Mallikarjuna Temple is an ancient temple that was built during the 7th century by Trilokyamahadevi, the second queen of Vikramaditya. She gave the orders to build this temple after the completion of Virupaksha Temple to honour her husband’s win over the Pallavas.
About Mallikarjuna Temple :
Mallikarjuna temple, situated in the heart of the temple town, is an ancient shrine dediacted to Lord Shiva where He is known as Malahanikaresvara (popularly referred to as Mallikarjuna), destroyer of the impurities of the jiva. This temple is said to be as old as the Ramayana. The sanctum sanctorum houses a large swayambhu Shiva linga made of black-stone.
Records say that the early structure was renovated by Puttappayya in 1621. It is in this temple that Shri Abhinava Nrisimha Bharati (1600-1623), then head of the Sringeri Mutt, drew a figure of Lord Ganesha with a piece of turmeric on a pillar, and worshipped it in the absence of an image of the deity. Since that time, the outline of the god gradually bulged out in relief. This Ganapati is called Kambada Ganapati – Ganapati of the pillar. One can have peaceful darshan as this temple has few pilgrims.
You can get a panoramic view of the surroundings as you climb higher. Early mornings or late evenings are ideal to be at the top.
Attractions Of Mallikarjuna Temple In Karnataka :
- Karnataka is a paradise to the people who have a passion for temples since the state houses a number of outstanding places of worship like the Mallikarjuna Temple, Pattadakal. The temple architecture in the southern peninsula of India especially in the state of Karnataka is absolutely different from that of the east, west or the north.
- The temples of the south particularly the Mallikarjuna Temple, Pattadakal in Karnataka exhibits the extraordinary craftsmanship and expertize of the artisans and the love and passion of the people for art and architecture, especially of the rulers without whose patronage the temples would not have been built.
- One of the best temples of the South Indian style is the Mallikarjuna Temple, Pattadakal of Karnataka. This temple was constructed by the queens of Vikramaditya II (734-44) in commemoration of his victorious march against Kanchi, the Pallava capital.
- The magnificent temple is noted for the nicely carved lively figures on its walls and the massive square pillars in sand stone. Pattadakal is known as Kisuvolal (`Red Town’) since the sand stone available here is reddish in color.
- The Mallikarjuna Temple, Pattadakal at Karnataka marks the climax of early Chalukya architecture and is believed to be based on the Kailasanatha Temple in Kanchipurum.
- So, next time you go to the beautiful state of Karnataka, never ever forget to include the name of the magnificent temple of Mallikarjuna Temple at Pattadakal in your tour list. The grand temple architecture is surely going to leave you awe-stricken.
Features Mallikarjuna Temple In Karnataka :
This place is known for the temple of lord Mallikarjuna. The place is nearer to Mysore. During January-February a big festival for a week will be organized where selling of cattles and other items required for agriculture take place. This place is very nearer to one more holy place called Talakadu which is situated at the bank of river Kaveri. Talakadu is famous for shiva temples and particularly Vaidyanatheswara temple.
This place can be reached from Somanathapur one more well known place the temple of lord Channakeshava. The distance from Somanathapur and Mudukuthore is only 26Kms. The main city to start from is Mysore. From Mysore the total distance to Mudikuthore is 60Kms. The total route is from Mysore to Bannur which is 24Kms. Bannur to Somanathapur the distance is 10Kms and Somanathapur to Mudukuthore the distance is 26 Kms.
Only bus transportation is available. Both Karnataka state government (KSRTC) and private buses available. The total trip for Somanathapura, Thalakadu, Shivanasamudram and Mudukuthore can be booked either at Mysore or Bangalore. The best visiting time is from September to February as there will not be any rain and the various temples situated at Thalakadu can be seen clearly. These temples are submerged in sand. The climate is moderate entire year. Resorts are available in this place to stay. These are to be booked at Bangalore KSTDC centre. There are no entry fees at temple for anything. But, toll gate fees are there at 2-3 places until one reaches the place Thalakadu. All types of cameras are allowed inside the temple. The place is purely village area. No good hotels are available. Small hotels are available at Thalakadu which is only 4 Kms away. This place is not a shopping place. Normal practice of the trip is to visit Somanathapur temple (from Mysore) and then proceed to Mudukuthore and then to Thalakadu. If one is interested to see the sun set in Thalakadu, the trip can changed to proceed to Shivanasamudram from Somanathpur and then frm Shivanasamudram to Thalakad. In the latter case, be sure to reach before 4.00pm as the temples at Thalakad cannot be seen.
History :
Mallikarjuna Temple is an ancient temple that was built during the 7th century by Trilokyamahadevi, the second queen of Vikramaditya. She gave the orders to build this temple after the completion of Virupaksha Temple to honour her husband’s win over the Pallavas. This structure is quite similar to the Virupaksha Temple in terms of design and elevation and represents its Dravidian architectural style as well. It is on the must visit lists of all travelling taking a tour of Pattadakal.