Dattatreya Swami Temple in Dharwad
Amidst all the temples and religious sites in Dharwad, Temple of Dattatreya Swami is the most venerable among all the idols worshiped in Hindu mythology. Situated at Gandhi Chowk of Dharwad district, Dattatreya Temple is commonly known as Dattana Gidu in this region devoted to Lord Dattatreya Swami, depicting the embodiment of Holy Trinity. Symbolizing the 4 Vedas; religious scripts of the Hindus through the 4 heads of the relic or idol, this temple is a magnificent example of architectural elegance. The temple of Dattatreya Swami in Dharwad comes alive on his birth anniversary, also celebrated as Datt Jayanti. Inside the shrine, the lord who is an embodiment of Brahma, Vishnu and Maheswar is depicted as an idol with 3 heads.
Lord Dattatreya is believed to be an embodiment of Lord Shiva and also as the 1st teacher of Adinath Sampradaya of the Nathas. Dattatreya Swami is accredited as the writer of Tripura Rahasya, a piece of writing on Advaita Vedanta. The original temple of Dattatreya Swami is located in Gangapura village of Gulbarga district in Karnataka. Lord Dattatreya is believed to have acquired fruition on the embankment of Bhima River.