INTRODUCTION

       Sri Hattilakamma Temple is also popular as Sri Mahalakshmi Hatiilakamma Devi, Ammanahatti. It is a famous ancient temple, located in Ammanahatti, Kunigal Taluk, Tumakur district.

    This ancient temple attracts  many pilgrims throughout the year. Special pooja's will be performed on Fridays and Tuesdays and also Amavasyas and on Full moon days. ANNADANA is provided to the devotees every day.

    During the festival of MAHA SHIVARATHRI, the procession of Goddess takes place for 4 days. During the festival cultural activites like Jagath Jyothi Ustava, Rathostava, and Basava Savari and Arathi ustavas are performed. Deepotsava is done during the Deepavali festival in Karthika maasa. The Pooja in the Temple is carried on according to the customs of "Kaadu Golla's" (Yadavas)

The Story of Shri Hattilakamma Temple:

      The story of the temple goes like this. A poor man named Thirumalegowda was performing pooja to Lord Tirumala every day. Then along came a man named Ranahuchappa who brought an idol of Goddess Lakshmi (Lakamma) along with him to perform pooja. Thirumalegowda refused to do pooja as he couldn’t afford the costs. He was banished from the village for his refusal to perform pooja.

   After some time Thirumalegowda started facing many problems. To find a solution to his problems, he decided to travel to neighbouring village to consult a Koravanji (Jyothisya). On his way while he was resting under a tree, he saw a woman passing by. Learning that she was a Koravanji he seeks solution to his problem. Then the koravanji reveals that he was facing the problems due to his refusal to perform pooja to Lakshmi idol brought to his house and told him to perform the pooja to solve his problems. He was very happy on finding the solution and turned to offer her fees to see that the woman had vanished. He learnt that the woman was none other than Goddess Lakshmi in disguise.

Thirumalegowda settled down in the place of Ammanahatti So the Place came to be known as Hattilakmma, He started doing charity works and his home was called “Mahalakshim hattilakamma Nilaya” and the place became popular as Mahalakshmi Hattilakamma Devi. Sri Keshtra Ammanahatti.

After many years the descendent of Thirumalegowda, a dumb person called Thimmegowda couldn’t perform poojas to the Goddess. So from the year 1850, the temple fell into a neglected state.  In that situation Sri Yajaman Gajegowdaru, who was uncle of Thimmegowda, took the responsibility of the temple in his hands in the year 1870. He started performing the poojas to the Goddess.  Then again after a year, the temple got into a neglected state, when he left the place. After few years Gajegowda was back in Ammanahatti and settled in his native Honakere Gollarahatti. After this, regular poojas were performed by Konegowda.

       Konegowda s/o Thimegowda and Rangegowda s/o Gajegowda, started taking care of temple under guidance of Gajegowda. Konegowda named his son Thirumalegowda, after his ancestor and founder of Goddess Maha Lakshmi temple.

  In his dreams Thirumalegowda was asked by Goddess Lakshmi to build a shrine for her.  Hence, Thirumalegowda built a temple for Goddess MahaLakshmi Hattilakamma.  After that patel Thirumalegowda became Darmadharshi of the Temple.

   In due time, temple attained fame by word of mouth. Tuesdays and Fridays are considered as very auspicious days in this temple and lot of people visit the temple in these days of the week.  

Developments under Dharmadharshi Yajaman Thirumalegowdaru:

Basavana Gudi(Bull Temple):

Dharmadarshi Patel Thirumalegowda,  constructed, Basavana Gudi, Its place where the bull had died and built a (samadi) Temple.