District: Bellary
Town: Mylara
Temple: Mylara Lingeshwara Temple
The Mylara Lingeshwara Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, is a renowned temple situated in South India. Every year people a lot of devotees visit this temple to get their wishes fulfilled. This temple is located in Mylara in the Bellary district.
Mylara Lingeshwara Temple– Overview
The Mylara Lingeshwara Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva who is worshipped by the Kuruba Gowdas in the form of Mailari. This temple is situated in the south west corner of Hadagali Taluk in Bellary district. The River Tungabhadra flows just two kilometres away from this temple.
Mylara Lingeshwara Temple– Mythology
This temple has its origins from the Hindu Mythology. As per the myth, a demon named Mallasura and his brother meditated and pleased Lord Brahma. Lord Brahma granted them a boon that no human being could harm these two demons. The demons in their turn began to interfere with the ascetics and the saints appealed to Lord Shiva to protect them from this plight. Shiva tool a new form and waged a war against the two demons Mallasura and his brother Maniksura and killed both of them with his bow and arrow. During the time of the battle, Lord Shiva or Mylara lost all his powers and had to hastily retreat from the battlefield. During this time, he took refuge along the Tungabhadra River.
Lord Shiva’s aide, Lord Veerabhadra, struck the earth with his long tresses and five warriors known as Panchaveeras or Kanchaveeras emerged from the earth and captured both the demons and handed them over to the Lord. Lord Mylara then killed the demons, wore their teeth in the form of a necklace, their intestines as a turban, skulls in the form of bowls, mouths as a damaruga (hand drum) and their skin in the form of a coat. The Lord used the nerves of the demons as a wick for a lamp and their fats as the oil for a lamp.
Mylara Lingeshwara Temple– Festivals
One of the most well known fetes in the region is the Mylara Jatra. This fair is famous for the prophecy or Karanika. A Karanika Gorava performs the Karanika Utsava wherein he continuously fasts for twelve days. On the final day he climbs a 12 meter bow and utters a sentence or a word which indicates the future of the upcoming year. Devotees throng to this temple from Karnataka and other neighbouring states to watch this amazing event.
The Gorava is a community who worship Lord Shiva in the Mylara avatar. They wear a bhandar on their forehead, wear woollen blankets and hold a hand drum or damaruga in their hands.
How to Get to Mylara Lingeshwara Temple
The Mylara Lingeshwara temple can be reached by road as Ranebennur is about 34 km from this place and Hadagali is 40 km away.
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