Temple Description

The Tuluveshwara Temple is one of the 24 temples located in Basrur, alongside other notable temples such as the Nakhareshwara Temple, the Shree Mahatobar Mahalingeshwara Temple, and the Sri Mahalasa Narayani Temple.

The original Tuluveshwara Temple is thought to have been established between the 5th and 6th centuries CE, while the existing ruins date back to around the 15th century CE.

The temple’s name, Tuluveshwara, hints at the Tuluva tribes that once inhabited the area. It is believed that the Alupa Kings, who later ruled Mangalore, succeeded these tribes.

Historical records, including the Halmidi inscription, indicate that the Alupa kings were adherents of the Pashupata cult, which was later succeeded by the Natha cults that revived Shaivism in the region.

Today, the temple is no longer intact. The ruins, consisting of walls and a doorway, are overgrown with dense vegetation. To view the main lingam, one must peer through a dense curtain of roots.