Bhadrachalam: “All rituals in Sitaramachandra Swamy temple in Bhadrachalam are deviations and are causing a rift between Vaishnavism and Shaivism.” Annadanam Chidambara Sastry, founder chairman of the Hanumath Adhyathmika Kendram, Arepalli Agraharam, Guntur district, released a book called “Bhadradreesunaku Jaruguthunna Ghorapacharalu” (Heinous insults being done in Bhadrachalam during rituals).
Sastry mentions the Pravara and gotra of Lord Rama during puja programs. The gotra of Lord Rama is Vasista and the Pravara should be chanted as Nabhaga, Ajha and Dasaratha. But the priests have been chanting Achyutha gotram instead of Vasista and Pravara is read in the names of Parabrahma Sarma, Vyuhanarayana Sarma and Vibhava Vasudeva Sarma.
Likewise, the gotra of Sita Devi is Gouthami and Pravara should be Swarnaroma, Hrsvaroma and Janakula. Here too, there is a huge deviation by mentioning the gotra of the goddess as Soubhagya. Pravara is Viswambara Sarma, Rathnakara Sarma and Ksheerarava Sarma. The kshatriya king of Rama is made a Brahmin. “This is a serious crime against God,” Sastry said.
As per Valmiki Ramayanam, Lord Rama is Harihara Advaitha Murthy and there is no difference between Rama and Siva. Temple priests are slowly showing a difference between Siva and Rama.
The great saint Ramadas placed a sivalingam in the premises of the temple. This was clearly written in the 244 page book of Bhadradri Vaibhavam written by Podicheti Srirangacharyulu who was a temple priest. “The sivalingam was unearthed as part of a conspiracy of some priests,” he alleged.
Another attempt was made to change the guru of saint Ramadas. Kabirdas was the guru of Kancharla Gopanna and christened him as Ramadas. But some persons are trying to make Ramadas a Vaishnavite by campaigning that his guru is Raghunatha Bhattar.
Chidambara Sastry rejected the theory that saint Ramadas brought four gotra family priests such as Podicheti, Amaravadi, Koti and Gottipulla from Srirangam in Tamil Nadu. The roots of Podichedu are in Motukuru mandal in Nalgonda district. There are families with the surname of Amaravadi in Telangana. These are not Vaishnav families. The village Gottopudi is in Chittoor district.
Finally, the name Ramanarayana was brought and the name is being chanted during the celestial wedding. Sastry said, “The name came to the fore as part of shaping Lord Rama as a Vaishnavite. The Pravara Laxminarayana is chanted during the Kalyanam.”
