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Andhra Pradesh Tourism · East Godavari
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Ratnagiri hill at Annavaram from the air at dawn, the white gopuram of the Satyanarayana temple on the crest and the Pampa reservoir and paddy fields below.

DevotionalDay trip · Kakinada

Annavaram

అన్నవరం

Satyadeva’s hilltop shrine on Ratnagiri, above the Pampa river.

17.2833° N
82.4026° E

The guide
Distance
About 80 kmby road from Rajamahendravaram
Best time
October to February for cooler weather; go early in the morning on a weekday for shorter queues
Time to spend
Half a day, including a vratham
District
Kakinada districtSankhavaram mandal
Timings
Sarva darshanam 6 am to 12.30 pm and 1 pm to 9 pm; vrathams from about 6 am to 6 pm, running later on festival days (as listed on the devasthanam website).
Entry
Free (sarva darshanam). Seeghra darshanam (the quicker queue) costs ₹200. Vratham tickets start at ₹300 (as listed on the devasthanam website)
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About Annavaram

Annavaram’s Satyanarayana Swamy temple stands on Ratnagiri, a hill that rises about 300 feet above sea level. The Pampa river curls round its foot. The deity, Veera Venkata Satyanarayana Swamy (Satyadeva), sits with Anantha Lakshmi on one side and Shiva on the other. The idol was installed here in 1891, at first under a simple shed. The temple was rebuilt in stone in 1933–34 and renovated again in 2011–12.

Many pilgrims come to perform the Satyanarayana vratham, a group ritual held in large halls through the day. Newly married couples often make the trip for it. The shrine has two levels, with a sacred yantra in the lower chamber and the deity above. Stone steps climb the hill, and a road and devasthanam buses also go to the top. The temple’s wheat prasadam is still packed in leaves.

Highlights

  1. Darshan of Satyadeva, with Anantha Lakshmi and Shiva beside him
  2. Take part in a Satyanarayana vratham in the temple’s vratham halls
  3. Climb the stone steps up Ratnagiri hill, or ride the devasthanam bus
  4. Find the old sundial near the east gopuram, rebuilt in 1943
  5. Views of the Pampa river and green fields below the hill

Good to know

  • Leave footwear outside, and take off caps or hats inside the temple. Dress modestly.
  • Crowds are heaviest in Karthika month (around November; the dates follow the lunar calendar) and on popular wedding days. Buy vratham tickets early, or book online at aptemples.ap.gov.in.
  • Buy prasadam only at the devasthanam counters, not from street vendors. The counters at the foot of the hill and on the highway stay open round the clock.

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