Irpu and Herumalu Jatre

Besides the annual Tala Kaveri festival in October, and the Kuttad-amma jatre in April, there is a large concourse of people in February during Sivaratri at Herumalu in Kiggatnad, and the day following at Irpu five miles further on, where, at the foot of the Lakshmantirtha fall, thousands of pilgrims submit to the sin-cleansing shower-bath.

The origin of the Irpu and Herumalu jatre is based upon a common Brahmanical legend - One day when Rama with his followers was living in Irpu, his younger brother Lakshmana, in a fit of madness, insulted him by returning the bow and arrows which he had received from Rama. But soon repenting of his rashness, Lakshmana asked forgiveness, offering at the same time to throw himself into a large fire as an atonement for his crime. He accordingly shot an arrow against the foot of the rocks at Irpu, when a large fire flared up, into which he threw himself. In order to save his brother, Rama immediately created a river, which up to the present day is called Lakshmanatirtha, but it was too late. Rama afterwards desired to consecrate the spot, and ordered Hanuman to bring a linga from Kashi (Varanasi) within one hour and a half. During his absence, Rama, fearing that Hanuman would not be back in time, made a linga himself of river-sand, in which operation he was surprised by Hanuman, who flew into a rage for having troubled himself in vain. He twisted his enormous tail round one of the neighbouring hills, Hanuman betta, and attempted to upset it. Rama, to comfort the furious Hanuman, assured him that Hanuman's linga should become even more famous than his own. So the new linga was set up at Herumalu, and the festive day of its worship precedes that of the linga at Irpu.

Source: Mysore and Coorg, Vol. III by Lewis Rice