Madikeri Omkareshwara Temple at Kodagu in Karnataka is dedicated to Shiva and is noted for its unique architectural style. The temple is in the Indo-Saracenic style, combining typically Keralite tiled roofs with Islamic domes.
Madikeri Omkareshwara Temple – History
It is believed that the construction of the Shri Omkareshwara
Temple was a result of the intention and desire of King Lingarajendra Odaya.
There are three main reasons cited for this, but the exact truth remains
unclear, and there is no mention of this in any royal decree.
The first story suggests that a Brahmin from the South
Kanara district approached the king, requesting help to overcome his poverty by
offering his daughter. When the Brahmin came to the palace with his daughter,
the king was not present. The palace official, Subbarasayya (who was also a
Brahmin), allegedly prevented the young woman from meeting the king. Upon
learning of this through palace spies, the king is said to have executed
Subbarasayya cruelly for treason. According to some, Subbarasayya later became
a Brahma Rakshasa (a spirit of a fallen Brahmin) and roamed the forests. Some
claim that the king then built a Shiva temple to appease the spirit.
Another version of the story suggests that King Linga Rajendra had lost one of his fingers. When a Veerashaiva (a sect of
Shaivism) ascetic came to the palace, he refused to accept alms. Angered by
this, the king is said to have insulted the ascetic. In retaliation, the
ascetic allegedly cursed the king with the doom of his family lineage. To atone
for this, the king is said to have constructed the temple. Though various such
stories are told by chroniclers, there is no definitive historical record to confirm
any of them.
Construction Timeline:
The construction of the Shri Omkareshwara Temple is believed
to have been started by King Lingarajendra II on January 6, 1817. The work was
completed in two years, nine months, and twenty-five days, and the temple was
consecrated on Sunday, the 12th day of the Chaitra month (Chaitra Shuddha
Dwadashi), which corresponds to March 26, 1820, in the Vikrama Samvat calendar.
The temple was built in a new architectural style, and it was inaugurated with
proper rituals.