The temples of Mysore district in Karnataka are not only famous in south India, but they are pilgrimages for devotees from all over the nation. The temples of Mysore district are the best specimens to study south Indian pattern of arches and architecture. Mysore District is located in the southern part of the state of Karnataka and is a tourist`s paradise with varied attractions from palaces, parks and temples. The Wodeyars from the year 1399 till the independence of India in the year 1947 ruled Mysore.
Bhuvaneshwari Temple, Narayana Temple, Sri Lakshmi Venkataramanaswamy Temple, Gayatri Temple, Sri Prasanna Seetharama Mandira and Jaganmohana Ranganatha Temple are some of the popular temples of Mysore district. Agasteeshwara Temple is a shrine of Lord Shiva situated on the banks of River Cauvery at Thirumakudal in Karnataka. According to legends, sage Agastya installed the deity. A remarkable feature of this temple is the water trickling down from the head of Lord Shiva. Thirumakudal is the holy confluence of rivers Kabini and Cauvery.
Kodi Bhairava Temple is one of the most popular temples of Mysore district. This temple stands in the compound of the Mysore Palace. The temple is known by this name, as it is located on the weir of Devaraya Sagara, a dried-up tank popularly known as Doddakere. The temple enshrines the l m high idol of the four handed Lord Bhairava holding a trident, a drum, a skull and a sword. It is flanked on the left by the image of Bhadrakali, and on the right by a female chauri-bearer.
Shwetha Varahaswami Temple, an 18th century shrine, is located near the southern entrance of Mysore Palace and the presiding deity is Varaha, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.
A fine Hoysala structure, the temple was built under the sponsorship of Maharaja Krishnaraja Wodeyar III. It boasts carved doorways, pillars and towers, apart from five-tiered Rajagopuram and the huge images at the entrance. The hall is polished with mural paintings, which represented the scenes from the Ramayana and Mahabharata, popular being the one depicting the coronation of Lord Ram. The adorned images of Srivaishnava Acharyas, Desikar and Jiyar are the added attractions.
Nimishamba Temple is one of the oldest temples of Mysore district, on the banks of river Cauvery. It is only 2 km from Srirangapatna town. This holy place enshrines the embodiment of Parvati. It is believed that the goddess here blesses her devotees every `nimisha,` meaning `every minute. Some other important temples of Mysore district include Prasanna Kesava Devalaya, Trinesvaraswamy Temple, Prasanna Krishnaswamy Temple and Yoga Narasimhaswamy Temple.