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About Pancharama Kshetras
The five Panchanama Kshetras, simply put are five popular Hindu pilgrim shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva in the state of Andhra Pradesh. What makes these five temples more intriguing ad popular among masses is the fact that the Sivalingas in each of these temples are all made up of a single Sivalinga.
The five temples in the Panchrama Kshetras series are the Ksheerarama Temple located in Polakollu district, the Somarama Temple in Bhimavaram, the Kumararama Temple in Samalkota, the Draksharama Temple in Draksharamam, and the Amararama Temple in Amravati, all of which are located in the south Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.
You can find a briefing on each of the temples from Pancharama Kshetras below:
Temples from Pancharama Kshetras
Ksheerarama Temple:
Located in Palakollu, in the south Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, Ksheerarama is a popular pilgrim center that happens to be one of the five Panchanama Kshetras in the country.
It is said in Hindu culture that if one devotee spends as little time as only 24 hours at Ksheerarama; that time is equivalent to spending 365 days in the popular pilgrim town of Varanasi in India.
The tower of the Ksheerarama Temple happens to be one of the tallest in the entire list of temples in Andhra Pradesh. Built-in the 9th century during the reign of the Chalukyas, the temple has nine floors and stands at a height of 120 feet.
While the temple is always bustling with devotees who take a keen interest in all the rituals, the major gathering happens during the festival of Mahasivaratri celebrated here in great spirits.
Kumararama Temple:
Situated in the East Godavari District of the south Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, the Kumararama Temple, also known as the Bhimarama Temple, is a popular pilgrim place, one that also happens to belong to the five Pancharama Kshetras.
The temple is basically located at a distance of approximately 10 KM from the city of Samarlakota.
Lord Shiva is worshipped as Kumara Bhimeshwara Swamy here. It is believed that the sivalinga here was installed by Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati’s son Kumara Swamy.
According to legend, it is always said that during the defeat of Tarakasura, the sivalinga that adorned the throat of Tarakasura was ripped into five pieces, one of which fell here, and since then the place came to be known as Kumararama.
The main festival celebrated here is Mahasivaratri, followed by other festivals like Karthika Masam and Sarannavaratri.
Somarama Temple:
Located in Bhimavaram in the West Godavari District of the south Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, the Somarama Temple is a popular Hindu pilgrim place devoted to Lord Shiva.
Built-in an era as ancient as the 3rd century AD, the temple is known for its rich history and unique features, which make it different from the rest of the temples from the Pancharama Kshetras series.
Although quite ancient, the temple flaunts a modern and new look at a first glance thanks to the variety of colorful paintings and sculptures that adorn it and garners the keen attention of any visitor.
The most unique aspect of the temple differentiating it from the other four temples is the fact that there’s a temple devoted to Goddess Annapoorna, built right above the Shiva Temple, which is something not just unique but also mesmerizing to the onlookers’ eyes.
In fact, it is by far the only shrine in the country to display such an unusual element in its structure. The goddess’s idol also has a sacred thread adorning her neck and a small baby near her holy feet.
Another striking aspect of the temple is that it is believed the Shivalinga installed in this temple actually changes colors depending on the lunar aspects of the year. It is such that it displays white color on every full moon night, and the color changes to pitch black on every Amavasya—the dark nights.
Draksharama Temple:
Situated on the eastern banks of holy river Godavari in the south Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, Draksharamam is a popular pilgrim place, commonly referred to by the name Draksharama—which means the abode of Prajapati Daksha, who was the father in law of Lord Shiva and the father of Sati. It belongs to the Pancharama Kshetras series of temples in Andhra Pradesh.
The most famous temples in this pilgrim place are the Bhimeswara Swamy temple and the Sri Manikyamba Temple—which happens to be the 12th among the 18 Ashta Dasha Peethas.
Amararama Temple:
One of the popular Pancharama Kshetras—that is five famous Shiva temples in the state of Andhra Pradesh, Amararama is located in the small town of Amravati, near Guntur city in Andhra Pradesh.
Situated on the southern banks of the famous Krishna River, Amararama is fundamentally dedicated to Lord Shiva, just like the other temples belonging to the Pancharama Kshetras category. The Shivalanga, according to beliefs was established in this place by Lord Indra.
The Shivalinga here is said to be extremely tall and right at the peak of its red stains can be seen. The reason for it, as locals claim is that the Shivalinga was growing tall with every passing day and hence, to stop the never ending growth, a nail had to be hit on the top of it.
Right, when that happened, blood started oozing out from the top of the Shivalinga and that explains the existence of the red stain that can be still seen there.