Historical records and architecture firmly date the temple back to the 11th-12th centuries under the rule of the Banga Kings. It has served as the central spiritual and cultural anchor for the Dakshina Kannada region for nearly a millennium, surviving the shifting powers of coastal Karnataka.

Coastal Dravidian Elegance

The temple showcases traditional coastal Karnataka architecture, utilizing locally sourced laterite stone. The structure features sloping roofs designed to withstand the region's heavy monsoons. On the western side of the temple complex lies a highly sacred and historically significant Pushkarini (temple pond).

According to the Sthala Purana, a Smartha Brahmin carrying a Shiva Linga from Kashi arrived in the region. He visited the local Banga King, who was deeply worried about his sister's difficult labor. The Brahmin prayed to the Linga, and the sister safely delivered a boy. The next day, the Brahmin placed the Linga on the bare ground to worship it. When he tried to lift it to leave, it was firmly rooted to the earth. The King's army tried to pull it out using sheer force but failed miserably.

When the King's army failed to lift the rooted Linga, they brought the royal elephant to pull it. The Linga suddenly grew to a massive size (becoming a 'Maha Linga'), and the sheer divine force shattered the elephant into pieces. The animal's body parts scattered, and the places they landed formed the names of surrounding towns (e.g., its horn 'Khombu' fell at Kombettu). Because the elephant fell dead into the temple pond, there is a strict, living ban on elephants entering the temple, and locals believe an elephant will die if it drinks the pond water. Additionally, the town's name 'Puttur' comes from 'Muthur' (pearl), as ancient locals supposedly found pearls mysteriously growing in this very pond.

Daily rituals follow traditional Agamic principles. Devotees circumambulate the massive courtyard, seeking the blessings of Mahalingeshwara. The temple holds great importance for locals seeking remedies for ailments and the fulfillment of specific wishes, with Mondays being particularly crowded.

The absolute pinnacle of the temple's year is the 10-day Car Festival (Rathotsava) held in April. The most anticipated event during this festival is the Puttur Bedi—a magnificent, grand-scale display of bursting firecrackers that illuminates the entire town and draws lakhs of ecstatic devotees.