Day-8: Murdeshwar, Gokarna

We reached Murdeshwar on the evening of December 30th. 

The following trip was on December 31, 2023.

(1) Murdeshwar

- Hotel room overlooks the sea. Roll of mountains in the distance, endless coconut trees, and lots and lots of people in the water!

- Visit to Murdeshwar temple in the morning. At 6:30 am also, there is a crowd. But the hotel contact-person helps to avoid the crowd for a quick darshan

- Giant shiva statue facing the land (with his back to the ocean) is impressive

- One of the tallest gopurams

- Shrines for Atma Linga and Parvati are inside the temple

View from the hotel room- Giant gopuram and ocean!

Shiva at the ocean front

Murdeshwar temple with gigantic shiva

(2) Maha Ganapati temple (at Idagunji)

- As per the temple priest:

- Ida means elephant. Gunji means valley. Ganesha is present in this valley.

- Deity has only 2 arms, unlike the usual 4-armed Ganesha.

- He is in standing posture.

- He is "bala-ganapati"- so much so, even the 2 tusks are full.

- Deity has a very child-like appearance and from the vigraha, it is clear, this place is ancient

- This Ganesha is related to the incident that occurred at Gokarna, where baby Ganesha tricked Ravana to place the Shiva linga on the ground, so much so, he couldn't lift it thereafter.

Idagunji temple facade- shiva parivaar

(3) Venkataramana temple (at Kodlamane)

- Captivating deity

- No crowd

- Peaceful and fulfilling darshan

(4) Mahabaleshwar temple (at Gokarna):

- One of the 8 mukti sthalas in Karnataka (earlier blog (Day-6) has the full list of 8 sthalas)

- It is crowded, with tourists milling all over the place!

- Temple is unique- not in Kerala style, but built with stone. 

- The temple tower (over the main sanctum) is also unique-  it is conical, but many-sided.

- The temple walls have interesting bas-relief sculptures- rows of cows worshipping the linga, lining up on either side. Afterall, this Gokarna and related to the cow. There are other animals too- elephants and even a camel (bas-relief sculptures as we wait to get into the main shrine)

- Long queue- no provision to beat the crowd through any special darshan ticket!

- Linga is unique:

   (a) At eye-level is a silver shiva-linga twisted like the ear of a cow.

   (b) At the base is Mahabaleshwara- you can touch the idol. The priest said- what we see at the base, is only the tip of the shiva-linga. The rest of it is hidden and under the ground. Once every 12 years, the linga can be seen fully. Currently, all you can see is a slight mound, with an aperture. The rest is below.

- Devi here is "Taamra-gowri". As per the priest, Parvati gets this name because she is associated with the "taamra-shila" (copper-like (taamra) mountain/rock (shila)) here.

- The story of Gokarna is well known. Ravana was a devotee of Shiva and wanted to carry back the shiva linga. The stipulation was that he should not place it on the ground. To perform ablutions, he asks a wayside boy to hold the linga. The boy is Ganesha, who promptly places the linga on the ground! Ravana tries to yank the linga off, but he cannot. In the process, the linga gets distorted in shape, so that it resembles a cow's ear. Hence, the name "go-karna". (go = cow, karna = ear)

 Evening of the 31st December:

- At the Murdeshwar beach  

- Tons of people

- The water is shallow- you can wade quite a distance

- Took a speed-boat ride (boat with 8 people). It takes you for a few minutes into the sea and comes back. The Murdeshwar skyline and the setting sun are beautiful!

- With this, the trip comes to a close. Tomorrow morning, we head back to Bangalore.

- The route back to Bangalore is roughly this- From Murdeshwar, we go to Shivamogga and head to Bangalore from there.

Day-7: Left Udupi, temples on the way, Kollur Mookambika, reached Murdeshwar

December 30, 2023

1. Guru Narasimha temple (at Saligrama)

- Kula daivata for the "kote" clan

Narasimha temple at Saligrama

2.  Anegudde sri vinayaka temple (at Kumbhashi)

- Childlike Ganesha

- Carved out of shaalagraama

- 4 arms

- The forearms are both in "varada mudra" (both hands pointing to the feet)

Anegudde temple 

3. Koti lingeshwara temple (at Koteshwar)

- A crore (koti) of rishis  performed tapas to propitiate Lord Shiva. Hence the name Koti Lingeshwara.

- It is one of the 8 mukti sthalas in this region. The previous blog (Day 6) has the entire list.

- Sapta maatrka (Brahmi, Varahi and others) are seen in this temple

4. Sri Kundeshwara temple (at Kundapura)

- Installed by King Kundavarma over 1000 years ago. 

5. Siddhi-vinayaka temple (at Hatiangadi)

As per the priest:

- Initially, this place was called "goshtapura" (cowshed in Sanskrit)

- This got changed to "patti-angadi" (cowshed in local language), which got changed to "hatti-angadi" with time.

- People with the last name "Hattangadi" come from here.

Hatiangadi temple

Map at Hatiangadi temple

6. Sri Kroda Shankaranarayana temple (at Holey)

As per the temple priest:

- Rishi Kroda propitiated Lord Shiva. Hence, the name "Kroda".

- Entire temple was a lake ("kere")

- Inside the lake were found 2 shaalagraamas:

  (a) One in the shape of a chakra (signifying Vishnu)

  (b) Second in the shape of a cow's foot (signifying Shiva)

- The temple has a picture of this. It is presently buried in the shrine, under water (and out of bounds to everyone now)

Hence, the name Shankara-narayana for the deity here.

-  Like Ardhanaareeshwara, this image is "half-Vishnu" and "half-Shiva"

- The aayudhaani (weapons), the dress, the crescent-moon on one side etc. everything is half-Shiva and half-Vishnu

- At the base of the idol, there is Parvati on one side and Lakshmi on the other. 

- The Hari-hara utsava murti is also seen at the centre- at the base of the idol.

- Outside the inner-temple, we have Urdhva-Thandava (Shiva) on one side and Trivikrama (Vishnu) on the other. Both have their foot-raised!

- Outside the temple, we have Nandi on one side and Garuda on the other.

Urdhva thandavam and Trivikrama

  

Shankaranarayana idol in the temple praakaaraa

7. Durga Parameshwari temple (at Kamalashile) 

- The deity is beautiful

- This place is known for its sumptuous food served as prasada to all devotees: breakfast, lunch, and dinner

- We had lunch at this place. We were directed to this place by a person who mentioned, the prasada is like "reception food". Indeed, it was- 3 course meal + 2 sweets (including sweet-pongal)!

- Lots of school children on an excursion were present at lunch and began their meal chanting "sahanaavavatu" mantra in chorus!

8. Mookambika (at Kollur)

- Reached before 3 pm, just before the temple opens (it is closed between 1:30 pm and 3 pm). 

- Not crowded

- Reached the sanctum quickly (within 10 minutes, once the gates opened)

- Devi is called Mookambika because: 

  (a) Her grace can make even the dumb talk (as in...mookam karoti vaachaalam). Hence, Mookambika. 

  (b) Deity is associated with Adi Shankara (his vigraha is seen in the temple). In Shankara's presence, a young boy who was considered dumb (mooka), not only started talking, but composed an entire poem. This is the episode centered on Hastaamalaka meeting Shankara, which took place in this region. Hence, Mookambika.

(c) Devi killed an asura by name Mooka. Hence, Mookambika.

As per the priest:

- The deity is Durga-Lakshmi-Saraswati swaroopini

- There is a swayambhu linga at the base of the Goddess. It can be seen covered in gold.

- Devi has 4 arms. The forearms are in "abhaya" and "varada" mudra.

 At the back of the temple, we see various forms of Shiva:

- Shiva as "Praanalingeshwara"

- Shiva as "Paartheshwara" (because Shiva gave the paashupata astra to Arjuna (Paartha))

- Shiva as "Nanjundeshwara" 

Inside the Kollur Mookambika temple

Left Kollur and reached Murdeshwar in the evening!

 

Day-6: Left Sringeri...temples at Udupi and in its vicinity

December 29, 2023:

- Reached Sharadaamba's shrine at Sringeri Temple at 5:15 am

- From 6 am, witnessed the suprabhatam puja for Sharabaamba.

- Since we reached early, we got a seat just by the aisle so that we could see Sharadaamba all the time

- Since it was a Friday, Sharadaamba holds a Veena too (it is gold everywhere, cannot capture in words)

- After Suprabhatam, visited "Adi Shankara's shrine" and "Torana Ganapati"- both alongside Sharadaamba.

- Drove from Sringeri to Udupi

While driving from Sringeri to Udupi

- Stopped at 2 temples at the town "Someshwar" which is on the way:

   (a) Someshwar Mahaganapati temple (the priest made it amply clear by telling us- "You are now in karnataka, in Someshwara town, inside Someshwara temple!")

   (b) Venkataramanaa temple (also at Someshwar)

Udupi:

- We were grabbed by a passerby at Udupi's temple, who wouldn't leave us. This guide explained as follows:

(a) Trip to Udupi is incomplete without visiting 3 temples- Chandramouleeshwara temple, Ananteshwara temple and Sri Krishna math temple

All the 3 temples are together, in a cluster.

We visited all the 3 temples.

(b) Chandramouleeshwara is Shiva. Soma (moon) had a curse that he would wane away. Lord Shiva ensured that the moon was saved, so that he now has a waxing phase too. We know this story of Someshwara or Somanatha.

(c) Ananteshwara is a shiva linga. But within that is Parashurama, Vishnu's avatara. Hence, Ananta stands for Vishnu and Ishwara stands for Shiva making it "ananta-ishwara" temple.

(d) Outside the Chandramouleeshwara temple and facing the Ananteshwara temple is a single-rock pillar (dwajastambha). It is 1500 years old (as per our guide).

(e) Inside the Ananteshwara  temple is a painting of a king, Parashurama and a shiva linga. The king worships the linga as Shiva without realizing that it is Parashurama (in the linga). This temple painting illustrates the story mentioned above.

(f) All this Karnataka coastal region was water. Parashurama came from the North and shot an arrow (as per our guide) so that the whole region from Kanyakumari to Gokarna became a land-mass.

(g) Thus Shiva, Parashurama and this kshetra (where the king worshipped Parashurama) are all related.

What about Krishna in all this? How is he connected to Udupi? 

The guide clarified as follows:

- In Dwapara yuga, Rukmini wanted an image of Krishna. She had worshipped Krishna in a personal form, as also in a vishwarupa form. Vishwakarma crafted an idol of Krishna for Rukmini.  

- In Kali yuga, 800 years ago, a boat was sinking in the ocean.

- Madhwacharya (who lived by the coast) saved the drowning boat in the ocean (since he was vayu's avatara (read below) with the capacity to do this). The boat's inmates wanted to express their gratitude. There was a "shaalagrama" stone kept in the boat to maintain its balance.

- Madhwacharya accepted the stone. Out of that shaalagrama emerged the same Dwapara yuga idol of Krishna. That's the idol in the Sri Krishna math temple.

- In the Ananteshwara temple, there is another point connected to Madhwacharya.

- Inside a particular shrine, we have a lamp and 3 figures- one is Hanuman, the second is Bheema and third is Madhwacharya. Vayu bhagavan took avatar as all 3. 

- Madhwacharya gathered his 8 disciples at this place in the Ananteshwara temple. Thereafter, he became "adrishyam" and said, from now on, he will be seen only at Badrinath. There is an edict to this effect, at the Ananteshwara temple.

(3) Udupi Sri Krishna math temple

- Krishna can be viewed through a window with 9 holes.

- As per the guide, these 9 holes are the 9 planets- as if Krishna is beyond all the grahas, or seen through all grahas.

- The idol is very attractive in black and gold.  In the glow of the oil lamps- the whole place glitters as you peep through the window.

- Outside the main shrine, is a shrine for Subramanya, worshipped in serpent form.

Thus, if you go to Udupi, you must visit all the 3 temples. Till then, the visit to Udupi is incomplete, our guide stressed.

The following temples were covered in the post-lunch session starting just after 4:30 pm.

(4) Kadiyali Mahishamardini temple (close to Udupi)

- The highlight of this temple is a "revolving circular ceiling"- carved intricately in wood. 

- Some sections of the roof move clockwise, others move anti-clockwise.

(5) Indrani panchadurga parameshwari temple (close to Udupi)

The priest said:

- Durga has 5 overlapped forms here (in the same inage, as succeeding layers). She appears as

(1) Narayani (2) Mahalakshmi (3) Mahamaayi (4) Maheshwari (5) Mahadevi

(6) Durga Parameshwari temple (at Herga, close to Udupi)

The priest said:

- Durga is in the form of a linga here. Not one, but there are 46 lingas in the main sanctum.

- A devotee in Kashi worshipped Devi in the form of "Durga" instead of  "Annapurneshwari" (Devi's original form in Kashi).

- When Devi was pleased with his tapas, he said, She must come to his home in Herga.

- Devi accepted the request, but he must never look back while She follows him, and rely only on the sound of the anklets

- Devi travelled with him. When the sound stopped, the devotee looked back, Devi became a linga.

- Devi also had a request- in whichever form she remains, the devotee should worship her in that form.

- As the land was cleared for building a temple, it was found that there was not one, but 46 lingas in all.

- In the sanctum, you can see several shiva-lingas, some receding into the darkness.

- On the closest shiva linga, Durga's face is embossed.

(7) Shree Mahalingeshwara Mahaganapati temple (at Parkala, close to Udupi)

(8) Sri Subramanya temple (at Thangodu, close to Udupi)

- Excellent hand drawn murals in an art form called "kaavi". These are line drawings in red-pigment against a white/off-white background.

"Kaavi" art at Sri Subramanya

(9) Watched the chariot procession at the main Sri Krishna math temple at Udupi

- It is a "mela"- the gaiety cannot be described in words

- The chariot is adorned with intricate wooden carvings on the sides and pulled by devotees

- It moves fast, and in no time, one round was complete

- On the way, we had a round of fireworks, a nadaswaram troupe playing music, and band-troupe also playing at the same time, and throngs of devotees

Ratha at Udupi

Sri Krishna matha + ratha

Note:

There are 8 mukti sthalas in this region:

(1) Adi Subramanya

(2) Kukke Subramanya

(3) Udupi Sri Krishna math

(4) Anegudde Sri Vinayaka temple

(5) Kotilingeshwara temple at Koteshwar

(6) Kroda Shankaranarayana temple

(7) Mookaambika temple (Kollur)

(8) Sri Mahabaleshwara temple (Gokarna)

Day-5: Horanadu + Sringeri

 December 28, 2023:

- Started from Karkala and headed to Horanadu

(1) Kalasheshwara temple (at Kalasa)

- This temple is on the way to Horanadu (after "Sumsay" village)

- You ascend to the temple through a flight of steps

- There are 2 elephant idols, side-by-side, at the base of the steps

- The priest explained:

  (a) One elephant is a female elephant, the other is a male elephant

  (b) There was on rakshasa who had acquired a boon that he could not be killed by other devata/manushya forms. He committed atrocities. Someone had to intervene. Ganesha was assigned the task.

  (c)  The rakshasa hid in a tree. The tree was first knocked down by a female elephant, causing the rakshasa to rush out. This is the first shrine with the female elephant, the tree and the rakshasa rushing out of the tree.

 (d) Thereafter, Ganesha does easy work of the rakshasa. That is the second shrine (male elephant), with the rakshasa under his feet.

- The main deity is Shiva as Kalasheshwara. The town is also called "Kalasa".

- Devi is called "sarvaanga-sundari"- whose "every feature/limb (sarva anga) is beautiful.

Kalasheshwara temple

Kalasheshwara Temple with the mountains in the distance

(2) Annapurneshwari temple (at Horanadu)

- Not crowded on Thursday, pre-noon session. Reached at around 10:45 am. The lines were empty, and we could walk into the main sanctum!

- Had the oppounity to have darshana as many as 4 times (through regular queue, anna-daanam queue, tulaa-bhaaram queue etc.)

- As you enter the main sanctum, at the top, we have the line "shree maataa, shree maharajni, shrimat simhaasaneshwari" from Lalita Sahasranama.

- There is Ganesha to the left in silver with the face, slightly to one side. He is called "Udbhuta Ganapati"

- Devi is all gold and decked with jewels. Deity has 4 arms. Two hands are in "abhaya" and "varada" mudra. The palm with "abhaya" mudra has the shri-chakra embossed. 

-  Gaze of Annapurneshwari is compassion personified with the hint of smile on the face.

- As we go around the prakara, the line "annam brahmeti vyajaanaat" is written ("Food is Brahman, the totality" or we can likewise say, "everything is annam, food, in essence")

- At the back of the shrine is a snake with hood. On the snake's hood, are the marked the points corresponding to "muladhara", "ida" "pingala" etc. to show that Annapurneshwari is prana/energy/shakti in all its varied forms.

- Had lunch in the temple premises (no crowd- we might have been among the first)

Horanadu- temple facade

(3) Udbhava-Ganapati temple (at Horanadu) on the opposite hill 

- Horanadu Annapurneshwari is nestled among the mountains

- All around are lush green mountains

- On the opposite mountain, is the Udbhava-Ganapati temple

- The whole temple is a cave- but the front part of the cave was renovated into a formal temple structure in 1993.

- Priest was performing the afternoon puja all by himself (conversation between him and Ganesha and no one else) when we entered

- Lucky to witness such an elaborate puja, done with such shraddhaa.

- At the back of the Ganesha, the cave is clearly visible.

- From the front of this temple, you can see Horanadu Annapurneshwari township on the opposite hill, in the distance. It makes a pretty sight.

Udbhava Ganapati temple in a cave

(3) Shringeri main temple

Quick visit to Shradaamba shrine and VidyaShankar shrine (we will cover these once again the following morning)

- Sharadamba shrine: 

 The reader would know the story- this is the idol that Adi Shankara himself consecrated. The reader would be familiar with the context- Mandana Mishra's debate with Shankara, Saraswati functioning as a judge etc,  eventually how Mandana Mishra loses the debate and becomes Sureshwaracharya etc. Saraswati comes with Shankara and Sureshwaracharya and stays as the deity at Shringeri.

Sharadamba's mahima is too much to mention here. We leave it at this.

The Ganesha in this shrine is called "shakti ganapati".

On top of the main shrine is the maha-vakya- "aham brahmaasi" to indicate that "essentially" or "in essence", each being is one with the total (Looking superficially, we may see differences in the world, but in essence, there is just One reality, in and through all differences. Hence, aham brahmaasmi)

- Vidyashankar shrine

(a) That this temple is very old is seen from the look-and-feel of this temple

(b) Sculptures and pillars are ornate

(c) Dashavatara is seen in the sculptures of the outer wall (including Buddha as the 9th avatara curiously)

Shiva linga is at the main shrine. To the left is "vidya ganapati" and to the right is "durgaamba"

- Everything associated with Sringeri is connected to "vidya".

- 2 acharyas in Sringeri parampara are particularly important in terms of their contribution. They are Vidyaranya and his guru Vidyashankar/Vidyateertha. Hence, the temple for Vidyashankar here.

- Had dinner at exactly 7 pm in the temple premises. The crowd was just building up, especially school students from Mandya who had come on a school excursion.

- Had the opportunity to stand in line and take the blessings of His Holiness, Sri Vidhushekhara Bharati mahaswamiji.

- From 9 pm to 10 pm, had the opportunity to witness puja by His Holiness, Sri Bharati Tirtha mahaswamiji.

- Crossing the Tunga River to witness the puja and coming back, over the bridge is a nice experience. The river is not in full flow at this time of the year. Still, you can see the fishes (some huge and shark like!) The temple complex seen from the other side of the bridge is lovely. And at night, the reflected lights in the water- due to the moon and other city-lights, makes for some stunning images.

View from bridge- Vidyashankar shrine, main gopuram and Tunga river

Vidyashankar temple close-up, Sringeri

(4) Rishyashringeshwara temple (at Kigga, close to Sringeri)

- It is a few kilometers from the main Sringeri town

- We did this quick trip in the evening, around sunset.

- The shiva linga is unique. The priest explained as follows:

   (a) One side is Rishyashringa (Shringeri gets its name from Rishi Rishyashringa who lived in these mountains, shringa-giri, and hence the name shringeri)

   (b) Other side of the same linga is Shiva

   (c) Pillars show Rishyashringa (who lived here) carried in a palanquin to Ayodhya (Dasharatha's time)

   (d) At the temple, there is a shrine for Shanta devi (the priest mentioned- she is Dasharatha's daughter)

-Rishyashringa's story is found in Valmiki Ramayana. The reader can look up those portions.

Note: The ride from Karkala to Horanadu is picturesque, with lush vegetation, mountains and valleys. The village "Sumsay" is on the way. The tea estates on the mountain slopes and the mountain stream in the valley below, make "Sumsay" really scenic. We stopped for a tea-break at Sumsay.

Agumbe viewpoint- Breathtaking scenery from Kaarkala to Horanadu

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Day-4: Temples between Kateel and Karkala

December 27, 2023

Started from Kateel (with the destination as Karkala)

(1) Lakshmi Janardana temple (at Yellinje)

- As per the priest:

  (a) Krishna is "moksha phala daata" here

  (b) You don't ask him- "give me this, give me that" at this temple. 

       You talk to Janardana as though you talk to your mother at this temple.

  (c) But through Lakshmi, you can ask for "worldly boons" too.

  Ganesha's speciality in this temple:

 (a) Has 3 eyes (3rd eye is visible during milk-abhisheka)

 (b) One hand has the broken "danta" and another holds a "maala" (rudraksha-maalaa)

(c) the hair is matted (no crown)

While entering this temple, you see peacocks/peahens on the trees and fields and numerous bats hanging upside down from the tree-top!

(2) Koragajja temple (at Jaregekatte)

- This is "Kantara" film "bhuta kola" region

- "Koragajja" is one such deity.

- Along with "Koragajja", another deity with varaha-like face (banti-mukha) is also present

- This is the only place, where both these deities are present together.

- Both these deities are ornately decorated

- On the walls, are performances of "bhuta kola". It happens here!

(3) Mahalingeshwara temple (at Posralu)

The priest said:

- Shiva worship in the Madhwa region: (i.e. to the west of Sakleshpur) follows this pattern:

- The main shrine has a shiva linga as well as a shaalagrama (Vishnu)

- Abhisheka is done to the shaalagrama and the water is given as teertha

- Hence, though it is a shiva temple, the prasada is not vibhuti, but teertha and chandanam.

-  Idol of Brahma outside. After Pushkar, this is the place! It has Braahmi on one side (female) and Brahma (male) at the back of the same idol. It has 4 heads.

(4) Durga Parameshwari temple (at Mundukur)

(5) Shree Mahalingeshwara temple (at Inna)

(6)  Shree Durga Parameshwari temple (at Belvan (also called bailavana))

- You have to climb a flight of stairs to reach this temple

- Temple is old- monkeys, dogs...abound.

- As they say, "sylvan surroundings", fields, trees, vegetation- treat to the eyes

(7) Mahalingeshwara temple (at Muddanu/Nandalike)

  As per the priest

- Sanyasis could not get bhiksha unless there is a temple

- This shiva temple came into existsnce in this place, to address this problem.

- It is over a 1000 years old

- Vadiraja's  (Madhwa saint) prabhaavali is also present in the main shrine along with the shiva linga.

- Like in other places, the shiva shrine also carries a shaalagraama.

- Nandi is within the main sanctum (out of bounds for devotees)

- That's because this temple is also associated with Jaina tradition and the amalgam created this unique construct!

- Shiva, the lighted lamps, Nandi...all of it...make this temple a standout! 

- Cannot explain in words. But there is a special beauty in this shiva temple. 

Special notes:

- Like in Kerala, you cannot do a full pradakshina in the shiva temples. You have to go clockwise to a point, and then trace your way back, and cover the remainder "anti-clockwise". The devotee must note this point carefully. As per the priest, abhisheka jala is like Ganga and that flows across the prakara. You should not cross Ganga. Hence, this arrangement while doing pradakshina.

We reached Karkala by lunch-time. Karkala looks like this:

Karkala looks like this! 
Anantapadmanabha swamy temple right ahead

Post lunch session:

(8) Anantapadmanabha swamy temple (at Karkala)

- The priest was chanting Vishnu sahasranama with no one in the temple- at the slowest pace that can be imagined. It takes him 2 hours to chant- focusing on one nama at a time!

- He explained the idol and the temple as follows- 

   (a) Reclining Vishnu with Brahma emanating from the navel. Sridevi and Bhudevi are also present behind Anantashayana.

   (b) Idol was thrown in a lake centuries ago.

   (c) It was retrieved by the saint Vadiraja and installed here

   (d) Around the prakara are: 

         Vishnu as Damodara, Ganesha and behind him Sankarshana murti, Vishnu as para-Vaasudeva

(9)  Maariyamma temple (at Karkala)

- Temple looks very new, with excellent spot lighting and renovation, all tastefully done

- The main deity, Maariyamma is new. But the center, gold mariyamma is very ancient. So are certain other features of the temple- they are all old, but the temple has a brand new look.

- Beside this temple, is a Hanuman shrine, which is equally beautiful.

(10) Venkataramanaa temple (at Karkala)

- The priest said:

  (a) The main shrine is arranged in tiers. Srinivasa is at the top and in the middle, is Venkataramanaa. Both are the same deities but find presence in different tiers.

 (b) The pillars are extremely ornate- cannot be expressed in words. The priest inserted a darbha through flowery patterns (on the pillars) crafted in rock. 

On the pillars are the following figurines:

    (1) Narada and Tumburu - as "saalokya"mukti examples

    (2) Garuda and Hanuman- as "saameepya" mukti examples

    (3) Prahlada and Dhruva- as "saannidhya" mukti examples

    (4) Bhagavan himself- as the "saayujya" mukti example

 Apparently, the pillars are "relatively new" as per the priest (100 years old). But the temple is very ancient.

     

(11) Veera Maruti gudi (at Karkala)

-  Facing Venkataramanaa temple 

- Huge Hanuman smeared with sindooram

(12) Bahubali (at Karkala)

- On top of a rocky hill (can drive to the top)

- Imposing and gigantic- but not as big as Shravana Belagola

- It was constructed 600 years ago (hence, newer than the sharavana belagola one, which is 1000 years old)

- From the top- we can see hills all around, and a brilliant sunset (reached the top just after the sun went down) so that the sky was completely orange (like in the filter-photographs!)

(13) Devaki carrying Krishna temple + Ravalanaatha (at Karkala)

- Non-kerala style temple (the initial structure) with unique shrine of Devaki carrying baby krishna.

- Also, in the same complex, we have "Ravalanaatha" (Shiva as Kaala-Bhairava)- he is imposing with sword in hand and moustache. Kaala-bhairava wears an insignia on the chest in gold which shows a miniature kaala-bhairava + dog vaahana.

(14) Parvaje Mahalingeshwara temple (at Karkala)

- Witnessed an elaborate evening abhishekam + multi-deepam aarati

(15) Padmavati temple (at Karkala)

- This is next to the Anantapadmanabha swamy temple

Day-3: Coastal temples off Mangalore + Kateel

December 26, 2023

- We started from Mangalore at 7:30 am and drove North...along the coast and eventually reached Kateel. 

- All these temples are either by the coast or just a few kilometers to the East of the coastal highway. Between each temple, just 5-10 km...hence, you can cover them sequentually.

(1) Durga parameshwari temple (at Chitrapura)

- Serene, tranquil as seen in the pic

- No crowd.

(2) Sadashiva temple + (3) Maha Ganapati temple (at Suratkal)

- Temple is by the beach. All Kerala style temples. This point need not be repeated.

- Very beautiful and off the beaten path

- Since it is full moon, chandi homa preparation was in progress. 

- Sadashiva (linga) is the main shrine. Alongside, is the Ganesha shrine.

- At the back of the temple is a sit-out area. The temple is at a height.

- As you look down, you can see rocks and boulders and further down the sand, and beyond that, the blue of the ocean.

- One of the cleanest beaches seen. Nature is at its best.

Back of the temple

View from the back of the temple

(4) Gnana-shakti Subramanya temple + (5) Mahalingeshwara mahaganapati temple (at Pavanje)

- Both the temples are at the same location- one at the base and another higher up.

- One of the best temples of the day

- Elaborate archana. Spent a lot of time at the temple.

- From the Subramanya temple, you climb a flight of steps.

- From the top, you can view the Pavanje river flowing towards the Arabian sea.

- River is surrounded by a sea of coconut groves

- Place is spotlessly clean. Nature is pristine and beautiful. The river with ripples was glistening in the sun like serial-bulb lights that go on and off. Not an exaggeration. It looked exactly like this, in the bright sunshine.

Pavanje river as seen from the top of the temple

(6) Subramanya temple (at Thokkur)

(7) Shree Durga Parameshwari temple (at Bappanadu)

- This is a prominent, popular temple and can be seen from the main coastal highway

- Today is full moon- Chandi homa was in progress with many devotees. Not overly crowded.

(8) Adi Janardana temple (at Seemanthur)

- Krishna is holding a gada in his left hand and a lotus on his right.

- There are 2 Krishna idols in the temple. Apparently, the old-idol was worn out and a few hundred years ago, a new idol was constructed. That is a replica of the main-idol. However, the village fell into decline. It was attributed to the swapping of the old idol with the new idol. The old idol was again installed as the main-idol. The new idol is now at the back. Hence "Adi Janardana" because this main-temple idol was "aadi" (existed before) to the new idol that was made.

- Very peaceful, off the beaten path...temple.

- No other shrine in temple other than Janardana.

- As mentioned earlier, the outside gopuram, may look ordinary. But once you step inside, each temple is exquisite.

The pic is from the back of the Adi Janardana temple- it is truly far from the madding crowd!

(9) Durga Parameshwari temple (at Kateel)

- Kateel's main temple is the Durga Parameshwari temple

- Temple again follows the Kerala architecture

- There is a little stream behind the temple and across the stream, is the anna-prasadam hall.

- In keeping with most other temples following this architecture, in the prakara, is a Ganesha shrine.

- Close to the prasada area, is an elephant, that evokes curious interest from passersby.

- At this time of the year, the place is festive with Yakshagana on one side, a procession with a deity on the other- all of this, after sunset.

Post lunch session:

(10) Somanatheshwara temple (at Nellli Teertha)

- There is a tiny cave inside the temple (Jabali rishi's cave). Need to crawl and go in. But the cave was closed at that time.

- The location is picturesque.

- Inside the temple- we have kshetra-paala (with ugra expression), the main deity and Ganesha.

Temple chariot
The place may be remote- but preparation for a Yakshagana was in progress 

(11) Durga Parameshwari temple (at Muchur) 

(12) Putthige Somanatheshwara (at Mudbidri)

- A new temple is under construction. Though most of it appears ready for the onlooker, it is 2 years away from completion, we are told.

- Just beside the under-construction temple, is the make-shift temple, with idols of Somanatheshwara (orginal deities from the previous temple)

Miniature inside the temple- on how it will be.
Gives an idea of the similar "template" used for all these temples

(13) Annapurneshwari (at Hosanadu)

- This is "Hosa-nadu". Not to be confused with "Hora-nadu". Both places have Annapurneshwari

- The deity is most beautiful

- There are paintings on the walls and ceiling from "samudra mathanam" and other mythological tales.

- Immaculate upkeep of the temple- very clean and no crowd at all.

- Outside the temple- a huge Hanuman

- Had dinner at Kateel Durga Parameshwari temple.

          

Day-2: Dharmasthala, Kukke, Kadri

December 25, 2023

(1) Ghanta Ganapati (on the way to Dharmasthala from Mangalore)

- Ganesha is in the open, under an ashwattha vrksha, surrounded by bells!

(2) Dharmasthala

- Gopura darshanam alone

- We started at 5:30 am and reached before 7 am.

- Crowded beyond what we can imagine

- Special darshan queue was a wait of 7 hours. General darshan would extend till 2 am on the next day! It was Tirupati kind of crowd.

- After trying several options, we had to eventually give up.

- The route from Mangalore to Dharmasthala is scenic. The road is also comfortable.

(3) Kukke Subramanya

- Despite the setback at Dharmasthala, still proceeded to Kukke.

- You cross the "Kumaara dhaaraa" river (yes, with flowing water at this time of the year, and hills in the background). (The Netravati also flows in this region and eventually joins Kumara dhara and together, they reach the Arabian sea).

- Visited the "Adi Subramanya temple" at Kukke first. The main temple at Kukke comes after this visit.

- You can see the snake-hill (anthill?) and snake figurines in the sannidhi. Yes, everything associated with snake is Subramanya here (The reader can refresh lines like "vaasuki-takshakaadi sarpa swarupa dharaya" in the krti "sri-subramanyaaya namaste" by Dikshitar and the "bhujanga stotram" (snake like movement stotram) on subramanya.

- The crowd at Kukke was equally maddening. But through "anna daanam" donation, you can get a faster access. That helped! The wait was only about an hour.

- The main icon/idol has the naaga-hood, over which Subramanya is seated on a peacock. This insignia is seen everywhere at Kukke (including below the main temple gopuram). The darshan is quick- we can steal just those few seconds to see Subramanya with the above contours.

- There are other shrines like the shiva-linga at the back and an uma-maheshwara shrine.

- The mountains at the back of the temple are lofty and imposing. No photograph can do justice. You have to be there!

(4) Abhaya Ganapati:

- On the way back from Kukke, saw a huge, gigantic Ganesha. 

- It is a must see!

(5) Day-2: Evening: Kadri Manjunatha temple

- If the earlier temples were must see, this has to be worded as must-must see!

- Sprawling temple complex

- No crowd

- Lord Shiva as Manjunatha

- In the prakara, is "Trilokeshwara"- lord with 3 heads- crafted in 968 AD (reminds one of Chola bronzes, similar look and feel)

- Also, in the prakara, are saints "matyendranath", "gorakhnath" and "chowrangnath". Matyendranath and Gorakhnath  figure in several stories centered on Mangalore. Apparently, they came from Nepal to Mangalore. Sometimes, Gorakhnath is also mentioned as Gorakshanath in these temples

- There are 2 sculptures of interest. It is labeled "Vishnu and Vyasa". While Vishnu's image is clear, Vyasa looks exactly like Buddha. This may need some more reading- how Buddha is associated with the temple.

- Durga is like a swayambhu image- the features are not delineated in full.

- You climb a flight of steps to reach "Bhaageerathi teertha". You collect water from a flowing spring and pour it on a shiva-linga still further up, and reached through another flight of steps.

- The temple has several elevations, (the lower-most, being the main temple complex in Kerala style).  Further up, from Bhaageerathi teertha is a Hanuman temple. From the priest, we got to know there are temples further up.

- By now, it was well past sunset and dark. Another flight of steps takes you to Parashurama's shrine. This also houses the Gorakhnath matha (associated with yogi ji), a big complex with 12 jyotirlingas, navagraha (each deity with distinct vaahana) and the Parashurama shrine.

- Last but not the least, someone came out of the blue, and without context, told us, that this is the Manjunatha that must be seen, before even Dharmasthala! It made us feel good as though the advice was meant just for us, given the experience earlier in the day!

Day-1: Mangalore Temples

December 24, 2023

(1) Sharavu Ganapati (with Sharabheshvara) temple

- Like the above pic, most temples follow Kerala style of temple architecture- wood construction instead of stone.

- Very beautiful and elegant

- 2 main shrines- Shiva as Sharabheshvara and Ganapati (called Sharavu Ganapati because of its association with Sharabheshvara)

- The shiva-linga is covered with the "mukha" of shiva. The mukha has a moustache embossed also! 

- Ganesha's shrine is decked so much, you have to concentrate to find the contours of the trunk and other features

- "Shara" is an arrow. There are stories about a certain king who killed a cow by mistake, using an arrow (shara) and atoned for it, by worshipping Shiva. Hence the "shara", "sharavu" etc.

(2) Kudtheri Mahamaya temple

- Though the outer gopuram in the above pic may not be too appealing, like the Sharavu Ganapati temple, inside the above edifice is a Kerala-style wood-based temple.

- Very beautiful, clean and elegant

- The main shrine has multiple deities stacked up in layers like "golu". 

- The main deity is of course, Devi as Mahamaya.

- In addition, there is Chandramouleeshvara in the main shrine at the bottom, Devi just over that and at the top, Vishnu as Venkataramanaa.

- Had a talk with the priest. As per him, the main Mahamaya deity was originally in Goa. Due to troubled times 500 years ago, the "mukha of the original Devi deity" was brought here. The original devi idol, previously in Goa, is not here. He said, "bhinnam aaithu".  As part of the same move, the other idols also came from Goa. Hence, multiple idols are in the same sanctum.

- It is called "Kudtheri" because the original place of Devi was "Kudtari" in Goa. The name was taken from there.

(3) Venkataramanaa temple

- This temple is next to the mahamaya temple

- Since today is Dvaadashi, we witnessed the utsava murty brought in, on a palanquin.

- This temple and the previous Mahamaya temple are as though the "two eyes of the GSB community" (the reader can look up more information on them). The idols from Goa were apparently brought by them. 

- The migration of the GSB community from the banks of the Saraswati river to Gowda desha and from there, to Goa, and from Goa to further south (along the coast), is a huge topic.

- Again, Kerala style architecture.

- Hanuman is to the left of the main shrine, Garuda to the right and at the back, we have Ganesha. 

(4) Mangaladevi temple

- This is the main temple in Mangalore

- The pic above does no justice! It was taken to show 2 stories (seen in the paintings at the top).

- The first story related to Parashurama and this shrine and the second story is related to King Kundavarman and this temple

- It is clear that Parashurama (so prominently associated with Kerala), is also connected to Mangalore.

- When it comes to Kundavarman, we can conjecture that places like Kundapur (on the coast and not too far from Mangalore), are associated with him.

- Devi's image is very clear- with abhaya and varada mudra

- Note: The main temple is "inside" what you see in the picture. It is very impressive, once you step inside, but you cannot take photographs.

(5) Gokarnatheshvara temple

- Need to read more on the origins of this temple. It appeared more recent, but we stepped in, since it was on the way.

- Annapoorneshwari, in particular is very beautiful, radiant, and decked colorfully. We spent time at this shrine and waited for an elaborate deepaaraadhana.

- Subramanya (with 6 faces) is also a prominent shrine inside the main premises. We spent time here too.

Day 1- Evening session:

(6) Amrteshvara temple

- Not to be missed at all!

- The location creates the magic- far far far...from the madding crowd.

- All around the temple, just fields and mountains in the distance.

- Inside the temple, no one!

- The temple is spotlessly clean and serene. Lord Amrteshvara is truly manifest here.

- The temple priest was vocal and narrated the story behind the temple. As per this story, there was a king. His relative tried to kill him by poisoning the temple prasada. The priest was about to give the prasada to the king, though he knew the background. He confided in the king, but by then, the king had already extended his hand to receive the prasada. The king had such faith that he said- he will not retract his hand. He was sure the prasada would not hurt him. The poisoned teertham got converted to amrta. Hence, Amrteshvara at this temple!

(7) Anantapadmanabha swamy temple

- On the way to Amrteshwara temple

- You descend a flight of steps to reach the temple premise. The steps are steep.

- Anantapadmanabha idol is very dimly lit. It is difficult to discern the features.

- This temple is known for "sarpa dosha parihara" rituals. There are snake icons all over the place, plus a conglomeration of snake-idols of all shapes and sizes, at a particular point just beyond the main temple premise. Even as we went around the temple, mass/group rituals were in progress.

- The snake is connected to Subramanya.

- Hence, this temple is known for both Vishnu and Subramanya.

- The temple pond and vegetation all around, make this temple also very scenic.

Day 0: (December 23, 2023) Getting to Mangalore from Bangalore:

- The route we took: Hassan->Sakleshpur->(Shiraadi Ghat)-> Gundya....to Mangalore

- We started at 9 am and reached at 7:15 pm with a break for about an hour for lunch/tea.

- It took so long because of the holiday season- It took more than an hour to get out of Bangalore via Nice Road.

- Shiraadi ghat road has too much road construction. It is a mess. If there are alternate routes via Charmadi ghat, it is worthwhile to try out those options.

-  The landscape is beautiful for most parts- after Sakleshpur, a mountain stream flowing alongside, is picturesque.

- The hills are green and the layer upon layer of hills, makes for stunning scenery.

- Lots of monkeys by the roadside just after Sakleshpur (where the ghat section begins).

- Not too many twists and turns in the ghat section to make your stomach churn. It is bearable from that angle, but the construction, which is happening over the entire stretch (after Sakleshpur), takes the sheen out of the travel.

- At Gundya, we go straight to Mangalore. If you turn left, you reach Kukke Subramanya.

- Just after Gundya, we again go straight to Mangalore, at the second fork. If you turn to the right at this fork, you reach Dharmasthala and if you turn left, you reach Kukke Subramanya (second route to Kukke).

- So, Dharmasthala and Kukke can be covered on the same day, though they are on either side of the road going to Mangalore.