Adichunchanagiri Hospital and Research Centre is one of the largest teaching hospitals in rural Karnataka. It has more than 1,100 teaching beds, according to its medical college’s regulatory disclosures, and it stands not in a big city but in B.G. Nagara, a campus town that grew up around a centuries-old monastery on the Bengaluru–Mangaluru highway (NH-75). It is the teaching hospital of the Adichunchanagiri Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS), which was inaugurated on 17 January 1986 by the then Chief Minister of Karnataka, Sri Ramakrishna Hegde, in the presence of Sri Sri Sri Balagangadharanatha Maha Swamiji of the Sri Adichunchanagiri Math. The aim was to bring medical education and affordable specialist care to rural students and patients. The hospital now has super-speciality services, more than 20 operation theatres including a cardiothoracic theatre, and a computerised hospital information system.
| Quick Facts | Details |
| Full name | Adichunchanagiri Hospital & Research Centre (AH&RC) |
| Address | Balagangadharanatha Nagara (B.G. Nagara), Bellur, Nagamangala Taluk, Mandya District, Karnataka 571448, India |
| Location | On NH-75, near Sri Adichunchanagiri Kshetra |
| Medical college | Adichunchanagiri Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS) |
| Managing trust | Sri Adichunchanagiri Shikshana Trust |
| Inaugurated | 17 January 1986, by Chief Minister Sri Ramakrishna Hegde |
| Spiritual founder | Padma Bhushan Sri Sri Sri Balagangadharanatha Maha Swamiji |
| University | Adichunchanagiri University (earlier affiliated with RGUHS) |
| Recognition | National Medical Commission (NMC) |
| Teaching beds | 1,120 (NMC disclosure) |
| Non-teaching beds | 600 (NMC disclosure) |
| Emergency beds | 30 |
| Operation theatres | 20+, including a cardiothoracic theatre |
| Other facilities | Super-speciality services, diagnostic laboratories, radiology, hospital information system |
| MBBS intake | 250 seats (increased from 100 in 1986 and 150 in 2013) |
| Postgraduate | MD/MS and diploma programmes; a super-speciality course |
| Campus | About 73 acres |
| Nearby | Adichunchanagiri Peacock Sanctuary |
| Distance from Bengaluru | Roughly 100–110 km |
| Time zone | IST, UTC+5:30 (no daylight saving) |
| Websites | bgsahrc.com / bgsaims.com |
A Math’s Vision for Rural Medical Education
The Sri Adichunchanagiri Math is one of Karnataka’s most prominent religious institutions, with a long tradition of running schools, colleges, and social welfare programmes. In the 1980s, its pontiff, Sri Sri Sri Balagangadharanatha Maha Swamiji, supported the creation of a medical college in the countryside of Mandya district.
The idea was simple. Most medical colleges were in cities, making it hard for rural students to become doctors and for villagers to get specialist care. Adichunchanagiri Institute of Medical Sciences opened in January 1986, with 100 MBBS students a year, and the attached hospital grew alongside it.
The hospital’s stated mission remains to provide advanced, affordable healthcare, with specialist and super-specialist treatment available to the underprivileged and to everyone in need.
B.G. Nagara on the Bengaluru–Mangaluru Highway
B.G. Nagara (short for Balagangadharanatha Nagara) is a campus town near Bellur in Nagamangala taluk, Mandya district. It sits on NH-75, the main highway between Bengaluru and Mangaluru, close to the Sri Adichunchanagiri Kshetra. The hilly area nearby is also known for the Adichunchanagiri Peacock Sanctuary.
- From Bengaluru: Roughly 100–110 km west along NH-75, usually 2–2.5 hours by road.
- From Mandya, Hassan, and Tumakuru: Road connections of a few hours or less, depending on distance.
- From Mysuru: A drive north-west across Mandya district.
- By bus: KSRTC buses on the Bengaluru–Hassan–Mangaluru route stop near B.G. Nagara and Bellur.
- By air: Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru is the main airport for most travellers.
Being on a busy highway means the hospital often receives road accident patients, which makes its emergency and trauma services particularly important.
A Teaching Hospital on a Large Scale
According to the medical college’s NMC disclosure:
- Teaching beds: 1,120
- Non-teaching beds: 600
- Emergency beds: 30
Other listings describe it as an 1,100-bed tertiary care hospital. Its facilities include:
- More than 20 modern operation theatres, including a cardiothoracic theatre
- Super-speciality services
- Diagnostic laboratories and radiology and imaging
- A fully computerised hospital information system
- Intensive care units
Departments
Broad specialities
- General Medicine
- General Surgery
- Obstetrics and Gynaecology
- Paediatrics
- Orthopaedics
- Ophthalmology
- ENT
- Dermatology
- Psychiatry
- Respiratory Medicine
- Anaesthesiology
- Radiodiagnosis
- Emergency Medicine
- Dentistry
Super-speciality services include cardiothoracic surgery, which is supported by a dedicated theatre, along with other super-speciality areas. Check current availability with the hospital.
Laboratory and academic departments: Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry, Pathology, Microbiology, Pharmacology, Forensic Medicine, and Community Medicine.
Growth of the Medical College
| Year | Milestone |
| January 1986 | AIMS inaugurated with 100 MBBS seats |
| 2013 | MBBS seats increased to 150 |
| 2022 | MBBS seats increased to 250 |
| Later years | Postgraduate programmes expanded to MD, MS, diplomas, and a super-speciality course |
The institute now operates under Adichunchanagiri University, set up by the same trust, after earlier affiliation with the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences.
Serving Rural Patients
For villagers from Mandya, Hassan, Tumakuru, and nearby districts, the hospital means specialist care without a long trip to Bengaluru. Some practical tips:
- Bring all old prescriptions and reports, including X-rays, scans, and discharge papers.
- Carry ID, ration card, and any scheme cards, such as Ayushman Bharat–Arogya Karnataka, and ask the help desk about coverage.
- Come early for OPD. Large teaching hospitals get busy by mid-morning.
- Expect student doctors to be involved in care under senior supervision, as in any teaching hospital.
- For highway accidents, call 112 or go straight to the emergency department.
For Students
- MBBS: 250 seats a year, through NEET-UG and Karnataka counselling
- MD/MS and diplomas: Through NEET-PG counselling
- Campus: About 73 acres, with hostels, library, lecture halls, and laboratories
- Clinical exposure: A large teaching hospital with a steady flow of rural and highway emergency patients
Always check the latest counselling notifications for fees and seat details.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Where is Adichunchanagiri Hospital and Research Centre located?
A: At B.G. Nagara, near Bellur, Nagamangala Taluk, Mandya District, Karnataka 571448, on NH-75.
Q2. When was Adichunchanagiri Institute of Medical Sciences inaugurated?
A: On 17 January 1986, by Chief Minister Sri Ramakrishna Hegde.
Q3. Who runs Adichunchanagiri Hospital?
A: The Sri Adichunchanagiri Shikshana Trust, linked to the Sri Adichunchanagiri Math.
Q4. How many beds does Adichunchanagiri Hospital have?
A: The NMC disclosure lists 1,120 teaching beds and 600 non-teaching beds.
Q5. How many MBBS seats does AIMS have?
A: It has 250 MBBS seats a year.
Q6. Which university is AIMS affiliated with?
A: Adichunchanagiri University. Earlier batches were affiliated with RGUHS.
Q7. Does Adichunchanagiri Hospital have super-speciality services?
A: Yes. It offers super-speciality care and has a cardiothoracic operation theatre.
Q8. How far is Adichunchanagiri Hospital from Bengaluru?
A: It is roughly 100–110 km, about 2–2.5 hours by road.
Q9. How many operation theatres does the hospital have?
A: More than 20, including a cardiothoracic theatre.
Q10. What does B.G. Nagara stand for?
A: Balagangadharanatha Nagara, named after Sri Sri Sri Balagangadharanatha Maha Swamiji.
