Sri Dandina Maramma Temple is a Shakti Temple located in Madhugiri, Tumkur, Karnataka State. The town derives its name from a hillock, Madhu-giri (hill of honey), which is to the south of the site. At 3,930 feet (1,200 m) above sea level, Madhugiri is a single hill. Nestled on its steep slopes is a fort. Antaralada Bagilu, Diddi Bagilu and Mysuru Gate are the three gateways of the fort. A series of gates lead up the hill. The ruined temple of Gopalakrishna is at the top.
The mother who has steadily held military power ever since is known as Dandi Maramma. The main entrance to this temple which has three gates consists of sun, moon and sea flowers and lilies. There are huge carvings of Chandikeshwari and Mahishasura outside the temple. Inside the main hall is the huge clay statue of Maramma.
The construction of the original mud fort was carried out by Raja Hire Gowda in the 17th century around 1670 AD. An interesting incident led the Gowda family to consider building a fortress. A wandering sheep disappeared around the Madhugiri mound only to return late at night dripping with water. It was music to the ears, as a spring would certainly be a good sign for an area with little rain. The decision was made to build a fortress, and the task was accomplished. The Gowdas started ruling this region based on Madhugiri fort.
The genesis of the name Madhugiri is derived from the bee colonies prevailing at that time in the northern parts of Madhugiri Fort. There are several historic temples in and around Madhugiri. However, three of them are the main ones that attract regular devotees, one is Sri Venkatramana Swamy and then Sri Malleswara Swamy, both located next to each other. the third is the Dandina Maramma Temple at the entrance to the city from Bangalore/Tumkur. There is also a Jaina temple within the grounds of Madhugiri Fort.
Madhugiri, once known as Maddagiri over a hundred years ago, is located around 43 km north of Tumkuru town, and 107 km northwest of Bengaluru city. The monolith and the surrounding greenery of Madhugiri are the main attractions. The place has old temples of Venkataramanaswami and Malleshwara built by the Vijayanagara feudatories in the Dravidian style.
The highlight is the rock dome, on top of which is a fort. There are a series of gates leading to the top and the climb is steep and exposed in places. At the top is the ruined temple of Gopalakrishna. The level of difficulty is moderate to difficult and it takes about 4 hours to climb.
Dandina Maramma Temple Timings: 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Dandina Maramma Temple Address
Sri Dandina Maramma Devasthana,
Madhugiri,
Tumkur District,
Karnataka – 572132.