About

Biligiriranganabetta, popularly known as B.R. Hills in Yelandur Taluk, of Chamarajanagara District, Karnataka, is primarily a hill top pilgrimage centre. Recently, efforts have been started to promote it as one eco-tourism centre in the range of hills branched out from Western Ghats at 5091 feet high from the mean sea level.

Biligiriranganabetta has alternative references with the following names, ‘Bilikallu Betta’ and ‘Shwethadri’. The earliest reference of this sacred place is available in the Bhrahmanda Purana in its ‘Teertha Prashamsara Khanda’. The place also has reference as ‘Champakaranya’ (the forest of Champaka flowers) in purnas and also as ‘Gajaranya’ (the forest of elephants) during the rule of the region by the Ganga dynasty. The description suggests that the idol of the Shri Ranganathaswamy, the presiding deity of the temple, was installed by the sage Vashishta when Lowd Srinivasa (Balaji of Tirupathi) blessed him with his appearance in B.R. Hills on Vashishta’s request. This is how ‘Shwethadreesha’ came to worshipped as ‘Shwethadreesa’, ‘The Shwethachala Mahathme’ in its third chapter describes that Shri Rama and Sri Lakshmana, the main characters of epic Ramayana have performed worship in this sacred place during their search mission of Seetha. Sri Ranganayaki Ammanavara Sannidhi, The shrine of the consort of the presiding deity is on the right side of the shrine of Shri Biligiriranganathaswamy. The temple is built and renovated by one Vishnuvardhana and is in Dravidian style of architecture.

In the local folk tradition, Sri Ranganathaswamy falls in love with a Soliga dame namely ‘Kusumabale’, and marries her. Hence the Soliga of the area have taken him to be their brother-in-law and provide their services in the celebrations of the temple.

The deity is also called ‘Bilikallu Thiruvenkatanatha’. The temple enjoyed patronage of Mudduraja and Diwan Poornaiah who gave in endowment to the temple two villages each.