A unique feature of Talakkad is that most of the temples lie under sand dunes. It is said that the place was devastated by the curse of queen Allamelamma. She immersed herself in Cauvery for the ill treatment meted out to her by the ruler of Talakkad.

Skanda Purana speaks of this place as Siddaranya Kshetra and Gajaranya as elephants lived here in large numbers. According to the ancient tales two hunters Tala and Kada saw elephants worshipping a Lingam with lotus flowers. When they were cutting a tree, a blow fell on the Lingam and it started bleeding. However a heavenly voice bade them to treat the wound with the leaves of the tree itself. They did so and Lord Shiva appeared before them and granted `mukti` to the hunters and the elephants there. The place thus acquired the name Talakkad after the two hunters.

There are five Shiva shrines on the banks of Cauvery which flows in all directions here. The Pancha Linga Darshan falls in accordance with a rare astronomical conjunction. Devotees take a holy dip at the Theerthams and worship at the 5 shrines of Vaidyanadeswara, Arkeshwara, Vasukeeswara, Maraleswara and Mallikarjuna. These five shrines denote the five faces of Lord Shiva.

While the Vaidyanadeswara Temple is the most important one built by the Vijayanagar rulers Keerthinarayana Temple was built by Vishnuvardhana.