While people who visit Mysore, never miss a visit to the Mysore Palace, Krishna Raja Sagara, Kukkarahali Lake, Jaganmohan Art Gallery, Brindavan Gardens, Lalitha Mahal, Chamundi Hills, Mysore Zoo, and more, they usually tend to miss the lesser known temples.
Shweta Varahaswamy temple is one among the most ancient temples in Mysore city. As per Hinduism, among lord Vishnu’s many avatars, ten are considered as the most important - Dashavatar.
Built in Hoysala architectural style, the main deity of the temple, Varaha is made up of white stone and hence gets the name ‘Shweta Varaha’ (Shweta means white).
There is also a separate shrine for Lakshmi apart from shrines for Ranganath, Garuda and Hanuman.
The festivities associated with the annual brahmothsava of Shwetha Varahaswamy temple are held for about two weeks during the months of Chaitra-Vaishaka (April-May). The temple is worth watching especially when the palace complex is lit up in the evenings.
One of the important features of this temple is the mural paintings on the walls and the Navaranga. It has stucco niches at the sides of the entrance. These paintings depict incidents from the Ramayana and the Bhagavata and focuses on the exploits of Lord Krishna.
The Mysore King, Chikka Devaraja Wadiyar III (1672-1704 A.D.) procured the stone image of Shweta Varahaswamy from Srimushnam in Tamil Nadu and installed the idol in a temple at Srirangapatna which was the then capital.
However, the deity was brought to Mysore and consecrated in the present temple constructed by Dewan Puraniah as per the wishes of Krishna Raja Wadiyar III.