Bhagamandala and Talakaveri

Bhagamandala

Bhagamandala is a pilgrimage place in Kodagu district of Karnataka. It is situated on the river Kaveri in its upstream stretches. At this place, the Kaveri is joined by two tributaries, the Kannike and the mythical Sujyoti river. It is considered sacred as a river confluence (kudala or triveni sangama, in Kannada and Sanskrit respectively). Similarly the other related place is Udhaka mandala(British name: Ooty) which means land beside water body in Kannada and Sanskrit respectively.

It is a common practice for pilgrims to take a dip in the triveni sangama and perform rituals to their ancestors before proceeding to Talakaveri, the birthplace of Kaveri. During Tula Sankramana which falls on October 17 or 18th, pilgrims assemble here in large numbers.

Triveni sangama near Bhagmandala temple

A short distance from the triveni sangama, there is a famous temple known as Sri Bhagandeshwara temple, where Bhagandeshwara (Ishwara), Subramanya, Mahavishnu and Ganapati idols are installed. This place is also known as Bhagandeshwara Kshetra, from which the name Bhagamandala is derived. The temples in this area are built in Karavali(West Coast) style.

During 1785–1790, the area was occupied by Tipu Sultan. He renamed Bhagamandala to Afsalabad. In 1790 King Dodda Vira Rajendra took Bhagamandala back into an independent Kodagu kingdom.

Bhagamandala is located about 33 km from the district headquarters Madikeri and is connected by paved roads from Madikeri, Virajpet and nearby places in Karnataka and Kerala. Government and private buses are available on all of these routes.

A short distance from Bhagamandala is the temple at Padi, which houses the deity Lord Igguthappa and is considered by many to be the most sacred shrine in their homeland.

One more temple at Aiyangeri by name “CHINNATHAPPA”,which houses the deity Lord Sri Krishna,considered by the people of the village to be the most sacred shrine in their home land. There is a festival once a year in the month of February or March, where the “Golden Flute” will be brought out from the temple.

Talakaveri

Talakaveri is a holy pilgrimage for the Hindus. Located at the Brahmagiri hills and considered to be the origin of the river Kaveri, it is situated 1276m above the sea level. At present there is a tank at the place where Kaveri is believed to have originated. The river originates as a spring supplying water to this tank. The water then flows underground to emerge as the Kaveri river at some distance. This tank is considered to be a holy place to bathe on special days. Nearby there is also a small temple dedicated to Lord Agastheeswara and frequently visited by the pilgrims.

There is a legend saying that Kaveri was held captive by the sage Agasthya in his Kamandalu and Lord Ganesha in the form of a crow made the Kamandala topple at the top of this hill when Sage Agasthya was meditating. People believe that taking bath in Talakaveri is very sacred and it can relieve man form all his sufferings.

One of the biggest attraction here, is Bhagamandala, the confluence of three rivers Kaveri, Kanake and Sujyoti. Bhagamandala is 8kms away from Talakaveri. There are nearby temples devoted to Lord Ganapathy, Subramanya and Vishnu. An annual festival is celebrated during the month of October / November every year when the river gushes out of the tank in a predetermined moment and thousands of pilgrims gather to witness the rise of the fountainhead. During this festival the region becomes very attractive with thousands of lights lit in the temples.

Apart from being a place of sanctity, Talakaveri is also a must visit tourist place when you visit Coorg. The temple is situated in a breathtaking location, in the lap of the Brahmagiri hills. The undulating layers of hills with stretches of green meadows is truly picturesque seen from the temple. A wonderful tourist place to relax in leisure.

Best time for Bhagamandala and Talacauvery

It is auspicious to visit during Tula Sankramana which comes during October. Avoiding rainy months September to March is the best time to visit.

Food and Accomodation

At the summit there are no shops available. For any kind of small purchase one has to go to Bhagadamandala which is downhill 7km. Madikeri is the nearest place with ample amount of hotels for accomodation.

Reaching Bhagamandala and Talacauvery

Talacauvery is 270km from Bangalore.

Route 1: Bangalore – Mysore – Hunsur – Periyapatana – Siddapura – Bhagadamandala – Talacauvery.
Route 2: Bangalore – Mysore – Hunsur – Periyapatana – Kushalnagar – Madikeri – Bhagadamandala – Talacauvery.
Route 3: Bangalore – Srirangapatna – Yelwala – Kushalnagar – Madikeri – Bhagadamandala – Talacauvery.

One can easily reach Madikeri in KSRTC bus. From Madikeri both KSRTC and private buses are available to Bhagadamandala. From Bhagadamandala, Talacauvery is only 7km away and there are only few buses.

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