Sri Manikyamba Sametha Sri Bhimeswara Swamy Temple – Draksharamam – Shaktipeeth

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Daksharama is one of the five Pancharama Kshetras that are sacred to the Hindu God Siva. The Sri Manikyamba Sametha Sri Bhimeswara Swamy Temple is located in Daksharamam town of East Godavari Daksharama is considered to be the place where Daksha Yagnam happened. Lord Siva sanctified the place after the rampage and carnage carried out at the place by Lord Veerabhadra. Due to this tale, Daksharama is also known as Dakshina Kaasi (Varanasi of the South).

Sri Manikyamba Devī at Draksharamam is one of the 18 Sakthi PIthas. The portion of Sati Devi that exists in the Daksaramam temple was believed to be installed by Lord Siva. About 1200 years ago Adi Sankaracarya visited this temple and installed a powerful Sri Chakra in the shrine of the Goddess.

Near the Draksharamam Temple, we can still see the Homa Kunda of Daksha Prajapati, where Satī Devī left her body. Now the Havan Kunda has become a small tank. An idol of the Goddess Sati has been enshrined in the center and there are some small temples adjacent to the Havan Kunda.

Daksha Prajapati, father of Goddess Parvathi arranged for a yajna and did not invite Lord Shiva and Sati. But, Goddess Sati went there against Siva’s desire and got humiliated by her father and sacrificed her life in the same fire.

Angry Shiva created Lord Veerabhadra out of his hair to destroy the yajna. After the demolition, Lord Shiva had done Rudra Taandavam carrying Sati’s corpse in anger. Lord Vishnu had used his disc to cut Sati Devi’s dead body into 18 pieces to calm Lord Shiva. The places where the parts of Sati Devi fell were called Shakthi Peetas, the holy places of Goddesses. One among them is at Draksharamam and the goddess here is named Manikyamba.

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Sri Manikyamba Sametha Sri Bhimeswara Swamy Temple

Another legend says that the demon Tarakasura after doing severe penance was boon by Lord Shiva with his AtmaLinga. Further, Tarakasura committed many sins against devas. Devas carried out Goddess Parvathi’s marriage with Lord Shiva and Lord Shanmukha was born. Shanmukha in a battle against Tarakasura destroyed the Atmalinga in Tarakasura’s neck and killed him.

The pieces of Atmalinga fell at 5 holy places in Andhra Pradesh which were popularly known as ‘Pancharamams’. The first one is Amareshwara in Amaravathi, installed by Lord Indra; the second one is Someswara in Bheemavaram installed by Lord Chandra; the third is Ksheera Ramalingeswara in Palakollu installed by Lord Rama; the fourth is Kumara Rama Bheemeswara in Samarlakota installed by Shanmukha and the fifth one is Bheemeswara who had shown himself in Drakshramam.

The sages requested River Godavari to sanctify the piece fallen in Drakshramam, but the Godavari had responded late and hence Lord Shiva emerged himself in Draksharamam. River Godavari came here with the request of Saptarshi and hence it is also called SapthaGodavari, which is on the east of the temple as Pushkarini. Once Lord Shiva tested Sage Vyasa by which he could not get any food by donation in Kasi. Feeling hungry, Sage Vyasa lost his patience and cursed Kasi, but Goddess Annapurna gave him food and Lord Shiva asked him to leave Kasi.

The goddess suggested he go to Drakshramam, which is equivalent to Kasi. Vyasa considered it as Dakshina Kasi and worshipped Lord Shiva, and is also named as Vyasa Kasi. Lord Shiva taught a lesson to Vyasa that Kasi is meant for the liberation of the soul but not for a luxury living, whereas Draksharamam is meant for both, as stated in Bheema khanda.

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