District: Shimoga
Town: Bhadravathi
Temple: Lakshmi Narasimha Temple
Lakshmi Narasimha Temple
The Lakshmi Narasimha Temple is a temple built by the Hoysalas in Bhadravathi, which is around 20 km from Shimoga in Karantaka. The town of Bhadravathi is otherwise famous for its steel plant called as Vishveshwarya Iron and Steel Limited (VISL), it was earlier known as Mysore Iron and Steel Limited.
Lakshmi Narasimha Temple – Overview
The Lakshmi Narasimha Temple is located in the old town area of Bhadravathi. The town is named after the river Bhadra which flows through it. This temple is maintained by the Archaeological Department of the Karnataka state.
Lakshmi Narasimha Temple – History
The temple was built in the 13th century under the Hoysalas rule, by Veera Narasimha, the grandson of Vishnuvardhana.
Lakshmi Narasimha Temple – Architecture
The architecture of this temple built by the Hoysala rulers is marvelous and worth admiring. The temple is built on a Nakshtra style platform, and is around three feet high. The Dwajasthambam of the temple stands tall in front of the temple, outside in the compound wall. Apart from this, there’s a stone pillar on a small pedestal. The temple has three Gopurams and hence called by the name Threekutachal Temple. The outer walls of the temple bear great detailed carvings in Hoysala style. A flight of five steps will lead you up the platform with three of them leading to the temple.
Lakshmi Narasimha Temple – Religious Significance
The presiding deity of this temple is Lord Narasimha, the incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The temple has idols (murthis) of Lord Sri Krishna, Lord Purushottama, Lord Ganesha and Goddess Sharadamba along with the deity the Lord Narasimha.
How to Get to Lakshmi Narasimha Temple
Bhadravati is well connected by rail, road and air. It is located 255 km away from Bangalore, 19 km from Shimoga and 170 km from Hubli.
- By Road: From Bangalore: All KSRTC buses that start from Bangalore to Shimoga stop here at Bhadravati. The journey will be around six hours.From Shimoga: To reach Bhadravati from here, you can either book a taxi or take a KSRTC bus. The journey may not be that comfortable but will be economical.
- By Rail: The railway line from Birur-Bangalore passes through this city. Apart from this many trains from Bangalore to Shimoga also stop at Bhadravati. Another option would be to catch a train to Birur and switching over to a bus/ train heading to Bhadravati.
- By Air: The nearest airport to Bhadravati is Hubli, located at a distance of around 170 km. There are daily flights to Hubli from Bangalore and Belgaum. There is also an option of using the Mangalore airport which is 180km away.
Once you reach Bhadravati, you can take any mode of transport to reach the temple premises. If you are travelling by car, the locals can help and show the way to the temple. While the climate remains cool all through the year, the best months to visit are between the months of October and March.
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