Besides the pancha lingas, there are many other magnificent temples in Talakad. Another magnificent structure is the Keerthinarayana temple, which is the only temple in Talakad to have been constructed in the Hoysala style of architecture. In 1117, Vishnuvardh-ana, one of the greatest rulers of the Hoysala dynasty seized Talakad from the Cholas and assumed the title of Talakadugonda. In commemoration of this achievement, he built the Keerthinarayana temple at Talakad.
Inside the sanctum sanctorum stands an eight-foot-tall statue of Keerthinarayana. Recent excavations in the temple complex have brought to light remains of earlier centuries. Among the findings are an intricately-carved mantapa (with carvings of Ugranarasimha) made of stone, which is about 12 foot tall. A thulasikatte, remnants of a Garuda kamba, two stone inscriptions and walls of an unknown structure were also found here.
The efforts of the archaeological department are laudable in this regard. Each piece of stone has been numbered, and the mantapas are being rebuilt bit by bit. Work is still on at the site of excavation. The painstaking efforts of the archaeologists is bound to bring to light some more astounding facts about the structures that once stood in the precincts of the Keerthi-narayana temple. Currently, the repair work is on in the temple complex, for which the southern entrance has been sealed. It could probably bring to light some more facts that could enlighten us about the history of the temple. Although half-buried in sand, the Keerthinarayana temple still looks majestic.
The Shivalinga in this pic is brown in colour, everywhere we find black or white shivalinga but this is different. This is more than 1200 years old....The Vaidyeshsara temple along with four others - Arkeshwara, Vasukishwara or Pataleshwara, Saikateshwara or Maraleshwara and Mallikarjuna constitute the Panchalingams here. These five Lingams are said to represent the five faces of Shiva. The Pataleshwara Shivalingam is said to change colors during the day (red in the morning, black in the afternoon and white in the evening)
Last week we also visited Talakad along with Shivasamudra falls.Talakad is located around 60 kms towards east of Mysore City and is on the banks of river "KAVERI". This place was once the capital city of "Ganga Dynasty".
Many of the temples were submerged in the sands of river kaveri. Now they have been unearthed by archeological dept of India. The meeting place of two rivers Kapila and Kaveri at this place makes it a beautiful. It is believed that more than 30 temples in Talakad are covered by sand.
There are many legends associated with this place which are amazing.
This is one of the temples at Talkad, one can see the excavation work still going on. I visited this temple from inside, though Pareekh preferred to stay outside. There is definitely something divine about this place. I cannot define it but had a very nice feeling, felt like sitting for sometime inside with eyes closed, but did not as we had lot more to discover in this area. 
The presence of a large mass of sand in Talakad amid lush green vegetation is something that is worth pondering. While geologists say that Talakad is filed with sand carried by the wind from the dry bed of river Cauvery, the locals still prefer to go by the age-old tale of Alamelamma and her curse. Several interesting legends surround this place.. About 400 years ago, Srirangapatana is supposed to have been under the control of the mighty Vijayanagar empire. Alamelamma was the wife of the king’s representative named Srirangaraya. Every Tuesday and Friday, Sri Ranganaya-kamma borrowed Alame-lamma’s jewels and returned it after the pooja. Meanwhile, Srirangaraya developed a tumour on his back, resembling the hood of a cobra (the disease is called Bennu Phani Roga or Raja Roga in Kannada). Srirangaraya, along with his wife, came to Talakad to worship Vaidyanatheshwara with the hope of being cured of his ailment. Srirangaraya, however, did not survive for long, and his wife settled down in a small village called Malangi. During this period, the Wodeyars took over Srirangapatna, and started demanding the jewels. When Alamelamma could not bear it no more, she sent a nose ring to Srirangapatana and jumped into a pond in Malangi with the remaining jewels. Before she ended her life, Alamelamma is supposed to have uttered three curses, of which one is “Talakadu Marulagi.” When translated to English, it means, “Let Talakadu be covered with sand.” The locals still believe that Alamelamma’s curse is the cause for the large mass of sand in Talakad.
I found this piece of architecture to be most amazing in whole of Talakad. This signifies the name of the king Nagakundala -- there is naga (snake) and kundala (rings). Initially there were 4 kundalas but now only two remain... made from one piece of stone, isn't this grand......
