Navabrindavana

Navabrindavana is a small river island in the Tungabhadra River near Anegundi, Karnataka, close to Hampi. It contains the brindavanas (sacred tombs) of nine prominent Madhva saints, including Vyasatirtha and Padmanabha Tirtha. Revered by followers of Dvaita Vedanta, the island is accessible only by boat and is known for its serene natural setting, religious importance, and association with the Vijayanagara period.

Visitors can expect a short boat ride across the Tungabhadra River to a quiet, rocky island with nine brindavanas dedicated to Madhva saints, simple shrines, stone pathways and natural riverine landscape. The island has minimal development, with open courtyards, tulsi plants near shrines, and views of the river and surrounding boulders and fields. Exploration is on foot around the shrines and riverbank.

Navabrindavana houses the brindavanas of nine Madhva saints, disciples and pontiffs of the Dvaita Vedanta tradition, including Padmanabha Tirtha, Kavindra Tirtha, Vagisha Tirtha and Vyasatirtha (guru of Purandara Dasa and Kanaka Dasa). The shrines date largely from the 15th to 17th centuries during and after the Vijayanagara Empire, reflecting the region's role as a centre for Madhva scholarship.

The island is a major pilgrimage site for Madhva Brahmins and followers of Dvaita philosophy. It is considered highly sacred for prayers, ancestral rites and spiritual observance, and is traditionally visited as part of the Hampi-Anegundi pilgrimage circuit.