Sri Adi Madhavaraya Temple Bellur

Sri Adi Madhavaraya Temple -Bellur

Sri Adi Madhavaraya temple is located at the village of Belluru at Nagamangala Taluk, in Mandya District, Karnataka. Adi Madhava Raya Temple built in 1270 A.D is a Trikootachala, three celled temple raised on a stellate parapet. The main cell houses a fine image of Adi-Madhava (one of the 24 forms of Maha Vishnu).

The unique feature of the form is that the Lord holds Chakra in upper right hand and Shanka in the upper left. The lower right hand holds Gada and the lower left has Padma. To the left of Adi-Madhava we find Janardhana image and to the left we see Venugopala.

The vigraha of Lord Adi Madhava here is found placed on a garuda pedestal. The deity graces from the main sanctum sanctorum (garbhagriha), with the images of Dashavatara carved above the deity. The shrines of Lord Venugopala and Laksminarayana were more recently built and are positioned on either side of the main mukhamantapa. The prakara of this temple houses the shrine of Goddess Saumyanayaki to the left while Goddess Ranganayaki graces from the right side.

Traditionally in most
South Indian temples, the Lord’s consort mostly graces from a separate shrine and not along with the Lord from the main sanctum. In case of Devi Saumyanayaki here, the Goddess graces from a separate shrine. Thus she is actually believed to be the consort of Lord Adi Madhava and not the other deity Venugopala.

Despite the information that Sri Adi Madhavaraya temple was built in 1284 A.D, evidence point out that the temple and tank were in fact constructed in 1269 A.D by Perumale Dandanayaka. A record dated 1269 A.D found from Belluru mentions the deities here as Lord Trikuta Lakshminarayana, Gopala and Kodi Madhava. Yet as per record refers the deities as lord Prasanna Madhava, Ramakrishna and Varada Allalanatha. A third record confirms that the deity was called Sri Adimadhava from the 17th Century onwards. These information indicated that Lord Laksmi-Narayana and Gopala were from the Mulesingeshwara temple soon arrived after the construction of Adi Madhava temple

Festivals

The winter festival called Karuhabba is the most popular festivals celebrated in this temple.