Yellur is a small village in Udupi district located at a distance of 25 Kms from Udupi and 4 kms from Uchchila on the national highway between Udupi and Mangalore. This village houses a temple which is believed to be over 1000 years. The temple here is of Lord Shiva called Mahatobhara Yellur Vishwanatha. According to puranic legends Kunda Raja an honest shoodra King once requests Bhargava Muni to stay in his kingdom and he tells there are no temples or Brahmins and even a sacred river or tulsi and refuses his invitation.

The disappointed  king hands over the charge of his kingdom to his deputy and sets out to the banks of river Ganga and performs great penance to please Lord Shiva, seeing the kings devotions Lord Shiva appears and asks him to make a wish. An elated Kunda Raja requests the Lord to stay in his kingdom and the Lord readily agrees and says he will make his appearance at a spot where enmity and hatred are unheard of. Accordingly he makes Yellur one of his abodes.

In the mean while a poor hungry woman who had just lost her son was hunting for food in the forest and by chance lands upon a plump tuber. In an a effort to remove the tuber from the ground she removes the knife and tries to cut the tuber to her shock she sees blood oozing out of it and she thinks it is the blood of her son "Yello" and beings to scream. Hearing her scream Lord shiva appears in the form of Linga and the place got its name as Yellur.

It is also belived that the blood that oozed out of the tuber stopped only when the King Kunda Raja and his people poured tender coconut water on it. Hence, devotes visiting the temple at any given time offer tender coconut to please the God. Besides tender coconut oil is also offered to God. According to the temple authorities this constant offering of oil ensures that the lamps in the temple will never go dry.

Sevas offered at the temple

1. Shatarudrabhisheka - performed by devotes during auspicious occasions.
2. Hoovina Pooja - pooja with flowers.
3. Teertha Snana
4. Yeleneeru Abhisheka and Yeleneeru Tulabara are the most popular sevas in the temple. And nobody dares to drink tender coconut in the temple and also in the surroundings as a mark of respect for Lord Shiva.

Lakshadeepotsava is done during Karthika where lighting of lamps numbering to lakhs is done.

The temple is located on the boundary of Yellur is also a center of worship for the the 9 neighbouring villages namely Belapu, Kunjoor, Kutyar, Maniyoor, Nandikoor, Adve, Santoor and Padoor.

The main temple of Vishwanatha also has separate shrines for Vinayaka and Annapoorneshwari dating back to 10th and 16th century.

There is also a small temple with a lake dedicated to Bhagirathi on the north side of the main temple. Few meters away there is also a small temple dedicated to Veerabhadra the loyal assistant of Lord Shiva.

• Udupi
• Near By Udupi