Divine Riches: The fabulous diamond crown of Melkote draws hundreds of thousands of devotees each year

Built on the rocky hills of Yadavagiri, 90 miles from Bangalore, Melkote is a picturesque temple town. It is the abode of Cheluvanarayana, "Handsome Narayana" and Yoga Narasimha, two forms of Vishnu. To many, Melkote is considered the holy Badrinath of South India. Yadavagiri is one of Vishnu's 108 sacred abodes. Legends associate Melkote's existence to the Krita Yuga, the age of Gods, and the diamond crown, Vairmudi, with Lord Vishnu himself. On this day, as we waited with anticipation, the Vairmudi crown arrived by sunset, bringing along with it a much-needed cool breeze. State officials and priests accompanied the diamond crown, which was sealed and wrapped in an antiquated deep blue-velvet bag. Traditional tunes of nadaswaram and temple bells filled the air. Men and women danced to local folk songs about the historic town. On entering Melkote, pujas were performed for the Vairmudi at the Anjaneyaswamy temple at the entrance of the town. The crown is then taken in procession to the main Cheluvanarayanaswamy temple.