The festivities in the fair include five colorful chariots pulled by devotees on a path called the ratha beedi.

The nine-storied, 120-foot-tall temple gopuram (gateway tower) and its extensive exterior was built by Devarajammanni, the queen of the Mysore king Krishnaraja Wadiyar III.

He further assured that his Ansh (a part of his divine self) would always remain here and bless humanity; the place henceforth would be a papa vinashini ('remover of sins').

After bathing in the holy river of Kabini, every human praying to Lord Srikanteshwara or Nanjundeshwara (Shiva) of Nanjungud would be rid of sins and blessed by the god.

As per the advice of his minister, Sri Poornayya, Tipu sent the elephant to the Nanjundeshwara Swamy Temple and performed 48 days of rituals.

Tipu Sultan offered the emerald green Shivlinga as a token of gratitude to Sri Nanjundeshwara Swamy and called Lord Shiva "Hakim Nanjunda" (healer).

[12] The origins of the Srikanteshwara Temple date back to the Ganga dynasty, but its expansion and present grandeur are attributed to contributions from the Cholas, Hoysalas, and the Wodeyars of Mysore.

The name "Nanjundeshwara", meaning "the healer," is derived from Lord Shiva's act of consuming poison (Halahala) during the Samudra Manthana (churning of the ocean).