Bhakta Ramadas Introduction
Kancharla Gopanna was born in the 17th century in the year 1620 in Nelakondapalli, Bhadradri Kothagudem district, Telangana, India. He was also known as Bhadradri Ramadasu or Bhadrachala Ramadasu. He was a well-known music composer and the composer of Carnatic Music. Kancharla was a big devotee of Lord Rama and renowned Vaggeyakaras means, who write the song and compose the song, both in the Telugu language.
Indian devotee Kancharla Gopanna is renowned for constructing a famous temple for Lord Rama at Bhadrachalam and his devotional song to Lord Rama is one of the well-known lyrics in South Indian Classical Music as Ramadaasu Keertanalu. He was also writing Dasarathi Shatakamu with a ‘makuTamu’ ‘Dasaradhee Karuna payonidhi, this is a collection of nearly 108 poems that were dedicated to Lord Rama.
Bhakta Ramadas Early life
Gopanna was born to Linganna Murthy & Kadamba (sister of Madanna, a brahmin minister to TaniShah), in a wealthy Brahmin Telugu family. Since his childhood, he absorbs his family’s interest in spirituality and composed several keertanas on Rama. His devotion to Vaikunta Rama at the temple of Bhadrachalam established his name Bhadraacala Raamadaas.
Also Visit: People’s Poet & Freedom Fighter Kaloji Narayana Rao
Bhakta Ramadas History
After that, Ramadasu was appointed as Tehsildar of Palvoncha Paragana and the administrative head in the court of Qutub Shahi Sultan Abul Hassan Tana Shah, during the period of the Qutub Shah dynasty. He had an intense love for Lord Rama which willed him to build a temple and he discharged his duties from the administrative head of Qutub shahi and started collecting money for building the temple.
But that was not enough so he borrowed from the tax revenue of the nawab and gave his god a worthy abode, vowing to return the money. However, he could not complete that vow and the nawab sentenced Ramadas to 12 years in prison. But as he was the devotee of Lord Rama, so started pleadings, prayers, and keertanas in his prison cell which earned him the recognition of another name Bandikhana Ramadaas, he composed one of the finest Keertanas in his cell reminding Rama.
Later, the nawab was moved and recognized the greatness of Ramadas and released him immediately from the prison, and gave him a piece of land around Bhadrachalam to continue his dedicated service to Bhadrachala Rama.
Construction of Temple
Ramadasu has started to raise funds for the construction of the temple. the villagers requested him to spend his revenue collection on the construction of the temple and they were promised to repay the amount after harvesting crops. And then Ramadas finished the construction of the temple with six hundred thousand rupees collected from land revenues, without the permission of King Abul Hasan Qutub Shah.
Also Visit: Bhadrachalam Parnasala Timings, History
