Melkote - The Temple Town
A sacred place built on the rocky hills of Yaadavagiri and Yadushailadeepa overlooking the Kaveri valley. Any guesses? This place is none other than Thirunarayanapuram also called as Melkote!
We had traveled by cars and bikes. This time we 3 girls decided to take the bus route. Melkote is a small ancient temple town which is around 148kms from Bangalore (Satellite Bus stand). Directions: Bangalore -> Ramanagara -> Maddur -> Mandya -> Melkote (Approx 2.30 to 3hrs). The bus goes through a lot of small villages which are en route. The village roads are strewn with lots of chicks, sheep and calves running around. It was such a pleasant sight to watch them merrily playing around. This also made us realize we were away from the buzz of the city. If you plan to drive in your own vehicle, you need to be alert and take the correct left turn before Mysore in the Mandya-Mysore road to reach Melkote.
On reaching Melkote we learnt that there are three prime spots of this place.There are the two temples - Cheluvanarayana Swamy Temple at the bottom and Yoganarasimha at the hill top and the Kalyani (lake) in between these two. Saint Ramanujacharya had stayed in this place for 12 years back then and hence this is the primary centre for the Srivaishnavas .
We entered the Cheluva Narayana Swamy Temple at the bottom of the hill. The temple had a wonderful small mantapa with brilliantly carved pillars. Each pillar was different from another and the attention to detail on these carvings amazed us! This temple is based on later Vijayanagara Style of architecture which is known for its sculptural excellence. It is told that in the olden days these pillars were built as shelter places for travelers visiting Melkote.
We then headed towards Kalyani. If I could describe this place in a word: 'Peaceful'! You can see a lot of small vendors selling Pooja items, coconuts or bangles around Kalyani.
As we climbed the steps to head towards the Yoganarasimha temple the panoramic view of the town and the valley stopped us.
Occasionally, you may get to meet an old man who frequents the Yoga Narasimha Temple. Since over several decades now, the old man carries water up the stairs for the rituals at the temple everyday. Imagine a 65 year old man carrying a large vessel of water on his head over 400 stairs everyday!
Raya Gopuram, the most photographed and photogenic location of this place. From here you get to enjoy the scenic view of Akka & Thangi Kola. The legend has it that it was built by two sisters. It is also said that Akka kulum has salty water and Thangi Kulum has sweet water. It is a treat to watch this since the steps of the pond are symmetrically built.
A trip to Melkote can never come to an end without tasting the Puliyogare (tamarind rice) and the delicious Sakkare pongal (sweet rice dish). And as people recommend, Subbanna mess is the best place to eat these tasty preparations. I am not a sweet-loving person but I must admit it was delicious!
Soon we realized that this was all for today. It was 6pm and we had to head back to the hustle-bustle of the city.