Gunja Lakshmi Narasimha Temple Karnataka

Gunja Lakshmi Narasimha Temple

Gunja Narasima Swamy Temple is located in Tirumakudalu Narasipura, a town in the Mysore district, Karnataka state.Gunja Lakshmi Narasimha Temple is on the banks of River Kaveri and near the sacred sangam of Rivers Kapila, Kaveri, and the Sphatika Sarovara. This kshetra is known as Manikarnika Gunja Lakshmi Narasimha Temple.

Gunja Lakshmi Narasimha Temple in T.Narasipura is equated to the Manikarnika Kshetra of Kashi Dham. This temple is one Gulaganji (Gunja seed) more sacred than the Kashi itself.

T.Narasimhapura has been an ancient pilgrimage site patronaged by the Vijayanagara and Mysuru Kings. The name of the village stands – tiru means three, kudalu means sangama and Narasimhapura means the place of Lord Narasimha so in short it is known as T. Narsipura.

Manikarnika Tirtha is the first and the oldest tirtha on this planet Earth. Manikarnika also known as Chakra Pushkarani was created by Lord Narayana’s Sudarshana Chakra. The lake was filled by the perspiration of Lord Narayana. When Lord Shiva saw this tirtha, he shook his head in admiration and one of his earrings fell into it. Thus, it came to be known as Manikarnika.
It is the most sacred of all the tirthas in Kashi and on this earth. Even River Ganga was amazed at the glories of this tirtha that she had turn herself back to see it. In the afternoon at 12:00 pm Lord Narayana is present at Manikarnika and liberates all those devotees who take bath at that time.

Lord Narasimha is in the seated position. He is seated with Mahalakshmi Devi on his left thigh. In one of his hands Lord Narasimha is holding a gula ganji a bead indicating that this kshetra is one bead sacred than the Manikarnika Kshetra in Kashi.

Temple Legend

The legend of the idol is that a washerman had a dream in which Lord Narasimha asked him to remove his idol below an ant hill and construct a temple for him. The washerman then asked the Lord where he will get the money to build a temple. The Lord tells him to look under the washing stone for money. Lo and behold! The washer man finds the money and constructs the sanctum sanctorum for the Lord. Lord Narasimha wanted to bless him with a benediction. When asked, the washerman replied that he wished to go to Kashi, take bath in Ganga and eradicate all his sins.Thereafter become eligible for moksha.

Lord Narasimha informed the washerman that there was no need for him to visit Kashi and this kshetra was more sacred than Kashi. He took a measuring scale and compared both the kshetras. This kshetra became heavier by a weight equal to one Gulaganji (Gunja seed). To prove this fact, even today Lord Lakshmi Narasimha holds a gulaganji in his hand. Then the Lord showed the similarities between T.Narsipura and Kashi.

The Lord tells him that from now on the Punya received to devotees who visit Gunja Narasimha Swamy temple will be a Gunja more than Kashi. The Lord also declared T.Narasipura as Dakshina Kashi. As Narasimha Swamy proposed this, he is known as Gunja Narasimha Swamy.

Every year the temple car festival and every three year Kumbha Mela is celebrated with great pomp and show.