Kudala Sangama Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Hubballi Airport, about 140 km away, is the nearest major airport.

• By train

  Bagalkot Railway Station, about 35 km away, and Almatti Railway Station are the nearest railheads.

• By road

  The temple is about 51 km from Bagalkote, the district capital, and about 450 km from Bengaluru. Regular buses and taxis run from Bagalkot, Hubballi and Vijayapura.

Rules to know

• Respect local customs and temple etiquette.
• Take care with ritual dips at the confluence, especially in high water season.

Why devotees come here

Kudalasangama, in Bagalkot district of Karnataka, is an important pilgrimage centre for Lingayats. The shrine is known for its Sangameshvara linga, and the village sits where the Krishna and Malaprabha rivers meet.

Kudalasangama draws Lingayat pilgrims, followers of a Hindu religious denomination. The shrine holds the linga known as Sangameshvara or Sangamanatha. Legend says Basaveshvara spent his boyhood in the village. After he returned from Kalyana, he is said to have become one with the divine at this place.

A belief holds that in the 12th century Jathaveda Muni Sarangamath set up an education centre here. An inscription in the temple, dated AD 1213, records a gift to Acheshvara. The temple has a porch, a navaranga hall and the main shrine, and it is built in Chalukya style.

The door frame of the sanctum is richly carved with floral designs and animal figures. Basavanna's samadhi, his final resting place, lies within the temple complex and is the main spiritual focus of the site. At the confluence, the Aikya Mantapa has four Chalukya-era pillars. The Anubhava Mantapa, built by Mathe Mahadevi, has walls painted with scenes from the life of Basavanna and other saints.

Festivals

• January or FebruaryJatra

  The annual fair draws very large crowds, so book a room early.

Tips for your visit

• Carry water and sun protection when touring the outdoor sites.
• Basava Jayanti also brings cultural events to the site.

Questions people ask