The ancient temple of Shri Cheluvanarayana Swamy is situated in Melukote, Mandya District, Pandavpura Taluk. The presiding deity of the temple on the foothills is Lord Vishnu known as Thirunarayana or Cheluvaraya installed by Lord Krishna.
The utsavamurthy (small metal statue representing the main deity, that can be taken on a parade) is known as Cheluvapille Raya or Cheluvanarayana Swamy whose original name is Ramapriya. Legend narrates that Shri Rama and his son Kusha has worshipped this statue and hence the name Ramapriya. The utsavamurthy was lost when the moghuls invaded the place and it was recovered by Ramanujacharya from Bibi Nachiyaar the daughter of Mohammed Shah. Bibi Nachiyaar was given this idol as a toy to play with and instead of playing with the idol, she worshipped it and became a devotee. She was heartbroken when her dad without consulting her gave away the statue to Sri Ramanujacharya. In search of her Lord she came to Melukote from Delhi on horseback and saw the statue and collapsed in front of it. Her soul in the form of a jyothi (flame) merged into the idol. Hence in honor of her devotion, she is worshipped along with the lord and her idol can be seen at the feet of both the main deity and the utsavmurthy.
A shrine houses Vishnu’s consort Yadugiri Taayaar. The hall in front of this shrine comprises of many ornately carved stone pillars. Each pillar is different from the other depicting scenes from various Hindu epics. The intricate latticework on the pillars is awesome.
The temples in Melukote have been under the patronage of the Mysore royal family and is endowed with valuable jewellery given to the lord by the Wodeyars. Two beautiful crowns have been gifted to the Lord by the Wodeyars known as Krishnaraja-mudi, Vairamudi or Vajramukuta and another crown, which is older than the other two is given to the Lord by an unknown person. The Vairamudi festival, which is the chief annual celebration in the month of March-April is attended by more than 400,000 people. On this day the main deity Tirunarayana is adorned with a diamond corwn and taken out in a procession. It is believed that this crown is not to be seen when it is not adorned by the Lord so, the chief priest is blindfloded while taking the crown out from the treasury.
Place Statistics:
Type of place: Pilgrimage center
Situated: Mandya District, Pandavpura Taluk
Distance: 55 Kms from Mysuru
Type of Transport: Well connected by Bus, private taxis
Facilities: Many small hotels serve tasty food, Choultries/Community centers serve free food every day, cheap, safe and clean staying options are available with minimum facilities. Pay and use rest room is provided
