Bhadrachalam, Telangana · 17.6688°, 80.8936°
The Ayodhya of the South on the Godavari, built by the tahsildar-saint Ramadasu — whose kirtanas composed in prison became bedrock of Carnatic music. The Sitarama Kalyanam on Sri Rama Navami, with pearls (muthyala talambralu) sent by the state government continuing the Nizams' practice, is Telangana's grandest temple event.
Ramadasu built the temple with tax revenue and was jailed twelve years by the Qutb Shahi sultan; legend says Rama and Lakshmana themselves, as two youths, repaid the gold to Tana Shah, who woke to find the receipt — and freed the saint.
coordinates: wikipedia-2026-08-26 · sources retrieved 2026-08-26 · dynasty page: Qutb Shahi era