Sri Aprameyaswamy Temple – stands on sand, no foundation!

Sixty kilometres from Bangalore, 3 kms away from Chanapatna on the highway to Mysore stands this beautiful temple to the left, built by the Cholas. The village is called Doddamallur.Some say this structure is 3000 years old -attributing it’s existance to Rishis & Munis.
However a written document recording the lightning of Nanda Deepam in the year 980 rests with the temple authorities. It is also proved that this temple existed before the birth of Lord Ramanuja Charya’s Digvijayam in Karnataka. Chola history records that this temple was built by Emperor Rajendra Simha in the 11th century in honour of his favorite invading Genral Aprameya. This temple has been expanded during regimes of certain ruling kings who ruled Malur in the past.
It is also said Lord Rama stayed here and conducted various poojas & yagnas invoking fire power, the remnants are seen here to this day. A temple dedicated to Lord Shri Ram is close by. The Vishnu deity, Aprameyaswamy is also at times called Sri Ramapriya Swamy.
Aprameyaswamy – the deity is a Saligrama stone, from the River Gandaki from Nepal. Hindu temple idols are made from stones found in water or sea. The biggest Saligrama stone deity is the Vishnu Idol at Jaganath Puri.
Aprameyaswamy & his consort Aravindavalli Thayer stands here at Doddamallur – a small village on the banks of river Kanava 3 kms from Chanapatna in full glory!
Aprameyaswamy with Shanku & Chakra in the upper two hands; and Gadha & Padma in the lower hands is a beauty to be adored! This posture is called the ‘abhayahastha’. This temple is built in such a way, that the year’s sunrise falls directly into the sanctum sanctorum of Vishnu here, Aprameyaswamy. The annual temple festival – Brahmotsavam happens on the auspicious dates of the month April-May.
Apart from the worshiping idol Aprameyaswamy, this temple houses idols of Sridevi & Bhoodevi accompaning lord along with the idol of Saint Ramanujacharya. There are also sannadis of other saints housed in the temple complex and worshipped each day.
One more deity of Lord Krishna was installed by Sage Vyasa here. The idol of Lord Krishna is in the form of ‘Ambegalu Navaneetha Krishna’ – i.e., crawling Krishna with butter in his hands . . . bejewelled decked in all it’s beauty. It is believed, that it’s the only deity in this posture! A lot of wooden & silver cradles adorn the Navaneetha Krishna temple. These are offered by devotees who are desirous of having a child. It is believed here that worshiping Lord Navaneetha Krishna here will mitigate – ‘Putra Dosha & Sayana Dosha’.
A lot of miracle stories are attributed to this temple, engage the temple priests and you will be engaged & entertained. One of the memorable one is . . . when the Mysore King 130 years ago visited this temple, he fell in love with the beautiful Navaneetha Krishna idol and had it moved to his palace at Mysore. That night he had a dream where he was asked to return the idol to it’s original place. He didn’t! A part of his palace caught fire and burnt. Then the King relented and returned the beautiful Krishna idol with full honours back to it’s home ground.
In praise of this temple Krishna, Purandaradasa – the 15th & 16th century singer, composer & ardent devotee used to compose and sing numerous songs in praise of the lord… his famous one here being –
” Jayadodharana Adisidale Yosode”
. . . composed on the beauty of this idol – ‘Ambegalu Navaneetha Krishna’.
Even to this day you can see a Mantap built in his honour a little away and in front of the temple. It’s called the Sant Purandaradasa Mantapa.
Another information about this temple is that Goddess Mahalakshmi was born in a lotus flower in Vishnu Theertham, which is to the north-west of the temple and she was known as Aravindvali. Aravindvali is the presiding goddess of the temple.
The temple timings are 7:30 am to 12:30 pm & 4 pm to 8:20 pm. Weekends it’s open till 1:30 pm. It’s a nice stopover to learn a bit about history and have a little divine intervention if you’re passing that way. God Bless!