Temples
Immediately, Lord Rāma accompanied by Ṛṣi Vaśiṣṭha went to Kūdali, the sacred confluence of Tuṅgabhadrā river. There, after taking a holy dip and consecrating a Śiva Liṅga, he offered prayers. Vaśiṣṭha named the Śiva Liṅga as ‘Śrī Rāmeśwara’. Afterwards, Vāli's jīva found liberation, left Lord Rāma, and ascended to the heavens in a celestial chariot. To this day, people who suffer from ghostly afflictions believe that by taking a dip in the Tuṅgabhadrā confluence, performing rituals, and offering pūjas to Śrī Rāmeśwara, they can be relieved from such afflictions.
Sri Raameshwara Temple
In the Rāmeśwara Temple, there are deities of Śrī Śaktī Gaṇapati and Śrī Cāmuṇḍīśwarī. It is said in the Skanda Purāṇa that Lord Rāma himself consecrated the Rāmeśwara Liṅga.
There is a legend associated with this. After his coronation, Lord Rāma was ruling the kingdom of Ayodhya according to Nyāya and Dharma. One morning, while he was in the garden, he saw two shadow forms following him. One shadow had his own likeness, while the other had the form of a monkey. Seeing this unusual sight, he went to Sage Vaśiṣṭha to seek an explanation. Sage Vaśiṣṭha explained that the monkey's shadow was that of Vāli; he advised Lord Rāma to go to the sacred Tuṅgabhadrā confluence and perform a ritual to install a Śiva Liṅga to remove pretatva of Vāli.
Chintaamani Narasimha
The Bhaviṣyottara Purāṇa states that Prahlāda consecrated Lord Narasimha in this temple. The Purāṇa also mentions that Lord Kṛṣṇa informed Yudhiṣṭhira about the greatness of this place.
Prahlāda, the son of Hiraṇyakaśipu, rules the kingdom with happiness and contentment. Once, he desired to take Mahāmantropadeśa, do a purascaraṇa and please Lord Viṣṇu. He visits the āśrama of Gālava Ṛṣi. He was welcomed, given a seat and asked why he came to the āśrama. Prahlāda expresses his longing to receive the mantra that will lead him to Viṣṇu's abode (Viṣṇu-pada). The Ṛṣi then imparts the thirty-two syllable mantra. The Ṛṣi of the mantra is Prajāpati, it is Gāyatri Chandas, Devata is Śrī Lakṣmī Narasimha. He further explained that by doing purascaraṇa of this mantra near Tuṅgabhadrā Saṅgama, which has Brahma Tīrtha, Viṣṇu Tīrtha and other divya Tīrthas, he would swiftly gain siddhi.
Prahlāda, guided by the Gālava Ṛṣi, arrives at Yamalapuri Kṣetra (Kūdali), the confluence of the Tuṅgabhadrā river. Here he takes a bath (sacaila-snāna) and gives pitritarpaṇa and worships the devatas. Then Prahlāda sits reciting the Śrī Lakṣmīnarasimha mūla-mantra which was given as dīksha by Gālava Ṛṣi. After some time Śrī Narasimha appeared in the water in the form of Śālagrāma Śila.
Prahlāda brought the śila out of the water, placed it at a spot and worshipped it. Taken in by Prahlāda's devotion, Narasimha emerged from the Śālagrāma Śila, appearing in his true form, and offered him a boon. Prahlāda prays, "May I remain your devotee in every birth. Bless this Tuṅgabhadrā Saṅgama Kṣetra to always have your presence, bringing blessings to all. Grant liberation to those who remember you, freeing them from the cycle of birth and death, and bestow peace upon them.
Lord Narasimha grants his boon and merges with the Śālagrāma stone. Content with the darśan of Śrī Narasimha, Prahlāda returns to his kingdom with his heart full of joy.
In addition to this Purāṇic reference, there is another popular folk tale. Pleased with Prahlāda's bhakti, Lord Narasimha emerges from the Śalagrāma stone and gives him darśan in His Virāṭ-rūp. At this point, Prahlāda prays, "May you take a form that is worthy of being worshipped by humans, one that reflects your grace." Responding to his prayer, Narasimha instructs him to place his hand on his head. Then Prahlāda raises his right hand. Śrīswāmi takes upon the Kubjāvatāra (smaller form) that sits in Vīrāsana so he fits into space between his palm and earth. Seeing this adorable little form of Narasimha, Prahlāda ecstatically placed his palm on Śrī Narasimha's head. Even today, the scalp of this idol is flat. There is a slightly raised part in the middle. There is a chakra symbol on it. It is said that Prahlāda had a cakra symbol on his palm and that symbol is the mark here on Narasimha's head. That's why another name for this vigraha is called 'Śiraścakra-mūrti'. As a symbol of Prahlāda's promise to fulfil the wishes of the devotees, there is a 'cintāmaṇi' in the right hand of Śrī Mūrti. Narasimha is the presiding deity of this place. That is why Kūdali is also called Śrī Narasimha Kṣetra in Purāṇas.
Brahmeshwara
In the Purāṇas, there is a story about the establishment of the deity Brahmeśwara.
Once, Lord Brahma decided to perform tapas to gain the grace of Śiva and chose the Tuṅgabhadrā confluence (Saṅgama-Kṣetra) as the location. He instals a Śivaliṅga here, bathes in the Saṅgam daily, comes in wet clothes and worships the Śivaliṅga. Here he worships Śiva for three thousand years and attains Siddhi. Pleased with his devotion, Lord Śiva appeared before Brahma and fulfilled his wishes. This miraculous event occurred on the auspicious day of Aśvayuja Śukla Pūrṇimā. Śiva said, ‘On Aśvayuja Śukla Pūrṇimā, in this place I will be present both at night and day. Those who worship me on this day will attain all their desires.
Furthermore, when Monday coincides with Amāvāsya (new moon), observing Trayodaśi (13th day of the lunar fortnight) on the previous Saturday, keep the fast during day-time and do Pūja in the evening, fasting all day on Caturdaśi (which would be on Sunday) and doing jāgaraṇa (staying awake whole night), and on Monday, during the time of the Amāvāsya (new moon), take Saṅgam snāna at Kuhūyoga time and in wet clothes come and worship Lord Brahmeśwara. Those who do so will also attain all siddhis. Having said this, Śiva disappeared.
As a reminder of the direct appearance of Lord Śiva to Brahma, even today, a Rathotsava is celebrated at this place on the day of Aśvayuja Śukla Pūrṇimā.
Sri Sharadamba
The installation of Goddess Śāradā Devī in Kūdali-Kṣetra is said to have been performed by Śrī Śaṅkara Bhagavatpāda, as mentioned in history of Śrī Kūdali Maṭh and other sources.
Śrī Śaṅkara Bhagavatpāda defeated Mandana Miśra, an incarnation of Brahma, and Ubhaya Bhāratī Devī, the wife of Mandana Miśra, an incarnation of Saraswati. Mandana Miśra, after his defeat, accepted the role of a disciple and became a sannyasi (monk) named SureśwarĀcārya. As her husband took up sannyasa, Ubhaya Bhāratī prepared to go to her world. Then Śaṅkara Bhagavatpāda prayed to her with Śrī Vanadurga mantra and requested her to stay and bless the establishment of Dakṣiṇāmnāya Pīṭham. Agreeing to this, Śāradā said,
