Talakaveri & Bhagamandala

Well known for the Shri Bhagandeshwara Temple and Triveni Sangama, the Drive to reach Bhagamandala and then to Talakaveri is equally scenic and makes the visit more memorable.

Planning

Visiting Bhagamandala and Talakaveri was the priority in the whole trip. My parents, being regular on Udupi – Mysore route, never visited these two must-visit place in Coorg. October was the right season, and the drizzling rain made the weather cooler and the trip more fascinating. After visiting Chelavara waterfalls and Nalknad palace on the same route, we still had enough time till lunch. The plan was to cover Bhagamandala and Talakaveri before having lunch at Madikeri town.

Best route

Bhagamandala is 30 km from Nalknad palace. Talakaveri is further 8 km of ascend from Bhagamandala. Nalknad to Bhagamandala route passes through pleasing tiny villages such as Kakkabe, Kunjila, Ballamaavati and Korangala. This road is real narrow that it can hardly accommodate 2 vehicles till Nelaji. It widens a bit afterwards. When we visited, there was some heavy construction work was going on at Bhagamandala town due to which whole town road was in sorry state.

Bhagamandala to Talakaveri is a lovely, picturesque ghat road. One needs to pay 20rs entry for Car right after crossing Bhagamandala town. Road condition is perfect and there are few viewpoints and spice/coffee shops along the way.

Bhagamandala

There are 2 important places to visit at Bhagamandala.
1) Triveni Sangama
2) Sri Bhagandeshwara Temple

Triveni Sangama

Triveni Sangama symbolizes the merger of three rivers, namely the famous Kaveri River, Kannike River, and the mythical Sujyoti River. While Talakaveri is the starting point of the Kaveri river, the Sujyoti River is believed to be flowing inside the earth. It later merges with the other two at Triveni Sangama. Believers consider taking a dip here as auspicious.

Sri Bhagandeshwara Temple

Sri Bhagandeshwara Temple is believed to be more than 1000 years old and said to be built by Chola kings. Royal family of Mysore renovated the temple in 1790 A.D. This temple gets its name from the sage Sri Bhaganda Maharshi who installed the Shiva linga in this temple.

Timings
6:30 am – 1:30 pm
3:00 pm – 8:30 pm (On All days)

Talakaveri

The road behind the Bhagandeshwara temple leads to Talakaveri which is just 8 km from Bhagamandala.

You need to pay the entry fee of 20 rs at Bhagamandala to enter the Talakaveri ghat route. Entry to this road is permitted only from 6 AM to 6 PM. Driving through this beautiful ghat road is one of the memorable experiences we had. Weather changed dramatically as we approached near Talakaveri top point where the temple is situated. Talakaveri temple is situated at the altitude of 1300 m from sea level. Slowly, clouds were covering the place, and it was drizzling. Temperature dropped to the pleasant level. As it was weekday there were not much of tourists around. We even got a parking space near the main entrance.

Legend and Belief

Talakavery is considered as the source of the river Kaveri. It is located on Brahmagiri hills and is 8 km from Bhagamandala, 44 km from Madikeri and 161 km from Mysore. There are no entry fees to enter the premise. One needs to walk through a short series of steps present on the right side of the main gate to reach the temple.

As you reach the temple complex, the first thing you note is the small pond like structure and the face of a bull at the lower level of this pond, through the mouth of which the water comes out. This tank is named Kaveri Kundike or Brahma Kundike, is considered to be the birthplace of river Kaveri. The river originates as a spring here, and said to flow underground. It emerges as the Kaveri river at Nagathirtha near Bhagamandala. It joins with Kannike and Sujyoti at Triveni Sangama.

According to legend, sage Agasthya held captive of Kaveri in a Kamandala, a pot carrying sacred water.
Lord Ganesha, disguised as a crow, made the Kamandala to overturn at this hill when Sage Agasthya was meditating.

The main deity here is known by the name Lord Agastheeshwara. According to the legend, this is the spot where Lord Shiva appeared before Sage Agasthya.

A series of steps besides the temple takes us to the Brahmagiri viewpoint. Unfortunately, when we visited, entry to the path was closed.

July to December is the best season to visit Talakaveri.

Talakaveri Timings

6:30 am – 6:30 pm (On All days)

Tips For Travelers

• There is a strict dress code for entering Bhagamandala temple. Visitors are advised to wear non-revealing traditional clothes while entering the temple. More on this here.
• At Talakaveri ghat road entry point, make sure you pay only the entry fee fixed for the type of Vehicle you are travelling. This can be checked in the ticket itself. For us, they tried to dupe by asking fee of Tempo Traveler instead of car.
• At Talakavery temple entry, make sure you pay for any Aarti only if you wish to. By default, they will cut the ticket for some Pooja ritual without your consent, and you end up paying it thinking it as entry fee.

Places to Visit Nearby Talakaveri

Food Options near Talakaveri

• Hotel New Thashmi
• Hotel Mayura Tala Cauvery Bhagamandala

Live the Experience

We suggest you to watch our short informative video on this place before visiting.

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