Devarayanadurga (Kannada: ದೇವರಾಯನ ದುರ್ಗ) is a hill station near Tumkur in the state of Karnataka in India. The rocky hills are surrounded by forest and the hilltops are dotted with several temples including the Yoganarasimha and the Bhoganarasimha temples and an altitude of 3940 feet. It is also famous for Namada Chilume,
a natural spring considered sacred and is also considered the origin
of the Jayamangali river. Another famous temple in the area is the Mahalakshmi Temple at Goravanahalli.
Getting there
It is 65 km from Bangalore, India, by road on Tumkur road. The nearest railway station is 25 km away in Dabbaspet.
There are two routes to this place.
- From Banglore, go till Dobbespet. Go under the flyover and take a right (Note: The left here leads to Shivagange betta and right leads to Devarayandurga). On this route you get Devarayanadurga first, and then as you go towards Kyatsandra, you get another Hanuman and Shankara temple, a little further is Namada Chilume and then Siddaganga mutt (different from Siddagange betta) and a kilometer from there is Kyatsandra where you hit Banglore Tumkur road.
- The other route from banglore is from Kyatsandra. About 1 km after crossing second toll gate on Tumkur road take right at Kyatsandra. After crossing railway level cross you reach Siddaganga Mutt then Namada Chilume then Hanuman Temple and finally Devarayanadurga. The roads on both side are good and this route is shorter.
History
The
place was originally known as Anebiddasari then as Jadakana Durga after
a chief named Jadaka and finally as Devarayana Durga subsequent to its
capture by Mysore king Chikka Devaraja Wodeyar.
Tradition
relates that a robber chief named Andhaka or Lingaka had his
stronghold here, and he was subdued by sumati, a prince, whose father,
Hemachandra, was the king of Karnata and ruled from Yadupattana. On
accomplishing the enterprise on which he had set forth, Sumathi is said
to have established the city of Bhumandana near the present
Nelamangala and taken up residence there for the protection of that part
of his fathers kingdom.
Under the Hoysalas,
there seems to have been, on the hill, a town called Anebiddasari or
the precipice where the elephant fell. A rogue elephant, which the sthala purana describes as a Gandharva
suddenly appeared before the town to the great consternation of the
people and after doing considerable mischief, tried to walk up the steep
rock on the west, when it slipped, fell back and was killed. The hill
is accordingly called as Karigiri in the Puranas. Under the Vijayanagara
Kings, the use of the same name continued, and a large tank, named
Bukkasamudra, was formed after throwing an embankment across the gorge
from which the river Jayamangali has its source. Remains of the
embankment and of the adjacent town can still be traced.
Devarayanadurga,
also called Karigiri Kshetra in the puranas, this is a fortified hill,
about 1188 metres high and about 14 km east of Tumkur. It is situated
amidst picturesque scenery and extensive forests. Under the
Vijayanagara kings, a large tank called Bukkasamudra was formed by
throwing an embankment across the gorge from which the Jayamangali
river has its source. The fortifications have seven gates.
The hill has
three distinct elevations. The village Devarayanadurga and the durga
Narasimha temple are at the lowest elevation. The Durga Narasimha
temple which faces east is said to have been constructed by Kanthirava
Narasaraja Wodeyar. There is another temple said to be older than the
Lakshmi Narasimha temple and that is the one dedicated to Hanuman, also
known as Sanjeevaraya. This place was at a later time known as
Jadakanadurga after a chief known as Jadaka and was named as
Devarayanadurga after its capture in 1696 by the erstwhile Mysore king
Chikka Devaraja Wodeyar who erected the existing fortifications. On the
intermediate elevation, there is a traveler’s bungalow.
There are two
springs known as Ramatirtha and Danushtitha near which there is a large
cave enshrining Rama. On the third elevation of the hill, there is the
temple of Narasimha facing east, known as Kumbhi with a garbhagriha, a
shukanasi, a navaranga and a mukhamantapa. Three sacred ponds named
Narasimha teertha, Parashara reertha and Pada teertha, the last being in
a narrow cave with a flight of steps which leads to a reservoir at the
bottom are also found. There is a Garuda shrine and a big boulder
known as divigegundu, the lamp boulder.
A natural spring of pellucid
water known as Namada Chilume is also seen here and it fills and
overflows a mortar cut in the rock. The Mangali and Jaya, two small
streams which originate here, unite at the foot of the hill to form the
Jayamangali River. The place is being developed as a tourist
centre.(Source: Karnataka State Gazetteer 1983)
Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple
The
temple, built in the Dravidian style of architecture, faces east and
is said to have been constructed by Kanthirava Narasaraja I. From the
inscriptions numbered Tumkur 41 and 42, we learn that the enclosure and
tower were repaired in 1858 by the Mysore king Krishnaraja Wodeyar III.
The TVS Group, a south Indian automobile company, has helped a great deal in the improvement and maintenance of the temple environs.
BhogaNaraishma temple is at the base of the hill and Yoga Narasimha temple is on top of the hill.
On the third elevation stands, facing east, a temple of Narasimha, known as the Kumbhi. This Narasimha temple consists of a Garbhagriha,
a sukanasi, a navagraha and a mukhamantapa and is similar to the plan
of the temple below. In addition to the temple there are three sacred
ponds or Kalyani here known as Narasimha-teertha, Parasara-teertha and
Pada-teertha.
There is also another temple, said to be older than Lakshmi Narasimha swamy, dedicated to Hanuman, also known as Sanjivaraya, who stands with folded hands.
Higher up above is a small shrine of Garuda.
Giri-Pradakshina
Legend
has it that the devotees of Hindu temples used to perform the ritual
of circling the hills on which the temples were situated. As an effort
to revive the practice, a large number of Devotees perform the Giri-pradakshina, organized by Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP).
Festival
Car
Festival: Devarayana Durga Sri Bhoga Narasimhaswamy jathra/Car
festival, an annual Car festival is held during Phalguna Masa shuddha
poornima day somewhere in the Month of March/April in Devarayanadurga.
On this day the chariot/car/Ratha of Sri Bhoga Narasimhaswamy is drawn
in the main Ratha beedhi of the hill town. The festival draws devotees
from all over Bangalore-Tumkur and surrounding region.
Narasimha
Jayanthi: Devarayanadurga Sri Lakshminarasimhaswamy's Narasimha
jayanthi, an annual celebration of Narasimha avathara day takes place
during Chaitra Shudha chathurdashi (May month) at which thousands of
people gather and many pendals are built to serve then with summer
drinks like Panakam, buttermilk, phalamruth and free feeding is done to
all devotees coming for the darshan of lord.
Namada Chilume
At
the base of the hill on the road leading to Tumkur, is a place called
Namada Chilume (chilume means spring). Myth has it that Sri Rama on his
way to Lanka halted here. As he did not find water anywhere around to
wet the "Nama" (a kind of paste Hindus apply on their forehead), he
shot an arrow into the ground, and a spring sprang and thus the name
(Rama)-Namada chilume. The spring can be still seen, and there is a
foot impression of Lord Sri Rama near that.
Little away from the
current government guest house, just facing the spring is an old,
dilapidated guest house constructed in 1931. Dr. Salim Ali was said to
have stayed in this guest house during his Ornithological visits to
this place, around 1938. Interestingly enough there is a moist
deciduous patch behind the old guest house, adjoining the huge rock
face and Dr. Salim Ali had collected moist-deciduous species in this
area, which are no longer to be seen now.
Nursery
The forest
department has developed a nursery of medicinal plants near Namada
Chilume picnic spot on Devarayanadurga hills. There are about 300
varieties of rare ayurvedic plants in this nursery.
Only
particular species of plants are cultivated on specified plots for easy
identification of the plant varieties. The nursery is located at a
forest spot beside Tumkur-Devarayanadurga bus route.
The nursery,
known as the mini forest of medicinal plants, has been developed with
the objective of conserving endangered species of plants on
Devarayanadurga hills. this is one of the mythological important place
Accommodation
KSTDC operates a hotel in Devarayanadurga called Hotel Mayura Meghadoota.
Photo Gallery:
Photos: Shriharsha B S, Sudheendra Hegde, Shyamsundar Hegde, Sheshank Hegde, Alok Hegde, Kowshik Bhat - (Sutthona Banni Team - Uttara Kannada)
Information Courtesy: Wikipedia
Updated (Edited) on: 20/7/2014
