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Ramateertham is a village in neighbouring Vizianagaram district.
It is about 12 kilometers from Vizianagaram city. It is a famous
Pilgrimage and also Ancient Historical Site since 3rd Century
BC.
Ramateertham is one of the places made sacred by a
traditional connection with Rama. The temple and village at the
base of a chain of hills of solid rock on which are some
perennial springs of water, and various places each in a way
associated with the name of Rama.
The Jains have also
had a residence here, their remains consisting chiefly of
natural caves with slab sculptures set in them, and some small
ruined brick temples. It is one of the few places in this
direction where Jaina remains exist.
Recent excavations
resulted in the unearthing of an extensive part of what has
undoubtedly been a large and important Buddhist monastery.
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Buddhism and Jainism |
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| The Black Granite
hills on which you can find the ruins of some Buddhist
and Jain structures known as Bodhikonda. Apart from it
there are two other hills by name Gurabaktakonda
(Gurubhakthulakonda) and Ghani konda (also known as
Durga Konda) on which you can find a 3rd-century BC
Buddhist Monastic complex Remains and Rock-cut caves
with Jain Tirthankara images on the walls of the
caves.This Place has a Historical Importance as both the
religions of Buddhism and jainism flourished temporarily
over here. At this place also the Buddhists are shown to
have had a prior settlement in a place now sacred to the
Hindus. |
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| Rama
Temple |
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The famous ancient
temple of Ramachandra Swamy can be found over here. The
beautiful idols of Lord Ramachandra Swamy, Sita Devi and
Lakshmana in Silver kavachas can be seen at this temple.
There is a beautiful lake in vicinity of the temple. One
has to visit this temple for its serenity. The festivals
of Sri Ramanavami and Vaikuntha Ekadasi are celebrated
with pomp and fervour here. You can see many tortoises
with Vishnu Namams on their backs, roaming around in the
temple. There is also a Rama Stambham installed by Pedda
Jeeyar.
Goddess Shri Kamakshi in the Shiva temple is
must see for everybody.There are a lot of religious
activities which takes place in the Shiva temple for
every full moon and during navaratri celebrations. Many
devotees visit both the temples during important days.
This place has lot of religious importance and is
historial too. |
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The three hillls |
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Bodhikonda
At Ramateertham there are three lines of hills standing
parallel east and west, and each separated from the
other by a narrow valley. The southernmost is known as
the Bodhikonda, and on it are the spots connected with
Rama, and Jain remains consisting of natural caves,
images and a ruined brick temple.
Durgakonda (Ghanikonda)
The northern hill is
the Durgakonda, so named from an image of that goddess
which stands in a natural cave at its western base. In
front of this cave and on the rock above it are some
mounds. They contain both Buddhist and Jaina remains.
Gurabaktakonda
The central hill
is known as the Gurabaktakonda (Gurubhakthulakonda) and
it is high up on its northern side that the ruined
Buddhist monastery stands. The hill is formed of
precipitous bare solid rock, rounded on the top and
about 500 feet in height. Near its south summit, under a
vertical wall of rock is a perennial spring, beside
which are a ruined brick mound and some Jaina images. On
the rooky summit are some brick mounds. On the north
face of the hill at a height of about 400 feet from the
base is a long irregular rooky platform 903 feet in
length and averaging more than 100 feet in breadth. The
hill above it extends throughout its whole length in a
vertical wall of rook about 100 feet high. Natural
irregularities in the northern face of the platform have
been made up by retaining walls of stone masonry. Along
the whole platform is a series of brick mounds which
were covered with dense jungle.
The excavation so far
as it has proceeded has resulted in the unearthing of
the following buildings noted consecutively from west to
east. The base of a brick stupa at the western extremity
65 feet in diameter, and a tank beside it which was
doubtless kept filled with water from the perennial
spring on the hill top. Adjoining it on the east is a
detached mass of heaped rocks on the east summit of
which stands a chaitya 55 feet in length. In its apse is
a stone *dagoba* in good preservation except a part of
the dome. It contained the stone lid of a relic casket.
On the north and south lower sides of the mass of rock
are two rows of brick cells each terminated by a small
stupa or dagoba. East from this again is a pillared hall
77 feet square with rows of massive stone piers all
fallen or broken.
Two other large chaitya with walls
still standing for a considerable height adjoin this on
the east, and north of them on the outer face of the
platform is a long row of cells and other buildings. The
other mounds at the east extremity of the platform are
as yet only partly explored. A stone statue of Buddha
with the graceful flowing robes of the Amaravati
sculptures is the only one of the kind as yet found. The
chaityas are irregular in their orientation probably
indicating different periods of construction on the
hill. |
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