Nanjundeshwara Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Mysuru Airport is the nearest airport, about 14.5 km from the temple.

• By train

  Nanjungud is the nearest railway station.

• By road

  The temple is about 27 km from Mysuru and 163 km from Bengaluru. The suburban bus stand is about 24 km away.

Why devotees come here

Nanjundeshwara Temple is an ancient Shiva temple in Nanjangud, Mysuru district. It covers 50,000 square feet and is one of the largest temples in Karnataka. The town is known as Dakshina Kashi, the Kashi of the South.

Shiva is worshipped here as Nanjundeshwara, the one who drank the poison from the churning of the ocean of milk. Legend says Shiva killed the demon Keshi after Narada and the devas pleaded with him to save everyone. Sage Parashurama came here to wash away the sin of his mother's killing, and he prayed to Nanjundeshwara.

The origins of the temple go back to the Ganga dynasty. The Cholas, the Hoysalas and the Wodeyars of Mysore added to it over the centuries. The inner sanctum was built in the Chola period, around the 11th century. The anterior mandapa, where devotees sit, came in the Hoysala period, around the 13th century.

The outer courtyard wall has niches with 122 images of Shiva in various forms. The gopuram, 120 feet tall, is crowned by seven gold-plated kalashas. Inside the complex, the large stone Nandi was built in 1644 by Dalavayi Vikramaraya.

Festivals

• Ashada monthGirijakalyana

  On this day Tipu Sultan's jade lingam, set with an emerald necklace, is placed on the idol once a year.

Tips for your visit

• Raghavendra Math is on the road to the right of this temple.
• Look for the 122 images of Shiva in the niches of the outer courtyard wall as you walk around the complex.
• Dodda Jaathre, the temple's big festival, draws thousands of devotees.

Questions people ask