Historic Talakadu to witness its first holy event

While India's popular Jain pilgrim centre Shravanabelagola is gearing up fast for the grand Mahamastakabhiseka "" the big anointing ceremony "" of the tallest monolith of Gommateswara in February next in the neighbouring Hassan district, a little known town of Talakad is making preparations for the century's first Panchalinga darshana in Mysore district.

Panchalinga darshana or the holy visit to the five Ishwara temples in Talakadu, the historic town on the banks of river Cauvery, falls on the sacred day when in the month of Karthik, Vrushika Amavasya, Monday, Kuja Yoga and Vishaka Nakshatra come together in the Hindu calendar.

This auspicious combination occurs on November 20, 2006, while the last conjoining had taken place on December 13, 1993, when the last century's last Panchalinga Darshana was celebrated. On the auspicious day, the five temples in this town of sand dunes is thrown open to pilgrims, after a holy dip in the nearby Cauvery.

A couple of years ago, most of these temples were under buried under the silt the Cauvery brings into the town.

Deputy commissioner Selva Kumar has directed the different departments to begin preparing for the auspicious celebrations, by undertaking improvement of roads, construction of temporary sheds for pilgrims, restoration of the five temples, and to provide other requirements.

Around 10 lakh pilgrims are expected to converge in this little town. It had witnessed nine Panchalinga Darshanas in the last century in 1911, 1924, 1938, 1952, 1959, 1965, 1979, 1986 and 1993.