Adichunchanagiri shrine complex

The Adichunchanagiri Mahasamsthana at Adichunchanagiri in Mandya district, Karnataka, 100 kilometres from Bangalore — the chief matha (monastic seat) of the Vokkaliga caste of southern Karnataka, with a history traced to Natha-Siddha order of 9-century Shaiva saint-ascetics. The matha became the central institution of the Vokkaliga community in the 20-century under the leadership of Sri Balagangadharanatha Swamiji (headed 1974-2013). The matha runs over 450 educational institutions across Karnataka (including the Adichunchanagiri Institute of Medical Sciences, 1986), the Sri Adichunchanagiri Mahavidyapeeth and the Sri Adichunchanagiri University (established 2017). The matha's annual Pushya Suddha festival each January draws over a million Vokkaliga pilgrims. The adjoining 20-century Kalabhairaveshwara Shiva temple and the Peacock Sanctuary complete the complex.