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Brief about the temple :
About 60Kms from Bangalore, on the Mysore - Bangalore Highway (one mile from Channapatna), the tall tower of a famous temple peeking through the swaying coconut palms seems to beckon your attention. The highway road sign identifies the place as Mallur Agrahara. The curious traveler, who pulls over to explore this tower, would have reached the temple of Lord Aprameya, His Consort Aravindavalli and the renowned ‘Ambegal’ Krishna.
This is a Divya Kshetram and a Punya Bhoomi. The verdant greenery, Punya Theerthams, the temple complex and its avaranams all provide for an atmosphere conducive for religious piety.
How to get there :
Dodda mallur is well connected by rail, road and air. There are plenty of trains, which run from Bangalore and Mysore, which stop over at Channapatna from where the pilgrim can access the temple by local modes of transportation (the popular rickshaw, etc.).
It is just off the state highway that connects the two famous metropolises of Karnataka- Bangalore and Mysore. Plenty of buses service this route for those dependent on public transportation. One can even avail of taxi services from Bangalore to get here.
The nearest airport is the Bangalore International airport which services domestic and international connections.
If pilgrim's want to stay in Dodda Mallur, there are rooms available in Sri Rama Temple for lodging purposes where meals are also provided FREE of cost.
The Temple Tour :
Sri Aprameya swamy Temple is a very ancient structure. Some historians date it back 3000 years, but local historic documents date it not less than 1500 years. There is evidence that this temple existed even before Lord Ramanuja’ s Digvijayam in Karnataka and it will not be a surprise if it was built much before Lord Ramanuja’ s Birth. There is a written document preserved to date, which mentions the Kainkaryam of lighting Nanda Deepam to Lord Aprameya in the year 980. This is a proof of the temple's existence in that period.
Legend has it that Lord Rama stayed here, in Dakshina Ayodhya, for many years and during this time, he worshipped Lord Aprameya. Hence Lord Aprameya is also known as Sriramaprameya. Lord Rama also performed Homams and other rituals in this place and even to this day, there are remnants of the structures where he conducted the Yagnams. In kshetram Mahatmiyam Kandam of Brahmanda Purana there is a description of Lord Aprameya in twelve chapters.
The specialty of the temple is it is standing on sand and not on any solid foundation. It appears from the style of construction of the temple, that it was expanded during the regimes of certain kings who ruled Mallur in the past.
Standing outside the temple, one can see the towering and beautiful Raja Gopuram. Built in the Dravidian architectural style, one finds sculptures from the Dasa Avataram adorning the side walls (Madal) of the Raja Gopuram. The Maha Dwaram is 30 feet high. Opposite the Maha Dwaram is the tall Deepa Sthambam made from a single stone, which vies with the Maha Dwaram in height, at 30 feet.
During Bramhotsavam days pilgrims are provided breakfast, lunch and dinner FREE of charge.
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