Vaidyanathapura Sri Vaidyanatheshwara Swamy Temple located at Vaidyanathapura near Mandya is an ancient shrine dedicated to Shiva. The shrine also has murtis of Parashurama Avatar of Bhagavan Vishnu and Surya Narayana. The shrine is located on the banks of Shimsha River.
Vaidyanathapura Sri Vaidyanatheshwara Swamy Temple History
Shri Vaidyanatheshwara Temple is believed to date back to
around the 8th century. The local chieftains (Palegaras) are said to have built
this temple for the relief and cure of all diseases. The deities enshrined here
are believed to have been originally consecrated by the sage Parashurama.
It is also a local belief among devotees that applying the
sacred anthill soil (“huttada mannu”) found at the temple helps cure skin
diseases.
One of the unique features of the temple is the presence of
an ancient stone inscription engraved on the wall of the temple’s Navaranga
(main hall).
Every year, traditional temple festivals and rituals such as
the Brahmarathotsava, Navratri, Aridrotsava, Ratha Saptami, and special pujas
during the holy month of Kartika are celebrated according to the temple
customs. During these occasions, large numbers of devotees visit the temple,
offer their prayers and vows with devotion in thought, word, and deed, and seek
the divine blessings and grace of the deity.