Karigatta is a village called Karighatta in Srirangapatna taluk of Mandya district of Karnataka state. Karighatta is a hill a few kilometers outside the ‘island’ town of Srirangapatna. Karigatta Hill is 1180 meters above sea level. Karigatta has a Hindu temple dedicated to a form of the Hindu god Vishnu.
Karighatta is about 126 km from Bangalore. It is about 25 km from Mandya city and 18 km from Mysore city. It is just 08 km from Srirangapatna railway station and 06 km from KR Pete.
Here the temple is open from 8 AM to 12 PM and 04 PM to 07 PM. The name Karighatta translates to “Elephant Hill” in Kannada. The hill has a Hindu temple dedicated to a form of the Hindu god Vishnu called “Karigirivasa”. This god is also known as “Srinivasa” and “Bairagi Venkataramana”. The idol gets its special name ‘Bairagi’ from the fact that when the deity is decorated with flowers, the god appears as Bairagi.
Karighatta is covered with dry scrub forests and many tamarind and gooseberry trees are found around the temple. A small river called Lokpavani, a tributary of the Kaveri, flows through the edge of this hill and joins the Kaveri. One can enjoy the beauty of nature for a few hours.
The main entrance of the temple is large quadrangular in shape with massive wooden doors. Karigatta Temple is the main temple of Vaikuntha Srinivasa in black stone, surrounded by Yoga Srinivasa and Bhoga Srinivasa idols. The temple of Goddess Padmavati is on the western side. Opposite the main temple is the statue of Garuda and Garudastambha. It is believed that the great sage Bhrigu installed the deity. There is also a Kalyana Mandapam, which is used to perform weddings and other functions.
The road on Karigatta hill can be climbed by 450 stone steps and the zigzag road is accessible by vehicular transport. Two paths lead to the top of the flat hill where the temple is located. This hill has the best panoramic view of Srirangapatna and Mysore. From the top of the hill, the surrounding beautiful landscape and confluence of Kaveri and Lokpavani rivers can be seen from the top of the hill.
The Nimishamba temple of the famous goddess Parvati is situated on the opposite bank of the Lokpavani river. This temple is also clearly visible from the top of Karighatta Hill. The name derives from the belief that Parvati solves all the problems and troubles of her devotees within a minute. It is believed that performing some pujas at the Karigatta temple will provide a lot of relief for the sufferings experienced in life.
In the temple premises there are darbe grasses known as chupada in Kannada, which are used to perform all sacred rites. In the “Varaha Purana” it is said that when Vishnu took the Varaha avatar and shook its body some hairs of the body fell on the ground near here, it is believed that the grass found here now comes from its hair.
