Vadanbailu Padmavati Devi Temple is located in Vadanbailu, around 12 miles from Jog Falls in Sagara Taluk, Karnataka.
The divine presence of Padmavati Amma in this region is believed to be over 500 years old. The Goddess originally appeared at Hebbailu, near Linganamakki, where she manifested naturally in a hutta (anthill). After the Sharavathi Dam was built, the original place went underwater, and the deity’s presence was brought to Vadanbailu.
The presiding deity is Sri Padmavati Devi, lovingly known as “Bale Padmavati Amma.” She is a powerful form of Shakti and is worshipped here in the hutta (ant hill) form. Devotees believe she answers prayers related to marriage, children, health, job, family issues, peace, and prosperity. The temple gives hutta soil as prasadam, which is believed to remove obstacles and bring immediate relief.
Along with Padmavati Amma, the temple complex includes other powerful deities. The most important among them is the Muktinaga, a unique serpent deity with seven heads, seven feet height, and weighing around 77 quintals. Devotees climb a side ladder to perform abhisheka and complete 108 pradakshinas to remove Naga Dosha and related problems. Another key presence is Bhootharaja, the guardian deity of the temple. Devotees facing obstacles, disturbances, or ancestral issues offer prayers here, and after their wish is fulfilled, they dedicate trishuls as a mark of gratitude. These deities add to the powerful spiritual energy of Vadanbailu.
The temple is built around the sacred 12-foot-high hutta, where the Goddess resides. One of the rarest features is the garbhagudi with four entrances—east, west, north, and south—based on divine instruction. A protective structure surrounds the hutta, with platforms on all four sides. The temple space includes areas for pooja, bangle offerings, prasadam storage, and comfortable facilities for devotees.
Padmavati Devi first manifested at Hebbailu Devi Hutta. During the Sharavathi Dam construction, the original spot was submerged. To preserve her divine energy, the present dharmadarshi’s father carried sacred soil from the original hutta and installed Vadanbailu’s Nagabana. After his passing, worship stopped for some years.
Later, the Goddess appeared in dreams of the young dharmadarshi (then 18–20 years old), reminding him that no pooja was happening. When ignored, he faced difficulties in his job and life. Astrologers confirmed that their family deity was waiting for service. He then visited the hutta, prayed sincerely, and asked for a divine sign. The next morning, a new hutta appeared with a serpent coiled around it, confirming the presence of Padmavati Devi. From that day, the family devoted itself to serving the Goddess, and miracles began to happen.
The sthalapurana describes that Padmavati Devi resides in the hutta and protects all devotees. When the old mud shrine collapsed years ago, the entire wall fell only outside, and not a single grain of mud touched the sacred hutta, proving the Goddess’s divine shield.
The Goddess instructed the dharmadarsi to build four doors around the hutta, symbolizing her protection in all four directions. She also commanded that hutta soil must be given to devotees, as it acts as a powerful remedy for all problems. The famous bangle offering tradition began when devotees’ prayers were fulfilled soon after offering bangles, giving her the name Bale Padmavati Amma.
Fridays and Sundays see the highest number of devotees. Devotees offer bangles (Bale Harake) in counts like 48, 108, 1008, or bangles matching the weight of a child for child-related prayers. After fulfillment, devotees return and offer more bangles. Regular annadanam is conducted—breakfast, lunch, and dinner for devotees who stay overnight. The temple atmosphere is peaceful, devotional, and filled with positive energy.
Thousands of devotees have witnessed powerful blessings, including childbirth after years of waiting, successful marriages, good health, job opportunities, education success, property development, and family peace. Devotees believe that whatever seems impossible becomes possible after praying to Padmavati Amma. The temple is filled with heaps of bangle offerings, and prasadam bangles are stored in huge drums.
