LEFT: ERHARDPIX/GETTYIMAGEStravelandleisureindia.in
Driving past Kaveri Kallu Sethuve, an old
defunct stone bridge on the Kaveri that is now a
picnic spot, we reached Shivanasamudra Falls.
The waterfall is at its best in the rains, when the
two streams Gaganachukki and Barachukki
cascade down a gorge in spectacular fashion.
There is a triad of Vishnu temples dedicated
to Ranganathaswamy on islands along the
Kaveri—Adi (origin) Ranga at Srirangapatna,
Madhya (middle) Ranga at Shivanasamudra,
and Antye (end) Ranga at Srirangam. The
region has a plethora of ancient temples—
Prasanna Meenakshi Someshwara Temple with
a Sri Chakra installed by Adi Shankaracharya
and the 10th-century Chola temple of Lakshmi
Narasimha Swamy at Marehalli.
We continued to the intriguing desert town
of Talakadu, ruled by the Gangas and the
Cholas, who were defeated by the Hoysalas. The
five Shiva temples of Vaidyeshwara,
Pathaleshwara, Maraleshwara, Arkeshwara,
and Mallikarjuna form the pancha pathi and are
believed to represent the five faces of Shiva.
Every 12 years, the Panchalinga Darshana fair is
held (next due in 2021) and devotees take a bath
at Gokarna teertha and complete a circuit,INDIA INSIDE OUT
Hoysala king Narasimha III. The east-facing temple has
three stunning idols of Chennakesava, Venugopala, and
Janardana in the sanctum sanctorum. Each design in the
elaborately carved ceiling of the Navaraga Mantapa is
unique with profuse carvings and sculptural relief on the
external walls. On a gnarled tree trunk outside hung a
postbox—letters posted here get a pictorial cancellation
seal of the famous Keshava Temple!
The next stop was pilgrim town Tirumakudalu
Narasipura, the sacred confluence of Kaveri, Kapila, and the
subterranean Sphatika Sarovar. Deriving its name from the
riverside shrine of Gunja Narasimha, it is believed that T
Narasipura’s spiritual importance outweighs the venerated
Kashi, or Varanasi, by one gulganji—the tiny red seed of the
abrus precatorius tree. Every three years, a massive snana
(sacred bath) takes place on its banks, and it’s billed as the
‘Kumbh Mela of the South’. The older Agastheswara Temple
(currently under renovation) has a Shiva linga consecrated by
Sage Agastya. I took a ride in a 20-capacity doni (round boat)
to the sangam (confluence) of the Kapila and Kaveri.
From left: June to September is the best time to witness
Shivanasamudra Falls in all its glory; divine or bovine—the
guide at Vaidyeshwara Temple in Talakadu.