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Andhra Pradesh Tourism · East Godavari
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Pilgrims bathing on the weathered steps of the Kotipalli ferry ghat in low golden-hour light as a pontoon ferry sets out across the wide silt-green Gautami branch of the Godavari, the Someswara temple gopuram a distant accent above the village palms

DevotionalDay trip · Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema

Kotipalli

కోటిపల్లి

Twin Shiva lingas and a holy bath on the Gautami’s bank.

16.7001° N
82.0379° E

The guide
Distance
About 50 kmby road from Rajamahendravaram
Best time
October to March, early morning for the river bath. Karthika month (around November) and Maha Shivaratri are festive but crowded.
Time to spend
1 to 2 hours
District
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema districtK. Gangavaram mandal
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About Kotipalli

Kotipalli is a village on the Gautami, one of the two main branches of the Godavari, in K. Gangavaram mandal. Its Sri Someswara Swamy temple holds two Shiva lingas. Temple legend says Indra installed the Koteswara linga and Chandra, the Moon god, installed the Someswara linga, each to be cleansed of sin. The goddess here is Raja Rajeswari. Siddhi Janardana Swamy, flanked by Sridevi and Bhudevi, is worshipped as the guardian of the site. He is said to have been installed by the sage Kasyapa.

Pilgrims take a dip in the Gautami before darshan. They believe the water here washes away sin. The large tank beside the temple is known as Soma Gundam. The main festivals are Maha Shivaratri, the deity’s kalyanam in Vaisakha, Sarannavaratri and the Ksheerabdi Dwadasi float festival in Karthika. Draksharamam is about 12 km north by road, so the two fit easily into one day.

Highlights

  1. A dip in the Gautami before darshan
  2. The Someswara and Koteswara lingas, linked to Chandra and Indra
  3. The shrines of Raja Rajeswari and Siddhi Janardana Swamy
  4. Soma Gundam, the large tank beside the temple
  5. The Ksheerabdi Dwadasi float festival in Karthika month

Good to know

  • Dress modestly and bring a change of clothes if you plan to bathe in the river.
  • Bathe only where local pilgrims do, and stay out of the water when the Godavari is in flood during the monsoon.
  • A ferry crosses the Gautami to Mukteswaram, which puts Amalapuram about 15 km away instead of about 50 km by road. Check locally whether it is running.

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