Draksharamam Temple is one of the famous temples of India The temple is found in the town of Draksharam in Konaseema district of Andhra Pradesh, India. The temple is one of the rare Pancharama Kshetras dedicated to Lord Shiva out of the fifty. Its, formal name is Bhimeswara Swamy Temple, the presiding deity being Lord Shiva is known as Bhimeswara Swamy. As per Dravidian architectural style, built in the 9th and 10th century CE by the Eastern Chalukya kings.
People of all ages and nationality come to this temple. Devotees that frequent this temple are those in worship to Lord Shiva. Devotees visit the temple every month and they offer prayers and conduct rituals in thousands. In this article, all primary information of darshan timings of Draksharamam Temple and other pooja like Kumkum Archana, Abhishekam, etc., will be available here.
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Draksharamam Temple Darshan Overview
The Sri Bhimeshwara Swamy Temple in Draksharamam is one of the Pancharama Kshetras. Additionally, in the same temple, we can also have the darshan of Sri Manikyamba Devi, the 12th Shakti Peeth among the Ashtadasha Shakti Peethas. According to Puranas, the Shivalinga in this temple was consecrated by the Sun God. This temple is located in Draksharamam town. There’s a parking area right opposite the temple where two-wheelers and four-wheelers need to be parked. On one side of the parking area, you can find items required for pooja.
In the parking area, there’s a Sri Prasannanjaneya Swamy Temple—don’t forget to have darshan there. This is the south gopuram of the temple, and we need to enter from this gopuram. Inside the temple, you will have the darshan of Bhimeshwara Swamy and Manikyamba Devi. The temple timings are from 5:30 AM to 11:30 AM, and then from 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM. As soon as we cross the gopuram and enter, this is the view we see.
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Location | Draksharamam, East Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh, India |
| Deity | Lord Bhimeswara Swamy (Shiva) and Goddess Manikyamba |
| Timings | 5:00 AM to 9:00 PM (Daily) |
| Entry Fee | Free |
| Special Poojas | Abhishekam, Alankaram, Aarti, Kumkum Archana |
| Online Booking | Available for special darshan and sevas |
| Nearby Airport | Rajahmundry Airport (Approx. 45 km away) |
| Historical Significance | One of the five Pancharama Kshetras, built between 9th and 10th centuries |
Temple Structure and Darshan
The temple is divided into two courtyards. In the outer courtyard, there are places like the Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Mandapam, Veerabhadra Swamy Mandapam, and a few other spots. The temple offers both normal darshan and special darshan. Currently, since there isn’t much crowd, first you have to going for normal darshan. Let’s first have darshan of the deities in the inner courtyard and then visit the deities in the outer courtyard. Before entering the temple, there’s a board related to the Sthala Purana (temple history). Near the path to the main temple courtyard, there’s a Vinayaka temple we should have darshan there before proceeding.
The temple has two floors. First, you have to go to the upper floor to have darshan of the Swamy and then come down. On the upper floor, the Shivalinga is called the head part, and the Shivalinga on the lower floor is called the foot part. you need to go from this side to have darshan of the lower part of the Shivalinga. A bridge-like structure has been set up to go to the inner sanctum in the middle. There’s also a staircase from the lower sanctum to the upper sanctum, but that path is only for priests. All devotees must use this bridge for darshan.
Upper Floor and Shivalinga
This is the sanctum on the upper floor. All poojas for this Shivalinga are performed on the upper floor. The Shivalinga in this temple is 14 feet tall. For darshan, you have enter from the left side and exit from the right side. Opposite the sanctum on this floor, there’s a balcony-like area see the temple view from here. Since mostly locals are coming, they have darshan of the Swamy and leave.
Manikyamba Devi Temple
This is the Manikyamba Devi temple, the 12th Shakti Peeth among the Ashtadasha Shakti Peethas. According to inscriptions here, this temple was built in the 9th century around 1200 years ago. Despite being so old, it hasn’t been damaged. See, there’s no one on the upper floor except me if you want to spend time peacefully, you can do so here.
Historical and Spiritual Significance
This temple is located on the southern side of Kashi Kshetra, so it’s also called Dakshina Kashi. It’s also known as Vyasa Kashi because Sage Vyasa visited this temple. Among the Trilinga Kshetras, this Draksharamam temple is one Srisailam, Kaleshwaram, and Draksharamam are called Trilinga Kshetras. People in Andhra might know about the Pancharamas, but many in Rayalaseema don’t.
Unique Features
The windows on the upper floor are designed so that sunlight falls on the Shivalinga every morning. Temples with two floors like this are very rare. I’m seeing a two-floor temple for the first time. The temple in Samarlakota is also similar. Many locals directly have darshan of the Swamy and go for their work, while people from other places explore the entire temple like this.
Lower Floor and Other Deities
After coming down, you have to go from this side to have darshan of the foot part of the Shivalinga. This sanctum is called the Dark Corner. In this temple, there are three paths for circumambulation (pradakshina) two in the lower sanctum and one in the upper sanctum. While circumambulating, we can also see the Shivalinga through the windows of the sanctum. Then we can have darshan of Manikyamba Devi, the 12th Shakti Peeth. During Dasara festival, they decorate the Goddess in a different form each day.
Outer Courtyard
. There are a few more temples in the outer courtyardmlet’s see them too. While circumambulating the temple, we go from the left, see all the visuals, and come back to the front. The temple has four gopurams on all four sides, and you can enter the temple from each gopuram. On the west gopuram side of this courtyard, there are no temples. In the northwest corner of the courtyard, there’s a mandapam—a very ancient one. Until a few months ago, they used to distribute anna prasadam here, but now they’ve shifted it outside.
Additional Temples and Features
In the outer courtyard near the north gopuram, there’s a Vayu Lingam. You can perform abhishekam to this Vayu Lingam with all kinds of liquids—no priests are present here, so we can do the abhishekam ourselves. This Shivalinga has a Brahma Sutra. In the northeast corner of the temple, there’s the Sri Veerabhadra Swamy temple, also known as the Kala Bhairava temple. There are Bhairavas in front of the Kala Bhairava temple—no abhishekams should be performed here.
East Side and Other Highlights
There’s a small entry from this side to go into the main temple. Here, you can see the flagpole (dhwajasthambam), and behind the flagpole, there’s a Nandi. Opposite the east gate, there’s a Nandi, and from between the Nandi’s ears, you can see the sanctum with the foot part of the Shivalinga. If there are no devotees, we can directly see the lingam. Going inside from this side, you’ll see a beautiful mandapam. On one side, there are Navagrahas, and on the other side, there are Ashta Dikpalakas.
Near the east gopuram, there’s a temple pond called Sapta Godavari Gundam. They say the Godavari River flows as an underground stream here even now. From the bridge you see here, we can also enter the temple. From the east gopuram, you can have darshan of a Shivalinga near a peepal (ravi) tree, which is said to be around 1000 years old. Nagadevatas (snake deities) are installed around this peepal tree. It’s a belief among devotees that if married couples who don’t have children install a Naga Bandha here, they’ll be blessed with children. That’s why many have installed Naga Bandhas here. Currently, there’s no space around this tree, so they now install Naga Bandhas in another place near the pond. Under this peepal tree, along with the Shivalinga, you can also have darshan of Lord Vishnu.
Draksharamam Temple Darshan Timings
| Darshan Session | Timing |
|---|---|
| Morning Darshan | 6:00 AM – 12:00 PM |
| Afternoon Break | 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM |
| Evening Darshan | 3:00 PM – 8:00 PM |
| Special Pooja Timings | 6:00 AM – 7:00 AM |
| Darshan Types | Timing/Schedule | Day |
|---|---|---|
| Temple Opening Time (During Masa Sivaratri) | 06:00 AM | Mon to Sun |
| Temple Opening Time (During Karthika Masam) | 05:00 AM | Mon to Sun |
| Darshan Timings (During Masa Sivaratri) | 06:00 AM to 08:00 PM | Mon to Sun |
| Morning Darshan Timings (During Normal Days) | 06:00 AM to 12:00 PM | Mon to Sun |
| Morning Darshan Timings (During Karthika Masam) | 06:00 AM to 12:30 PM | Mon to Sun |
| Evening Darshan Timings (During Normal Days) | 03:00 PM to 08:00 PM | Mon to Sun |
| Evening Darshan Timings (During Karthika Masam) | 03:00 PM to 08:30 PM | Mon to Sun |
| Temple Closing Timings (During Normal Days) | 08:00 PM | Mon to Sun |
| Temple Closing Timings (During Karthika Masam) | 08:30 PM | Mon to Sun |
Accommodation Information
- Just opposite the temple boundary wall, there is a guest house also known as a “Choultry.” It is provided for temple users who wish to stay.
- Guest House: Sri P.V.R. Choultry
- Address: Santhinagar, Kakinada-3, East Godavari District
- Phone No: 0884 – 2363535
Contact Details of the Temple Management
- Should you want to contact the temple management for whatever reason, these are the details.
- Executive Officer: Sri Bhimeswara Swamy Temple
- Place: Draksharama, Ramachandrapuram (M), East Godavari District, Pin Code – 533 262
- Phone Number: 08857-252488
IMPORTANT LINKS :-
OFFICIAL WEBSITE – CLICK HERE