The Srikanteshwara Temple at Nanjangud is one of the largest temples in Karnataka, set on the banks of the Kapila river south of Mysore. It is sometimes called the “Dakshina Kashi” (Kashi of the South).
Significance
Lord Shiva is worshipped here as Nanjundeshwara — “the Lord who drank poison” — recalling the story in which Shiva swallowed the deadly halahala that emerged from the churning of the ocean, saving the world. The poison stayed in his throat, giving him the name Srikanta or Neelakanta (the blue-throated one).
The temple has received the patronage of successive rulers of the region, including the Wadiyars of Mysore.
Visiting
Nanjangud is part of our Mysore temple day tour, and lies on the way if you are travelling between Mysore and Ooty.
