Ammanagudda Sri Kukkuvadeshwari Temple is located in the peaceful village of Ammanagudda, which lies in Channagiri taluk of Davanagere district in Karnataka.The temple is believed to be 400–500 years old. The temple is considered to have begun as a sacred anthill worship site, which gradually developed into a full shrine after a divine incident experienced by villagers.
The presiding deity of the temple is Goddess Kukkavadeshwari, considered a powerful form of Shakti and the protective mother of the region. She is widely worshipped for wellbeing, protection, cattle prosperity, and especially good agricultural harvests. Beside the main shrine is a temple dedicated to Lord Parashurama, believed in the local tradition as the son of the Goddess, and opposite to the main temple stands the shrine of Goddess Matangamma, another village guardian deity.
The architecture of the temple is simple, traditional, and typical of rural Karnataka. The sanctum is built close to the original anthill, preserving the divine spot connected to the temple’s origin. A modest prayer hall, stone flooring, and open natural surroundings give the temple an ancient and rustic charm. The additional shrines of Parashurama and Matangamma complete the temple complex harmoniously.
The history of Ammanagudda tells us that this entire region was once covered with dense forest, and the village was known as Kukkavada. The people here depended mainly on agriculture and cattle rearing. The temple’s existence began with a divine event involving a cow, which not only changed the spiritual landscape of the village but also established the Goddess as the protector of the entire region. Over the years, the temple grew from a small anthill shrine into a respected place of worship known for miracles and blessings.
Long ago, a villager’s cow suddenly stopped giving milk, leading the owner to suspect and scold the boy who took it for grazing. Feeling hurt, the boy followed the cow secretly one day into the forest. To his astonishment, the cow went near a large anthill and began pouring milk over it. The boy immediately informed the villagers, who came to witness this extraordinary scene themselves. At that very moment, the Goddess appeared in the form of a young girl and revealed that she resided within the anthill. She instructed the villagers to build a temple for her at the same spot. When the people examined the anthill, they discovered an idol of the Goddess inside. They installed the idol in front of the anthill and built a small shrine. As the Goddess chose to reside in Kukkavada, she came to be known as Sri Kukkavadeshwari.Even today, locals strongly believe that the temple continues to be a place of miracles.
Festivals celebrated here include Navaratri with special decorations and daily pujas, the annual Ammanavara Jatre marked by traditional rituals, Full Moon Pujas performed by devotees seeking blessings, and harvest-season rituals offered by farmers for prosperity and good crops.
