The Presiding Deity

Sri Gowramma — Mother of the Universe

Sri Gowramma is the presiding deity of Gummalapura village. She is a manifestation of the divine Mother — Goddess Parvati — the eternal consort of Lord Shiva. The temple is her earthly abode, believed to have been established over 3,000 years ago by the earliest settlers of this sacred land.

The goddess is worshipped as the protector of the village, the giver of rain and harvest, the healer of the sick, and the fulfiller of devotees' wishes. Every household in Gummalapura considers her the mother of the family.

Her festival — the Gowramma Jathre — held approximately 45 days after the Ganesha festival each year, is the largest gathering in the region, drawing tens of thousands of pilgrims from across Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh.

The sacred temple of Sri Gowramma, Gummalapura

The Sacred Tradition

Why Shiva is the Son-in-Law of Gummalapura

Gowramma as the Mother

In Gummalapura's tradition, Sri Gowramma (Parvati) is worshipped as the village's own daughter — born of this sacred land. She is the Mother Goddess who resides here.

Shiva as the Bridegroom

When Lord Shiva married Gowramma (Parvati), he became the son-in-law of the village. This is why Lord Shiva is addressed as "Alave Aliya" (the eternal son-in-law) in local tradition.

101 Shiva Temples

To honour this sacred marriage, 101 Shiva Lingams were consecrated across the region — a symbol of Shiva's divine presence in every corner of the mother's domain.

101 Wells & 101 Lakes

Along with the temples, 101 wells and 101 lakes were built — a complete sacred geography that sustains both spiritual and agricultural life in the region.

"In Gummalapura, Shiva does not reign as the lord — he arrives as the devoted son-in-law, bowing to the Mother who welcomed him."

— Local village oral tradition, passed down for generations

Annual Homecoming

Gowramma's Annual Visit

From that day, Parvati arrives in Gouri form each year and stays in her parental home for about a month, receiving worship and care before returning to Kailash. Devotees from Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh treat her as their own mother.

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The 1606 CE Royal Edict of Immadi Kempegowda

The Village of Gummalapura

Bhookailasapuri — The Earthly Kailash

Gummalapura, in Thally Block, Krishnagiri District, Tamil Nadu — on the Karnataka–Tamil Nadu border, ~45 km from Bengaluru — is known by the ancient name Bhookailasapuri, "The Kailash of the Earth."

The village sits at the heart of a sacred geography laid out by the 771 Shivasharanas — the great saint-devotees of the Veerashaiva-Lingayata tradition who chose this land as a site of spiritual refuge.

In 1606 CE, the powerful Palegara king Immadi Kempegowda issued a stone inscription (now preserved at the temple) granting land and rights to the temple — a testament to its importance across centuries of Karnataka's history.

Krishnagiri, TN — Karnataka Border 3,000+ Years Old 1606 CE Royal Edict 771 Shivasharanas

The Saint Devotees

The 771 Shivasharanas of Bhookailasapuri

The Shivasharanas were Veerashaiva-Lingayata saint-poets and devotees who shaped Karnataka's spiritual landscape in the 12th century CE and beyond.

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Shivasharanas who chose this sacred land

The 771 Shivasharanas who settled in Bhookailasapuri were not merely pilgrims — they were scholar-saints, poets, and spiritual reformers who composed Vachanas (devotional verses) in Kannada. They chose this village because of the divine presence of Gowramma and the sacred energy of the land.

Their legacy lives on in the 101 Shiva temples, the temple traditions, and the living culture of the village. The number 101 — repeated in temples, wells, and lakes — reflects their spiritual vision of completeness and divine order.

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Temple Administration