Omkareshwara Temple

SIGHTSEEING, MADIKERI Created :

Sugato Tripathy

An ex banker, currently a B-school professor, travel writer, amateur photographer and an eternal beach lover with a view that "Life is Short & the World is Wide". Hailing from the beautiful city of Bhubaneswar, he has travelled extensively in India and has explored places in Thailand, Malaysia, Maldives, Seychelles, Italy, Philippines and Western Australia. His expertise lies in providing travel experiences, destination tips and featured guides. His idea of "nirvana" is to vegetate on the beach or wander aimlessly in the mountains. You can check out his photo essays at http://www.tripography.in

Built in 1820 by King Lingarajendra, it’s an ancient shrine of Lord Shiva situated in the heart of Madikeri (Coorg’s capital). The quirky architecture of the temple makes it quite special. Despite being a Hindu temple, it has shades of Islamic architecture. A dome-shaped structure in the middle of the pond with four, small Moorish-type turrets on all sides, substantiates the view of Islamic influence. Legend has it that the king bought the Shiva Linga from Kashi and had it installed at this place. Later on, he built a temple complex quite different to the present structure. It is said that the temple was later modified and dome like structures were added during Tipu Sultan’s rule to avoid destruction. Photography is not allowed inside the temple complex.
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