Temple Description

The temple is also known as Adhishakthyathmaka Sri Annapoorneshwari Ammanavara Temple or Sri Kshetra Horanadu Temple. Legend has it that the sage Agastya established the goddess’s icon here.

One legend recounts a dispute between Shiva and his wife Parvati, who is worshipped as Annapoorna, the goddess of food. Shiva declared that everything, including food, is an illusion (maya). To demonstrate that food is not an illusion, Parvati vanished, causing nature to come to a halt—no climate changes or plant growth, leading to a global drought. Moved by the suffering, Parvati reappeared as Annapurneshwari and provided food to everyone.

Another story tells of Shiva’s anger at Brahma’s pride, leading Shiva to decapitate Brahma’s fifth head, representing his ego. The severed head began to decay and got stuck in Shiva’s hand. Brahma then cursed Shiva, stating that the head would remain stuck until it was filled with food or grains. To break the curse, Shiva, in the form of a beggar known as Bhikshatana, wandered the earth seeking food, but the head remained unfilled. Eventually, Shiva turned to his wife Parvati, who had assumed the form of Annapurneshwari, and she filled the skull with grains, lifting the curse from Shiva.