Chamarajeshwara Temple

Standing at the centre of Chamarajanagar town, the Chamarajeshwara Temple gives the city its name and its identity. It was built in 1826-27 by Mysore's Mummadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar in memory of his father, Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar — the town itself, once known as Arikotara or Hari Kutaara, was renamed Chamarajanagar around the same era in honour of the Wodeyar line. The temple complex spans roughly 232 by 195 feet, dominated by its striking five-storey, 70-foot Raja Gopura.

Before the temple was built, a Shivalinga crafted at Sringeri was carried to this site with the blessings of Adi Shankaracharya, founder of the Advaita Siddhanta school of thought. The temple was raised around this consecrated linga, and today also houses a Navagraha shrine along with several other deities, making it a significant stop for pilgrims passing through southern Karnataka.