Shri Guru Kottureshwara Temple, Kotturu

The Shri Guru Kottureshwara Shrine is an ancient place of worship at Kotturu in the Vijayanagara district of Karnataka, 19 km from Kudligi and 70 km from Davanagere. Local tradition holds that Nandi came down from Kailasa in the form of a saint to protect the Veerashaiva people. The shrine has four mathas, from Murkal Matha, where he is said to have first arrived, to Gachina Matha, where the Guru reached Shiva through meditation.

The chariot festival, or Rathothsava, takes place in February just before Maha Shivaratri. Tribal devotees serve milk to the idol, and the ratha is said to stir only when the nakshatra turns to Mula, after which devotees pull it, many having walked from home on Padha Yatra. Karthikotsava in December lasts about six weeks and fills the shrine with lit diyas. Visitors also try the town's popular local dish, mandakki menasinakai.