Rameshwara Temple at Iruppu

Rameshwara Temple at Iruppu is a Hindu Shiva temple located on the banks of the Lakshmana Tirtha River at Iruppu near Kutta in Kodagu district, Karnataka. Situated adjacent to the Iruppu Falls in the Brahmagiri forest range, it is traditionally associated with the Ramayana legend of Rama and Lakshmana. The temple is a pilgrimage site, especially during Maha Shivaratri, and is visited together with the nearby waterfall.

Visitors can expect a small traditional South Indian Shiva temple set on the forested banks of the Lakshmana Tirtha River, just before the approach to Iruppu Falls. The complex includes the main shrine with a Shiva linga, open river ghats where pilgrims take a holy dip, and surrounding Brahmagiri forest scenery. The area is tranquil, with stone steps leading to the river, shops selling offerings, and a short walk connecting the temple and the waterfall trail.

The temple is traditionally believed to have been established when Rama installed a Shiva linga at Iruppu to atone after the events described in the Ramayana, and Lakshmana is said to have created the Lakshmana Tirtha River by shooting an arrow into the Brahmagiri hills to bring water for the rites. The present structure is a historic South Indian temple maintained as a local pilgrimage centre on the forest fringe.

The temple is a revered Shaivite pilgrimage site dedicated to Lord Shiva as Rameshwara. Pilgrims consider a dip in the Lakshmana Tirtha River before darshan to be purifying. The temple draws large gatherings during Maha Shivaratri and is culturally linked with the sacred geography of the Brahmagiri hills and Iruppu Falls.