HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Melukote in Pandavapura taluk of
Mandya district Mandya District is an administrative district of Karnataka, India. The district is bordered on the south by Mysore district, Mysore and Chamarajanagar district, Chamarajangar districts, on the west by Hassan District, on the north by Tumkur Di ...
,
Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...
, in southern India, is one of the sacred places in Karnataka.It is built on rocky hills, known as Yadugiri, Yaadavagiri and Yadushailadeepa, overlooking the
Cauvery The Kaveri (also known as Cauvery, the anglicized name) is one of the major Indian rivers flowing through the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The Kaveri river rises at Talakaveri in the Brahmagiri (hill), Karnataka, Brahmagiri range in th ...
valley. Melukote is about 51 km (32 miles) from
Mysore Mysore (), officially Mysuru (), is a city in the southern part of the state of Karnataka, India. Mysore city is geographically located between 12° 18′ 26″ north latitude and 76° 38′ 59″ east longitude. It is located at an altitude of ...
and 133 km (83 mi) from
Bangalore Bangalore (), officially Bengaluru (), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan population of around , making it the third most populous city and fifth most ...
. Melukote is the location of the
Cheluvanarayana Swamy Temple Cheluvanarayana Swamy Temple, also known as Thirunarayanapura, is a temple in Melkote in the Mandya District of Karnataka, India. The temple is built on rocky hills which overlook the Kaveri valley. It is about from Mysore and from Bangalore ...
, with a collection of crowns and jewels which are brought to the temple for the annual celebration. On the top of the hill is the temple of Yoganarasimha. Many more shrines and ponds are located in the town. Melukote is home to the Academy of
Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
Research, which has collected thousands of
Vedic upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the '' Atharvaveda''. The Vedas (, , ) are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the ...
and Sanskrit manuscripts. Early in the 12th century, the famous
Srivaishnava Sri Vaishnavism, or the Sri Vaishnava Sampradaya, is a denomination within the Vaishnavism tradition of Hinduism. The name refers to goddess Lakshmi (also known as Sri), as well as a prefix that means "sacred, revered", and the god Vishnu, who ...
saint Sri Ramanujacharya, who hailed from
Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...
, stayed at Melukote for about 12 years. It has thus become a prominent centre of the
Srivaishnava Sri Vaishnavism, or the Sri Vaishnava Sampradaya, is a denomination within the Vaishnavism tradition of Hinduism. The name refers to goddess Lakshmi (also known as Sri), as well as a prefix that means "sacred, revered", and the god Vishnu, who ...
sect.


Geography

Melukote is a municipal town and holy centre of the same name, situated at a distance of 36 km (22 miles) north-west of Mandya, and 51 km (32 miles) north of
Mysore Mysore (), officially Mysuru (), is a city in the southern part of the state of Karnataka, India. Mysore city is geographically located between 12° 18′ 26″ north latitude and 76° 38′ 59″ east longitude. It is located at an altitude of ...
. According to mythological account, this place was known as Narayanadri, Vedadri, Yadavadri, Yathishaila and Tirunarayanapura. The name of the place is derived from the temple of Narayanaswamy which is built on the hillock, surrounded by a fort. It is built on a rocky hill-range named Yadugiri, which is high above sea level.


History

In the 12th century, the Srivaishnava saint
Ramanujacharya Ramanuja (Middle Tamil: Rāmāṉujam; Classical Sanskrit: Rāmanuja; 1017 CE – 1137 CE; ; ), also known as Ramanujacharya, was an Indian Hindu philosopher, guru and a social reformer. He is noted to be one of the most important exponents o ...
took up his residence in this location for about 14 years. As a result it became a prominent centre of Srivaishnavism. Large numbers of Iyengar Brahmins migrated and settled in the region, forming the Mandyam Iyengar community. In the early 16th century, there were around a thousand houses where Brahmins lived. In the 18th century Tipu Sultan ordered his army to wipe out the Brahmins performing Pooja at the temple. Nearly 800 families were performing Pooja and the army slaughtered ~1500 mandya Brahmins on the first day of Diwali. Since then, the people of Melukote do not light Diyas neither they celebrate Diwali.


Temple


Cheluva-Narayana Swamy Temple

The principal temple is a square building of large dimensions but very plain, dedicated to Lord ''Cheluva-Narayana Swamy'' or ''Thirunarayana''. The ''utsavamurthi'', which is a metallic image, represents the deity who is called ''Shelvapillai'', ''Cheluva Raya'' and ''Cheluvanarayana Swamy'', whose original name appears to have been ''Ramapriya'' (meaning "Rama's Favourite"). It is believed that this utsavamurthi belonged to and was worshipped by
Lord Rama Rama (; ), Ram, Raman or Ramar, also known as Ramachandra (; , ), is a major deity in Hinduism. He is the seventh and one of the most popular ''avatars'' of Vishnu. In Rama-centric traditions of Hinduism, he is considered the Supreme Being ...
and the kings of the surya vamsa Dynasty for generations. Later the same deity was given to a king of Chandra vamsam (the dynasty of
Lord Krishna Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one of ...
) and was worshipped by Lord Krishna and many generations. So CheluvaNarayana is so unique that he was worshipped by both Rama and Krishna. According to a legend, this metallic image was lost for many centuries and was recovered by Sri Ramanujacharya. The annual report of the ''Mysore Archeaelogical Department'' (p. 57) states, on the strength of epigraphic evidence, that the presiding deity of this temple was already a well-known object of worship before Sri Ramanujacharya worshipped at the shrine, in December 1098, and even before he came to the Mysore region. The temple is richly endowed, having been under the special patronage of the Mysore Rajas, and it has an extremely valuable collection of jewels in its custody. As early as 1614, Maharaja
Raja Wodeyar I Raja Wodeyar I (2 June 1552 – 20 June 1617) was ninth maharaja of the Kingdom of Mysore. He was eldest son of Chamaraja Wodeyar IV, the seventh maharaja of Mysore. He ruled from 1578, after his cousin Chamaraja Wodeyar V's death, until his d ...
(1578–1617) of Mysore, who first acquired
Srirangapatna Srirangapatna is a town and headquarters of one of the seven Tehsil, Taluks of Mandya district, in the Indian States and territories of India, State of Karnataka. It gets its name from the Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangapatna, Ranganthaswamy ...
and adopted the Srivaishnava faith, granted to the temple, and to the Brahmins at Melkote as custodians of the deity, the large and valuable estate (fiefdom) granted to him by Vijaynagar emperor
Venkatapati Raya Venkatapati Raya (or Venkata II, r. 1585–1614 CE) was the younger brother of Sriranga Deva Raya (also the youngest son of Tirumala Deva Raya ) and the ruler of Vijayanagara Empire with bases in Penukonda, Chandragiri and Vellore. His rei ...
. On one of the pillars of the temple's ''nava-aranga'' ("new stage" or pavilion for music and dance performances), there stands a bas relief about high, of Raja Wodeyar, standing with folded hands, with his name inscribed on the base. He is said to have been a great devotee of the presiding deity and a regular visitor to the temple. A gold crown set with precious jewels was presented by him to the temple. This crown is known as the Raja-mudi, after his name. From the inscriptions on some of the gold jewels and on gold and silver vessels in the temple, it is learnt that they were presents from
Krishnaraja Wadiyar III Krishnaraja Wadiyar III (14 July 1794 – 27 March 1868) was the twenty-second maharaja of the Kingdom of Mysore. Also known as Mummadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar, the maharaja belonged to the Wadiyar dynasty and ruled the kingdom for nearly seventy ...
(r. 1799-1831) and his queens. Krishnaraja Wodeyar III also presented a crown set with precious jewels. It is known after him as ''Krishnaraja-mudi''. Yet another crown, known as the ''Vairamudi'' or ''Vajramukuta'', which is set with diamonds and must have been the most expensive of the three, is also older than both the ''Raja-mudi'' and ''Krishnaraja-mudi.'' Who was the donor of that very valuable crown, and how it came into the possession of the temple, is unknown. However, as the oldest crown, it has a special place in ritual ceremonies, and has a special annual commemoration named after it, namely the ''vairamudi habba.'' Despite all the royal connections of the other two crowns, it is only the old vairamudi to be distinguished this way. All the three crowns are kept in the safe custody of the state government at the Mandya Treasury. They are brought to the temple to adorn the image of ''Cheluvanarayana Swamy'' only during a specific annual festival known as ''Vairamudi habba'' (literally "Diamond crown festival"). This festival commemorates, and is named after, the oldest crown, of unknown origin. The ''Vairamudi'' festival, which is the chief annual celebration, is attended by more than 400,000 people. ''Jatra'' ( chariot festival, when the ''utsava murthy'' of the deity is taken in procession through the streets of the town) is held annually during March–April and more than one lakh people congregate for this occasion. A number of inscriptions and records of the place speak of other land grants and gifts to this shrine. Perhaps the fort on the hill was built during Hoysala period. The renovated temple has a beautiful gopura.


Yoga-Narasimha Swamy Temple

On the top of the hill is an attractive Melkote Narasimha temple dedicated to Lord Yoga Narasimha. It is believed that the image of Yoga Narasimha temple at Melkote was installed by Prahlada himself. Krishnaraja Wodeyar III presented a gold crown to Lord Yoga Narasimha.


Kalyani or Pushkarani

The temple infrastructure has a large pond called as ''Kalyani''. The beauty of the steps leading to water and the mantapas built all around are such that it has been captured in many Indian films.


Other important places

There are other shrines of Ramanuja, images of Alvars and Yadugiriammanavaru etc., in the temple. On top of the hill is the impressive temple of Yoganarasimha. Krishnaraja Wodeyar III presented a gold crown to this upper shrine. There is a big pond there. Many more shrines and ponds are located in the town. Melukote has been a centre of learning. It has contributed many literary figures, such as Tirumalarya, Chikkupadhyaya, Alasingachar and Pu. Ti. Narasimhachar. Sri Vedavedantha Bodhini Sanskrit College is one of the oldest institutions here, established in 1854. An old library founded in 1935, contains large number of
Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
,
Kannada Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...
,
Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nativ ...
and
Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India *Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language ** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode S ...
books and manuscripts. In 1976, opening in 1978, a research institute, the Samskrita Academy was established, which incorporated the library.
Yadugiri Yathiraja Mutt Yadugiri Yathiraja Mutt at Melkote is a Tenkalai Sri Vaishnava Mutt founded by Ramanujacharya for the management of Cheluvanarayana Swamy Temple and the propagation of Ramanuja Vishishtadvaita darshana. Yathiraja is also another name for Ramanu ...
,
Ahobila Matha Sri Ahobila Mutt (also called Sri Ahobila Matam) is a Vadakalai Sri Vaishnava monastery established around 1400 CE at Ahobilam in Andhra Pradesh, India following the Vadakalai tradition of Vedanta Desika. It is attributed to Sri Adivan Satakopa S ...
and
Parakala Matha Parakala Matha, officially Bramhatantra Swatantra Parakala Matha, is a Vaishnavism, Vaishnava Matha, monastery established during the Hoysala Empire in 1268 at Mysore, Karnataka, primarily worshipping Hayagriva, Lord Hayagreeva along with his cons ...
of the Sri Vaishnava sect are located in the place. Melukote has been known for quality handlooms especially weaving dhoties, sarees, etc. An artisans training centre, a dairy unit and a residential school are established in the place.


Melkote Temple Wildlife Sanctuary

Melkote is also the location of the Melkote Temple Wildlife Sanctuary. This sanctuary was created on 17 June 1974, primarily to house wolves. Other mammals found in this sanctuary include the jungle cat, leopard, bonnet macaque, langur and pangolin. It is also an ornithologist's paradise, with around 200 species of birds indigenous to the area. Melkote Temple Wildlife Sanctuary has been known for its once abundant ''
Cycas circinalis ''Cycas circinalis'', also known as the queen sago, is a species of cycad known in the wild only from southern India. ''Cycas circinalis'' is the only gymnosperm species found among native Sri Lankan flora. Taxonomy ''C. circinallis'' is native ...
'' species, which in the recent time has been over exploited by the flower decorators and local doctors. There is a vast forest land near this place and a wild life sanctuary was opened on 17 June 1974, to protect the species like wolves and black buck which are plenty in the area. From here visitors can also visit Thondanoor a nearby temple town, the location of the famous Nambi Narayana, Parthasarathi, Yoganarasimha and Ramanuja temples. This is approximately 20 km (12.4 miles) from Melukote.


Festivals


Vairamudi Brahmotsava

Vairamudi Brahmotsava (Vairamudi Utsav) is an annual spiritual event and festival revered throughout South India. In the past it has attracted up to 400,000 devotees of Lord Cheluva Narayana (Tirunarayana). The main event is the procession of Lord Cheluvanarayana Swamy (as represented by an idol, normally in most srivaishnava temples, the presiding deit "moolavar " is represented on procession by "utsavar "in a different name, here Cheluvaraya is called as "sampathkumara") through the streets of Melkote, which are decorated in his honour. In the procession the Lord's idol is carried on a golden
garuda Garuda (Sanskrit: ; Pāli: ; Vedic Sanskrit: गरुळ Garuḷa) is a Hindu demigod and divine creature mentioned in the Hindu, Buddhist and Jain faiths. He is primarily depicted as the mount (''vahana'') of the Hindu god Vishnu. Garuda is a ...
, along with idols representing his divine consorts Sridevi and Bhudevi. The procession takes place at night and continues until dawn. The festival is named for the legendary diamond studded crown, the Vaira Mudi, which the Lord only wears during this procession. For the rest of the festival the Lord wears the Rajamudi, another crown studded with precious stones. According to Hindu legends, Vairamudi, the diamond crown, was stolen from
Lord Narayana Narayana (Sanskrit: नारायण, IAST: ''Nārāyaṇa'') is one of the forms and names of Vishnu, who is in yogic slumber under the celestial waters, referring to the masculine principle. He is also known as Purushottama, and is consi ...
, when he was asleep at his abode in the Ksheera Sagara (Milky Ocean), by Virochana. Virochana was the king of demons and the son of
Prahlada Prahlada () is an asura king in Hindu mythology. He is known for his staunch devotion towards the preserver deity, Vishnu. He appears in the narrative of Narasimha, the man-lion avatar of Vishnu, who rescues Prahlada by slaying his wicked fa ...
. Garuda was asked by the lord's devotees to bring back the crown. Garuda went after Virochana to the nether world, fought with the demon king and flew back with the crown. According to the legend it is believed that Vairamudi lost its blue gem on the crest while Garuda was bringing it. The blue gem is believed to have fallen near Nachiar Koil, a temple town in Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu. The gem turned into a stream, called the Manimuttaru, which to this day flows in Thanjavur. On his way, he saw Bala Krishna playing with his friends in the mid day sun at Brindavana. Garuda protected the Bala Krishna from the sun by placing his wings as the shade and placed the crown on his head. The local legends of Melkote claim that Krishna presented Cheluva Narayana with this crown. Preparations for the Brahmotsava start several weeks before the festival. The actual celebrations take place over the course of thirteen days. Garudotsava is celebrated a day before the Brahmotsava at Melkote. The district administration of
Mandya Mandya is a city in the state of Karnataka. It is the headquarter of Mandya district and is located from Mysore and from Bangalore. Sugar factories contribute to the major economic output. It is also called Sugar city (which in Kannada mean ...
makes arrangements for bringing the Vairamudi crown from the Mandya treasury to the temple amidst great security measures. It is believed that the crown must not be exposed to daylight. When not in the procession the priests keep the crown hidden from view in a sacred casket. On the evening of the procession, the crown is placed in front of the sanctum of Sri Acharya Ramanuja and the head priest places the Vaira Mudi and fits it to the statue of the Lord Cheluva Narayana. It is tradition that not even the head priest should look at the Vaira Mudi with naked eyes until it is fitted onto the Lord. Hence the priest covers his eyes with a silk cloth while fitting the crown. During the 13-day celebration, Kalyanotsava, Nagavalli Mahotsava are held in the Holy Kalyani, followed by Maharatotsava. In most years the spiritual events have been accompanied by cultural programmes, including music and dance performances, but in 2014 they were cancelled because of the upcoming election and its "model code of conduct". While Vairamudi Brahmotsava is one of the most important festivals for Sri Vaishnavas, others include the Garudotsava at
Kancheepuram Kanchipuram ('; ) also known as ''Conjeevaram,'' is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu in the Tondaimandalam region, from Chennaithe capital of Tamil Nadu. Known as the ''City of Thousand Temples'', Kanchipuram is known for its temple ...
(Tamil Nadu), Kotharotsava at
Srirangam Srirangam, is a neighbourhood in the city of Tiruchirappalli in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. A river island, Srirangam is bounded by the Kaveri River on one side and its distributary Kollidam on the other side. Considered as the first amon ...
(Tamil Nadu) and the Brahmotsava at
Tirupati Tirupati () is a city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of the Tirupati district. The city is home to the important Hindu shrine of Tirumala Venkateswara Temple and other historic temples and is refe ...
in Andhra Pradesh.


Educational Institutes


Library and Sanskrit College

Melkote is house to the Academy of Sanskrit Research (ASR). Established in 1978, with further history that goes back a few centuries to the times of
Ramanuja Ramanuja (Middle Tamil: Rāmāṉujam; Classical Sanskrit: Rāmanuja; 1017 CE – 1137 CE; ; ), also known as Ramanujacharya, was an Indian Hindu philosopher, guru and a social reformer. He is noted to be one of the most important exponents o ...
, ASR is spread over 14 acres at the southern end of Melkote, and contains schools that practice the
gurukul Education in India is primarily managed by state-run public education system, which fall under the command of the government at three levels: central, state and local. Under various articles of the Indian Constitution and the Right of Childre ...
system of Sanskrit education as well as those that teach in modern methods, libraries, halls and temples, all dedicated to the study of Sanskrit language and texts. The private library of the Yatirajaswamigalu of Melkote contains a large number of
Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
and
Kannada Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...
works bearing on the
Vishishtadvaita Vishishtadvaita (IAST '; sa, विशिष्टाद्वैत) is one of the most popular schools of the Vedanta school of Hindu philosophy. Vedanta literally means the in depth meaning ''of the Vedas.'' ''Vishisht Advaita'' (literall ...
school of philosophy, a few works bearing on logic, rhetoric, mathematics, astronomy, astrology, ritual, architecture, Pancharatra, Dharmashastras, Grihya and Dharmasutra. There is also a Sanskrit college here named Sri Veda Vedantha Bodhini Sanskrita Mahapatashala (Govt. Sanskrit College) which was established as early as in 1854 and which is one of the oldest institutions of its kind in the state. Melkote has contributed many literary figures like Pu Ti Narasimhachar, Tirumalaraya, Komanduri Deshika Charyulu ( got Appreciation Certificate also from Mysore Maharaja ), Chikkupadhyaya and Devashikhamani Alasingachar. The academy has also published a number of commentaries on Vedic texts, in English, Kannada and Sanskrit including Sayanacharya's commentaries on the
Vedas upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the '' Atharvaveda''. The Vedas (, , ) are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the ...
and Purusha Suktam.


Yadugiri Education center

The Sri Yadugiri Education center (by Sri Ramanuja Srisha Seva Trust) provides cultural education to rural students. Sri Veda Vedanta Bodhini Govt. Sanskrit college is a place for traditional education. The mission of the institution is "Providing good education to rural students". Veda, Nalayira Divyaprabandha, Stotra and Grantha Kalakshepams are being taught in traditional families even today. SGS groups runs colleges and schools. SET group runs schools and polytechnics.


Academy of Sanskrit Research

The town is also home to the Academy of Sanskrit Research, an institution that was founded in 1977, by the Government of Karnataka. The Academy has kept 83 employees with 25 research scholars working on Sanskrit Research. Some of the areas of research include: Vishistadhvaitha,
Upanishads The Upanishads (; sa, उपनिषद् ) are late Vedic Sanskrit texts that supplied the basis of later Hindu philosophy.Wendy Doniger (1990), ''Textual Sources for the Study of Hinduism'', 1st Edition, University of Chicago Press, , ...
and Scientific research from ancient texts. There is also a library that houses 11,000 manuscripts and 35,000 books.


Image gallery

File:Melkoute 2017 (5).jpg, Bus Station File:Melkoute 2017 (3).jpg, Period Building File:Balughatta. Melkoute.jpg, Balughatta school File:Melkoute.Vehicle Chekpoint.jpg, Checkpost File:Melkoute old house.jpg, Village hut File:Melkoute.Yedushaila Bookstall.jpg, Yedushaila Bookstall File:Melkoute.Bangur Lodge.jpg, Temple Lodge File:Melkoute Historic Building.jpg, Old building


References


External links

*
Mysore Nature, Melkote Temple Wildlife Sanctuary
{{Authority control Cities and towns in Mandya district Hindu temples in Mandya district