Mudukuthore (Thirumalakudu Bettahalli / T Bettahalli) is a pilgrim centre situated on the banks of the river
Kaveri
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 range in the Western Ghats, Kodagu dis ...
. The village is called T. Bettahalli, as per the government revenue documents, whereas Mudukuthore is a mythological name. T. Bettahalli is a quiet village with a backdrop of a hillock called Somagiri. T Bettahalli is located at a distance of 48 km 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 ...
, 25 km from
Somanathapura
Somanathapura, also spelled Somanathpur, Somnathpur, or Somanathpura, is a town and Grama Panchayat in Tirumakudalu Narasipura, Mysore district in the state of Karnataka in India.T.Narsipur, and is close to
Talakad
Talakadu (ತಲಕಾಡು) is a town on the left bank of the Kaveri river 45 km (28 miles) from Mysore and 133 km (82 miles) from Bangalore in Karnataka, India. Latinizations of the towns name vary, but include Talkād, Talakadu, T ...
.
History
The town gets its name "Mudukuthore" from the river Cauvery as it gets a turn and flows forward. ''Muduku'' means 'diversion' and ''thore'' means 'flow forward'.
The town is home to the Lord Mallikarjuna temple. In Hindu mythology, during Mahabharatha period, Arjuna, one of the Pandavas stayed at the hill where this temple is located and carved an idol of Shiva and did pooja with "Mallika pushpa" (a kind of flower), giving rise to the title 'Mallikarjuna' for Shiva.
Sri T Bettahalli Marikambha Temple popularly known as Bettahalli Maramma Temple is a six hundred-year-old temple site. In 2004, thieves demolished its central Idol, requiring the temple to later be rebuilt.