Basava (1131–1196), also called Basavēśvara and Basavaṇṇa, was an Indian philosopher, poet, Lingayat social reformer in the Shiva-focused bhakti movement, and a Hindu Shaivite social reformer during the reign of the Kalyani Chalukya/Kalachuri dynasty. Basava was active during the rule of both dynasties but reached the peak of his influence during the rule of King Bijjala II in Karnataka, India.
Bhadrakali is a Hindu goddess. She is considered to be the auspicious and fortunate form of Adi Shakti who protects the good, known as bhadra.
Renuka, also known as Yellamma, is a Hindu mother Goddess worshipped predominantly in the South Indian states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and the western state of Maharashtra. She is the mother of Parashurama, the sixth avatar of god Vishnu. She was given the name "Renuka" and acquired the status of a mother goddess before eventually being associated with the legend of Parashurama.
Male Mahadeshwara Betta is a pilgrim town located in the Hanur taluk of Chamarajanagar district of southern Karnataka. It is situated at about 150 km from Mysuru and about 210 km from Bengaluru. The ancient and sacred temple of Sri Male Mahadeshwara is a pilgrim centre where Mahadeshwara lived, practiced medicine as Sidda, taught ahimsa to people in and around the seven hills. It draws lakhs of pilgrims from the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The area of the present temple surroundings is 155.57 acres (0.6296 km2). In addition, the temple has lands at Talabetta, Haleyuru and Indiganatha villages. Amidst dense forest, the temple attracts not only the pilgrims but also nature lovers. The height of the hill is about 3000 feet above sea level.
Sudalai Madanlit. 'cremation ground chief' is a rural Dravidian folk religion deity worshipped predominantly in South India, particularly in the districts of Thoothukudi, Virudhunagar, Tirunelveli, Tenkasi, Kanyakumari, and Thiruvananthapuram. He is considered by adherents to be a son of Shiva and Parvati. He seems to have originated in some ancestral guardian spirit of the villages or communities in Tamil Nadu, in a similar manner as Ayyanar. He is regarded as a kaval deivam who protects people against evil forces. Sudalai Madan is also called Madan thampuran, Chudala madan, or simply as Madan.
Saptashrungi or Saptashringi is a site of Hindu pilgrimage situated 60 kilometres (37 mi) from Nashik in Indian state of Maharashtra. According to Hindu traditions, the goddess Saptashrungi Nivasini dwells within the seven mountain peaks. It is located in Nanduri, Kalwan taluka, a small village near Nashik in India. The Marathas and some Hindu tribes worship the goddess from a long time and some worship as their kuldaivat. There are 510 steps to climb the gad. Devotees visit this place in large numbers every day. The temple is also known popularly as one of the "three and half Shakti Peethas" of Maharashtra. The temple is also one among the 51 Shakti Peethas located on the Indian subcontinent and is a location where one of Sati's limbs, her right arm is reported to have fallen. Its half shaktipeeth among three and half shaktipeeth of Maharashtra.
Kukke Subramanya is a Hindu temple located in the village Subramanya, of Kadaba taluk in Dakshina Kannada district, Karnataka, India. In this temple Kartikeya is worshipped as Subramanya, lord of all serpents. The epics relate that the divine serpent Vasuki and other serpents found refuge under Subramanya when threatened by the Garuda. The priests in the temple are Shivalli Madhwa Brahmins. The poojas and other daily rituals in the temple are performed as per Madhvacharya's Tantra Sara Sangraha.
The Sri Venkateswara Swami Temple is a Hindu temple situated in the hills of Tirumala at Tirupati in Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh, India. The temple is dedicated to Venkateswara, a form of Vishnu, who is believed to have appeared on the earth to save mankind from trials and troubles of Kali Yuga. Hence the place has also got the name Kaliyuga Vaikuntha and the deity here is referred to as Kaliyuga Prathyaksha Daivam. The temple is also known by other names like Tirumala Temple, Tirupati Temple and Tirupati Balaji Temple. Venkateswara is known by many other names: Balaji, Govinda, and Srinivasa. The temple is run by Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which is under control of Andhra Pradesh Government. The head of TTD is appointed by Andhra Pradesh Government. The temple is one of the Pancha Kshethram where Maha Lakshmi was born as Bhargavi - the daughter of Maharishi Bhrigu. The other four temples of the Pancha Kshethram are Sarangapani temple, Kumbakonam, Oppiliappan temple, Nachiyar Koil and Sundararaja Perumal Temple, Salem.
Kumara Swamy Devasthana, also known as Sri Kumaraswaami Temple, is a Hindu temple located in Hanumanthanagar, in the city of Bangalore, Karnataka, southern India. It is dedicated to the god Kartikeya, also known as Subrahmanya, Kumara Swamy, or Murugan.
Vaikhanasa or Vaikhanasagama is a tradition of Hinduism that primarily worships Vishnu as the Supreme God. The tradition draws its name from the philosophy propounded by its founder, Sage Vikhanasa.
Bengaluru Karaga is an annual festival celebrated in the Tigalare Pete, primarily by the Vahnikula Kshatriya or Thigala community. Based on story of their heritage, they built temples for Draupadi and Dharmaraya (Yudhishthira). Adishakti Draupadi is the community Deity of the Vahnikula Kshatriyas, one of the foremost communities in Karanataka state. The Dharmaraya Swamy Temple itself is more than 800 years old. It was built by the Vahnikula Kshatriyas, one of the city's oldest communities that was into agriculture and horticulture. The Karaga festival is generally led by the Vahnikula Kshatriyas. Karaga is one of the many traditions of worshiping Adisakti Draupadi Devi. Karaga pooja and festivals have been celebrated in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka since ages. Its practice is in use in some parts of Kolar district and Bangalore in the state of Karnataka. It is learnt that there are forty lakh people belonging to the Vahnikula Kshatriya community living throughout the state: Hoskote, Malur, Kolar, Bengaluru and Anekal taluks have high populations of the Vahnikula Kshatriya community in both urban and rural areas. Basically, this community depends upon agricultural and horticultural activities.
Hedathale is a village in the southern state of Karnataka, India. It is located in the Nanjangud taluk of Mysore district in Karnataka. It is a divine and unique Hindu religious centre.
The Mahabaleshwar Temple, Gokarna is a 4th-century CE Hindu temple located in Gokarna, Uttara Kannada district, Karnataka state, India which is built in the classical Dravidian architectural style. It is a site of religious pilgrimage. The temple faces the Gokarna beach on the Arabian Sea. The temple deifies the Pranalinga also called Atmalinga or Shiva Linga In legend, it is said that the deity of the temple will bestow immense blessings to devotees, even to those who only glimpse it. Currently the administrative charge of the temple is with an Overseeing Committee under the Chairmanship of Justice BN Srikrishna, a Retired Justice of the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India. It is one of the 275 paadal petra sthalams expounded in the Tevaram, a sacred Tamil Shaivite text written during the 6th and 7th centuries by 63 saints called Nayanars.
Shri Guru Kottureshwara Shrine at Kotturu is an ancient shrine located at Kotturu taluk, Vijayanagara District, North Karnataka, India, 583134. This temple is 19 km from Kudligi, 28 km from Harapanahalli, 70 km from Davanagere and 253 km from Bengaluru.
The Nanjundeshwara Temple is an ancient temple dedicated to Shiva in the Hindu pilgrimage town of Nanjanagudu in Karnataka, India. It is located on the right bank of the Kapila River, a tributary of the Kaveri River. Nanjanagudu is also known as "Dakshina Kashi" or "Kashi of South".
Nainativu Nagapooshani Amman Temple [Tamil: நயினாதீவு நாகபூசணி அம்மன் கோயில், romanized: Nayiṉātīvu Nākapūcaṇi Am'maṉ Kōyil - Meaning: Nainativu ; Nagapooshani ; Amman (Goddess)] is an ancient and historic Hindu temple located amidst the Palk Strait on the island of Nainativu, Sri Lanka. It is dedicated to Parvati who is known as Nagapooshani or Bhuvaneswari and her consort, Shiva who is named here as Nayinaar. The temple seems to have been mentioned in the Brahmanda Purana. The temple complex houses four gopurams ranging from 20–25 feet in height, to the tallest being the eastern Raja Raja Gopuram soaring at 108 feet high. The temple is a significant symbol for the Tamil people, and has been mentioned since antiquity in Tamil literature, such as Manimekalai and Kundalakesi. The present structure was built during 1720 to 1790 after the ancient structure was destroyed by the Portuguese in 1620. The temple attracts around 1000 visitors a day, and approximately 5000 visitors during festivals. The annual 16-day Mahostavam (Thiruvizha) festival celebrated during the Tamil month of Aani (June/July) - attracts over 100,000 pilgrims. There is an estimated 10,000 sculptures in this newly renovated temple.
Datta Jayanti, also known as Dattatreya Jayanti, is a Hindu festival, commemorating the birth of the Hindu deity Dattatreya (Datta), a combined form of the Hindu male divine trinity of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva.
Pushpagiri Temple Complex is a temple complex located in Kadapa district in Andhra Pradesh, India. Founded around 7th Century CE, it houses some of the oldest temple congregations in the region.
Vishaka Sri Sarada Peetham, also called the Sarada Peetham is a Hindu institution, located in Chinnamushidiwada, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. It's dedicated to goddess Raja Shyamala Devi and Sri Sharada.
The Yogananda Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple, also known as Mattapalli Narasimha Temple, is a Hindu temple dedicated to Narasimha, the half-man half-lion avatar of Vishnu, and his consort Lakshmi. It is located in Mattampally, a village in the Mattampally mandal of Suryapet district in the Indian state of Telangana. One of the Pancha Narasimha Kshetras, the temple is located on the banks of the Krishna River, and was built in the 11th century by Anumala Machi Reddy, the king of Thangedu region after the deity appeared in his dream and instructed him to do so. The main shrine houses a swayambhu (self-manifested) idol of Narasimha as Yogananda Lakshmi Narasimha, and was worshipped by sage Bharadvaja and other seers for hundreds of years before the temple was constructed. Lakshmi is worshipped here as Rajalakshmi Thayar and Chenchu Lakshmi Thayar.
