Click to play videoBhadrachalam: The 17th century Shri Ram temple at Bhadrachalam perches on a hill, encircled by the holy river Godavari.
During monsoons, the river overflows flooding the surrounding villages but water never enters the temple premises and the town.
"We have the special blessings of Lord Ram," says a local, Srinivas.
"Nothing has happened here though many people died elsewhere. It is due to the blessings of Shri Ram," says another local, Venkata Narayana.
The legend goes that Lord Ram spent some time in Bhadrachalam during his 14-year exile.
"One day Lord Ram was tired and slept on this mountain. He enjoyed the sleep and later he blessed the mountain," says the priest at the Shri Ram temple, Y S Sriman.
The blessing, believe the locals, has saved the town from the fury of nature but does not extend to the villages.
Hundreds of villages get marooned whenever Godavari overflows.
In fact, the river has crossed the danger mark five times in the past five decades but on all occasions, Bhadrachalam town has stayed safe.
(With inputs from Aniruddh Maitra)
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