Monday at noon time we left Visakhapatnam for a 3 days’ excursion to Rajahmundry and Bhadrachalam, where we wanted to visit a vibrant Rama-temple at the Godavari river. As a preparation Sri Kumar showed us a movie about the origin of this temple – how an elderly lady had a vision of Rama, Sita and Lakshmana and was guided to search in the jungle for them and found a statue of them. In deep devotion she worshipped them and later a young man, the hero of the movie, Sri Ramadasu, was lead to build there a temple. The film shows the tremendous hardships, obstacles and even torturing he underwent in his mystic search of the vision of Sri Rama.
A young German friend asked me for the title of the movie Sri Ramadasu and then sent me the link to it:
The bus ride took about 4 hs and we arrived at the WTT center Rajahmundry in the evening. It is located in a temple disctrict near the Godavari River. Tuesday morning before 5am we went to the river to have a morning bath – a beautiful experience. Later, after morning meditation and prayer we again took the bus for the next stage of our trip, Bhadrachalam.
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The WTT center of Rajahmundry. They welcomed us with great cordiality.
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At the center with Reyes from Spain
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Dawn at the Godavari River. Washermen beating clothes on the stones
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A statue of Rishi Gautama meditating at the river – and a crow feeling inspired there
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A stray puppy at the river
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Sunrise on the roof of the centre
It was quite a long ride to Bhadrachalam – 6 hs on bumpy roads – but the countryside was thrilling. For about 3 hs we drove through jungle areas. Roaring in the first gear the bus moved very slowly up the narrow hairpin-bends over a pass. In one of the bends there was a broken lorry – very slowly we crossed that point and all applauded our bus-driver when we had passed by.
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A little river in the jungle, we hardly met any humans.
Finally we arrived at our hotel in Bhadrachalam. You could hardly see any English writing in the town – only Telugu. I would be lost there… In front of the hotel there were the statues of Rama and Lakshmana with the devotee of Rama who discovered the statues in the wilderness in a termites hill, due to a vision she had (see the video above).
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Around sunset we went to the temple which was located on a little hill. We were told not to take our cameras with us – but I could not resist (though in the very inner of the temple I didn’t take photos, respecting the religious feelings).
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Evening prayer on the terrace in front of the temple
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Meditating inside the temple – a thrilling experience
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Sri Kumar and Kumari after the meditation
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The entrance of the temple, with the moon in its 11th ascending phase