Sri Arkeshwara Swamy Temple is located in Guttalu village of Mandya Karnataka. It was built around the 12th century during the reign of the Chola dynasty. The shrine is dedicated to Shiva.
Mandya Guttalu Sri Arkeshwara Swamy Temple Story
Originally, this place was a grazing field where hundreds of
cows used to come daily to graze on the lush green grass. All these cows
belonged to the head of Channappanadoddi village, which is about 1.5 kilometers
from Guttalu. A servant from that household would bring the cows to this
grazing land every day.
Among these cows, one particular cow behaved strangely. It
would release milk only near certain bushes and plants, such as the Guttigida,
Vishamparanji plant, Aavarike plant, and Mrutika plants. However, when the milk
was collected at home, instead of milk, blood would come out. Observing this
unusual behavior, the servant informed his master.
The master decided to investigate the matter personally. One day, he himself brought the cows to the grazing field. Before letting them graze, he waited to observe the unusual cow.
As usual, the cow went near a Guttigida plant and began to
release milk. The master, who was sitting on a tree, was cutting its branches
with his weapon (Chandrayudha). Suddenly and accidentally, the weapon struck a
Shiva Linga hidden there. Due to the force of the blow, the Linga broke into
pieces. The first piece fell at Basavanagudi, and then it rolled and flew
nearly 2 kilometers away. Finally, it settled at a particular spot.
At that moment, the deity appeared before the master and
instructed him to build a temple at that very place.
Following the divine instruction, the master constructed a
temple there. Since the temple was surrounded by Guttigida and Aavarike plants,
the deity came to be known as Arkeshwara Swamy. Later, the place became known
as Guttalu and Arkeshwara Nagara.
It is believed that applying the temple’s sacred sandalwood
paste (Srigantha Theertha Prasada) to snakebite wounds helps in quick recovery.
Even today, devotees believe that applying the soil from the nearby anthill to
the skin cures snake-related infections and other skin diseases. The anthill
soil is considered a powerful remedy for skin-related ailments.
The temple attracts thousands of devotees during major
festivals such as Rathotsava (Car Festival), Vijayadashami and special poojas
during the Kartika month.
According to legend, the place where the broken Linga first fell came to be known as Chikkamandya. The place where it rolled and settled later was named Mandeshwara. In recent times, the Linga is also referred to as Sri Tandaveshwara Swamy. It is believed that the prasada of Sri Tandaveshwara has medicinal value and can cure rat bites.