The legend of 'Pokala Dammakka' Pokala Dammakka was a tribal woman born in a village called Bhadrareddi Palem near Bhadrachalam. She belonged to the sabari tribe and was born in the prestigious pokala family. Pokala Dammakka was a great devotee of Rama from her childhood. When she grew up, one day she felt sad and could not help crying for she could not see her Lord despite her sincere devotion. That night Rama appeared in her dream and told her that for thousands of years he was residing at Bhadrachalam as an idol and receiving poojas from Ghandharvas. Henceforth, to bless his devotees, he was now ready to be found by ordinary people. He informed her about the whereabouts of a palm tree where his idol could be found. Rama also told Pokala Dammakka that she will be meeting another devotee and that she should get a temple constructed for him through him.
The next day Poakala Dammakka told the people in her village verbatim what Rama had told her in her dream. Then all of them went near the palm tree and found the idols of Rama along with Sita and Lakshmana. They immediately provided an awning (Pandiri) for the idols under the palm tree itself and started worshipping the idols. Pokala Dammakka offered the fruits of the palm tree to Rama regularly.
One day as she had to go to another village, hence she told her daughter to place the offering to Rama. Her daughter took a portion of the food she made for herself and offered it to Rama by placing it in front of the idol. In her innocence, she thought that Rama would really eat the food she offered. When this did not happen she thought that the God rejected her offering due to some wrong doing on her part. In anguish, she started hitting her head on a nearby rock. Seeing this, Lord Rama took pity on the innocent girl and appeared before her and really ate the food she offered.
Dammakka returned home to find the food missing. When she enquired her daughter, she narrated what happened. Dammakka could not believe this. So the next day she secretly followed her daughter and to her utter surprise found that Rama indeed was sitting near her daughter and eating the food she offered. Dammakka went rushing near Lord Rama, but sensing her presence Rama again turned into an idol. Rama never appeared in human form to Pokala Dammakka again.
After some time she came to know that Kancharla Gopanna, a great devotee of Rama, came to that area as a Tahasildar (local administrator). It occurred to her that Rama referred to the same person in her dream. So, she met Kancharla Gopanna and narrated her story and the Rama idols found by her and informed him that he should build a temple for these idols as ordained by Rama. It was not long after this that Dammakka expired. Kancharla Gopanna kept his word to her and got the temple built at Bhadrachalam on a grand scale.
Even to this day a share in the offerings made to God at this temple are given to the heirs of Pokala Dammakka in the name Pokala vari Vanthu (the Pokala family share), in recognition of the efforts of Pokala Dammakka in the construction of Bhadrachala Temple.
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