19 Best Pilgrimage Sites near Mysore

At a distance of 50 km from Mysore and 133 km from Bangalore, Melkote / Melukote is a historical town located in Pandavapura taluk of Mandya district, Karnataka. Also known as Thirunarayanapuram, it is one of the popular pilgrimage places in Karnataka and also one of the best places to visit as part of Mysore Tour.

Melkote can also be included in your Mysore holiday packages. 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.

There are two popular temples reside in this town, one is Cheluvanarayana Swamy Temple and the other one is Yoga Narasimha Swamy Temple. These temples existed even before Sri Ramanujacharya came to this place. The main temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu known as Thirunarayana or Cheluvaraya installed by Lord Krishna. The utsavamurthy or procession idol of the deity is referred as Cheluvapille Raya whose original name appears to have been Ramapriya. This utsavamurthy was lost when the Moghuls invaded the place and it was recovered by Ramanujacharya from Bibi Nachiyaar the daughter of Mohammed Shah.

The temple has been under the patronage of the Mysore royal family and is ...

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At a distance of 85 km from Mysore, 40 km from Chamarajanagar and 170 km from Bangalore, the Biligiri Ranga Hills popularly known as the BR Hills is a lofty hill range in Chamarajanagar district of Karnataka. It is considered to be the wildlife corridor that connects Eastern Ghats to Western Ghats. This is one of the popular tourist places to visit near Mysore and is one of the top attractions you must include in Mysore packages.

BR Hills is famous for BRT Wildlife Sanctuary (Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Wildlife Sanctuary). The sanctuary is situated at an altitude of 5091 feet and is spread across an area of 540 km. It was declared a tiger reserve in 2010 by the Karnataka State Government. The highest peak within the sanctuary is the Kattari Betta. The wildlife sanctuary is inhabited by a number of animals including elephants, sloth bears, bison, deer, porcupines and a number of other wild animals. It is said that the sanctuary has more than 250 species of birds like the Paradise Flycatcher, Racquet Trailed Drongo and the Crested Hawk Eagle, etc.

Another attraction of the BR Hills is the 500 years old famous Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple which is situated on the highest peak of the hill range, on the white cliff (biligiri) which gives the hill its name. The local form of the deity is called Ranganath, another form of Lord Vishnu and is depicted in a unique standing position. ...

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At a distance of 135 km from Mysore, 89 km from Hogenakkal, 72 km from Kollegal & 209 km from Bangalore, Male Mahadeshwara Betta, also known as MM Hills is a sacred place situated in the eastern parts of Kollegal taluk in Chamarajanagar district of Karnataka. It is situated at an altitude of 3000 feet. This is one of the top attractions you must include in Mysore packages.

Male Mahadeshwara Hills is surrounded by dense forest and is famous for Malai Mahadeshwara Temple dedicated to Lord Mahadeshwara. The ancient and sacred temple of Sri Male Mahadeshwara is a very popular Shaiva pilgrim center and one of the most powerful Shiva temples in the region. The temple is surrounded by 77 hills of the Eastern Ghats. The temple draws large number of pilgrims from the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

The Mahadeshwara Temple was built by Junje Gowda Rich Kuruba Gowda Landlord. The Lord Sri Mahadeshwara is believed to be the incarnation of Lord Shiva. Historical evidences suggest that the Saint Mahadeshwara came here in 15th century to perform penance and it is believed that he is still performing penance in the temple's garbha gudi in the form of a linga. The linga, worshipped now in the garbha gudi, is a self-manifested one. Sri Male Mahadeshwara Swamy was moving on a tiger known as Puli Vahana (Tiger as a vehicle) and performed a number of miracles around the Betta ...

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At a distance of 17 km from Agumbe, and 96 km from Shimoga, Kundadri is a beautiful hill top located near Agumbe in the Shimoga district of Karnataka, India. It is one of the top places of trekking in Karnataka, and among the must-visit places as part of Agumbe tour packages.

Rising at an altitude of 3,200 feet, the Kundadri hill is known for the 17th-century Jain temple dedicated to Parshwanath Tirthankara. The name Kundadri is believed to be derived from the name of Acharya Kundakunda, a popular 4th century Jain Monk, who is said to have taken shelter in these hills. The small temple, along with two small ponds form the only building on top of Kundadri hills. The Jain Temple is particularly crowded amid the season of Makara Sankranti in January.

Boasting dense jungles of the Western Ghats, Kundadri is a trekker's haven and a paradise for nature lovers. A rough, 7 km rugged narrow path leads to the top of the hill and is a moderate trek. The trail can be a bit challenging at first but quickly becomes simpler and more rewarding as you take in the stunning scenery around you. One can also reach the top by driving your way up, except for the last fifty steps or so. However, the area is best explored whilst trekking in the surrounding jungles. From the top of the peak, you can have a panoramic view of the distant backwaters of the Varahi Dam. Camping in the ...

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At a distance of 42 km from Hassan, 44 km from Halebidu, 71 km from Chikmagalur, the Ishvara Temple, also known as Chandramouleshwara Temple is an ancient Hindu temple located in Arasikere town of the Hassan district in Karnataka state, India. It is one of the stunning Hoysala temples in Karnataka, and among the top places to visit near Hassan.

Dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva, the Chandramouleshwara Temple at Arasikere was built in the 12th century by the Hoysalas. Though modest in size and figure sculpture, the temple is considered the most complex one in architecture among surviving Hoysala monuments because of its ground plan - a 16-pointed star-shaped mantapa (hall), along with an asymmetrical star-shaped shrine, whose star points are of three different types.

Like all Hoysala constructions, this east-facing temple was built with soapstone and is an ekakuta shrine (single shrine or cella) with two mandapas, one open and one closed. The sanctum (garbhagriha) enshrines a Shivalinga. The ceiling in the closed mantapa is divided into nine compartments or 'bays' by the four lathe-turned pillars. Unlike other temples, to have a darshan of Lord Shiva inside the garbhagriha, there is no direct straight access, since this particular mantapa is star-shaped. Instead, there are two lateral entrances at north and south of the mantapa.

The temple has a shikhara or tower with a decorated water pot like sculpture called kalasha on the top. The vestibule, which connects ...

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At a distance of 53 km from Shravanabelagola, 90 km from Hassan, and 94 km from Bangalore, Yediyuru Siddhalingeshwara Temple is a pilgrimage center situated in Yedeyuru Village in Karnataka. It is one of the famous temples in Karnataka and among the top places to visit in Shravanabelagola.

Situated on Bangalore-Hassan-Mangalore road, Sri Siddalingeshwara Swami Temple is one of the most important pilgrimage centers of the state as it is the tomb i.e., Nirvikalpa Shivayoga Samadhi of Tontada Siddhalinga a great Vireshaiva teacher and author who flourished at the end of the 15th century. He traveled far and wide preaching Sharana faith which is predominantly praying with ISHTA LINGA (Atma linga) as envisaged by Basavanna, Allamaprabhu, and a vast group of learned men and women from all walks of life. He performed 12 years of penance at a garden belongs to Vokkaligara Nambiyana (Thota) and hence came to be known as Thontada Siddalingeshwara Swamy.

The Siddlingeshwara temple faces north and is a fairly large Dravidian structure. An inscription near the entrance says about the spiritual greatness of the teacher while scenes from the life of Sidhalingha are depicted on the Gopura. There is a small shrine for Veerabhadra Swamy in the basement. Sri Siddhalingeshwara Swamy is considered to be an incarnation of Lord Shiva. He is known to perform miracles on a large number of people belonging to different caste and creed. Many sick and suffering people are believed to be cured ...

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At a distance of 54 km from Mysore, Chikkadevvamma Hill is a sacred place situated at Kundur Village in the Mysore district of Karnataka State. It is one of the popular places of pilgrimage near Mysore and among the prominent trekking places in Karnataka.

There is a temple on the hilltop and is dedicated to Goddess Chikka Devamma, believed to be the sister of goddess Chamundeshwari. This old temple was constructed by Mysore Wodeyars. The hill derived its name from the goddess Chikka Devamma, who came from Kerala and settled in Chikkabetta. Devotees have a strong belief that the Goddess has fulfilled all their genuine demands.

Besides, Chikka Devammana Hill is well known for its mesmerizing surroundings. From the top, one can have a panoramic view of agricultural fields, villages & Nugu Reservoir. The hill is also surrounded by forest so one can find elephants, leopards deers and other animals here.

The journey to the hilltop is also a wonderful experience as there are many hairpin bends. Especially, in the last stretch, from the foothills to the top, one needs to climb around 200 m vertical height, in a length of 4 km. But interestingly, the condition of the hilly road is very good and within 15 minutes, one can climb the hill without much difficulty.

Temple Timings: 6 AM - 6 PM

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At a distance of 80 kms from Bangalore, Kolar is a small town which was once famous for gold mines. Kolar has several tourist attractions like Someshwara Temple & Kolaramma Temple. Anthargange is about 4 kms from Kolar. Kolar is one of the popular tourist places to visit around Bangalore.

Someshwara Temple is a beautiful temple built in 14th century during Vijayanagara rule. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, Someshwara Temple is famous for large temple tower built on a stone carved mahadwara. The temple has nice carvings on the pillars and large mahamandapa. There is also a stepped temple tank adjacent to the temple. The temple is located near Fort Area in Kolar.

Kolaramma Temple, situated at a distance of 100 meters from Someshwara Temple is another interesting place to visit in Kolar with lot of history. It is believed that the temple was constructed in 5th century during Ganga dynasty. The temple has several carvings from Chola rule (11th century). This is a protected monument and being maintained by ASI. Timings: 5.30 AM - 1.30 PM & 5 PM - 8 PM.

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At a distance of 41 kms from Kodaikanal, 108 Kms from Coimbatore & 487 Kms from Chennai, Palani is one of the padi veedu for Lord Muruga and is an important pilgrim centre for Hindus. Palani is one of the popular pilgrimage sites in Tamilnadu and another popular attraction not to miss in a Kodaikanal tour package.

Puranas have a story that Lord Muruga disappointed for Gnanapazham came here to stay alone. Lord Shiva & Goddess Uma Devi convinced him by saying that he itself is the fruit of knowledge (Gnanapazham) and called him as Pazham Nee. Thus the town got its name 'Pazhani'.

The temple of Pazhaniandavar is situated in the Palani Hills at the height of about 1400 feet from the sea level. From the temple prakaram one can see the Idumban Hill, the Kodaikanal Hills, the rivers flowing around Palani, the greenfields and even the Kurinjiandavar temple in Kodaikanal hills on a clear day.

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