Garudotsavam for Keertinarayana Perumal, Talakad

Garudotsavam for Keertinarayana Perumal was held at Talakad, Mysore Dist., Karnataka on 02.06.2012. Talakad is visited by Swami Sri Ramanujar during his stay at Karnataka.

Talakad  is a town on the left bank of the Kaveri river at a spot where the river makes a sharp bend. It is 45 km from Mysore and 185 km from Bangalore in Karnataka. A historic site, Talakad once had over 30 temples that today are buried in sand. Now it is a scenic and spiritual pilgrimage center. Here the eastward flowing Kaveri river changes course and seems magnificently vast as here the sand on its banks spreads over a wide area.

The Sthala Puranams says that Ramanujacharya during his Digvijayam to Melnadu that is  modern day Karnataka did Prathistai of 5 Narayana, They are known as  Pancha Narayana Kshetram. So Talakad is one of Pancha Narayana Kshetram and the Presiding Deity is Keerthi Narayana

The moment you say Talakad immediately what comes to your mind is Deep Cauvery river and Sand dunes let us examine a old story how Malangi water became Deep  and Talakad became sand dunes. ,for this we have to travel to Srirangapatana for a while and then come back to Talakad. After Bhagavath Ramanuja Got Srirangapatana from the then ruler . Then Srirangapatana was placed under an officer of Vijayanagar, then there lived  Alameluamma who was the wife of the king’s representative named Srirangaraya.  Every Tuesday and Friday, Sri Ranganayaki Thayar of Srirangapatana  borrowed Alameluamma’s jewels and returned it after the Pooja. Since Srirangaraya did not have any issue & Srirangaraya developed a tumor on his back, resembling the hood of a cobra (the disease is called Bennu Phani Roga or Raja Roga in Kannada). he sent word to Mysore Maharaja Sri Raje Wodeyar and gave the administrative control to him. He then retired to Malangi and then his end came soon there.

Even after the death of Srirangaraya practice of putting ornament to the Goddess Ranganayaki continued, Then Mysore Sri Raje Wodeyar came to have darshan of Goddess on one Friday, On learning that ornaments have to be return ed to Alameluamma , King got wild and told ornaments should not be returned. By that time Alameluamma got some ornaments with her, thinking life is in danger , she rode horse back towards  Malangi in Talakad , she was chased by few soldiers so she jumped in Waters of Cauvery at Malangi, but before doing she cursed three things , 1] Malangi Maduvu Agile,2Talakad Marel Agile & Maharaja Nir Vamsha Agile ( That means Let Malangi become deep , Talakad become Sandy dune and Maharaja should not have issues.) The presence of a large mass of sand in Talakad amid lush green vegetation is something that is worth pondering. While geologists say that Talakad is filed with sand carried by the wind from the dry bed of river Cauvery, the locals still prefer to go by the age-old tale of Alameluamma and her curse.

Now we move to magnificent structure of Keerthi Narayana temple, which is the only temple in Talakad to have been constructed in the Hoysala style of architecture. A greater part of this temple is buried in sand. Other than the sanctum sanctorum, there is a sukanasi and a Navaranga in this temple. Inside the sanctum sanctorum stands an eight-foot-tall statue of Keerthi Narayana. Recent excavations in the temple complex have brought to light remains of earlier centuries. Among the findings are an intricately-carved mantapa (with carvings of Ugra Narasimha) made of stone, which is about 12 foot tall. A thulasikatte (Thulasi madam)  remnants of a Garuda Gamba, two stone inscriptions and walls of an unknown structure were also found here.

The archeological depart is doing yeoman service. they are trying to renovate the temple . Each piece of stone has been numbered, and the mantapa are being rebuilt bit by bit. Work is still on at the site of excavation. The painstaking efforts of the archaeologists is bound to bring to light some more astounding facts about the structures that once stood in the precincts of the Keerthi-Narayana temple.

Here our Keerthi Narayana is holding Shanku and Chakra in reverse order which is rare this same style you find in Nambi Narayana temple of Thondanur. It appears as Lord is going to do Pancha Samasakara , If a person standing in opposite wants to do Pancha Samasakara he should hold Shanku and Chakra in reverse order only. At present the Uthsavar Moorthy is kept in Temporary temple and Picture you can observe the Lord Holding his Shanku and Chakra in reverse order.

Bhattar’s house is close by you have call him from his house and have the darshan. They have done balaalyam and they have transferred the power to a Chitram which is in opposite side

The Temple Timings are Daily Morning 8.00 Am to 12.00 Pm and Evening 5.30 Pm to 8.30 Pm.                           

Please contact anyone of the following for the sevas listed above. Bhattar Mama is Father of Sridhar Bhattar Aradhakar at Madhya Rangam and Other  son Madhavan Bhattar is Aradhakar at Sathyagalam

The temple’s address is:
Sri Balakrishna Bhattar,
Pradhana Archakar,
Sri Keerthi Narayana Swamy Temple,
Talakad :571112
Tel:08227-273262

Text source: Thanks to Shri Lakshminarasimhan Sridhar

Some photographs taken on this occassion can be seen below.  Utsavam Photos Thanks to Shri T.G.Ramesh from Talakad