The Shree Shishileshwara Temple is situated on the banks of the Kapila River in Shishila village of Belthangady Taluk, Dakshina Kannada district. As per the local 18 Kannada, this revered temple is also known as Matsya Theertha Kshetra because of the temple deity (Lord Shiva, swamyambhu avatar). They are later fed to the Mahaseer fish (Matsya —an avatar of Lord Vishnu) fish deity there.
A unique feature of this temple is that the devotees who visit here pray to the Mahaseer fish in the Kapila River and offer flowers to them. In addition to the Kapila River, this temple is surrounded by hills and dense forests from all directions. As per reports, this religious institution also has the power to attract even atheists to its pedestal. The devotees firmly believe that praying to the fish will resolve their problems.
As per the beliefs, Lord Vishnu resides in the river in the form of Matsya (fish) so the water should always be pure. It is also believed that if a handful of rice is given to the fish, it cures all kinds of diseases including skin ailments.
There are no documents available in particular to provide correct information about the year in which the temple was constructed. In an earlier interaction with the Deccan Herald, an engineer from the Archaeology Department talked about his history. He said that Lord Shiva is worshipped in this temple in the form of Udbhava Linga. As per the engineer, the tribals found the linga centuries back in the nearby hill Kumara Gudda. The Linga was worshipped here for quite a long time.
One morning, the Linga appeared in the place of the current temple to make it easy for the priest to perform the daily rituals. Even today on the last day of the temple fair, the priest along with the villagers visits the original place where the Linga was found and performs the daily rituals.
As per the reports, the Kapila River is drying up and due to this, the Shree Shishileshwara temple administration has prohibited offering flowers to the fish. The water level in the river has also decreased.
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