Country India District Bidar District Important festivals Dussera | State Karnataka Locale Khanapur or Mailar Important festival Dussehra | |
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Primary deity Khandoba as Shiva Mailar Mallanna Address NH-9 Highway, Khanapur, 413623 Similar Narasimha Jharni, Tarkash Mahal, Guru Nanak Jhira Sahib, Bidar Fort, Malhargad | ||
Sri Shiva Mailar Mallanna Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Khandoba, also known as Mailar Mallanna and a form of the god Shiva, in Mailar or Khanapur village. It is situated on the Bidar-Udgir Road, 15 km from Bidar, Karnataka, India.
Legend tells of the demon Mallasur (Malla) (in Kannada aur means demons) and his younger brother Manikasur (Mani), who had gained the boon of invincibility from Brahma, creating chaos on the earth and harassing the sages. When the seven sages approached Shiva for protection after Indra and Vishnu confessed their incapability, Shiva assumed the form (Avatar) of Martanda Bhairava, as the Mahatmya calls Mallanna (Khandoba), riding the Nandi bull, leading an army of the gods. Martanda Bhairava is described as shining like the golden sun, covered in turmeric, three-eyed, with a crescent moon on his forehead. The demon army was slaughtered by the gods and finally Khandoba killed Malla and Mani. While dying, Malla offered his white horse to Khandoba as an act of repentance and asked for a boon. The boon is that he be present in every shrine of Khandoba and thus this temple is called Sri Shiva Mailari Mallanna (Khandoba) Temple.
The temple is very famous in the North Karnataka area and every year it attracts millions of devotees from Karnataka, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. The main priest of this temple belongs to the Kurubas community.
Sunday is believed to be the main worship day. On that day, near the temple, goat, sheep, cow and other animal trading also takes place.