Sri Shirdi Sai Baba Mandiram, Bikkavolu Mandal, East Godavari Dist. Andhra Pradesh.

Aum Sai Ram

Today we are going to visit yet another Sri Shirdi Sai Baba Mandiram at Bikkavolu. Bikkavolu is a village and a Mandal in East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh. Bikkavolu previously called Birudankinavolu contains several important temples of the Eastern Chalukya period.

The village was named after the King Gunaga Vijayaditya III. The name of the village Bikkavolu was derived from the ruler to Turupu Chalakya Vamsam during their period 849–892 BC. The rulers constructed number of important temples during their period around the Bikkavolu village out of which Sri Raja Rajeswari temple and Sri Chandrasekhara Swamy temple are very prominent with great Silpakala nypunyam. Bikkavolu got its glory from Reddy Rajulu after Cholas and krishna devarayas. King Kamineni Kama reddy developed this part of the Vasishta and Godavari delta.

Bikkavolu Comes under South Central Railways. Samalkot (15 km) is nearest Railway Junction. Anaparthi(10 km) is another Railway station. Frequent trains from Hyderabad,Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Guntur pass through these Stations. Bikkavolu also has frequent bus service from Rajahmundry (39 km) & Kakinada (31 km) by APSRTC. It is around 3kms from Gollalamaamidada.

A Black Stone Statue of Sri Sai Baba of 5ft height has been installed on the first floor of this temple premises. A Panchaloha Utsav Murthy of Sai Baba is also placed in front of the Statue. A meditation hall is maintained in the ground floor of the Temple.

All the 4 Aarti's are performed in this temple regularly. On Every thursday & Important days, Special Puja's are performed at this temple. Rama navami, Guru Pournima, Sai Punyathithi & Ugadi are performed very grandly in this temple.

There is nothing much to be written about this temple. As this temple is built near to the very famous temples of Sri Golingeswara Swamy, Sri Raja Rajeswari and Sri Chandrasekhara Swamy lot of Devotees visit this temple regularly after the visit to those historical places.

Highlights of Other Important Historical Places at Bikkavolu.

Bikkavolu is named for its culture and legacy of monuments of sculptural wealth.

Sri Golingeswara Swamy Temple

The central shrine of Golingeswara has a wealth of iconographic material, as all around it, and a beautiful Sivalingam and 33 lines sasanam on the door jambs. In the Mukhamandapam of the temple of Sri Golingeswara are preserved two exquisite masterpieces of Eastern Chalukyas sculputure. One representing Siva and Parvathi in the form known as Alingana Chandra Sekhara Murthy and the other a seated figure of Ganesh. Both these are great masterpieces. The vimana top view remind us at once of similar Orissan figures and also those of Khajuraho.

Sri Rajaraja Temple

There are beautiful sculpture on all three sides one devoted to Ganesh, another to Kartikeya on Peacock and the third to Mahishamardini and a beautiful Sivalingam along with Rajarajeswari deity.

Sri Chandrasekhara Swamy

Beautiful sculptures on the temple of four sides and Siva - styled Chandrasekhara swamy and a deity (Balathripurasundari.) The kudu is characterized by a great profusion of the makara element introduced on it than in similar ones either from the Canarese or Tamil Districts.

Monolithic Ganesh

The height of the Ganesa is 11ft, the biggest in the history of Eastern Chalukyan Sculpture attracting hundreds and thousands of devotees day by day, a tourist spot, with green fields. Till the time of Ganesh Vijaditya the single pair of arms of Ganesh continues though in his time the additional pair is also introduced. But even also on the seal of Gunaga Vijayaditya from Sataluru This seal is beautiful work. Two views of the seal of Gunaga Vijayaditya from Sataluru showing similar Ganesa on one side and Lakshmi on the other. The seal is now at Chennai Govt. Museum, Chennai.

Siva Temple-I

Situated on the out skirts of the village with features similar central niches on the three sides with the makara decoration and with figures in them. One of these and a striking one is Siva dancing in the chatura pose in his Nataraja from. One such prominent feature here is the presence of Lakulisa is exactly the same from as occurs in Orissan sculptures. It should be remembered that at Mukhalingam even in the Eastern Ganga temple Lasulisa is substituted from Dakshnamurty as this figure is a favourite one. Siva styled shrine (Sivalingam) is the main attraction to the devotees.

Siva Temple-II

Large plain temple in fields. In this there is an almost total absence of figure sculpture as even the niches are bare and except for the carving of the dwarapalas on the door-jambs and Lakshmi on the lintel. Still from the point of view of architecture the features are very interesting for a study of Eastern Chalukya temple structure which follows the Dravida type inspired by Southern traditions. The vimana here immediately bring to our mind the Pallava type which has been the main source of inspiration even for the Pattadakal group and the famous Rashtrakuta monument at Ellora.

Siva Temple-III

The doorway of this temple has a unique feature as it shows the two River Goddesses Ganga and Yamuna on either side.The figures of Surya and Vishnu are similar to the figures on the tiers of Sri Golingeswara Swamy temple.

Important Festivals

The Festival of Subramanyeswara Swamy Shashti comes every year during Margasira Sudda Shashti day (December).

The Festival of Vinayaka Chaviti comes every year Bhadra Pada Sudda Chaviti Day (September).

These are very important festivals in this village. Every person who are born in that village, want to go to those festivals, where ever they are in the world. villagers invite their relatives to the Subramanyeswara Swamy Shashti

Temple Address
Sri Shirdi Sai Baba Mandiram.
Bikkavolu Mandal,
East Godavari Dist.
Andhra Pradesh.

Article: Raghav N
Data & Photo:
Mrs. Padma Karunakaram, Rajahmundry.