Talakad

Talakādu is a town on the left bank of the Kaveri river 45 km (28 miles) from Mysore and 133 km (82 miles) from Bangalore in Karnataka, India. Latinizations of the towns name vary, but include Talkād, Talakadu, Talakkadu, or Thalakadu. It had over 30 temples, most of which now lay buried in sand. The extant group of temples, where the eastward flowing Kāveri river changes course as the sand on its banks spreads over a wide area, is a popular pilgrimage site for Hindus.

==History== thumb|Close up view of the shrine and mantapa (hall) outer wall at Vaidyeshvara temple The origin of the town is lost in antiquity, but one tradition is that its name was derived from two Kirāta twin brothers, Tala and Kādu. The brothers cut down a tree after seeing wild elephants worship it and discovered it contained an image of Shiva and that the elephants were rishis transformed. The tree being miraculously restored, all obtained mōksha and the place was named Tala-kādu, which was translated into Sanskrit as Dala-vana. Two stone images declared to represent the brothers are pointed out in front of the temple Veerabadra swamy. In a later age, Rāma is said to have halted here on his expedition to Lanka.