Information of Cheluvanarayana Swamy Temple, Melukote, Mandya, Karnataka

Cheluvanarayana Swamy Temple is a famous hill temple at Melkote in the Yadgiri hills of Mandya District of Karnataka State in India. It is a very beautiful temple known for its architecture on this rocky hill. This temple has the main idol of Narayana, who is an incarnation of Vishnu Baghavan. This is a Hindu pilgrim center and mostly visited by the Vishnu believes of the Hindu sects know as the Vishnavaites. This is an ancient temple and was constructed over a phase of time by many rulers including the Mysore maharajas. The Vairamudi Seva festival is celebrated here in a grand manner. This temple is well known to have a huge treasure given as gifts by the various rulers in the passage of times. The main festival held in March-April displays its major jewels on the procession idol and taken to its near village and come backs to this temple. This chariot procession is witnessed by many pilgrims from various places of Karnataka.

Cheluvanarayana Swamy Temple Religious Significance

The Hindu Vaishnaviks are the main devotees to this temple. But this is an also a pilgrim place for all sects of Hindus religion. This is an ancient temple and many believe that there are few eternal powers here that once in a year one must visit these powerful places.

Cheluvanarayana Swamy Temple Mythology & History

The Lord Rama's visit is mentioned in the Vedic texts and the ancient manuscripts found here. This temple was visited by Lord Ram along with his two sons named the Lava and the kusha. They worshiped here and made a floral tribute to these temples deities. There is also a story behind the Bibi Nachiyar idol found here. It is said in history that the procession idol was stolen by the Delhi Ruler named Mohamed Sha. But this idol was returned back to its temple authorities. But when the idol was returning from Delhi, a young girl also followed them. It was Shahs daughter who got attracted to this idol and never want to depart with it. On placing this statue to its actual place, the girl felt unconscious and died here. For her devotion to this idol a small of her idol was carved her in her memory. This can be found on the base hill and inside this temple.

Cheluvanarayana Swamy Temple Architectural Significance

Cheluvanarayana Swamy Temple is a masterpiece of craftsmanship for its pillars and sculptures. This is built in a Dravidian temple style. A large pond is built near its foot hill, were its main steps starts. This pond is a stone built and are formed in step shaped design. It has got a very good stone block steps. These steps have arched pillars on its ways to take rest by the pilgrims. The entrance is really beautiful with a triangular tower known as the Gopuram. This temple is in a square structure. The main entrance is a pillared structure with a gopuram on its top. The entire outer walls have a pillared corridor. These pillars are well carved with sculptures in it. If you enter inside you can find one more square structure, where the main deity is kept. The inner side of its main walls also has a pillared corridor as seen on the outer side of these walls. This pillared corridor is also looking like large mandaps (Porch). The most important feature of this temple is that it consist small temple like structure on its roof tops. These are lined in all direction with sculptures of Hindu ditties on it. This seems like guards of this temple. All the pillars are looking so amazing that each and every pillar has its own story to tell by its sculptures and its miniature craft works on these stone.