, Geethanjali Residency, Padmashali Satram, Godavari Hotel, Anurag Lodge, Sri Srinivasa Placae, the Sita Nilayam Cottage, Kakatiya Hotel, Apsara Lodge, etc. These hotels are more on the steep side for travellers, who are looking for more luxurious accommodation options in Bhadrachalam.
Travel Tips
Travellers planning to visit Bhadrachalam should keep certain things in mind before arriving at this very holy pilgrimage spot. The first and foremost point to keep in mind is that it is a pilgrimage spot and therefore, a certain amount of decorum must be maintained. Tourists are asked to be careful about hurting religious sentiments of the people of town.
Hotels and eateries around town generally do not serve non-vegetarian cuisine. Tourists are asked to be aware of this and manage their eating necessities accordingly. No place in Bhadrachalam serves alcohol and many hotels do not allow the consumption of alcoholic beverages or other such substances on their premises. Apart from this, Bhadrachalam is a friendly and safe place to travel to and tourists are advised to not give the Ram Navami festivities a miss as during this time, the town truly comes alive with colours, lights and endless merrymaking.
How many days are enough to travel
Bhadrachalam is an ideal weekend destination that tourists can explore from Hyderabad. It is a small town with breathtaking temples which can be explored quite well within the time constraint of the weekend. Weekend trips to the town can also include picnics to Parnasala and languorous cruising over the Godavari River.
Tourists are also advised to club their other travel itineraries within Andhra Pradesh with a short trip to Bhadrachalam to experience the beauty and serenity of this pilgrimage spot and manage their travel time better.
Tourism department contacts
Bhadrachalam is one of the most important pilgrimage centers of the state of Andhra Pradesh and the Andhra Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation takes great care to make it a traveller-friendly and safe location. Tourists are advised to make their bookings for the peak pilgrimage season, which is winters and spring, much beforehand to avoid the tremendous rush. Most of the bookings at the government-run guest houses, cottages and sadanas are to be done in the tourism office at Hyderabad. The following are some of the contacts that are necessary to make prior bookings, reservations and travel plans under the aegis of the government facilities within Bhadrachalam.
- Round-the-clock Tourism Information, Andhra Pradesh The Tourism Department,
- Bhadrachalam Temple Sree Seetha Ramachandra Swamy Vari Devasthanam
- General Temple Information: 08743-232465 or 91+ 9848489060
- Accommodation: 08743-232467 or 91+ 9848489060
- Annadanam Information: 91+ 8801650620
- Assistant to Executive Officer: 9866770473/8985891929
Secretariat, Hyderabad,
Andhra Pradesh, India
Tel: 1800-42-545454
Bhadrachalam-507111,
Khammam District, Andhra Pradesh, India.
Bhadrachalam is a fairly safe area with very tourist and pilgrim-friendly people. The hotels and guest houses are safe clean and hygienic and there are very few complaints that have been lodged over the years. Still, since it is a pilgrimage spot and all kinds of people are welcome to visit, tourists are strongly advised to remain vigilant and take care of their own belongings and health. Pilgrims should also be prepared to deal with touts and other kinds of religious middlemen who throng the temples.
The following are some contacts for tourists to refer to in case of any emergencies that might come up in course of their travel:
- Police Station, Bhadrachalam
- Maruthi Para Medical Academy College of Nursing,
- Revathi Nursing Home
Phone: (8743) 232433 Mobile: 9440795323, 9440795320
Address: 1-A, Temple Road,
Bhadrachalam - 507111
Landmark: Near Tahsildar Office
Bhadrachalam Tel: (08743) 233141
H.no.8-1-107,
Bhadrachalam LIC Road,
Bhadrachalam - 507111
Tel: (08743) 233396
Plot No 65, Bank Street,
Bhadrachalam Ho, Bhadrachalam - 507111
