Sri Subramanya Swamy Temple at Bikkavolu, in East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh, is an Eastern Chalukya era shrine dating to the late 9th century CE. The temple opens daily from 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM, with early opening at 4:30 AM during the Karthika Masam month. Bikkavolu is 29 km from Kakinada, 40 km from Rajahmundry and 49 km from Amalapuram. The principal deity is Subrahmanya Swamy (Murugan); the temple is well known for Kala-Sarpa-Dosha and Naga-Dosha pariharam pooja. This article covers timings, the Eastern Chalukya history, the rituals offered and how to reach Bikkavolu.
Daily timings
- Daily hours: 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM
- Karthika Masam opening: 4:30 AM (October–November)
- General darshan: free
- Open all seven days
- Special pooja sevas: bookable at the temple counter
The sanctum may have a brief midday closure for ritual procedures; visitors are admitted in the morning and evening windows. On Krithikai days (the Krithikai nakshatra of each Telugu month, sacred to Subrahmanya), Vaisakha Visakam and the festival weeks, the sanctum stays open continuously through the day.
The Eastern Chalukya history
The temple is dated to the reign of Gunaga Vijayaditya III of the Eastern Chalukya dynasty, who ruled Vengi (the territory between the Krishna and Godavari rivers) between 849 and 892 CE. Inscriptional evidence on the temple walls places its founding in this window, making the structure approximately 1,130 years old. The ancient name of the village was Birudamkitta Puram; the modern name “Bikkavolu” derives from an old underground tunnel between Peddapuram Fort and this temple, which the British referred to as the “Big Hole”.
The temple is part of a small cluster of Eastern Chalukya monuments at Bikkavolu, which includes a separate Golingeswara Swamy temple (Shiva) and a Vinayaka temple. Together, the three are recognised as protected monuments of national importance. The architecture combines the early Chalukya style with the later Tamil Dravidian idiom, with intricate carving on the vimana and the gopuram.
Sarpa Dosha and Naga Pariharam pooja
Bikkavolu is particularly known among Telugu Subrahmanya pilgrims for the Sarpa Dosha and Naga Dosha pariharam rituals, performed for devotees with serpent-affliction indications in their natal chart. The pooja sequence:
- Sankalpa with the devotee’s name, gotra and birth-star
- Abhishekam of the Subrahmanya murti and the Naga sannidhi
- Naga archana with the nine snake-deity names
- Recitation of the Skanda kavacham and the Subrahmanya stotras
- Offering of milk, turmeric, vermilion and a silver naga plate at the Naga sannidhi
The pooja runs for approximately 60 to 90 minutes. Fees are set by the temple administration; walk-up booking on the day is the usual route. Tuesdays, Krithikai days and the Skanda Sashti window are the busiest.
Festivals at Bikkavolu
- Skanda Sashti (October–November): the six-day festival commemorating Murugan’s defeat of Surapadma. The sixth-day Soorasamharam is observed.
- Karthika Masam (October–November): the whole month is sacred. Mondays and the Sundays draw heavy crowds. The temple opens at 4:30 AM through the month.
- Vaisakha Visakam (May–June): the Visakha nakshatra of Vaisakha, sacred to Subrahmanya.
- Krithikai days: monthly observance on the Krithikai nakshatra; the temple sees larger daily crowds.
- Naga Panchami (July–August): the snake-deity festival; the Naga sannidhi at Bikkavolu is the principal focus.
An opinion on visiting
For what it’s worth, Bikkavolu is at its best as a weekday morning visit combined with the wider East Godavari temple circuit. The temple is rarely crowded outside the festival windows; a pilgrim can spend an unhurried hour at the Subrahmanya sanctum, walk over to the Golingeswara temple a few minutes away, and complete the morning by 11:00 AM. The drive from Kakinada or Rajahmundry is comfortable. For pilgrims with a specific Sarpa Dosha concern, the temple’s Tuesday traffic is heavy and the priests are stretched; a midweek visit gives the ritual the time it needs.
Reaching Bikkavolu
- By road from Kakinada: 29 km, about 50 minutes
- By road from Rajahmundry: 40 km, about 1 hour
- By road from Amalapuram: 49 km, about 1 hour 15 minutes
- By rail: Bikkavolu has a small station; Samalkot Junction (20 km) is the major rail head, with direct trains from Chennai, Vishakhapatnam, Hyderabad and other cities
- By air: Rajahmundry Airport (45 km) and Visakhapatnam (190 km) are the closest
- Local transport: APSRTC buses run from Kakinada and Rajahmundry; auto-rickshaws from the Bikkavolu town centre
Common questions
Are all three Bikkavolu temples on the same site?
The Subrahmanya temple, the Golingeswara Shiva temple and the Vinayaka temple are all in Bikkavolu village within a short walk of each other. The Golingeswara temple is the principal protected monument under the Archaeological Survey of India and is open to visitors during daylight hours. The Subrahmanya temple remains in active worship and follows the daily darshan schedule. Visiting all three takes about two hours.
Where to stay?
Bikkavolu village has no formal hotel; basic guesthouses operate at the temple. Most pilgrims base themselves in Kakinada or Rajahmundry, both of which have a full range of hotels. The drive from either city to the temple is comfortable for a half-day trip. For Skanda Sashti and Karthika Masam, book a Kakinada or Rajahmundry hotel two weeks ahead.
Is the underground tunnel accessible?
The old underground passage between the temple and Peddapuram Fort is referenced in the temple’s traditional history and in the local oral account but is no longer open. The entry points on both ends have been sealed for safety, and the passage has not been excavated systematically. The temple staff can point out the historical location of the village-end opening; that is the most that a visitor can see today.
One limitation worth noting
Pooja fees at Bikkavolu are revised by the temple administration periodically. The temple does not maintain a sophisticated online presence; phone enquiry with the temple desk is the most reliable confirmation route. Sarpa Dosha and Naga Dosha pariharam are interpretive traditions of South Indian astrology and ritual; this article describes the standard ritual sequence without endorsing predictive claims. The temple’s published timings cover the main sanctum; outer prakara hours for the ASI-protected adjoining shrines run on a separate schedule.
For background, see the Bikkavolu temple cluster on Wikipedia and the Andhra Pradesh tourism site at aptourism.gov.in.
