What to expect
Highlights
- The carved Shiva shrine.
- The Simha-vahini Durga shrine.
- The ornamental temple tank.
Virupaksha Temple, Mulbagal
A finely carved Shiva temple near Mulbagal with a Simha-vahini Durga shrine and an ornamental temple tank — a lesser-known heritage temple of the eastern plateau. (Distinct from the Virupaksha temple of Hampi.) This temple guide is organized from Mulbagal in Kolar district, with practical planning for routes, timing, nearby stays, food, operators and direct local inventory. Use it to compare what to see, how long to spend, when to go and which pilgrim stays, respectful local guides, food stops, shops, transport and verified visitor support should be verified around Virupaksha Temple, Mulbagal.
Practical guide
Plan Virupaksha Temple, Mulbagal
Who's going?Tailor Virupaksha Temple, Mulbagal to your trip
Before you go to Virupaksha Temple, Mulbagal
Entry rules not verified for this temple. Some Hindu temples admit only Hindus, and most enforce a dress code at the door. We have not verified the rule for this particular temple, so please check before you travel — especially if you are not Hindu or are visiting from outside India.
We report each site's own published rules neutrally, and only where we can source them.
Typetemple
Nearest baseMulbagal
DistrictKolar
Best timeOctober to February
Time needed30 minutes
EntryFree
Places to visit6→The Virupaksha Temple near Mulbagal is a finely carved Shiva temple with a Simha-vahini Durga shrine and an ornamental temple tank.
It is a lesser-known heritage temple of the eastern plateau, distinct from the Virupaksha temple of Hampi.
Getting there
How to visit
- About 4 km from Mulbagal; by road.
- A living temple — remove footwear, dress modestly and do not touch the carvings.
Distance by road
- Bengaluru70 km
- Chikkaballapura55 km
- Chintamani40 km
- Tumakuru130 km
- Chennai280 km
Road km to Kolar; ghat roads and traffic vary — allow extra.
Timing
Best time
October to February; morning light.
Weather in Virupaksha Temple, MulbagalSeasonal guide
Live forecast loads in your browser.
Today at Virupaksha Temple, Mulbagal
Sunrise6:06 am
Sunset6:26 pm
Golden hour best light5:26 pm–6:26 pm
Blue hour after sunset6:26 pm–6:51 pm
Sun sets toward compass bearingW · 278°
Moon tonight🌗 Last quarter · 49%
Sunset is in about 3 hours.
South-west monsoon. June to September is the south-west monsoon in Karnataka. Expect heavy showers, mostly in bursts rather than all day — carry rain cover, allow extra time for getting around, and note that ferries and open-air sites are the first things affected.
Sun and moon are calculated for this location and shown in IST. Photography windows are the hour around sunrise and sunset; the sunset bearing is degrees clockwise from true north. Moon phase is accurate to about half a day.
Visitor notes
- A quiet heritage temple — treat the stonework and tank with care.
Photos
Virupaksha Temple, Mulbagal in pictures
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Stays, food & things to do near Virupaksha Temple, Mulbagal
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Top experiences around Mulbagal
5 more places around Mulbagal, each worth a day of its own.
templeKurudumale Ganesha Temple
11.1 km · 15 min drive
A famous temple at Kurudumale about 10 km north of Mulbagal, housing a ~4 m monolithic Ganesha said to be swayambhu, set in a finely carved Vijayanagara pillared mantapa — one of the largest Ganesha idols in Karnataka.
templeAnjaneya Swamy Temple, Mulbagal
410 m · 5 min walk
A revered Hanuman (Anjaneya) temple in Mulbagal town, associated with the Dvaita saint Vyasaraja, and housing shrines to Rama-Sita, Lakshmi-Narasimha and Venugopala — a central pilgrimage of the temple town called the "Dakshina Mandara".
heritageNarasimha Tirtha (Sripadaraja Mutt)
4.0 km · 4 min drive
A cave shrine and Dvaita matha near Mulbagal around a swayambhu Yoga-Narasimha on a boulder, where the 15th-century saint Sripadaraja — teacher of Vyasaraja — lived and taught; the Sripadaraja Mutt and its brindavana stand here.
heritageAvani
11.2 km · 13 min drive
A heritage temple village about 13 km from Mulbagal, called the "Gaya of the South" — the 10th-century Nolamba Ramalingeshwara group of ASI-protected Shiva temples (their lingas named for Rama, Lakshmana, Bharata and Shatrughna) below the Avani Betta hill, whose Sita temple is linked to the Valmiki-ashram and Lava–Kusha legend.
lakeDevarayasamudra Lake
15.1 km · 15 min drive
A large historic reservoir of about 500 acres in the Mulbagal country, a scenic and bird-rich picnic lake fed by the plateau’s seasonal streams.
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Virupaksha Temple, Mulbagal — at a glance
TimingsTemple hours
Best timeOctober to February; morning light
Entry: Free
Getting here
How to reach Virupaksha Temple, Mulbagal
About 4 km from Mulbagal; by road
Getting back
Work out your return before you settle in for the sunset. Public transport here thins out sharply in the evening, and Virupaksha Temple, Mulbagal is easier to reach than to leave. We do not publish departure times: there is no official live feed we are permitted to republish, and a wrong time here would strand you. Check the operator directly on the day.
- KSRTC — the Karnataka state bus operator; route and schedule enquiries. Online booking.
- Indian Railways — live running and seat availability for the nearest railhead, named under “Getting here” above.
Ask at the bus stand for the time of the last service back, not the next one. If you miss it, an auto or app cab is the fallback — agree the fare before you get in.
Getting around Virupaksha Temple, Mulbagal
We have not assessed physical access at this place yet. Across India, step-free routes, handrails and accessible toilets are the exception rather than the rule, and pavements are often interrupted — if step-free access matters to you, contact the site or a local operator before committing to the trip.
If you need help at Virupaksha Temple, Mulbagal
112All emergencies (police · fire · medical)The single number to call in any emergency (ERSS).100Police101Fire108Ambulance (emergency / EMS)1091Women’s helpline (distress)1098Child helpline1363Tourist helpline (India, 24×7, multilingual)
Emergency numbers are verified against official government and state tourism sources. 112 works anywhere in India.
Nearby
What’s near Virupaksha Temple, Mulbagal
Walking and driving times are real routed distances, except the few marked “straight line”, which are direct-line estimates and will read short. Routing: © openrouteservice.org by HeiGIT | Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
On the map
Where Virupaksha Temple, Mulbagal is
Good to know
Virupaksha Temple, Mulbagal — frequently asked
When is the best time to visit Virupaksha Temple, Mulbagal?
October to February; morning light.
What are the entry fee and timings at Virupaksha Temple, Mulbagal?
Entry: Free. Timings: Temple hours.
How do I reach Virupaksha Temple, Mulbagal?
About 4 km from Mulbagal; by road. A living temple — remove footwear, dress modestly and do not touch the carvings.
How much time do I need for Virupaksha Temple, Mulbagal?
30 minutes.
What else is near Virupaksha Temple, Mulbagal?
Nearby you can pair Anjaneya Swamy Temple, Mulbagal (410 m), Narasimha Tirtha (Sripadaraja Mutt) (4.0 km), Kurudumale Ganesha Temple (11.1 km), Avani (11.2 km).
Image credits
Photographs: Sudhir Herle, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0), Sudhir Herle (CC BY-SA 4.0). Wikimedia Commons.