Photographers: NanI & Karteek
District: Bellary
Town: Krauncha Giri
Temple: Subramanya Temple
Krauncha Giri is famous for the Subramanya temple located in Bellary district in Karnataka.
Krauncha Giri – Overview
Krauncha Giri, located 10 km away from Sandur in Bellary district, is the site of the famous Kumaraswami temple. The mountain Krauncha Giri itself is shaped like an ellipse, with a pass cutting across it. The temple is located inside the Swamimalai forest range.
The Swamimalai Forest Range
This beautiful forest, which is the location of the temple, still provides shelter for varied wildlife from peacocks to leopards. But, the area is rich in iron and manganese ore. Recent irresponsible mining activities have brought both the forest and the temple under threat.
Krauncha Giri – History
Set inside the Swamimalai forest, this beautiful temple complex was originally built by the Badami Chalukyas. It was later rebuilt by the Rashtrakutas. It is believed that the temple that now houses the shrine to Goddess Parvati was the original Subramanya temple. The current Subramanya idol and shrine were put in by the Rashtrakutas.
This temple was for a period of time lost to the forest. It was discovered in the 15th century by the Ghorpades, the local royal family. The Ghorpades threw open the temple gates to Harijans in the 1930s, but women were still not allowed inside. Recently, the temple allowed access to women too, in 1996.
Krauncha Giri – Mythology
Krauncha Giri has a narrow pass running through it. Legend has it that this pass was created when Lord Karthikeya (Subramanya) threw his spear at the mountain to kill the demons that were sheltering there, in his battle with Tharakasura. This story is told in Mahabharatha Salya Parva and in Skanda Purana. This mountain is described in Kalidasa’s Megha Sandesa.
How to Get to Krauncha Giri
Krauncha Giri is very near Sandur, just 10 km away. Sandur is situated right on Karnataka State Highway 40, thus connecting it through major bus routes.
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