In Kodagu, nothing happens without Igguthappa. He is the rain god, the grain god and even controls the date of Huthri, the harvest festival of Coorgs. A priest at the Igguthappa Temple ascertains the exact date through the Kerala Panchang system. Igguthappa's migration from Kerala to Coorg symbolises the transfer of culture and religion that came in the wake of inter-state trade. It is the stuff of legends.
It is said that Igguthappa left Kerala because he found Coorg more hospitable. He was accompanied by his brothers Baithurappa (from Vayathur), Palurappa (from Palur), Thirunelli Pemmaiah (from Thirunelli), Payyanurappa (from Payyanur) and sister Pannangalathamme (from Pannangala). Tired and hungry after walking for days, they came to Mallamma Betta near Kakkabe. They fashioned a pot out of the earth, milked a stray cow and with the rice they had brought along, cooked some payasam by the heat of the sun. When it was cooked, they needed vessels to eat and asked the Pardanda family, whose land they had strayed onto, for plantain leaves. The Pardandas, angry at the intrusion, refused and Igguthappa cursed them that henceforth no plantain would ever grow on their property. And so it remains to this day.
Meanwhile, more rice was cooked. The sharp-witted Pannangalathamme challenged her brothers to eat the food without salt, which living in coastal Kerala, they were so accustomed to. Palurappa complained and threw the rice over his head, which fell down as pearls. Pannangalathamme smote him with the serving spoon. It?s said that the impact was such that Palurappa's head turned left and even today, the idol in his temple faces left.
According to another legend, the mighty Kodava king Lingaraja came on an elephant hunt in this area. After a whole day passed in futility, the enraged king ordered his Divan to assemble all the elephants in the area by the next day. As he slept that night, an elephant came and knocked the king?s tent over, but left him unharmed. Puzzled, the king went back to sleep and next morning rounded up 32 elephants and shot them. They bled profusely, but calmly walked off as if nothing had happened. Lingaraja was told that the animals were under the protection of Igguthappa. The shaken king was overcome by guilt and instructed his minister Boppa Divan to gift an engraved silver elephant to the temple, which can still be found next to the main idol of Igguthappa.