Veerabhadreshwara Temple is located at Changler or Changlera in Bidar, Karnataka. The shrine is dedicated to Shiva. The main festival in the temple is Shivratri. Full moon day (Purnima), No Moon Day (Amavasya) and Mondays are of great importance in the temple. The temple is famous for a sacred pond in which devotees take bath to find cure to skin diseases and also to alleviate astrological problems.
The Divine Legacy of Shri Veerabhadreshwara Temple – A Spiritual History Spanning 400 Years
Over 400 years ago, Shri Gurulinga Muni Pungar, a revered spiritual master, initiated his devoted disciple Sangrama with spiritual initiation (Diksha) and blessed him with both sacred mantras and the powerful Shakti Mantra. This sacred transmission marked the beginning of a divine mission.
Following the initiation, Shri Gurulinga Muni instructed Sangrama to travel to the holy abode of Devgiri Devi. There, he was to undertake intense Tapas (penance and spiritual practice). Sangrama obediently followed his Guru’s command and performed deep penance at the designated place.
As a result of his spiritual power and devotion, the Nizam of Hyderabad—ruler of the region at the time—was so moved by Sangrama’s divine influence that he granted him 103 villages, officially documented in the royal decree (umballi). Sangrama then began to govern these villages as a king, establishing a divine presence in the region.
Some time later, the Goddess Devgiri Devi appeared in Sangrama’s dream and said:
“On the upper part of four mounds lies a temple belonging to me. However, my consort (husband) desires to be near me. Therefore, remove my idol from the sanctum and instead install the idol of my consort in accordance with divine tradition.”
Sangrama, humbled and moved by this vision, shared his dream with trusted individuals. However, he was uncertain about where to find the consort’s idol.
To his surprise, Shri Veerabhadra Swami, the divine consort of the Goddess, appeared in a dream and said:
“I reside in a field, tied to a plough handle by a farmer (Okkaliga), who uses me as a weight for threshing grain. Every evening, after tilling the field, the farmer leaves me there. I have remained in this spot for a long time. Come and test what I say, retrieve my idol, and perform my Pratishtha (consecration) at the temple as instructed by your Guru.”
Sangrama followed the divine instruction, verified the truth of the dream, and retrieved the idol from the field. Then, with reverence and full ritual procedure, he installed the idol of Shri Veerabhadra Swami in the temple, removing the previous idol as per the Goddess’s wish.
This eventful consecration took place in the year 1741, as noted in a preserved handwritten record (Hasta Prathi).
The spiritual lineage of Shri Gurulinga Muni continues unbroken to this day. The current custodians of the temple and the tradition are part of this divine succession.
The Peethadhipatis (spiritual heads) of Shri Veerabhadreshwara Temple belong to this sacred lineage, notably:
Shri Shabra Gurulinga Shivacharya of Hiremath, Changalera, Chittaguppa.
Sacred Pond
Devotees flock to the sacred Gundam pond to perform ritualistic baths, believing these ablutions cleanse them of various astrological afflictions like Shani Dosha, Kuja Dosha, and Rahu-Ketu Dosha. Following their purifying dip, they worship the Lord to receive blessings. The pond draws particularly large crowds on Pournami, Amavasya, and Shivratri.