Sri Nimishambha Temple

The temple of Nimishamba lies at a distance of two kilometers from Srirangapatna bus stand in the eastern direction beyond Tippu’s summer palace on the road leading to Sangam. The temple is at a higher elevation on the bank of the Cauvery and faces east. The river flows by at a lower level, and steps have been neatly cut on stone slabs to reach it. It is a small shrine with a seven-tiered Rajagopuram. Goddess Nimishamba’s sannidhi is to the right as one enters the shrine. It is a fine piece of an icon. She is beautifully bedecked with jewelry and garlands of red roses. In front of the Goddess is placed the Sri Chakra to which puja is done with kumkum by the priest. The devotees stand in rapt attention till deeparadhana is offered to the deity.

Adjoining the sannidhi of the Goddess is that of Siva, whose appellation is Aksheeswara. The icon is a small sized linga. The Nandi is proportionately small sized and is diagonally facing Siva. Only after offering deeparadhana to Siva, it is offered to the Goddess. Adjoining this sannidhi is that of Lakshminarayana. All the three sannidhis are in a row. There are no suka nasi and Navaranga. There is only a mukha mantapa.

Goddess Nimishamba is considered as the incarnation of Goddess Parvathi, the consort of Lord Shiva. This place Ganjam is considered as a holy place. Muktharaja of Somavamsha Aryakshatriya performed penance at Nimishamba Temple.

Shrichakra is carved on a stone in front of Sri Nimishamba and pooja is performed. There is a belief that Goddess Nimishamba is going to remove all the problems and troubles of her devotees within a minute. That is why she is called Nimishamba. Nimisha means a minute and Amba is the name of Parvathi. Somavamsha Aryakshatriya Mutharasa king Muktharaja was blessed with the boon that Sri Nimishamba will come to his aid in his fight against the demons in a minute. That is why there is a deity Lord Shiva by the name of Moukthikeshwara. This temple was installed at the time of Mummadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar about 300 to 400 years ago.