India is diverse in every respect — be it culture, weather, landscape or religion. The nation is also known to be a pilgrimage destination where one can experience and grow spiritually as per their beliefs. Pilgrims often travel to spiritual places like Kedarnath, Dwarka, Rameshwaram, Puri and Ajmer and the list goes on. But Karnataka, which is woven into the rich tapestry of traditions and numerous festivals, is also an example of religious syncretism. However, today we will talk about a village in the state which houses not one or five temples but hundreds of them.
From Allama Prabhu to Lord Shankaralinga, the temples at Madiyal village of Aland Taluk in Gulbarga District in Karnataka house hundreds of gods. The locals also called the village home of deities. There are temples, including Amoghasidda, Shankarlinga, Allama Prabhu, Yalammadevi, Lakshmi Temple, Maragamma Temple and the list goes on. The village not only has Hindu temples but also dargahs.
Annually, the village celebrates a grand Jatre festival with lots of zeal and pomp which symbolises the spirits of Allama Prabhu, Amoghasiddha and Sankaralinga temple. People from the neighbouring districts and villages visit Madiyal to celebrate the festival. During the festival, the village is converted into an amusement park with delicious street food. There are also numerous stalls installed of religious things like marigold flowers and rose petals, incense sticks and oil lamps. During the festival, mini processions pay respects to the deities.
Last year in March, Sultan Khaleel Shah Bahmani who is a descendant of the Bahmani dynasty which ruled the Deccan for almost 150 years during the 14 and 15 centuries, welcomed Somashekhar Shivaraya Wodeyar. He was the Lingayat priest of the Madiyal temple. The temple in the village was reportedly built during the Chalukya era. There’s no denying that the Madiyal village is one of the great examples of communal harmony.
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