Bhimeswara Temple is a 10th century shrine at
Draksharamam. It is one among the five Arama shrines dedicated to
Shiva, in
Andhra Pradesh. The temple was built by the Eastern Chalukyan King Bhima of Vengi, when his kingdom was under attack by the Rashtrakootas. The temple contains as many as 400 inscriptions dating back to the 11th century which can be traced back to the Eastern and the Western
Chalukyas,
Cholas and Kalinga rulers.
The temple has a double-walled structure. Each of the four entrances on the outer wall have a gopuram (tower). The gopuram on the west is five-tiered. The entrance to the inner courtyard is to the south. A pillared two storeyed gallery lines the inner courtyard. The sculptural work in the mukha mandapa reveal clear Chalukyan features. The walls of the two storeyed sanctum are beautified with sculptural work. The main idol here is Shiva as Bhimeswara, enshrined in the form of a ten feet high Shivalinga. Shiva's consort here is Manikyamba. There are also shrines to Lakshmi Narayana, Sankaranarayana, Ganapati and the
Navagrahas in the temple.
