Padi Sri Igguthappa Devastana

Padi Sri Igguthappa Devastana is one of the oldest temples located on the hill of Iggutappa Deva in the Iyyangeri forest, 34 km from Madikeri city and 23 km towards Virajpet. This temple is a small, quiet and beautiful abode of Subrahmanya/Iggutappa. Padi Iggutappa temple in Kakkabe town was built by Lingarajendra in 1810.

Iggutappa temple is about 264 km from Bangalore, 134 km from Mysorenagar and about 160 km from Mangalore. Tourists can visit the temple from 5.30 am to 2 pm and then from 6 to 7 pm.

The architectural structure of the temple resembles ancient Kerala temples. This temple is named after Lord Iggutappa and Subrahmanya. This temple holds great importance among Kodas and influences their culture and tradition.

The temple has an annual festival held in the month of March. During the harvest festival known as Putthari festival in Madikeri, devotees from all over gather to offer special prayers to the deity. Devotees march the deity to the top of Mallama hill and then re-enshrine it in the temple.

Offerings are made in the temple in a unique way called “Tulabhara”, where devotees offer fruits, sugar, coconut, rice etc. according to their weight. Iggutappa has great magical powers and if prayed with true devotion, all wishes are fulfilled here in the temple.

Legend has it that the god Kodava of the Kodava tribe, in ancient times, seven children from what is now Kerala arrived from the sky. He has siblings, six brothers (including Iggutappa) and one sister. The first 3 brothers were back in and around Kannur, Kerala known as Kanjirath village in Gandiparamba. The elder brother is known as the Rajarajeshwar Temple of Kanyarathappa (Kanjeerat) Paramba, while the second one is known as the Krishna Temple at Tiruchembarappa Gandiparamba. And the third one is known as the Vidyanatha temple of Bendru Kolappa Kanjirangad. They are known by the names of the villages where they settled and the temples built there for them are now famous.

The fourth brother Iggutappa settled at Malma in Kodagu and a temple was built for him at Padi Nad. The fifth brother moved to Paluri in Kodagu, where a temple was built for him which came to be known as the Mahalingeshwara temple.

His sister known as Tangamma settled in the village of Ponnangala near Kakkabe where a temple was built for her and is also known as Ponnangala Tamme. The last brother Pemmaiah moved further south to what is now Wayanad in Kerala. Now known as Bainathappa or Wayanattu Kulavan.

Padi Sri Igguthappa Devastana 1
Padi Sri Igguthappa Devastana 3
Padi Sri Igguthappa Devastana 4
Padi Sri Igguthappa Devastana 2
Padi Sri Igguthappa Devastana