Description
This Sri Sharadamba Devi Sannadhi is located in the Srikanteshwara Temple is located in the town of Nanjangud near Mysore. Nanjangud is also known as Dakshina Kashi. The temple is dedicated to Shiva. Nanju in Kannada means poison; the name Nanjundeshwara means the God who Drank the Poison. The "Dodda Jaathre" festival at Nanjangud by temple attracts thousands of devotees. The festivities in the fair includes five colorful chariots that are pulled by devotees on a path called the ratha beedi. The Srikanteshwara temple of Nanjangudu is the biggest temple in Karnataka and measures 385 feet by 160 feet, with a total area of 50,000 square feet. The Mahadvara (main entrance) is seven – storey high and is decorated with seven gold plated Kalasas that add a further three meters to its loftiness flanked by two horns. The outer walls of the temple are about 12 feet high.
History
Chola Kings in the 11th - 12th century are considered to have set in motion the construction of the temple with significant additions by the Hoysalas and the Vijayanagara kings. The temple was developed on a full scale during the era of the Mysore rulers and reached its mammoth proportions due to deviation of Krishna Raja Odeyar towards the deity.
Importance/Significance
Nanju in Kannada means poison; the name Nanjundeshwara means the "God who Drank the Poison" (halahala), a word that has its origins in the legend of the Great Churning of the Ocean of Milk; thus the town got the name 'Nanjangud' which means "the abode of God Nanjundeshwara".
Festivals/Events/Gatherings