Kancharla Gopanna , popularly known as Bhakta Ramadasu or Bhadrachala Ramadasu, was a 17th-century Indian devotee of Lord Rama and a composer of Carnatic music. He is a famous Vaggeyakara from the Teluguclassical era. He lived in the village of Nelakondapalli, near the town of Bhadrachalam, in Muslim-ruled Telugu country during the 16th century and is renowned for constructing a famous temple for Lord Sri Rama at Bhadrachalam. His devotional lyrics to Rama are famous in South Indian classical music as Ramadaasu Keertanalu. Even the doyen of South Indian classical music Swami Tyagaraja learned his musical compositions. He also wrote Dasarathi Shatakamu with a 'makuTamu' 'Daasarathee Karunaa payonidhee', a collection of nearly 108 poems dedicated to the son of Dasaratha.
Early life and background
Kancherla Gopanna renowned as Bhaktha Ramadasu was born in an affluent Telugu speaking Niyogi Brahmin family to Linganna Mantri and Kamamba in Nelakondapalli village of Khammam dist Taluk of northern Telangana. He was the nephew of Madanna of the Madanna and Akkanna brothers who were ministers at the court of Tana Shah of the Qutb Shahi dynasty in Kingdom of Golconda. Gopanna was later hired as the Tehsildar of Palvancha Taluk by Tana Shah.
Career
Ramadasu was appointed as the tahsildar of 'Palvoncha Paragana' by Akkanna, his uncle and the administrative head in the court of Qutub Shahi Sultan Abul Hassan Tana Shah.
Reconstruction of temple
Once he visited Bhadrachalam for a Jatara and was disturbed by the dilapidated state of the temple there. Bhadrachalam was significant to devotees of Rama for many reasons. Lord Rama is said to have stayed near the Parnasala there with Sita and Lakshmana during his exile and also to have visited Shabari near Bhadrachalam. Pothana is believed to have been given direction by Rama to translate the Bhagavata Purana into Telugu here. In spite of its significance, the temple was utterly neglected. So, Ramadasu started to raise funds for the renovation and reconstruction of the temple. After he emptied his coffers and could raise no more money, the villagers appealed him to spend his revenue collections for the reconstruction and promised to repay the amount after harvesting crops. As such, Ramadas finished the reconstruction of the temple with six hundred thousand rupees collected from land revenues - without the permission of the Abul Hasan Qutb Shah. As the temple was nearing completion, he was perplexed one night about fixing the Sudarshana Chakra at the crest of the main temple. On the same night, it is believed that he saw Rama in his dream and asked him to have a holy dip in the Godavari River. When Gopanna did so the next day, it is believed that he found the holy Sudarshana Chakra in the river very easily.
Incarceration
The story continues that soon after the reconstruction, his miseries started. He was dismissed from his job by his enemies who spread a lot of fake news. Ramadas was cast into jail with orders that he be released only after the exchequer received all the taxes in full. Ramadas implores Rama through many emotional songs that were popularized from the stanzas of 'Dasaradhi Sathakam ' and 'Keertanas' of Bhakta Ramadasa. They praise the Lord for all his mysterious ways in popularizing his devotees and Ramadas regularly sings to the Lord. The songs end in a state of total and unconditional surrender to the will of the Almighty.
Release and Sultan's unanticipated devotion towards Rama
After twelve years, the Sultan Tana Shahsaw Lord Rama in his dream and found Ram mudras beside him. Thereafter he released Ramadasu and established a tradition to send Pearls to the Bhadrachalam temple on every Rama Navami festival and this tradition was continued by his successors. The same tradition was continued by the next rulers Nizams and then by the Government of the State of Telangana.
Popular culture
Thespian Chittor V. Nagaiah produced, directed, and essayed Kancherla Gopanna in Ramadasu which won the National Film Award.
