Tourist places › Fort & Temple
Udutadi
The birthplace of the 12th-century poet-saint Akka Mahadevi, with a memorial temple and old fort remains
Udutadi's claim to fame is Akka Mahadevi, one of the most significant poet-saints of the 12th-century Vachana movement, remembered for her devotional poetry and her uncompromising path of renunciation. A memorial temple in the village marks her birthplace and devotion to Chenna Mallikarjuna, a form of Shiva.
The village was also once a fortified town under the Kalachuri dynasty, and traces of that older Udutadi Fort remain alongside the temple — making this as much a stop for Kannada literary history as for its religious significance.
Highlights
- Birthplace of Akka Mahadevi, a major poet-saint of the 12th-century Vachana movement
- A memorial temple dedicated to her devotion to Chenna Mallikarjuna (Shiva)
- Remnants of a fortified town once held under the Kalachuri dynasty
Getting there
Outside current Malnad Yatra bus coverage; Udutadi is reached via Shikaripura town by private vehicle.