The Lakshmikantha Swami temple at Hedathale is neither well known like the Chamundeshwari Temple near Mysore nor is it magnificent like the Virupaksha Temple at Hampi. And yet, it is so special. Just for its tranquillity and architecture, this temple in the village of Hedathale near Mysuru is worth visiting.
The temple was built by the Hoysalas in the 12th century and is a thrikutachala style temple i.e. it has three sanctums. The sanctum in the middle houses Lakshmikantha Perumal. The other two sanctums house Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy and Venugopala Swamy. There is also a beautiful idol of Andal just outside the sanctum of Lakshmikantha Swami which will stay in your mind even after leaving the place, particularly as the priest shows the eyes of the idol in the light of the ‘arthi’, which makes one feel the eyes have lit up.
The ‘Hadinaru Mukha Chavadi’ (16-faced hall) through which one enters the sanctum of the temple is an architectural splendour one should not miss.
It was built by a palegara (local chieftain) named Bhimanna Dhanda Nayaka. Bhimanna Dhanda Nayaka had 16 daughters. According to the customs of the land at the time the temple was built, a woman was not allowed to see her son-in-law and he could not see here.
In order to meet all their daughters along with their husbands, this chavadi was built by the palegara.
It has been built in a way that from the place where the palegara sat, he could see all the 16 daughters and their husbands, but from where his wife sat, only the 16 daughters were visible but the sons-in-law were hidden by the pillars of the chavadi.
The temple priest dramatises and makes the legend of the palegara and this hall very interesting.
Getting there – Hedathale is about 35 km from Mysuru and about 15 km from Nanjanagud.
Ramblings from far and near 