Description
The Sri Lakshminarayana Swamy temple is located amidst the lush and thick greenery that spreads across vast areas of land. The temple is located at a distance of some 2 kilometers away from the Marehalli Town in Karnataka. The Sri Lakshminarayana Swamy is one of the most prominent Narasimhaswamy Temple in the Mandya District of Karnataka. The temple itself is several centuries old.
History
Archaeological surveys have indicated that the temple is indeed, several centuries old and belongs to the Sri Vaishnava tradition. The temple is close to 1200 years old. It is said that the temple was initially renovated by the great Raja Raja Chola. The foundation of the Sri Lakshminarayana Swamy temple is said to have been done during the 10th century AD. Folklore suggest that a long, long time ago there were two sages by the names Suyagna and Lambakarna. The sages practiced intense sessions of meditation and penance. Lord Narasimhaswamy observed the continuous practice of tapasyas and yagnas performed by the two devoted sages. Pleased by their constant devotion, Lord Narasimhaswamy appeared in the dreams of the saitns, and indicated that he would reside over there, and would be pleased to have both of the sages along with him. Initially, the place was called Gajaranya Kshetra. Locally, the prime deity Narasimhaswamy is known as Marehalli Mudukappa. The great lord is also called Sowmya Narasimhaswamy.
Importance/Significance
The temple premise itself consists of the “Amrutheshwar” temple, which again has several dedicated devotees. At the entrance of the temple, there are two Mantapas on either side of the temple. The main structure is faced by a 40 feet long Garuda Gamba and Brundawana, a profound symbolism. Apart from the Amrutheshwara, there also lies within the premises an Anjuneyaswamy Temple, situated at the left side of the temple. The Pathalankana and Ganesh temple are situated at the main entrance f the temple.
Facts/Mythology
The temple architecture and design does indeed reflect on the traditions held by the Vaishnavas. The Sri Lakshminarayana Swamy temple is surrounded by a total of 108 pillars and ankanas. The Navarangas leads to the beautiful Sanctum Sanctorum. This sanctorum belongs to the Shukanasini Mantapa Temple. The temple carries an idol which can seldom be found anywhere else but this very sanctorum. The idol is that of lord Narasimha being seated, along with the Goddess Lakshmi on his left lap.
Festivals/Events/Gatherings
It is a very prominent belief amongst the locals that the temple of Shukanasini holds great importance and that an 'Amruthakalasha' is likely to be found beneath the lotus feet of the Goddess Lakshmi. The locals ardently believe that upon dedicatedly devoting themselves to the Goddess, the Amruthakalasha shall be invoked, and it has the power to fulfill an individuals true desires. The deities apart from Lakshmi and Narasimhaswami that are worshipped are Bhoodevi and Neeladevi. The temple is open fro visitors from six in the morning to 7 in the evening. The temple also conducts programmes such as Rathasapthami, Narasimha Jayanthi and a rather unique, Car festival. Special poojas are conducted ever week on Saturdays and Sundays.
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