Horanadu Annapoorneshwari Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Mangalore International Airport (IXE) is the nearest airport, about 130 km away.

• By train

  The nearest major railheads are Mangalore and Shivamogga. Chikmagalur town, about 100 km away, has a station on the line to Kadur Junction.

• By road

  Horanadu is well connected by road with neighbouring cities and with Bengaluru, the state capital. Local buses and taxis run, and the drive involves some good ghat roads.

Rules to know

• Dress modestly and respectfully inside the temple premises.

Why devotees come here

Horanadu Annapoorneshwari Temple is dedicated to Devi Annapoorneshwari, also called Annapoorna. It stands in a small village at 831 meters in the Western Ghats of Karnataka, on the banks of the river Bhadra, about 100 km from Chikmagalur. Devotees believe her blessing means they will never face a shortage of food.

Tradition credits the sage Agasthya with setting up the temple. Devi Annapoorneshwari is believed to be the giver of food. Her name is said to mean the one who would feed all. Devotees believe that seeking her blessing means they will never face a shortage of food in life.

The Devi stands on a peetha, a raised pedestal, with four hands. They hold a conch, a discus, the Sri Chakra and the Gayathri. Inside the sanctum is a golden idol of the Devi, and the main deity was put in place in 1973 by Adi Shankaracharya.

Horanadu is a small panchayat village at 831 meters in Chikkamagaluru district. The temple lies among thick forests and valleys, on the banks of the river Bhadra.

Festivals

• Navaratri and Akshaya TrithiyaNavaratri and Akshaya Trithiya

  Plan a visit during these days, when the crowd is at its highest.

Tips for your visit

• Accept the annaprasadam, the free meal the temple serves three times a day.
• Basic accommodation is offered in the temple's guest houses, subject to availability.
• Horanadu is 10 km from Kalasa, which is reached by road from Chikkamagaluru and Mangaluru.
• A visit to Horanadu is often combined with Sringeri.

Questions people ask