Mudukuthore is a pilgrim centre situated on the banks of the river Kaveri. Mudukuthore is a quiet village with a backdrop of a hillock called Somagiri.^[1].

Mudukuthore is located at a distance of 48 km from Mysore, 25 km from Somnathapur, 18 km from T.Narsipur and is close to Talakad. The place is known for the temple of Lord Mallikarjuna. During January-February, every year, a big festival fair is organized for a week where cattle and agricultural Products are traded.This is one of the famous fair which crowds thousands of visitors.

The place gets its name Mudukuthore from the river cauvery as it gets a turn and flows forwad. Muduku means 'Diversion' and Thore means 'flow forward'.

During Mahabharatha period, Arjuna, One of the Pandavas stayed here on the hill. He carved the idol of Lord shiva and did pooja with "Mallika pushpa" (a kind of flower). Thats the reason the Lord shiva is called as Mallikarjuna.

It is one of the five temples that are part of the Panchalingadarshana held at Talakd once every 12 years. The five temples viz., Sri Kshethra Vaideshwara, Sri Pathaleshwara, Sri Maruleshwara, Sri Arakeshwara and Sri Mudukuthore Mallikarjuneshwara are believed to be Panchalingas and thus have become famous.^[2]

The festival takes place simultaneously at the above five temples of Shiva. The temples are decorated with plantain stalks and flowers and the pilgrims undertaking Panchalinga Darshana offer their Pooja to the God.^[3]

The uniqueness of this festival is that the poojas at the five temples begin at the same time following the ancient tradition for obtaining blessings for devotees and rulers of the country.^[4]