The Dattatreya Temple is located in the Gulbarga district, which is in Karnataka. The village is known for the renowned Dattatreya temple on the banks of Bhima. Ganagapura is also known as the Deval Ganagapur. This place is an important pilgrim center for people of Maharashtra and Karnataka. This place is connected with the Sri Narasimha Saraswati Swami who is believed to be the second incarnation of Dattatreya. This has been mentioned in the book Gurucharitra where he mentioned that he would be arriving again. He has also said that he would go around the village and ask for bhiksha and the tradition is followed till now. The people here are said to take madhukari from at least 5 homes daily.

This place has been the most holy place and people have experienced miraculous experiences in the village. There have been experiences where people have said that they have been possessed by some evil and when they come to the temple they have experienced miracles. Moreover, the devotees who are suffering from chronic diseases come to the village and get cured. It is believed that the evil spirits vanish and the devotees get the peace of mind when they take the darshan of swami Dattatreya. They believe in the power of the Lord, who can free their body from all bad things. The Papanashini is believed to free from all diseases and skin disorders. If you take a bath here it is believed that you avoid the untimely death.

It is said that Narasimha Saraswati is the avatar of Dattatreya and he was born in Karanjpur which is now known as Karanja in Maharashtra. His name was Narhari Shaligramadeva and was born to Amba Bhavai and Madhav. He was born in the Deshashta Brahmin family in Karanja. The devotees believed that they should take a bath in the Sangam Kshetra before taking the darshan. They are extremely holy and people get free from all sins and their wishes are fulfilled. There is an Audumber tree which is located near the Sangam and many pilgrims read the Shree Gurucharitra sitting under the tree.

History

The main temple is called as the Nirguna Math and is believed to be built in the 14th century. The temple building is famous to get people rid from all black magic powers and bad influence on humans. Lord Dattatreya is known to be the symbol of knowledge and wisdom. The Hindu Vedas have mentioned the presence of the LORD, even today. The Gurucharitra has said that the Lord is in the village and it is experienced even today.

Architecture

The temple of Lord Dattatreya is very old and has a unique architecture like all temples. The old temple is built with stones and has colorful idols on the top of the temple. This type of architecture is called as the Dravida architecture and is followed from the 7th century. The idols that are put up on the pyramid structure depict stories from the past. This pyramid shape on the top of the temple is called as the Shikhara. Like other traditional temples, even this temple has Jagati, Antarala, Mandapa, Garbhagriha, Gopuram, Amalaka and Urushringa.

Best Time to Visit

The place can be visited any time during the year. The temple is open from 3.00 am and is closed till 9.00 pm. The priests perform the kakad aarti to the swami padukas in the morning and anyone can take darshana during the day without any intervention.

Entrance Fee

There are no entrance fees to visit the temple.

How to Reach

By Train

There are most of the trains that connect Gangapur and the station one needs to get down is Gangapur road. Or the nearest city is Gulbarga which is 35 kms from the holy place.

By Bus

Regular buses to Gangapur are available from Gulbarga.

By Air

The nearest airport from Ganagapura is Hyderabad which is approximately 245 kilometers. Then, one can hire a car or a bus from Hyderabad to Gangapur. Furthermore, travelling through road from Gulbarga can also be a good option.