Somram is one of the five Pancharama Kshetrams, sacred to the Hindu god Shiva. The temple is located in Bhimavaram in West Godavari district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and is one of the centrally protected monuments of national importance.
This temple is one of the Pancharama Kshetrams, the others being Amararama Temple, Ksheerarama Temple, Kumararama Temple and Draksharama Temple. The origin of the Pancharama Kshetrams is associated with the incident of the killing of Tarakasura. Tarakasura wore the Amrita Linga around his neck, which gave him immortality. When the gods faced the defeat of Lord Indra, on the advice of Lord Vishnu, Lord Shiva ordered Kumaraswamy (Karthikeya) to kill Tarakasura. Kumaraswamy broke the linga into five pieces in the battle, which resurfaced in five different places. Temples were later built at these places, called Pancharama Kshetras.
Gunupudi Someswara Janardhana Swamy Temple, popularly known as Somramam, is located in the prosperous trading town of Bhimavaram in West Godavari district. The temple is only one and a half kilometers away from Bhimavaram town. The nearest towns are Palakollu (25 kilometers) and Narsapur (45 kilometers). The temple belongs to the 4th century and was rebuilt by Eastern Chalukya king Bhima in the 9th century.
There is a 15-foot high pillar in front of the temple, on top of which is situated the statue of Nandi. There is a pushkarini pond outside the temple, called Soma Gundam. The presiding deity in the inner sanctum of the temple is Someshwara. The Shiva Linga is smaller than the other temples and was installed and worshipped by Som (Moon God). Next to Lord Someshwar is the idol of Uma Devi. Above the inner sanctum is the temple of Annapoorneshwari on the first floor, which is rare in other Shiva temples.
The temple has marriage halls built on both the ground and the first floor, where many marriages are performed. The temple complex also has temples of Lord Rama and Hanuman. To the south of the sanctum is the temple of Goddess Adilakshmi. Idols of Hanuman, Kumara Swamy, Navagraha, Surya and Ganesha can be seen inside the temple.
Maha Shivaratri and Saranavaratri are the main festivals celebrated in this temple. Devotees perform Puja with one lakh Bilva leaves in the month of Kartik. This day is also considered auspicious for Shraadh Tarpana and Daan-Punya.
This Linga is said to change its colour according to the lunar aspect, being white during the full moon and black during the new moon. The temple houses many idols and religious rituals, making it an important pilgrimage site.