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The two temples in Melukote are – Tirunarayana temple located on the foothills of Yadavgiri hill and the Yoga Narasimha, which is located on the hill top. While the Tirunarayana temple is a square structure and is dedicated to Lord Cheluva Narayana Swamy, the remarkable temple on the hill top is dedicated to Lord Yoga Narsimha. One of the main attractions at Yoga Narsimha temple is the large pond, Kalyani Teertha, located inside the temple.
The best time to visit the temples at Melukote is during the Vairamundi festival, held during the months of March and April. The main highlight of this festival is the procession of the idol of Cheluvaya Naran Swamy which is adorned with a diamond crown. As per an interesting legend, viewing the diamond crown, when not being worn by the idol is considered bleak. So the priest blindfolds himself before crowing the idol with the diamond crown.
This is a very popular event which draws around 4 lakh tourist and devotees every year. Interesting activities to enjoy at Melukote includes a short climb to the Yoga Narsima temple, view of the surrounding from the top and enjoying a dip in the lake.
The temple town of Melukote is just a day’s trip from Bangalore. Located at a convenient distance of 50 kms from Mysore and 150 kms from Bangalore, one can take the Bangalore-Mysore highway and stop at Mandya. Just after Mandya a right turn will take you to Melukote. The nearest railhead is at Pandavara in Mandya.