Talakadu Temple in Karnataka

Talakadu Temple in Karnataka is dedicated to Shiva. There is a cluster of temples on the banks of Kaveri River that are known as Talakadu Temples. All temples are associated with Shiva. There are five important temples –

Vaidyanatheshwara or Vaideshwara Temple, the most important temple, is buried beneath sand dunes.

Sri Pataleshwara Temple – Snake Vasuki worshipped Shiva here.

Sri Maruleshwara Temple – Brahma and Saraswati worshipped here. River Kaveri takes southward turn here. The temple also has murtis of Vishnu, Durga, Brahma, Kartik and Surya.

Sri Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple, Somashyla – A temple believed to have been visited by Pandavas.

Sri Arkeshwara Temple – Dedicated to Shiva with a linga. On Ratha Saptami day – the sun’s rays fall directly on the linga.

The darshan of these temples together is known as Panchalinga Darshana.

Although many temples remain buried under sand, darshan is possible in some temples.

Other Temples and Sacred Pond

Apart from the above temples, Talakadu also has the following temples: You can have darshan of them daily.

Sri Virabhadreshwara temple – Dedicated to Virabhadra.

Sri Chowdeshwari temple – Dedicated to Chowdike or Chamundeshwari

Sri Mallikarjuna Temple – Dedicated to Shiva with a flight of steps. Highlight of this temple is a huge lamp.

Gokarna Tirtha (Holy Pond): The darshan to the Talakadu temples is complete only after one takes a dip at Gokarna Tirtha. It is located between the Sri Vaidyanatheshwara Temple and Sri Chowdeshwari temple. It is believed that one can get rid of skin diseases by taking a holy dip in this pond and praying to Lord Sri Vaidyanatheshwara.

All the above said temples are very old and are noted for its unique architecture.

Location: Talakadu is located about 45 km from Mysore and 29 km from T. Narasipura