The name Karighatta translates to Elephant Hill in Kannada. The hill has a Hindu temple devoted to a form of Hindu god Vishnu, called Karigirivasa. This deity is also referred to as Lord Srinivasa and is also called Bairagi Venkataramana. The epithet ‘Bairagi' for this idol is derived from the fact that when ‘alankara' (flower decoration) is done to the deity, the deity looks like a Bairagi (mendicant).