Melkote / Thirunarayanapuram – Sri Yoga Narasimha Swamy / Sri Cheluva Narayana Swamy Temple (மேல்கோட்டை / திருநாராயணபுரம்)

Melkote or Melkottai or Melukote or Thirunarayanapuram in Karnataka houses two distinct temples viz. Sri Yoga Narasimhaswamy Temple (atop a hillock) and Sri Cheluva Narayana Swamy Temple. (திரு நாராயண பெருமாள்).

Melkote is an  important Abhimana Sthalam revered by Sri Vaishnavas and is not amongst the 108 Vaishnava Divyadesams. Melkote has close linkage with Swami Ramanujar. Swami Ramanujar stayed here for about 12 years to spread Sri Vaishnavism when he had to be away from Srirangam . Sri Cheluva Narayana Swamy Temple itself is an very ancient one and Swami Ramanujar renovated the temple to the present state. And, Swami Ramanujar retrieved both the Moolavar (Thirunarayana Perumal) & Utsavar (Shelva Pillai).

Melkote is well known for Vaira Mudi Utsavam (வைரமுடி ஸேவை ).

This place is also called as “Yadhothakari Kshetram” and “South Badrikashramam”. Some other names from the history are Narayanadri, Vedadri, Yadavadri and Yathishaila

Location

Melkote is nearly 51 Kms from Mysore, near Pandavapura in Mandya District amidst lush green paddy fields. Thanks to the River Cauvery whose canals keep this place greeny.

By Public Transport ( Bus)

It can be reached via Mysore – Srirangapattinam (20 Km) – Pandavapura (30 Km) – Jakkanahalli Cross (51 Km) – Melkote (58 Km). ( Hope, Mysore to Nagamangala / Tumkur buses go via Jakkanahalli cross)

Almost every 30 minutes, there is a Bus from Mysore City Bus Stand to Jakkanahalli Cross. It takes about 1 1/2 hours to reach Jakkanahalli cross. From Jakkanahalli cross, Melkote is around 7 Kms. Local buses and Autos are available in plenty from Jakkanahalli cross to reach Melukote.

We were told that Direct Buses to Melkote are available from Mysore at select timings.

By Car

It can be reached from Mysore, via  Srirangapattinam (Left turn)- Pandavapura – Jakkanahalli Cross – (Left turn) – Melkote.

If we come from Bangalore, we have to take right turn from Mandya itself to reach Melkote.

By Train

Nearby station is Pandavapura, which is in the Bangalore – Mysore rail route.  All important trains stop here including Chennai Mysuru Cauvery Express. From Pandavapura, Direct buses to Melkote are availble at select timings. Alternatively, one can catch bus upto Jakkanahalli cross and to change bus for Melkote.

Our Trip

It was a chilling winter Saturday morning in the month of February. We left the Hotel (Near Mysuru Junction) in the early morning and reached City Bus Stand. Took a bus, that goes via Jakkanahalli Cross. Bus was neat and clean. As we were nearing Srirangapatna, the River Cauvery was also in vicinity. Thereafter, till we reach Jakkanahalli cross, cool breeze and pleasant view of lush green paddy fields, canals and Lake, made us feel light.Road was also good. Within 1 1/2 hours, we were at Jakkanahalli Cross and the conductor was kind enough to remind us to alight there for Melkote. We got a Town bus and reached Melkote Bus stand in less than 30 minutes, despite of uplhill climbing. Yes. Melkote is in a little elevated terrain.

Sri Yoga Narasimha Swamy Temple 

We wanted to have the darshan of Sri Yoda Narasimhasway first. This majestic temple is built on a rocky hill known as Yadavagiri or Yadugiri rock overlooking the Cauveri valley (Melkote) . Melkote Bus stand is just at the foothills of Sri Yoga Narasaimhaswwamy Temple. It is a small hill with around 400 steps . And there is a motorable road reaches us somewhere above the midway of the hill. Autos and Cars can go upto this point and from there, it would be hardly 150 steps to reach the temple through these 150 steps are bit steeper.

As in any other hill temples, here also, few monkeys were spotted but they appear to be quiet and calm as long as the bananas were given to them. Hiding the banabas won’t help as they surround us. But, they are harmless. Steps were little steeper. As we climbed up, we felt the chillness along with forceful wind. We didn’t have any blankets / jerkins as we didn’t expect this. Somehow, we managed.

This temple is more than 1000 years old and the inscriptions in the foothills speaks about the history of the temple which dates back to the ancient times. The temple was built during the Hoysala kingdom.The temple has a huge drum that was donated by Tipu Sultan. It has a beautiful bell that was donated by the Mysore Parakalamatha. During the rule of the erstwhile Wodeyar Kings of Mysore, Krishnaraja Wodeyar III had donated a gold crown to the temple deity. Yoga Narasimha Swamy was installed by Baktha Prahlada himself.

By now, we had reached the hill top. Tt was just 8.00 a.m.. Sannidhi was yet to be opned and came to know that temple opens only 9.30 a.m. Only very few of us were there. It’s the divine wish that we have to spend more time in the temple than having a quick darshan and go back.

So, we started chanting Mantrarajapadha Stothram. We would have chanted nearly 108 times. We wondered the divine blessings as otherwise we would not have got his boon to chant this stothram at his sannidhi. By 9.15 a.m bhattars arrived at the temple and by 9.30 a.m we were allowed in. Had a peaceful darshan of Sri Yoga Narasimhaswamy. As the name says Sri Narasimha Swamy is in the posture of doing Yoga here.  There was a sannidhi for Sri Hanuman Swami also. We couldn’t see any other sannidhis. Then we sat in the steps influenced by the panoramic view of Melkote amidst cool breeze.

Climbed down and started walking towards Sri Cheluva Narayana Swamy Temple, which is around 1 KM from foothill. In the foothil, a big tank known as Kalyani theertham is there.

The road goes through the Melkot market and we could see plenty of sweet shops (roadside) and small hotels (mess) offering famous Puligere / Puliyodharai..(புளியோதரை). We went past the market and reached the Sri Cheluva Narayana Swamy temple

Kalyani Theertham – view from uphills

Inscription

Temple entrance

Hill temple

Temple entrance

Kalyani Theertham

Temple view – Courtesy : Google

Sri Cheluva Narayana Swamy Temple (Thiru Narayana Perumal)

This temple resembles a perfect square with prakaram in all the four sides..

The presiding diety is Shelvapillai (செல்வ பிள்ளை) , Cheluva Raya and Cheluva Narayana Swamy, whose original name appears to have been Ramapriya (meaning “Rama’s Favourite”). This utsavamurthi belonged to and was worshipped by Lord Rama and the kings of the SuryaVamsa dynasty for generations. Later the same deity was given to a king of Chandra vamsam (the dynasty of Lord Krishna) and was worshipped by Lord Krishna and many generations. So Cheluva Narayana is so unique that he was worshipped by both Rama and Krishna.

Utsavamurthi was lost and was recovered by Swami Ramanujar. The annual report of the Mysore Archeaelogical Department (p. 57) states on the strength of epigraphic evidence, that the presiding deity of this temple was already a well-known object of worship before Sri Ramanujacharya worshipped at the shrine, in December 1098, and even before he came to the Mysore region.

A number of inscriptions and records of the place speak of the land grants and gifts to this shrine. Perhaps the fort on the hill was built during Hoysala period. The renovated temple has a beautiful gopura.

Sri Ramanuajar was staying at Thondanur ( See more details under “Thondanur”) and involved in various activities to spread Sri Vainshnavism in that Region. One day, he found that he was left out with no “thiruman” (Holy mark to be worn on the forehead of Sri Vaishnava followers) and was not available in Thondanur.

To be continued

Thondanur

It is believed that, in 12th centuary,  Chozha King Kulothunga Chozhan who was a staunch devotee of Lord Shiva was threatening Sri Ramanujar to leave Sirviaishnavism and to follow Saivism.  Sri Ramanujar decided to leave Srirangam on the request of his disciple Koorathazhwan. He quitted Saffron and wore White dress to be away from the sights of the King. Sri Ramanujar along with 1000 of his followers travelled along  the river Cauvery from Srirangam towards West and reached Thondanur (15 Km from Melkote) where  Thondanur Nambi (Sri Ramanujar’s principle disciple) was living.

Several wonders were said to be made by Sri Ramanujar during his stay here and one of the wonders goes like this. He relieved the daughter of the Hoysala Kingdom’s king named Bitti Deva, from Brahma Rakshasa. On seeing this wonder, he became the devotee of Sri Ramanujar and he was  renamed as Vishnuvaradhan. The king established Pancha Narayana Kshetrams viz. Belur ( Channagi Narayana), Thondanur ( Nambi Narayanan), Gadag ( Veera Narayanan), Talakad ( Keerthi Narayanan) and at Melkottai ( Chelva Narayanan) to express his gratitude to Sri Ramanujar.