A centre of faith

Edathore, a small town on the banks of River Cauvery, was washed away in 1926 after the construction of Krishna Raja Sagara (KRS) Dam and the new town K R Nagar was built in 1930 three kilometres away, at an elevated place. But the temple of Arkeshwara built around 300 years ago in Edathore is intact and continues to be a spiritual centre for people.

It is said that the sun god worshipped Lord Shiva in this place and hence the name Arkeshwara to the presiding deity of this temple. The main door of the temple is west facing. A huge flagpost is facing the main door and the temple is surrounded by rathabeedi, the street on which the chariot is pulled around the temple on the Rathasapthami day. The main shrine is in the centre with a broad mukhamantapa and Lord Arkeshwara is in the form of linga.

There is a separate Meenakshi Temple to the south of this shrine. The beautiful idol of Goddess Meenakshi is carved out of black stone. One can also see many other shrines in this temple complex. The speciality of Arkeshwara Temple is that on Shivarathri day the sun’s rays fall directly on the main deity from a hole in the roof. On the north side of the temple is River Cauvery flowing towards the east. There is a long platform from the bank to the middle of river with beautiful mantapas at both ends, and steps at both sides. The place has also become a tourist place due to its serene environment and architectural significance.