Hiriyur Teru Malleshvara Temple - Karnataka

Address

Hiriyur Teru Malleshvara Temple – Karnataka

T T Road, Doddakalla Sandhra,

Hiriyur Taluk, Chitradurga District,

Karnataka 577598

Moolavar

Teru Malleshvara

Introduction

Teru Malleshvara Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva located in Hiriyur Town in Hiriyur Taluk in Chitradurga District in Karnataka, India. The temple is famously called as Dakshina Kashi. All the buses from Bangalore going towards Hubli, Belgaum, Davanagere and Bellary pass through Hiriyur.

Puranic Significance

The temple was constructed around 1466 CE during the reign of the Vijayanagara Kingdom.

A devoted follower of Lord Shiva named Belavadi Hema Reddy Mallamma lived in this town. She used to make an annual pilgrimage to Varanasi on foot. As she grew older, she prayed to Lord Shiva and expressed her inability to continue walking to Varanasi to offer her prayers. Pleased with her devotion, Lord Shiva is said to have appeared in her dream and assured her that she didn’t need to travel to Varanasi to see him; he would come and reside in Hiriyur. True to his word, Lord Shiva is believed to have manifested in a cylindrical-shaped grinding stone (known as Oralukallu) used in households. Mallamma devotedly worshipped this stone, which eventually came to be known as Teru Malleshwara, signifying Lord Shiva’s presence in it.

Special Features

The temple is oriented towards the west and features a five-tiered rajagopuram (monumental entrance tower) located on its southern side. In the outer prakaram (courtyard), you can find Nandi (the sacred bull), Balipeedam (sacrificial altar), and a Deepa Sthamba (lamp post), all facing towards the sanctum. The Deepa Sthamba is approximately 45 feet tall and has a pavilion at the top, housing a Nandi idol and eight large iron lamps, two in each direction. These lamps are lit once a year.

The temple consists of several main sections, including the sanctum, antrala, navaranga, and mukha mandapa. The mukha mandapa has entrances on three sides. Its ceiling is adorned with murals depicting scenes from the Shiva Purana and the Ramayana. In the navaranga, you can find metallic idols of Chandramouleswara and Uma Maheshwara seated on Nandi. The entrance of the antrala is guarded by dvarapalas (door guardians), and the lintel of the antrala doorway features an image of Ganesha. The sanctum enshrines the presiding deity, Teru Malleshvara, in the form of a Linga, a sacred representation of Lord Shiva.