25 Best Pilgrimage Sites near Mysore

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 ...

Distance from Mysore: 135 Kms

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 ...

Distance from Mysore: 94 Kms

At a distance of 7 km from Dharwad Railway Station, 9 km from ISKCON Sri Krishna Balarama Temple, and 20 km from Hubli Junction Railway Station, Nuggikeri Hanuman Temple is a sacred Hindu temple located at Nuggikeri village in Hubli. It is one of the prominent temples in the Dharwad district, and among the must-visit places during your Hubli Trip.

Nuggikeri Hanuman Temple is an ancient temple in Dharwad and is dedicated to the monkey god Hanuman, also known as Sri Balabhima. Located on the banks of Nuggikeri Lake, Sri Hanuman at Nuggikeri had been in worship for hundreds of years, and is among the best pilgrimage places to visit in Hubli. According to folklore, Lord appeared in the dream of His devotee and instructed him to bring out the idol from the lake for worship. Accordingly, the devotee searched the lake and brought the idol out, and started worshipping. The deity is said to be idolized by a senior member of the Nuggikeri village belonging to the Nuggikeri Desai family while the reinstallation of the Lord was done by his holiness Sri Vyasaraja, the chief saint in the court of Sri Krishnadevaraya of Hampi. To date, the temple administration is controlled by the Desai family.

The temple has a three-tier raja gopuram that is facing south. There is a deepa stambha in front of the raja gopuram. In the sanctum sanctorum, one can see the ...

At a distance of 17 km from Hubli Junction Railway Station, Navagraha Teertha or Navagraha Tirtha is a Jain temple situated at Varur near Hubli, Karnataka. It is one of the major places of pilgrimage for the Jain community in India, and among the top places to visit in Hubli.

Adjacent to the Pune-Bangalore Road, the construction of Navagraha Teertha began in 2005 and was inaugurated in 2009 with mahamasthabhishekam. The work was supervised by Sri Gunadhar Nandi Maharaj, supported by Sri Dharmasena Bhattaraka Swamiji and hundreds of volunteers with donations from philanthropists. It has become an important place in Karnataka that draws huge crowds from all over the country.

Spread over 45 acres, the temple features a 61-foot tall monolithic idol of the Shri Parshvanatha in the Kayotsarga posture mounted on a 48 feet (15 m) pedestal making its total height 109 feet. The statue is the tallest statue of the Jain deity Parshvanatha in India and weighs 185 tons. The monolithic statue of Lord Parshwantha is larger than the statue of Gomateshwara or Lord Bahubali in Shravanabelagola. There are also smaller statues of the other eight Jain Tirthankaras.

It is believed that the Graha doshas of nine planets can be resolved by worshipping the following nine Tirthankaras here. Accordingly, the statues have been mounted on respective planet-like structures that the Teerthankars represent at the Navagraha Tirtha. Bhagavan Padmaprabhu (Sun), Bhagavan Chandraprabhu (Moon), ...

At a distance of 64 km from Badami, 86 km from Hubli, 99 km from Belgaum, Sri Kalika Devi Temple is a Hindu temple located in the small village of Sirasangi in Belgaum district of Karnataka, India. It is one of the popular temples in Karnataka, and among the best place to visit as part of Hubli Packages.

The Kalika Devi Temple at Sirasangi is dedicated to Goddess Kali. As per the studies conducted by the department of archaeology, the temple of Shri Kalika Devi in Sirsangi might have been constructed during the first century. Sirasangi is mentioned as Rishishringapura, Pirishingi, or Hirishingi in two records from the same place dated 1148 of Jagadekamalla and another dated 1186 of Someshwara IV. It was a noted commercial center.

According to mythology, Kalika Devi Temple is the exact place where sage Vrushya Shrunga is involved in penance. However, demons like Narundasur, Bettasura, and Nalundasur disturbed his meditation. Then the goddesses Chikkumbasura (Chikkumbi) and Hirekumbasura (Hirekumbi) killed these demons heeding the please of the ascetic Vrushya Shrunga. The Goddesses later settled down here and consequently the sanctuary of Sri Kalika Devi was raised in Sirsangi.

The place also has many monuments, and temples including Kalmeshwara Temple, and Bhairaveshwara or Kalamma Temple. Also, there are two small hillocks at the outskirts of the village, one having a cave locally called Maunappanagavi and the hillock is called Kallupuragudda. The cave can ...

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 ...

Distance from Mysore: 55 Kms

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. ...

Distance from Mysore: 86 Kms

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 ...

Distance from Mysore: 134 Kms

At a distance of 45 km from Sirsi, the Tarakeshwara or Tarakeshvara Temple is a Hindu temple complex located in Hangal, Karnataka. It is one of the ancient temples in the Malnad region of Karnataka, and among the top places to visit near Sirsi.

Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the Tarakeshwara Temple dates back to the 12th century AD and is considered to be an architectural marvel. The temple was the most significant contribution of the Kadambas to the history of the town. However, the town and the temple came into prominence during the rule of Kalyani Chalukyas who were the most powerful in the Deccan region during their period. They made massive architectural innovations and additions to make it into the present form. It is a protected monument under the Archaeological Survey of India.

Built with grey-green chloritic schist, the temple is a fine example of the typical Chalukyan style of architecture with influences of Dravidian and Nagara styles. The main temple consists of a Garbhgriha or sanctum with adjoining enclosures like the Antarala, Navaranga, Sabhamandapa, and Mukhamandapa. The sanctum sanctorum houses Lord Tarakeshwar is in the form of a linga along with sculptures of Vishnu, Brahma, Karthikeya, and Nandi.

The major attraction of the temple is the main hall which has a large domical ceiling in the form of a lotus. The elaborately-carved structure is 9 m in diameter, and a huge stone, 6 m in diameter, forms the ceiling of this structure. The stone, cut ...

At a distance of 27 km from Hangal, and 68 km from Sirsi, the Nagareshvara Temple is an ancient Hindu temple situated at Bankapura in the Haveri district of Karnataka. Located inside the ruined Bankapura Fort, it is one of the historical temples in Karnataka built by Western Chalukyas, and among the must-visit places near Sirsi.

Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the Nagareshwara Temple was built in the 11th century in the Western Chalukya style. This eye-catching temple is also called Aravattu Kambada Gudi which means 60 pillars temple in Kannada. According to archaeologists, the temple suffered much damage when Bankapura fell to the armies of Firoz Shah Bahamani in 1406 CE and later again when it was occupied by the Bijapur Sultan Adil Shah. However, despite much plunder, the large temple with its majestic mandapa still retains some of its original beauty. The temple is a protected monument under the Archaeological Survey of India.

The temple is constructed with soapstone and comprises a small shrine and a closed hall (mandapa) that connects to a large open hall (Navaranga). Like all Western Chalukyan temples, the sanctum is connected to the large hall via a vestibule (antechamber). At the end of the large hall, facing the sanctum is an open Nandimantapa. The highlight of the large hall is the bell-shaped lathe-turned pillars. The main decoration on these pillars is the horizontal rings of moldings. The ceiling in the large hall is highly decorative with designs such as rosettes ...

At a distance of 26 km from Bankapura, 34 km from Hangal, 72 km from Sirsi, and 78 km from Hubli, the Siddheswara Temple, locally called Purada Siddeshwara, is an ancient Hindu temple located in the town of Haveri in Haveri district of Karnataka. It is one of the popular temples in Karnataka built by the Western Chalukyas, and among the top places to visit near Sirsi.

The SiddheshwarIt is considered an ornate example of 12th century Western Chalukyan architecture and is well known for the many loose sculptures of Hindu deities that exist in it. However, the inscriptional evidence within the temple suggests that the temple was built in the late 11th century. Initially, the temple was constructed as a Vaishnava temple, but later in the years, the Jains removed the images, and thus the Shiva temple was created since it came under the possession of Shiva devotees.

The Siddheshvara temple is built of soapstone and faces west, instead of facing the rising sun in the east like all Chaluyan temples. The temple bears a close resemblance to a few other Chalukyan temples in the vicinity of Haveri- the Mukteshvara temple at Chavudayyadanapura, the Someshvara temple at Haralahalli, and the Siddharameshvara temple at Niralgi. The entire basement of this temple has sunk by a few feet, making it necessary to descend into the open mandapa (hall). The Siddhesvara temple boasts of 1300 stone carvings.

The mantapa (hall) in the temple contains sculptures of Uma Maheshwara, Vishnu ...

At a distance of 13 km from Benne Hole Falls, and 28 km from Sirsi, Sri Venkataramana Temple is a sacred Hindu temple situated at Manjuguni in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka. It is one of the popular places of pilgrimage in Uttara Kannada, and among the must-visit places in Sirsi.

Located in the Sahyadri Hills, the Manjuguni Temple is dedicated to Lord Venkataramana and Goddess Padmavathi. According to Sri Venkatesha Mahatmya, the founder of this temple is Sri Tirumala Yogi, a saint. It is believed that the Lord of Tirupati settles down here in this temple while traveling around the globe hunting wild animals. Thus the temple is also referred to as Tirupathi of Karnataka or Chikka Tirupathi. During winter, this place will be covered by thick fog, and hence this place is called Manjuguni.

The Venkatramana Temple at Manjuguni is a huge complex built in Vijayanagara style. The temple has a huge Dwaja Sthambha, Bali Peetha, and then the entrance to the main shrine, which includes the facade, the hall, and the Navaranga, Sukhanasi, and sanctum sanctorum of the original temple. The main idol here is assumed to be more than 1000 years old. The special feature of the idol here is that the Lord is holding an arrow and bow as symbols of assurance and protection to the devotees. His consort Goddess Padmavathi is on the right side. Navaranga hall has several pillars decorated with beautifully carved figures of gods and goddesses that attract the attention of every visitor. ...

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.

Distance from Mysore: 231 Kms

At a distance of 27 km from Thrissur & 81 km from Kochi, Guruvayoor is a temple town well-known for the most famous Sri Krishna Temple. This is one of the most popular pilgrimage sites near Kochi, and among the must-visit places during Thrissur tour.
 
Guruvayur Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the Lord Guruvayurappan, a four-armed form of the Lord Vishnu who is worshipped in the form of his avatar Krishna. According to the legends, the idol worshipped here is more than 5000 years old. But there are no historical records to establish it. Often referred to as Bhuloka Vaikunta, it is one of the most important places of worship for Hindus in Kerala and among the most prominent religious place to visit Thrissur.

The earliest temple records date back to the 17th century. In 1716, the Dutch raided Guruvayur, looted treasures, and set fire to the Western Gopuram, which was rebuilt in 1747. In 1766, Hyder Ali of Mysore captured Kozhikkode (Calicut) and then Guruvayur. He demanded 10,000 fanams in ransom to spare the temple. The ransom was paid but due to insecurity pilgrims receded. Later, in 1789 AD, Tippu destroyed the smaller shrines and set fire to the Temple, but it was saved due to timely rain. Tippu lost to the Travancore and the English in 1792. The idol, which had ...

Distance from Mysore: 253 Kms

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.

Distance from Mysore: 293 Kms