Preamble
Sri Nimishambha temple nestled on the banks of the Kaveri river in the town of Sriranga Patna is a high temple with high spiritual vibrations. This article sheds light briefly on the historicity and spirituality of this temple.
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Introduction to Nimishambha Temple
Nimishambha Temple is a renowned temple located on the banks of the Cauvery River in Karnataka. To reach the temple, one must travel around 2km towards Sangam from Srirangapatna. The temple’s main deity is Goddess Parvathi, the wife of Lord Shiva. The temple is believed to be 300 years old and is managed by the HR&CE of the Karnataka State. There is a belief that for those having problems in life, a visit to the Nimishamba temple, and performing selfless religious service there can solve their problems.
History of the temple
The Brahmanda Purana describes an interesting story associated with the Nimishambha Temple. It happened during the time of Samudra Manthan. When the Devas consumed Amrit, the demons were angry for being denied their share, as per their agreement.
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Janumadala – demon was slayed by Parashakthi
During that period, there existed a demon called Janumandala who had undergone years of severe penance. He was blessed with a boon by the creator Brahma who could take any form other than human form and had powers to destroy his enemies easily, The boon made him invincible to any movable or immovable creatures who were progenies of someone. After receiving the boon, he began tormenting the Devas, who sought help from Sri Parameshwara (Shiva).
Parashiva instructed Muktha Rishi to perform yagna to kill Janumadala
Shiva instructed Muktha Rishi to perform a Poundarika Yagna to please Parashakthi. Muktha Rishi was a divine child born to Sage Sumanaksha and Susheela as a gift from Shiva, who gave one of his pearls to the couple. When Susheela wore the pearl, she conceived a son named Muktha, which means ‘pearl’. Thus, Muktha Rishi was born through the power of the pearl and was entrusted by Shiva to perform the Poundarika Yagna to please Parashakthi.
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Muktha Rishi’s 12-year-long yagna fetched him nothing
Muktha Rishi began his penance in the forest of Savana, seeking special powers to defeat Janumadala. Sages Gowthama, Vishwamitra, and Kaushika participated in his 12-year-long yagna but yielded no results.
Sage Muktha Rishi was fed up as his yagna fetched him nothing in return. He decided to sacrifice himself and end his life. When he was about to chop off his head, Parashakthi appeared in front of him and prevented the sacrifice. As the deity appeared within a minute, the sage called her Nimishambha. ‘Nimisha’ means ‘a minute’, and Amba is the name of Parvati.
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Sashibindu killed Janumadala
Parashakthi, being Janumandala’s child, cannot kill him as per Brahma’s boon but wants to assist Muktha Rishi to kill Janaumadala. To do so, she created a boy named Sashibindu out of an atom and gave him to Muktha Rishi. Parashakthi bestowed upon Sashibindu the power to destroy the demon that was Janumandala. Finally, under the guidance of Muktha Rishi, Sashibindu engaged in a fierce battle with Janumandala and emerged victorious by slaying him.
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Goddess Nimishamba’s eternal consort “Aksheeswara”
As one enters the shrine, Goddess Nimishambha’s sannidhi can be found on the right-hand side. The idol of the goddess is an exquisite piece of art, adorned with beautiful jewelry and garlands made of red roses. In front of the goddess, there is a Sri Chakra which is used for puja by the priest with kumkum. Devotees stand in serious attention until the deeparadhana is offered to the deity.
Adjoining the sannidhi of the Goddess is that of Shiva, who is called Aksheeswara. The idol of Shiva is a small-sized linga. The Nandi is proportionately small and is diagonally facing Shiva. Only after offering `Aarti’ to Shiva, is it offered to the Goddess. Adjoining this sannidhi is that of Lakshminarayana. All the three sannidhis are in a row.
Instant boon-granting goddess – It would be interesting to note that marriage proposals which have been dragging on for years, get fixed immediately after visiting this shrine. Also, those who are suffering from various ailments will find their sufferings relieved after visiting the shrine and the list is long.
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Festivals held at the temple
- Nimishamba Jayanthi
- Parameshwari Jayanthi
- Special poojas on every full moon day
- Durga Homa, Chandika Homa during Navarathri
- Special pooja to Goddess on auspicious days like Vijayadashami, Yugadhi, Shivarathri.
Daily temple timings
- Every day from 6 am to 8:30 pm, one can have the “darshan” of the goddess.
- Abishekam hours : 06:30 am to 07:30 am
- Maha Naivedya hours:12:00 pm to 12:30 pm
- Darshan timings: 07:30 am to 12.00 pm, 04:00 pm to 06:30 pm, and 07:30 pm to 08:30 pm
- The temple serves free meals to all devotees on every full moon day at lunchtime.
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How do I get there?
By Road
Regular buses are operated from the Central Bus Stand in Mysore and Kempegowda Bus Stand in Bengaluru to reach Sri Nimishambha Temple.
By Train
The nearest railway station is Mysore, and the Bengaluru railway station is 140 km from the temple.
By Air
The nearest airport is at Mysore, which is 14 km from the Sri Nimishambha temple. Many cabs are available to reach the temple. The nearest International airport is Bengaluru, which is 145 km away. Regular flights are available to and from Bengaluru from most major cities in India and worldwide.
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