Ramateertham

Ramateertham
Ramateertham
Village
Vidhan Sabha constituency	Nellimarla

Ramateertham is a village

BCE. There is a post office at Ramateertham. The PIN code is 535218.^[1]

Archaeological Site

Archaeological survey report ^[2] of 1903 describe it as:

Ramateertham is one of the places made sacred by a traditional connection with Lord Sree

Buddhist monastery

.

Buddhism and Jainism

The Black Granite hills on which you can find the ruins of some

Jain Tirthankara

images on the walls of the caves.

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 Jaina remains consisting of natural caves, rock art, images and a ruined Jain brick temple towards south west of the hill.^[citation needed]

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 dagob 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.

Post Independence Excavations

Excavations by the Archaeological Survey of India yielded some more Remnants along these Ramateertham hills comprising Buddhist relics and Jaina Figures. This site is now under the maintenance of Archaeological Survey of India, Hyderabad circle.

Rama Temple

The famous ancient temple of

Vaikuntha Ekadasi. 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

.

Rama Idol Beheaded

Srirama idol in Kodanda Rama temple at Bodi Konda is destroyed by some unidentified people. On December 29, 2020, the locals found that the Idol of Rama was beheaded.[3]^[4]^[5]

Shiva Temple

Next to Rama temple, there is a Shiva temple constructed in 2007. 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 historical too.

Gallery

Holy relic sites map of Andhra Pradesh
Gurubhaktalukonda Monastery ruins
Jain reliefs on Bodhikonda
Remnants on Bodhikonda
Jain Tirthankara Image at Rockcut Caves of Ghanikonda
Jain caves at BodhiKonda in Ramatheertham
Ruined temple on Bodhikonda
Deep Cistern on hilltop of Bodhikonda
Jain Caves at Ghanikonda
Circular stupa at Ghanikonda
Remnants of a stupa on Ghanikonda
Apsidal stupa walls at Gurubhaktulakonda monastery
Ruined stone stupa at Gurubhaktulakonda monastery
Steps leading to Gurubhaktulakonda Monastery

References

^ Indian Postal PIN codes Archived 2007-05-27 at the Wayback Machine
^ Annual Report of the Archaeological Department, Southern Circle, Madras (1903)
^ Gandhi (29 December 2020). "Tension prevails at Rama Teertham as miscreants beheads Rama's idol in Vizianagaram". www.thehansindia.com. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
^ "400-year-old Lord Rama idol vandalised at Andhra's Ramateertham temple, triggers protest". India Today. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
^ "Lord Ram idol vandalised in Andhra Pradesh's Ramatheertham". Deccan Herald. 30 December 2020. Retrieved 1 January 2021.

http://asihyd.ap.nic.in/vizianagaram.html Archived 28 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine

[1] Indian Postal PIN codes Archived 2007-05-27 at the Wayback Machine

[2] Annual Report of the Archaeological Department, Southern Circle, Madras (1903)

[3] Gandhi (29 December 2020). "Tension prevails at Rama Teertham as miscreants beheads Rama's idol in Vizianagaram". www.thehansindia.com. Retrieved 1 January 2021.

[4] "400-year-old Lord Rama idol vandalised at Andhra's Ramateertham temple, triggers protest". India Today. Retrieved 1 January 2021.

[5] "Lord Ram idol vandalised in Andhra Pradesh's Ramatheertham". Deccan Herald. 30 December 2020. Retrieved 1 January 2021.

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Revenue divisions		Bobbili Cheepurupalli Vizianagaram
Mandals	Badangi Bobbili Vizianagaram
Cities and towns	Bobbili Srungavarapukota Vizianagaram (district headquarters)
Census towns	Cheepurupalli Chintalavalasa Gajapathinagaram Jarjapupeta Kanapaka Kothavalasa Malicherla Nellimarla Sriramnagar Tummikapalle
Villages	List of villages in Vizianagaram district

v t e Indian Buddhist caves
Andhra Pradesh	Adapur Caves Belum Caves Chandavaram Erravaram Caves Guntupalli Caves Kotturu Dhanadibbalu Pandavula Metta Caves Ramateertham Sankaram Undavalli Caves
Bihar	Indrasala Cave Vulture Peak Saptaparni Cave Lomas Rishi Cave
Gujarat	Dhank Caves Junagadh Buddhist Cave Groups Khapra Kodiya Caves Bava Pyara Caves Uparkot Caves Kadia Dungar Caves Khambhalida Caves Sana Caves Siyot Caves Talaja Caves
Karnataka	Aihole Badami cave temples Pandava Caves
Madhya Pradesh	Bagh Caves Dhamnar Caves Saru Maru
Maharashtra	Ajanta Caves Ambivali Caves Aurangabad Caves Bahrot Caves Bedse Caves Bhaja Caves Dharashiv Caves Ellora Caves Mahad/Gandharpale Caves Ghatotkacha Caves Ghorawadi/Shelarwadi Caves Karla Caves Karad Caves Khed Caves Kondana Caves Kuda Caves Nenavali Caves Nasik/Pandavleni Caves Panhalakaji Caves Patan caves Pitalkhora Pohale Caves Shirwal Caves Nadsur/Thanale Caves Vijasan Caves Wai Caves Yerphal Caves In the Mumbai area: Elephanta Caves Jogeshwari Caves Kondivite/Mahakali Caves Mandapeshwar Caves Kanheri Caves In the Junnar area: Lenyadri Manmodi Caves Shivneri Caves Tulja Caves
Rajasthan	Binnayaga Buddhist Caves Hathiagor Buddhist Caves Kolvi Caves