Serenity, divinity atop a hill

Mudukuthore is about five km north of Talakad along the banks of River Cauvery. The village gets its name from two Kannada words Muduku (diversion) and Thore (flow), as the river takes a sharp diversion at this point. The village is home to the Mallikarjuna Temple located atop a hill called Somagiri.

Reaching the foot of the hill, one has an option of climbing the steps or driving halfway up the hill by road. The parking spot then joins the main steps which go all the way to the summit. A small shrine belonging to Veerabhadra welcomes visitors at the base of these steps. From here, there are a series of steep steps all the way up to the temple. Thankfully, there is an alternate stairway with a smoother gradient that meanders all the way to the top. 

Idyllic setting
As one climbs along, River Cauvery can be seen in the distance — very calm, meandering along her course. The distinct diversion taken by the river is clearly visible as one goes higher. The pristine river flowing amidst the lush greenery makes for a wonderful sight. Reaching the summit, one gets a panoramic view of the river and the surrounding landscape making us feel small and humbled in comparison.

Spending quite some time admiring the scenery, we moved on.While the approach to the temple appears very modern with a lot of new additions, the temple retains its traditional  appearance and modest construction. The entire compound forms a spacious courtyard having access via three entrances with the main one sporting a moderately big gopura.

The main temple that houses the deity Mallikarjuna in the linga form has a deepasthamba at the entrance. It is said that during the Mahabharata period, Arjuna, who happened to stay here for some time, created the linga and worshipped it by offering mallika (jasmine) flowers, thus giving the temple its name. Paying obeisance and coming out, an exit immediately leads to the shrine of the Lord’s divine consort, Bhramaramba, located on the right side of the shrine. The statue of the deity is beautifully carved.

Along with the main shrines, a navagraha mandira and a shrine dedicated to other deities can also be found. On the outside of the compound, at the rear, is a viewpoint that cannot be missed. With the lush-green fields and trees extending all the way to the river, glimmering in the sun that peeps out occasionally from its cloud cover, and beyond it towards the mountains far away, the sight is very divine.

For travellers visiting Mudukuthore, the Madhava Mantri Dam located close by offers good respite. Said to be built in 14th century AD by Madhava Mantri, an eminent minister and viceroy in the Vijayanagara period, this mud and earthwork barrage offers a wonderful topography for the Cauvery to create a miniature falls over it.

The dam, which is used for irrigation purpose, doubles as a picnic spot during monsoon. Although there is no opportunity for swimming, the view is very wonderful with the Mallikarjuna Temple atop Somagiri visible in the distance.