Talkad also known as Talakadu, it is a small town on the left bank of the Kaveri river at a spot where the river makes a sharp bend. It is 45 kms from Mysore and 185 kms from Bangalore. A historic site, Talakad once had over 30 temples that today are buried in sand. Now it is a scenic and spiritual pilgrimage center.Here the eastward flowing Kaveri river changes course and seems magnificently vast as the sand on its banks are spread over a wide area.

 

 

Talakad is also tagged with the curse called “Curse of Talakad” by Alamelamma on the Wodeyar dynasty (erstwhile Maharajas) of Mysore.

 

The ‘Thalakaadu curse’ has established itself in the folklore as a miracle since the early part of 16th century because of two strange events visible even to date: ‘Thalakaadu, a historically vibrant city, is now submerged under sand dunes several meters deep, and the Mysore royal family have faced problem in having a rightful heir to the throne since 1600s.’ Both these events, linked to an apparent curse by a pious lady (Alamelamma), have defied logic.

 

History

The region of Karnataka is rich in the legacy of magnificent architecture left by different ruling dynasties over the centuries. The illustrious and powerful Western Gangas ruled from 350 to 1050 AD until they were overthrown by the Cholas in the 11th century. Talakad came under the Hoysala Empire in the 12th century, followed by the powerful Vijayanagara Kingdom rulers and the Maharajas of Mysore.

Temples

At Talakad sand covers the temples. Stone pillars, square at the base and made to fit into a wheel below the abacus, lie scattered about. Among the temples of Talakad, the Pathaleswara, Maruleswara, Arkeswara, Vaidyanatheeswara and Mallikarjuna temples, the five Lingams believed to represent the five faces of Shiva, form the Panchapathi. In honour of these five Shiva temples, a fair is held once every 12 years called Panchalinga Darshana. The last occassion was in 2006.

According to local legend, Ramanujacharya during his sojourn in Karnataka (also called Melnadu), established five Vishnu temples of Lord Narayana known as Kshetrams. Talakad is one of the Pancha Narayana Kshetrams where the Keerthi Narayana temple was established and the presiding deity in this temple, as the name suggests is Keerthi Narayana.

Time to Visit

The ideal time to visit Talkad is almost all the months in the year.

How to Get there

Air: The nearest airport is at Bangalore which is 185 km from Talkad.

Rail: Mysore is nearest railhead, at a distance of 45-kms.

Road: 185 km from Bangalore; 45 km from Mysore.

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Map