Bhagamandala
is located in a breathtakingly beautiful hill station in the western ghats of
Karnataka state, boasts of being a popular destination among devotees as well.
Sri Bhagandeshwara temple is one such shrine which attracts hordes of devotees
to Coorg.
About the temple
Also known
as Bhagandeshwara Kshetra, Sri Bhagandeshwara temple is situated at the
Bhagamandala village in Coorg.
This temple
is primarily dedicated to Lord Bhagandeshwara, a form of Lord Shiva. However,
idols of Lord Ganesha, Lord Narayana and Lord Subramanya have also been kept
and worshipped in this temple.
The temple is
considered to be more than 1000 years old. It is said that this temple was
built during the Cholas dynasty. It presents a Karavali (west coast)
architectural style, with a gabled roof.
As per the
few historical records which are available, this temple has undergone
renovation in 1790 AD, during the reign of Maharaja Veera Rajendra Wodeyar who
was the then King of Kodagu.
This temple
is located quite close to the Triveni Sangama which is the meeting point of
three holy rivers names River Cauvery, River Kannika and River Sujyoti.
History
Skanda Purana, a holy text
belonging to Hindu religion, mentions the temple and the legend behind it. As
per the legend, Bhaganda Kshetra
which was the ancient name of Bhagamandala, a great saint Sri Bhaganda Maharshi
used to reside in his ashram located at this place. The name Bhagamandala has
also been derived from the sage’s name.
Sri Bhaganda
Maharshi, an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva and Lord Subramanya performed
rigorous penance to please the Gods and receive their blessings. Lord
Subramanya, pleased with his unrelenting devotion, blessed Bhaganda Maharshi
and the place and named it as Skanda
Kshetra. It is believed that he then promised his presence in the form of a
stone image.
Lord Shiva
too, pleased with the penance, blessed Bhaganda Maharshi. He also promised the
saint that he will be present and bless all the devotees. Sri Bhaganda
Maharshi, with the divine blessings, installed a Shiva linga, and invoked Lord Shiva.
The Shiva linga later came to be known as
Sri Bhagandeshwara, owing to the name of the saint Sri Bhaganda Maharshi. It is
believed that the divinity still manifests in the Linga at Sri Bhagandeshwara temple. Hence, devotees visit this
temple to seek blessings of the Lord.
Temple Timings
Open on all
days of the year, from 6.30 AM to 8.30 AM. It is closed in afternoon from 1.30
PM to 3 PM.
Abhisheka at
the temple is conducted from 6.30 Am to 7 AM. Rudrabhishekam is from 8:15 AM to
9:30 AM while the Maha Mangalarathi
(Main Pooja) is done from 11:45 AM to 12:30 PM. At 7.15 PM, Ganapathi Pooja is
conducted while evening Maha Mangalarathi
is from 7:30 PM to 8:30 PM.
How to reach
Sri
Bhagandeshwara temple is located around 35.4 km away from Madikeri and can be
reached by road. It takes around 50 minutes to 1 hour to reach the temple from
Madikeri town.
Madikeri is well connected to various cities and towns of Karnataka and Kerala. For instance, there are many regular buses from Bangalore to Coorg and Mysore to Coorg.