About

The Pilgrims from Tumkur, Hassan, Mandya, Mysore, Kodagu and from other districts and neighbouring State Kerala pilgrims visit to this Pilgrimage centre to worship Goddess Sri Masanikamma. The devotees gather here to perform Poojas and rituals to Goddess Sri Masanikamma. By worshiopping Goddess Sri Masanikamma the people believe that they can get rid of evil spirit.

History

The people of Periyapatna believe her has the eldest Goddess. Among the seven daughters of Ujjani king she was the eldest daughter and Goddess Chamundi was the youngest daughter. She was worshipped as Goddess of Chengalwa. Esta devatha, Manedevaru, urimasani, mammayi of Kodagu. The king’s worshipped her as Kuladevatha and Smashanadevi. According to myth she was a Bhramin girl.

Goddess Masanikamma was worshipped by all castes of people especially the Fishermens. But Shyanubogha Sathynarayana’s family members never worshipped this Goddess because many years ago a girl from Sathyanarayana’s family were offering the flowers for the Poojas daily at home. But this enraged her father, so he chased her. But in the meanwhile she jumped into the boiling limestone and was burnt. Thus she was known as Urimasani. Thus the fishermen worshipped her, she said to them that let your race worship me and I will showes prosperous and glory and melted in the limestone. After few days from the boiling limestone appeared a idol and it was named as Urimasani and the people worshipped her as Gramadevathe.

Goddess Masanikamma was worshipped by all castes of people especially the Fishermens. But Shyanubogha Sathynarayana’s family members never worshipped this Goddesses because many years ago a girl from Sathyanarayana’s family were offering the flowers for the Poojas daily at home. But this enraged her father, so he chased her. But in the meanwhile she jumped into the boiling limestone and was burnt. Thus she was known as Urimasani. Thus the fishermen worshipped her, she said to them that let your race worship me and I will showes prosperous and glory and melted in the limestone. After few days from the boiling limestone appeared a idol and it was named as Urimasani and the people worshipped her as Gramadevathe.

Thus they built a temple for her, behind this also there is a historical reason. Once Chengalwa the king was defeated by Chola king and when his soldiers were taking him to prison. On his way he felt asleep, in the dream Goddess Massanikamma appeared to Chengalwa king, she promised him that she would rescue him from imprisonment, if he built her a temple and worshipped as Manedevaru. So he decided to built a temple for her. In the meanwhile he saw a magical Lion and it helped him to free from the hands of Chola soldiers and disappeared. As he promised, Chengalwa king built a fort and called that place as Simhapatna, later during the period of Periyaraja it was named as Periyapatna.

The Lion which rescued Chengalwa is believed that it lived in the period of 7th Century, it is also known as Mrigeshavarma. There is a evident discovered in Hitnehebbagilu about it and even Kadambas where ruled this place and the place Punatta at present called as Punadahalli. The Goddesses Sri Masanikamma called herself as Jainakshini and people call her as 'Mahamanasi'.

Goddess Sri Masanikamma in folklore called as 'Yuddhadevatha'. Goddess Sri Masanikamma was the 'Manedevaru' of king Veeraraja and Goddess Chamundi was the Manedevatha of Mysore king Kanteerava Narasaraja Wodeyar . During this period took place severe battle between king Veeraraja and Kanteerava Narasaraja Wodeyar. In this situation Goddess Masanikamma, her body is covered with full of eyes and appeared before them and helped to king Veeraraja by defeating the soldiers of Mysore . In this situation king Kanteerava Narasaraja Wodeyar sought the help of Goddess Chamundi. Goddess Chamundi treacherously trapped Goddess Masanikamma with the help of other sisters. Among them Uthenahalli Maramma sent the message to Goddesses Masanikamma that goddess Chamundi is in her last breath and wished to her elder sister Goddesses Masanikamma. Goddess Masanikamma gave the responsibility of battle to her brother Heeraiya. Later she came to know that it was a false information. Then all the sisters happily decided to play the game hide and seek. Goddess Chamundi pretended as closed her eyes and asked Goddess Masanikamma to close her thousands of eyes which is present in her body except the eyes on the face. As she closed all her eyes Goddess Chamundi caged her on a prickly thorn and all her eyes became blind. Thus Goddess Masanikamma was trapped by Goddess Chamundi. In this crucial situation Mysore king Kanteerava Narasaraja Wodeyar defeated the Periyapatna king Veeraraja and conquered it and made under his control.