The five temples that are devoted to Lord Shiva are together referred to as Pancharama. These locations are spread out over Andhra Pradesh’s East Godavari, West Godavari, and Guntur districts in India. The act of visiting Pancharama kshetras is extremely sacred to all Hindus. Aarama represents peace, and Pancha means five. Aarama is a Buddhist practice that tries to create a joyful state of mind. Pancharama, then, refers to five pleasant and tranquil sites.
You can embark on a magnificent journey with the Pancharamalu tour plan to the five historic Hindu temples of Lord Shiva located in Andhra Pradesh.
The Legend of Pancharama Kshetras
Pancharama Kshetras have a history, much like any other old, revered location. It is said that Lord Shiva’s son Kartikeya participated in a bloody conflict with the unbeatable demon Tarakasura long ago. Kartikeya, however, was unable to defeat the demon due to the strength of the shiva lingam pendant he was wearing.
According to the myth, Lord Vishnu came to Kartikeya’s aid and counselled him to destroy the demon’s protection shiva lingam before killing him. Kartikeya used agneyastra to kill Tarakasura after paying attention to the wise advice (fire weapon). Hindu gods Indra, Chandra, and Surya, as well as Vishnu and Kartikeya, instituted and worshipped the shiva lingam—which was shattered into fragments by Kartikeya’s weapons—safely at five different locations throughout present-day Andhra Pradesh.
Pancharamalu Names list:
- Amararama
- Draksharama
- Somarama
- Ksheerarama
- Kumararama
Amararama
The lingam at the Amararama temple was set up by Lord Indra, and it is situated in Amaravati, in Andhra Pradesh’s Guntur district, on the banks of the Krishna River. Aghorarupam, a representation of Shiva, is worshipped at this Pancharamalu. Bala Chamundeswari, a manifestation of Goddess Parvati, and Lord Shiva are worshipped in this location. Additionally on the main temple grounds is the Swami Temple of Venu Gopala.
The Amaravati temple timings are:
Morning: 6.00 AM to 12.00 Noon
Evening: 4.00 PM to 8.00 PM
Draksharama
The Draksharama Temple is truly unusual. Lord Rama once offered homage to Lord Shiva at the location of this Pancharamalu. Famous Telugu poet Vemulavada Bhima, who worshipped Lord Shiva in a previous era, is said to have received blessings from him. The temple’s architecture is magnificent and you can experience it with the best pancharamalu tour plan of Andhra Pradesh.
The Draksharama Temple Timings
Opens at 6 AM and closes at 8 PM.
The darshan is closed between 12 and 3 in the afternoon for lunch.
The temple is open all day from 6:00 am to 8:00 pm once a month on Masa Shivaratri and once a year on Maha Shivaratri.
Somarama
Gunupudi is home to the Bhimavaram Somarama Temple. From the bus stop, it is a 3 to 4-kilometre walk. A sacred pond called Chandra kundam may be found in the Someswara temple, which appears to be brand-new. Chandra kundam is the area in front of the temple. Lord Chandra was able to atone for his crimes by praising Lord Shiva here. He acquired the name Someswara Swami as a result. Shivalingam’s hue varies according to the lunar month (black at the time of Amavasya, white at the time of Pournami). At this one of the Pancharama kshetras, Annapurna Mata Temple is found on the second level.
The Bhimavaram Somarama Temple Timings:
The open hours for the Samalkot Kumara Bhimeswara Temple are 6 am to 12 pm in the morning and 4 pm to 8 pm in the afternoon.
Ksheerarama
Palakollu is where the Ksheerarama Temple is. The followers of Lord Shiva hold that the location of the current temple is where the three-eyed god bestowed the celestial discus upon Lord Vishnu. Ksheera Rama Lingeswara Swamy gave the Sudarshana chakra to Lord Vishnu in this location. Upamanya Maharshi received milk and blessings from Lord Shiva, hence the name Ksheera (milk) Ramalingeswara swami. This Pancharama kshetras is not far from the bus stop. The bus station offers a good view of the temple’s lofty Gopuram. The deity is called Parvathi.
Ksheera Rama Lingeswara Swamy Temple Timings are:
Morning: 5:30 am–12:30 pm
Evening: 4.00 pm – 8:30 pm
Kumararama
The shiva lingam at this temple is thought to have been installed by Kumara Kartikeya himself. At this Pancharamalu, Bala Tripura Sundari Devi, a manifestation of the goddess Parvati, is revered as Shiva’s celestial husband. Samarlakota is where the temple is and there are the best pancharamalu tour plans to visit them all easily. Views of the majestic shiva lingam are available from the second floor of the stunning temple. Today, the archaeology department is responsible for maintaining the temple.
The Samalkot Kumara Bhimeswara Temple Timings are:
Morning: 6.00 am to 12.00 noon
Afternoon: 4.00 pm to 8.00 pm
The Final Word
There is a notion that visiting all five Pancharama kshetras In Andhra Pradesh on one day during the holy month of Kartik is particularly beneficial, even though it is possible to visit them on any given day. In order to let visitors pay their respects at all the temples in a day, there are a range of best Pancharamalu tour plans In Andhra Pradesh and even some government-organized transport facilities to ease the travel to one of the best holiest places of Andhra Pradesh.
