The Ugra Narasimha temple is situated in Maddur, a small town located on the banks of the Shimsha River and positioned between Bangalore and Mysore. Maddur is also known as Arjunapuri and Kadamba-punya Kshetra, and it holds special significance. There are three renowned temples in the town: Sri Ugra Narasimha Temple, Sri Varadaraja Temple, and Maduramma Temple.
This deity represents one of the most ferocious forms of Lord Narasimha with eight hands and three eyes. Using two hands, he tears apart Hiranyakashipu, while with the other two, he holds the intestines of the demon, which appear like a garland on the Lord’s transcendental body. The remaining four hands are holding the Lord’s weapons – Sudarshana (chakra/disc), Panchajanya (shankha/conch-shell), Pasha, and Ankusha. To his right stands the deity of Prahalad, and to his left is Garuda, who humbly prays to Lord Narasimha. While killing Hiranyakashipu, the Lord’s third eye was manifested.
Temple Renovation
The Hoysala Kingdom oversaw the renovation of the temple, which comprises two Prakaras. The outer wall is designed like a fort and houses a storage room, kitchen, and space to store the Vahanas, while the inner Prakara contains several small temples. For devotees, Maddur is considered a Divya Narasimha Kshetra, and in addition to Lord Narasimha, other deities worshipped in the temple include Sri Srinivasa, Yashoda, and Krishna, as well as the consorts of Lord Narasimha, Srimati Sowmya Nayaki and Srimati Narasimha Nayaki, and Sri Sita Rama Lakshmana and Hanuman. Notably, Hanumana is positioned to the left of Lord Rama, a rare occurrence observed in very few temples.
Maddur Ugra Narasimha Temple History
According to Hindu mythology, Maddur was called Arjunapuri during the Dwapara-yuga and was named after Arjuna, one of the Pandavas. Legend has it that Arjuna once requested Lord Krishna to appear in his most ferocious form, Narasimha. However, Sri Krishna informed Arjuna that he could not reveal that form. To fulfill Arjuna’s request, Lord Brahma had a Murthy (idol) carved out of the Narasimha avatar of Sri Krishna and placed it in Maddur. The place came to be known as Kadamba-punya Kshetra after Sage Kadamba, who is believed to have worshipped Lord Narasimha after taking a bath in the Kadamb River (named after the Sage).
How to Reach Maddur Narasimha Temple
By Air:
Bangalore Airport is the nearest Airport 121 km.
By Rail:
Mysore Railway Station is 61.5 km and Bangalore Railway Station is 8 km.
By Road:
Maddur town is well connected by both rail and bus services from Bangalore and Mysore. It is situated between Channapatna and Mandya, and the temple is located on State Highway 17, which is the route to Mysore from Bangalore.
Contact
Ugra Narasimha Swamy Temple,
Maddur,
Mandya District,
Karnataka – 571428.
