This emotionally charged romantic drama revolves around Chinnarayudu, a strong man of great integrity and courage. He is the leading judge of the village and is treated with utmost respect, as the villagers know him to be just and wise. His personal life is one of simplicity and contentment, as he lives with his widowed mother Durgamma.
Chinnarayudu's brother-in-law Pasupathy is extremely jealous and hateful of the tremendous love and respect he receives from the villagers, and keeps plotting to tarnish his reputation.
Gowri is a brave and vivacious young woman from a underprivileged background, who tries her best to stay afloat through herding goats. While Gowri keeps getting into silly fights with Chinnarayudu and his mother, she secretly holds deep respect and admiration for Chinnarayudu.
When Gowri finds herself unable to repay a debt to Pasupathy, that had been taken to help Gowri's sister Ganga pursue higher education, the case is presented before Chinnarayudu for arbitration. With Pasupathy plotting to destroy Chinnarayudu's reputation in the village, a complex sequence of events unfold, resulting in a marriage between Chinnarayudu and Gowri.
Pasupathy's machinations grow to the extent that he poisons the lake in the village and frames Chinnarayudu for the crime. Gowri is forced to hack down an evil man in an attempt to protect Chinnarayudu and faces a term in prison.
To add to their woes, Ganga becomes pregnant prior to marriage and Chinnarayudu is rumoured to be the father, an accusation he does not deny. Gowri is devastated by her husband's betrayal and decides to commit suicide in jail. Is Chinnarayudu really the father of Ganga's unborn child or is everything part of a larger plot to destroy him? Will the truth be revealed and the forces of good ultimately defeat the forces of evil?