Aghoreshwara Temple Ikkeri

Getting there

• By air

  Shivamogga Airport is the nearest airport, about 78 km from Sagara.

• By train

  Sagara has its own railway station, Sagara Jambagaru (station code SRF).

• By road

  KSRTC, the state transport, runs several buses from Bengaluru to Sagara, including premium Airavat and night services. Sagar is about 10 minutes and 4.5 km by road from the temple.

Rules to know

• Wear appropriate clothing when you visit the temple.
• Photography is allowed inside the temple and its premises.

Why devotees come here

Aghoreshwara Temple stands in Ikkeri, a hamlet in Sagara taluk about 6 km south of Sagara town centre. It is dedicated to Aghoreshvara, an avatar of Shiva, and sits in the old capital of the Keladi Nayakas.

Ikkeri was the capital of the Keladi Nayakas, also called the Ikkeri Nayakas, from about 1560 to 1640 AD. The family rose after the Vijayanagara empire was crushed at the Battle of Talikota in 1565. The Aghoreshvara complex is counted among the two greatest Shaivite temple complexes of their period.

The temple is a large structure built of granite, in a mixed style that draws on Vijayanagara, Later Chalukya and Hoysala building. Three shrines stand together: the biggest for Aghoreshvara, a Parvati shrine to its left, and a Nandi in front. The sanctum pedestal is carved all round with 32 seated female figures called Shakta pitha.

The temple is dated to the 16th century, but no record gives the exact date of construction. Nayaka rulers made grants and gave patronage to these temples. Carved reliefs of deities, mithunas and mythical animals cover the pillars, ceilings and outer walls. A smaller shrine to Devi Akilandeshwari stands within the main complex.

Tips for your visit

• A priest usually briefs visitors about the temple when they arrive.
• Look up at the ceilings and along the pillars, where the deity reliefs and mythical animals are carved.

Questions people ask