Sri Adichunchanagiri is a legendary and sacred place located in Nagamangala taluk of Mandya district of Karnataka state. This place is made up of rocky cliffs spread in a north-south direction and is about 3221 feet above sea level.
Gangadhareshwar is the main deity here and Kalabhairaveshwar is the guardian of the area. In this temple, the dogs, the vehicles of Kalabhairav, are worshipped twice daily, in the morning and at night. Sri Adichunchanagiri is a very ancient and sacred religious site and a place of penance, with a history dating back more than 2000 years.
This place is about 109 km from Bangalore, 80 km from Mandya, 25 km from Nagamangala taluk and 13 km from Bellur Cross.
This green, scenic and peaceful place is said to have been the auspicious place of Lord Shiva, as per mythology and folklore. The monastery is situated on a hill, the peak of which is called Akash Bhairava, and the holy pond here is called Bindusarovar.
Mythology and Folklore
Lord Shiva, who took the form of Siddhayogi, came to Chunchanakatte in Gajaranya and performed penance on the banks of the Kaveri River. During the Treta Yuga, in obedience to his father’s command, Lord Rama was residing with Lakshmana and Sita on the banks of the Panchavati in the Dandakaranya forest. After Ravana abducted Sita, Rama and Lakshmana set out in search of her. During this journey, they came upon Lord Shiva, who was performing penance at the holy place of Chunchanakatte. When Rama and Lakshmana respectfully offered their salutations with devotion, Lord Shiva, pleased by their devotion, blessed them saying, ‘May your wish be fulfilled.’ He then relinquished his own abode to Lord Rama and came to the serene and beautiful Chunchanagiri to continue his penance.
According to another folklore, two demon brothers named Chuncha and Kanchar lived in the dense forest of this hill. It is said that they were torturing the people living here, and when the people here could not bear their torture and prayed to Lord Shiva, Shiva killed these demons, and this hill, where Chuncha had previously lived, got the name ‘Chunchanagiri’.
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