Melukote is located in the Mandya district of Karnataka. It is considered a highly sacred place in South India. Melukote lies at a distance of 51 kms from Mysore and 133 kms from Bangalore. It is in the Pandavapura taluka and famous for the Cheluvanarayana Swamy Temple & Yoga Narasimha Temple.
The town is built on rocky hills known as Yadavagiri or Yadugiri overlooking the Cauvery valley. The town derives its name from two words, Melu means top and Kote means fort. According to the history, the great Vaishnava saint Sri Ramanujacharya lived here for about 14 years in 12th century AD and thus it became a prominent center of the Srivaishnava sect of Brahmins.
Yoga Narasimha Swamy Temple is major temple in Melukote and is dedicated to Lord Narasimha. Built on a hillock, the temple overlooks the town of Melukote. The main deity is in seated posture with the Yogapatta. It is believed that the idol of Lord Yoganarasimha was installed in the temple by Prahlada. The temple is considered to be one of the seven holy centers devoted to the worship of Narasimha. There is a Sanskrit Pathashala inside the temple that dates back to 1853. One has to climb nearly 500 steps to reach the temple from the foothills.
Usually, pilgrims begin their trip with a visit to the Yoga Narasimha Temple perched on a hillock, known as Yadugiri. A towering Gopuram marks the temple. Intrepid pilgrims ascend the nearly 500 steps to reach the top of the hill. But you may drive to the parking lot higher up and climb the final 170 steps. This uphill road is narrow and best undertaken by a local auto rickshaw, according to visitors. However, the steps can be very crowded with pilgrims at times, and you have to walk cautiously. In the sanctum sanctorum, Vishnu is worshipped as Yoga Narasimha.
From the top, catch a panoramic view of the surrounding plains and hills. The carved top of the Cheluvanarayan Swamy temple can also be seen from here. On the way back, you may stop at the Kalyani lake at the foothills.
In ancient India, temples were typically built near a water source. They would be built on the banks of rivers, beside streams and lakes or have tanks adjacent to them. The Kalyani tank is one such water tank that stands in Melukote.
There are three ponds in the town, two on the foothills and another on top of the hill. Of these, Kalyani Pond near Sri Cheluva narayana Swamy Temple is the largest and is surrounded by beautiful stone carved pillared mantapas.
This ancient temple tank has a history spanning over 1000 years and is considered the largest of 108 temple tanks in the district.
According to the Ishwara Samhitha, Lord Krishna took on the avatar of Lord Varaaha, when he lifted the earth out of the universal ocean. While doing so, a few drops of the water on his body fell on top of a hill at Melukota. This led to the creation of the Kalyani pond.
The Kalyani is also mentioned in the Padma Puraana. According to the legends of the Malsya Purana, Lord Vishnu’s carrier, the eagle – Garuda carried white clay from Lord Vishnu’s planet and deposited it at the Kalyani.
It is huge tank surrounded by corridors held up by stone pillars. Each pillar has been beautifully carved. Between the pillars and the tank are a series of steps leading down to the water. The temple tank is connected to the other 107 tanks in the vicinity through a network of canals.
In ancient times, temples were a place of refuge and many people lived around the temples. The temple tank served as a source of water for them.
Water is also believed to have the ability to absorb positive energy. Hence, when priests chant, the energy released is absorbed by the water. Devotees of these temples believe that bathing in these waters will give them this energy.
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