The temple was built in 1530 CE by the Pemmasani Nayaka brothers Virupanna and Veeranna, who served as governors under the Vijayanagara emperor Achutaraya. According to legend, Virupanna used the royal treasury without permission to fund the temple's construction. When the emperor demanded an explanation, Virupanna gouged out his own eyes and threw them at the wall, leaving permanent blood stains visible to this day.
The temple features a unique footprint of the goddess Durga on a rock, and a snake carved from a single stone that winds through three pillars.
