Talkadu belongs to the Chamarajanagar District of the Karnataka State. Situated 180km away from Bangalore this is a small historical temple town where the major part of the town is covered by massive sand dunes. It is said that these sand dunes conceal several historical temples of which a few had been excavated so far.

The story of how this town got his name is a popular legend where two woodcutters named Tala and Kadu have encountered a tree which started to erupt with blood when they tried to fell it with their axes. The distressed brothers have prayed for forgiveness from Lord Shiva and made a dressing on the wound using the tree leaves to stem the flow of blood. The location of this tree was made in to a place of worship which is popularly known today as the Vaidyanatheswara Temple where Lord Shiva is worshipped as the lord of doctors.

Folklore reveals that the sand dunes in Talkadu are a result of a curse made by a woman named Alamelamma, wife of a local chieftain. She was heartbroken at the decision of the Mysore Maharaja to confiscate her collection of precious ornaments and jewelry and instead of parting with them had tied the jewels to her body before uttering her curse and jumping to the River Cauvery. To date the town people believe that not just the sand dunes but the fact that Mysore Kings did not have heirs to take over the throne and the Malangi whirlpool are all results of her despairing curse. The best time of the year to visit Talkadu is from September to February. This town has easy access from the Mysore railway station which is about 45km away and the Bangalore Airport or via road.