Description

The place is also known as Karigiri which means elephant hill in Kannada. When the Devarayanadurga hill is seen from the east side it resembles an elephant. Hence the name Karigiri (Kari-elephant, Giri-hill). The hillock got its name Devarayanadurga after it was captured by Mysore king Chikka Devaraja Wodeyar in 1696. Earlier it was known by the name Anebiddasari and later Jadakana Durga when a chief named Jadaka ruled the town.

The hill is situated at an altitude of 3940 feet and is home to diverse flora and fauna. Devarayanadurga is the birthplace of rivers like Jayamangala which joins the Krishna River and the Shimsha River which joins the river Kaveri at Shivanasamudra. The hill chains at Devarayanadurga also mark the boundary of Krishna and Kaveri river basins.

17th-century fort ruins, historical remains dating back to Hoysala and Vijayanagara period and the traces of Wodeyar dynasty rule can be seen in Devarayanadurga village and the Kumbhi hills of Devarayanadurga.

Devarayanadurga is an attractive ancient location where you can actually enjoy and experience solitude, with the tranquil hills as well as green valley's making a refreshing difference from the engaged & bustling cities situated below the valley. The stony hills on the surrounding areas will add up the attractiveness of this place, and a very popular natural spring existing in this region attracts many visitors, tourists as well as pilgrims because of its sacred importance.

There are a couple of Temples dedicated to Lord Narasimha Swamy at Devarayanadurga.

Ancient temples:

The Devarayanadurga is dotted with many ancient temples. Many of these temples had the support of Wodeyar kings. The Devarayanadurga area consists of three hilly elevations. On the highest elevation is the Yoga Narasimha temple which sits on Kumbhi hill and is situated at an altitude of 4200 feet.

The temple of Yoga Narasimha is believed to be 1000 years old. Right next to the temple is a sacred pond by the name Pada teertha. The source of Pada teertha waters can be traced out by exploring the Sri Pada teertha cave near by. The cave is devoid of any light and has steps to take you inside. With a torch or a lamp, you can make out a lake and the shape of a wheel (known as Sudarshana chakra) nearby it.  For a bird’s eye view of the countryside, you can climb to the top of Kumbhi hill. This will take you about 10-15 minutes to reach the top. At the top, there is a stone structure with a bell known as “Garuda Gante”.

The Yoga Narasimha temple timings are morning 10:00 AM to 01:00 PM and evening 02:00 PM to 05:00 PM. On the way to the temple, you can see the idols of Hanuman and Garuda at the small temple of Garudanjaneya. At the middle elevation of Devarayanadurga hill, you have a government traveler’s bungalow and two natural springs by the name Rama-teertha and Dhanus-teertha. The Dhanus-teertha is in the form of a bow. Close by you can also visit the beautiful cave temple of Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana.

At the base of the hill, you have the temple of Bhoga Narasimha. Every year during the months of Feb/March there is car festival conducted here and this week-long festival is celebrated with much fun-fare by the devotees. The temple timings are 09:00-3:00 PM in the morning and 05:00 PM-8:30 in the evening. In the temple during lunch hours, food is distributed free of cost.

Trekking at Devarayanadurga

Devarayanadurga is a fortified hill and located nine miles east of Tumkur town. Its in the midst of picturesque landscape and at an altitude of 3940 feet. There are three elevations and seven gates that lead a trekker to the summit. Lakshmi-Narasimha Swamy Temple is on the lowest elevation. There is a spring, Ane-done, nestled near the first elevation. There is a pond on the slope that is believed to be the source of Mangali. A little higher on the Trekking Trail, there is another small spring known as Jaya-tirtha. Its said that stream Jaya originates from this spring. At the base of the hill at Irukasandra, both the streams come together to form the river Jayamangali. Shimsha River also originates from these hills.

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