VISIT TO Shrines in Dakshin Karnataka
Despite my living in Bangalore for more than 2 decades from 1962
to 1987, I never took the opportunity of escorting my wife Mythili to important
shrines in Karnataka. My prime life was
spent in Bangalore and I derived maximum influence from my contacts and friends
but still, it never came into my mind to visit these temples. The middle age also might have discouraged me
to take the initiative.
After completing the pilgrimage to all the 106 divyadesams in
vaishnavite cult, it was haunting in my mind that I should escort Mythili to
UDIPI Krishna temple and she also expressed her desire to go and worship the
deity there. I was wondering who would
accompany us in this visit as we are hesitant to do it alone due to age
factor. My former colleague Mural in
Sundaram Finance assured me that he will make every arrangement for our visit
from Mangalore and if need be, to provide an escort with us. The visit was pending for the last few Years.
My brother in law Gopalan evinced interest to visit these places
and said he will gladly accompany us.
Another brother in law Parthasarathy, though he has visited all these
shrines, agreed to accompany us. Their
brother Narasimhan suggested that we should go to Coorg and spend few days in
HOME STAY guest houses. My daughter
Bhooma also suggested the same as she had gone there with her family twice.
All the above factors encouraged me to make the trip. Parthasarathy took the initiative to arrange
for the train tickets To and Fro Chennai.
The program is finalized as follows:
Chennai- Mangalore, Udipi, Kollur, Sringeri, Dharmastala,
Horanadu, Kokke Subramanya, Madigere ( Home Stay) and return from Mysore by
train.
We left Chennai on 2nd March 2014 and returned on 9th
morning.
I have given below the legend and history of the temples that we
have visited, details collected from the concerned sites in the Internet and
nothing is of my own.
Gopalan’s friend in Dusseldorf, Germany is the owner of beach
resorts in Mangalore and insisting him to visit and stay for few days as his this
was postponed by him and now he has chosen to stay there. This resort named as
VAZCO BEACH RESORT is situated in Someshwar, Uchil, Mangalore, 16
kilometers from the City. It has few
independent Villas and guest rooms, equipped with well maintained kitchen and
the servants. For those who are in
search of a cozy atmosphere, peace, wellness, pleasure and long awaited break,
a holiday in this report is suggested.
Mr. Manohar, the Manager is an expert in hospitality and administers the
resort in an excellent manner. He can be
contacted by phone) 824-2281061/64 and mobile +91 9845207097. Their web site is www.vazcobeachresort.com. Make
sure that you contact him and ascertain the availability of the guest rooms as
they are demand during the season.
During the months of July to end of September, it is not desirable to
visit as it will be the rainy season.
The best period is between March and June.
After the breakfast on Monday the 3rd, we visited two
temples in the vicinity of the resort.
1)
Samantha Temple, located near Mangalore in Karnataka, is a very
ancient temple and is also popular as one of the 12 sacred Shiva Kshetras. Dedicated
to Hindu God Shiva, the temple is also known Rudrapada Kshetra, and is also an
important temple for perform Shradh and Tarpan rituals dedicated to the dead.
The temple is around 13 km south of Mangalore.
Legend has it that the temple was built by a relative of demon
King Ravana, named Kharasura. Thus the temple exists from the Ramayana period.
Pandavas is believed to have visited the temple. A lake near the
temple was created by Bhimasena, the second of the Pandava brothers.
Scenic beauty
Samantha Temple is situated on the banks of Arabian
Sea and is built on an elevated spot and some parts of the temple are in
the form of a fort. Another highlight is the beautiful view of the sunset from
the temple.
Opening and Closing time of the temple:
5:00 AM to 1:00 PM
5:00 PM to 8:00 PM
5:00 PM to 8:00 PM
To Reach
Someshwar is around 13 km from Mangalore and there are frequent
buses from the city center.
SRI
KSHETHRA KATEEL (SREE Durga Parameshwari Temple)
During the early part of Kaliyuga, the good earth was struck by
famine and pestilence. It did not rain for years. Even Brahmins were
constrained to eat meat and the people were on the verge of becoming cannibals.
Jabali, the great sage was disturbed in his 'tapas' by these troubles. Through
his 'Janna Drastic' he realized the root cause of all this. He found that
Arunasura, the 'rakshasa' who escaped from death and fled when Goddess Durga
slew Shambasura had increased his life span by following the teachings of his
Guru. He had made the people stop all the yagas and yajnas as a revenge against
the 'devas', and this had resulted in drought and scarcity for years.
Moved by compassion, jabali desired to alleviate man's
sufferings and decided to perform a yajna to placate the devas. He approached
Devendra in Heaven with a request to permit him to take Kamadhenu for the
ritual. Devendra informed jabali that Kamadhenu was not available but he could
take her daughter, Nandini instead. Jabali then went to Nandini who, however
refused to accompany him to the sinful earth which had nourished such evil
beings as Ravana and Karthivirya. Jabali countered this by saying that the same
earth had also produced such saintly beings as Ahalya.
Nandini, however, was firm in her refusal. Jabali, in his anger,
cursed that she be born as a river on earth. Nandini prayed for mercy. Relenting,
Jabali advised her to pray to Goddess Durga to redeem her from the curse,
Nandini appealed to Goddess Durga who appeared to her and informed her that
though Nandini would be born as a river in fulfillment of the curse she, Durga,
would be born as Nadine’s daughter at the centre of the river, and in the
process, Nandini would attain purification. On Magma Shudda Poornima, Nandini
emerged as a river from Kanakagiri. Jabali performed his yajna. The devas were
pleased and the earth was once again green and smiling.
When Arunasura realized
that the earth was flourishing once again, his anger knew no bounds. He sat in
tapas and acquired a boon from Brahma that he would not suffer death from any
two legged or four legged creature or any destructive weapon. Brahma also
blessed him with the Gayatri Mantra, assuring him that as long as he recited
the mantra he would be secured from death. Blessed with these powers, Arunasura
defeated the devas and conquered Heaven. In their alarm, the devas implored
Goddess Durga for help. Durga suggested that they should somehow prevent him
from reciting the mantra and then she would find a way of destroying him. The
devas sent Profit Brahaspathi to Arunasura Brahaspathi praised Arunasura's
powers and questioned the necessity of his reciting a mantra to another god.
When he himself had risen to the eminence of a god by his own exploits.
Flattered by this praise. Arunasura gave up reciting the protective Mantra.
One day Goddess appeared in Arunasura's garden as a beautiful
woman. Seeing this charming apparition, Arunasura inflamed with desire,
approached her. The charming beauty reminded him that she was the same woman
who had killed Shambasura and from whom Arunasura had escaped death. Conscious
of and confident in his newly acquired powers, he rushed forward, sword in
hand, to slay her: She disappeared into a stone. Arunasura slashed the stone
with a sword, when a vast swarm of bees emerged from the stone and stung him.
The Queen of bees "Ugra Bramari" stung him repeatedly
till his last breath. Devas led by Jabali performed abhishekam with tender
coconut water and requested the Ugra Bramari to bless the world with her
"Soumya Roopa" Goddess Durgaparameshwari then appeared in her
"Soumya Roopa" in the middle of the river, where present structure of
the temple imparts its glory to the world. 'Kati' being the word which means
"center" (midway between the "Kanakagiri" the place where
the river was born, and the end, parvanje, where the river joins the sea) and
"lla" means area. Thus place is called "Kati+ lla" Kateel.
After the night halt at the Beach resort, we left for Udipi on
the next morning. Due to examinations at
the schools, we were told that the rush at the temples would be very less and
we can have a good and easy darshan in all the shrines. Our visit to Udipi Krishna temples proved
this point. It was our destiny that we
had a very good darshan of the deity with deepa aaradhanai. We were present during the routine visit of
the present head of the Mutt and received his blessings also.
(2) How Krishna Came to Udipi
The
amazing account of how one of India’s greatest saints met a beguiling Krishna
Deity of a bygone era.
The
holy town of Udipi lies on the Arabian Sea in the South Indian state of
Karnataka. The town is famous as a place of pilgrimage because of the temple
Sri Krishna Matha. This temple was founded by Srila Madhvacharya (A.D.
1238-1317), one of the greatest saints, philosophers, and religious reformers
of India. Udipi is said to have attained the status of Vaikuntha, the kingdom
of God, because the Supreme Personality of Godhead came and stayed there in
response to the desire of His pure devotee Srila Madhvacharya.
Even
before Madhva’s time Udipi was renowned as a holy place. People throughout
South India frequently went there on pilgrimage because it was a center of
Vedic scholarship and the site of two ancient temples, Sri Ananteshvara and Sri
Candramauleshvara. In the Sri Ananteshvara temple, the more famous of the two,
Lord Vishnu and His personal expansion Lord Ananta-shesha are said to reside
within the Siva-linga, the deity form of Lord Siva, who is the most powerful
demigod and the greatest devotee of Lord Vishnu, or Krishna. Sri
Candramauleshvara is a temple of Lord Siva, so named because he carries the
crescent moon (candra) on his head. Not much else is known about Udipi prior to
Madhva’s advent, except that the town is named after Lord Siva, “Udipi” being
derived from “Udupa,” another name of Lord Siva meaning “he who carries the
moon on his head.”
Srila
Madhvacharya, in the years before he founded the Sri Krishna Matha, was
affiliated with the Sri Ananteshvara temple. Here he used to hold audiences
spellbound with his learned discourses on the science of Krishna consciousness.
Within the temple compound he would regularly hold debates with scholars
opposed to pure devotion to Lord Krishna as the ultimate end of Vedic
knowledge. Madhva never lost a debate. After founding Sri Krishna Matha, Madhva
made it the center for all his activities. Tradition still has it, however,
that pilgrims go first to Candramauleshvara and offer their respects to Lord
Siva, then to Ananteshvara to offer respects to Lord Vishnu, and finally go across
the street to Sri Krishna Matha to worship Srila Madhvacharya original Deity of
Lord Bala Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead as a young child.
The
amazing story of how the Bala Krishna Deity crossed the ocean from faraway
Dvaraka in Northwest India to Udipi in the south is told in Madhva-vijaya,the
biography of Srila Madhvacharya. Madhva wanted to have a temple of Lord Krishna
in Udipi; the devotees could then worship and serve the Lord and ennoble their
souls. Well, it so happened that in Dvaraka, one of the main places of
Krishna’s pastimes on earth five thousand years ago, a Deity lay concealed
within a large mass of gopi-candana clay (the yellowish clay Vaishnavas use
daily in marking their freshly bathed bodies as temples of Lord Vishnu). No one
knew the Deity was there, but because the lump of clay was exceedingly heavy,
some sailors loaded it onto their merchant ship as ballast. On the ship’s
southward journey, just off the coast of Udipi, a tempest blew the ship aground
on a sandbank.
On
that very day, Srila Madhvacharya absorbed in composing Dvadasha-stotra, his
famous twelve-part poem praising Lord Krishna, had gone to the beach to bathe
or, as some say, to receive the Lord. Upon seeing the ship caught fast on the
sandbank and hearing the cries of the sailors in distress, Srila Madhvacharya
waved his cloth in their direction. This calmed the stormy seas, and the ship
floated free. Madhva then guided the vessel to safety. Eager to show his
appreciation, the captain offered Madhva whatever he wanted from the ship’s
cargo. Madhva chose the heavy lump of gopi- candana clay.
Disciple
attendants of Madhvacharya had just started back to Udipi with the large lump
of clay when, but a short distance from the beach, the lump broke in two,
revealing the handsome Deity of Lord Bala Krishna. But now the combined effort
of thirty of Madhva’s disciples could not budge the Deity. Only when
Madhvacharya himself embraced and lifted the Deity as if He were a child did
the Deity consent to be moved. In great transcendental ecstasy Madhva carried
the Lord the four miles back to Udipi. On the way he completed the remaining
seven parts of Dvadasha-stotra, reciting the verses out loud. Back in Udipi,
Madhva bathed the Lord in the lake known as Madhva-sarovara and enshrined Him
in the Sri Krishna Matha. Srila Madhvacharya instituted rigorous standards for
worshipping Sri Krishna, and whenever he was in Udipi he would personally
perform the thirteen daily worship ceremonies for the Lord.
How
the Deity of Bala Krishna had come to be buried in Dvaraka is told in
Prameya-navamalika-tika, a work from the seventeenth century by Raghuvarya
Tirtha, an acharya in succession from Srila Madhvacharya. Once, during the time
of Lord Krishna’s manifest pastimes on earth, mother Devaki lamented to the
Lord over her misfortune at never having witnessed the Lord’s childhood
pastimes in Vrindavana. She entreated the Lord to make her happy and fortunate,
like mother Yashoda, by showing some of His childhood feats and frolics.
The
Supreme Personality of Godhead, just to give pleasure to His pure devotee, at
once assumed the form of a small child and clambered all over Devaki’s lap.
Later, when Devaki went to churn butter, Krishna, acting like an ordinary
mischievous child, broke the churn, ate the lumps of butter, and even smeared
butter all over his transcendental body. He then snatched the churning rod and
rope from Devaki’s hands. After sporting like this for some time, the Lord
again assumed His usual form of eternal youth. Mother Devaki was thrilled
beyond measure to see this childhood pastime of the Lord.
Queen
Rukmini-devi, Lord Krishna’s consort, witnessed these pastimes, and the Lord’s
mischievous behavior and childhood features enthralled her. To preserve the
memory, she had a Deity made of child Krishna holding a churning rod and rope.
Queen Rukmini began to worship this Deity regularly. Later, after the Lord
returned to the spiritual sky with His retinue, Arjuna deposited the Deity in a
place called Rukminivana. In the course of centuries the Deity became
completely covered with clay, and it remained in that condition near Dvaraka
until merchant sailors brought it to Madhvacharya at Udipi.
Before
his departure from this world, Srila Madhvacharya appointed eight of his sanyasi
disciples to take charge of the worship at Sri Krishna Matha and to continue
propagating Krishna consciousness in the region. Today the responsibility for
the worship is rotated in two-year periods called paryaya among eight sanyasi
in disciple succession from the original eight. During the fourteen-year
interim period between turns at paryaya, each sanyasi travels and preaches and
raises funds for use when his turn for worship comes. During his paryaya,he
personally performs the thirteen daily ritual services to the Deity.
Each
sanyasi also heads his own Matha, where other Deities, ones given by
Madhvacharya to the original eight sanyasis, are worshipped. These eight mathas
are located along Car Street, a road that circles the Candramauleshvara and
Ananteshvara temples and runs right past the main entrance to Sri Krishna
Matha. Car Street is where parades such as the one pictured at the opening of
this article are held. According to the significance of the festival being
observed, sometimes only one cart and sometimes all three are used. A fourth
cart, completely covered in silver, is used for special festivals.
Replete
with a decorated elephant and a musical band, a parade on Car Street is an
almost nightly event in Udipi. Residents and pilgrims alike turn out en masse
to see the Lord riding high upon His cart and smiling beneficently upon the
adoring devotees. The procession stops at intervals along the route, and the
Lord is entertained by fireworks displays or worshiped by offerings from His
many devotees. The parades start at eight and are usually over by nine-thirty.
Seeing
the enthusiastic devotion of the residents of Udipi engladdens the heart of any
devotee. Even a hardened non devotional heart would be touched. Udipi is one of
the few places left in India where devotional, spiritual traditions, for which
India is famous, are still practiced intact. Such a pure devotional atmosphere
is the principal symptom of the spiritual world. Thus a fitting epithet for Udipi
is “the Kingdom of God on Earth.”
Madhva
For
twelve years Madhyageha Bhatta would regularly travel the eight miles north
from his village of Belle to Udipi. There at the Ananteshvara temple he would
pray for a son. One day a devotee in a trancelike state climbed the temple
flagpole and announced that to reestablish the purest principles of religion, a
male child, an incarnation of Vatu, the demigod in charge in air, would soon be
born. Madhyageha understood within his heart that this would be his own child.
Soon his wife, Vedavati, gave birth to a son. The happy couple named him
Vasudeva.
From
infancy Vasudeva showed extraordinary intellect; so much so that he was given
brahminical initiation at age five, three years early. Whatever he heard of
read, even just once, he could remember. His body was unusually strong,
lustrous, and beautiful. At age eleven, Vasudeva left home for Udipi, to live
with Acyutapreksha, an ascetic widely respected for his scholarship and saintly
character. After one year, despite strong protest from his father, Vasudeva
renounced the world. Acyutapreksha named him Purnaprajna.
Less
than forty days after taking sannyasa,Purnaprajna defeated Vasudeva Pandita, a
famous wandering scholar, in a public debate. The pandita was known for his
hair-splitting dialectical ability, but he was no match for young Purnaprajna.
The pandita spoke for three days and then dared anyone to refute his conclusions.
Purnaprajna shocked the crowd when he accepted the issues, he repeated almost
verbatim the pandita’s arguments. Then, one by one, he smashed them all. His
victory was the talk of Udipi. Acyutapreksha gave him the title Anandatirtha,
in recognition of his mastery of Vedanta.
Word
spread far and wide about the debating skill of the young ascetic in Udipi.
Challengers and admirers converged on the town. Buddhisagara and Vadisimha, two
Buddhist monks who had converted many to their fold, challenged Anandatirtha.
After a day-long skirmish, they promised to return the next day. That night,
however, they secretly fled from Udipi.
Anandatirtha
went on a tour of South India. The most notable events on this tour were two
encounters with Vidyashankara Svami, the lineal successor to Sripada
Sankaracharya, who was the original propounded of the monistic theory of the
Absolute Truth. Some basic tenets of Sankaracharya’s philosophy are as follows:
God and the soul are identical; the formless, senseless, impersonal Absolute is
the only reality; all else is illusion; and the incarnations of God are all
products of illusion. Anandatirtha was thoroughly familiar with this doctrine,
so he knew all its weak points. With firmness and courage he challenged the
venerated Vidyashankara, and a fierce debate ensued. Vidyashankara could not
defeat his opponent, yet he refused to accept defeat. They met again, in
Rameshvaram, during the monsoon season, at which time Vidyashankara taunted and
harassed Anandatirtha. But the young saint tolerated the abuse.
On
his return journey, while addressing an assembly of learned men, Anandatirtha
stated that every Vedic utterance conveyed a triple meaning, that each verse of
the Mahabharata had ten meanings, and that each of the thousand prominent names
of Lord Vishnu had a hundred meanings. When the astonished assembly demanded he
prove his statement, Anandatirtha explained a hundred meanings of Vishva, the
first name of Vishnu. Before he could proceed further, however, they begged him
to stop, admitting they didn’t have the intelligence to comprehend his
elaborate explanations.
Back
in Udipi, Anandatirtha, who was now known as Madhva, wrote a commentary on the Bhagavad-Gita
and gave a copy to Acyutapreksha for his approval.
Madhva’s
next tour was to Badarinatha, high in the Himalayas. In Badarinatha he met
Srila Vyasadeva, the author of the four Vedas and their voluminous
supplementary literature. In preparation for this meeting, Madhva had observed
complete silence and complete fasting for forty-eight days. He learned the full
meaning of the Vedanta- sutra, the distilled essence of Vedic wisdom, from the
transcendental author himself and promised to write a commentary on the sutras,
one that would be faithful to Srila Vyasadeva’s original intent and purport. By
the time he came down from the Himalayas, his commentary, Sutra-bhashya, was
completed. He sent a copy ahead to Udipi for Acyutapreksha’s approval.
On
his return trip, Srila Madhvacharya converted Sobhana Bhatta and Sami Sastri to
Vaishnavism. They later became successors to Madhva, as Padmanabha Tirtha and
Narahari Tirtha. Madhva refused to let Narahari take sannyasa, ordering him to
remain in his high governmental position, in return for which he was to obtain
the Deities of Mula Rama and Sita, lying in the King of Kalinga’s treasury. For
many years Narahari remained in that service, until finally, just three months
before Madhva’s departure from this world, Narahari brought the ancient images
of Sita-Rama to his guru. These were the original Deities of Rama and Sita,
worshiped by Maharaja Ikshvaku and then by Maharaja Dasharatha, the father of
Lord Rama. Then during the time of Lord Krishna’s advent, the Pandavas gave
them to the Gajapati kings of Orissa. Eventually the Deities were kept in the
king’s treasury.
While
still in his twenties, Srila Madhvacharya undertook a second tour to
Badarinatha, this one after he had founded Sri Krishna Matha in Udipi. On the
way, a tyrannical king pressed Madhva’s party into digging a reservoir for the
city of Devagiri. Madhva, however, persuaded the king himself to take part in
the digging and then left with the party. The pilgrims had many other hardships
and misadventures, but Madhva always saved them with his quick thinking and
mystic powers. In Badarinatha, Madhva again heard from Vyasa, who gave him
eight sacred Salagrama stones.
On
his return trip Madhva stopped in Goa, where he enacted an amazing
gastronomical feat. Previously he had eaten a thousand bananas in one sitting.
But in Goa, he outdid his earlier record. He ate four thousand bananas and then
drank thirty pots of milk. When asked to prove that plants indeed respond to
music, Madhva took a few seeds in his palm and began singing in his melodious
voice. The seeds sprouted. Madhva continued singing, and the plants grew,
swaying to the melody. Madhva continued singing. The plants grew into full
maturity and yielded the fruits and flowers. News of this feat spread
everywhere.
From
Udipi Madhva traveled south again. In Vishnumangalam he debated with Trivikramacharya,
a logician and grammarian of remarkable skill, who was able to make the
Sanskrit language convey any meaning that suited his purpose. The debate lasted
fifteen days, and in the end Trivikrama surrendered at Madhva’s feet. A full
account of that debate is given in the Madhva-vijaya,written by the son of
Trivikramacharya. News of Trivikrama’s conversion brought hundreds more men and
women into Madhva’s fold. His life’s mission thus became firmly rooted in
India.
Srila
Madhvacharya wrote thirty-nine books clarifying the tenets of Vaishnavism and
showing Vaishnavism to be the true Vedic religion. In many of his works he
attacked the monistic creed of Sankaracharya’s followers, exposing to impede
Madhva’s mission by less honorable means. They tried to defame him, declaring
him a heretic and all his followers outcasts. They even stole his writings and
his valuable collection of ancient books, thinking that without literature his
mission would be finished. Somehow, King Jaya Simha of Vishnumangalam acquired
the books and returned them to Madhvacharya.
Madhva
had appeared in two other incarnations. During the time of Lord Krishna’s
appearance on earth he appeared as the warrior Bhima, one of the five Pandava
brothers. During the time of Lord Rama, he incarnated as the beloved Hanuman,
the ideal servant of the Supreme Lord. And, as in those incarnations, Madhva
performed many feats of strength and displayed mystical perfections. As a child
he would appear suddenly in one mighty leap from anywhere in mighty leap from
anywhere in response to his mother’s call. In school he cured a friend’s
headache by blowing in his ear. To help his father out of debt he turned
tamarind seeds into money. On two occasions he made seeds sprout into plants by
his singing. An enormous rock in Ambu Tirtha, requiring at least fifty men to
move it, bears an inscription stating that Madhvacharya placed it there with
one hand. Many times Madhva made small quantities of food increase for
distribution to hundreds of people. At the age of seventy-nine, his mission
well established, Srila Madhvacharya passed away. His devotees say he went to
Badarinatha to join Srila Vyasadeva.
Note
The International
Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) is in the sampradaya, or disciple
line, from Madhvacharya by way of the Gaudiya Vaishnavas, the Bengali school of
Krishna devotees. The members of ISKCON are connected to the Madhva-sampradaya
through Lakshmipati Tirtha, A Madhvaite who initiated Srila Madhavendra Puri,
the grand- spiritual-master of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Srila Prabhupada, the
founder and spiritual master of ISKCON, is eleventh in the disciple line from
Lord Chaitanya. Because of this connection to Madhva, Udipi holds special
interest for ISKCON members. It is the place where one of the predecessor acharya
boldly preached Krishna consciousness, the Absolute Truth, and delivered many
conditioned souls from illusion and ignorance.
After we had our
break-fast, we proceeded to Kollur which is situated in the midst of Western
Ghats/forest. Here also we had a good
darshan of the Moogambigai Amman.
(4) The history of
Kollur Mookambika temple
states that there lived a demon named Kaumasura who was unleashing a reign of
terror upon all the gods with his special power given by Lord Shiva. When all
the gods were trying their best to stay away from his vicinity, Guru
Shukracharya brings good news to the gods that this demon would face death by a
woman, that is Parvathi Devi. Knowing this Kaumasura undertakes severe penance,
Lord Shiva asks this demon to ask for the boon, sensing grave danger if he his
offered the boon, this goddess of speech makes this demon dumb.
Hence this Kaumasura came to be known as Mookasura (mooka means to
be dumb). Thereafter Devi mobilised all the powers of the gods and then this
demon was killed by Kollur Devi Parvathi. She was hence forth called Mookambika.
This place where Devi killed Mookasura is known as Marana Katte.
The Kollur Devi thereafter became the deity of this place offering
her blessings to all who sought her. She poses with all her radiance along with
the shank and chakra in both her hands sitting in the padmahasana
posture.
Suyambulingam at Mookambika temple
The Suyambulingam at Sri Mookambika temple is said to have come
into existence when Parameshwara drew the chakra with his toe. This chakra is
believed to be the Udhbava linga which has drawn its strength due its proximity
to all divine beings. It is also very sacred since Kollur Devi is supposed to
be merged with this Suyambulinga and that has made her acquire great power.
Here she is said to have formed part of Lingam along with Lakshmi
and Saraswathi on one side and Lord Brahma, Vishnu and Parameshwara on the
other side. Apart from this there is also a carved image of Shiva said to be
injured by during the clash with Arjuna known as Kiratharjuna and this is on
the right side of this Suyambulinga.
Adhi Shankaracharya is believed to be instrumental in Devi
Mookambika taking this place Kollur as her abode. It is this place near the
bank of Souparnika River that Adhi Shankarar stopped to fix the Chakra and on
above it placed the Devi and this forms the central idol behind the Linga. This
temple has been patronized by many ancient kings who donated many precious
jewels to Sri Kollur Devi and they are still adorned by her. Many other Hindu
kings have also donated to this temple since it was believed to be the state
temple in those days.
Sanctum
of Kollur Sri Mookambika Temple
|
The history of idol installation at Kollur Mookambika temple is
nearly 1200 years old. King Halugallu Veera Sangayya is said to have laid the
valuable stone to cover the inside premises and this was done by him under
the instructions of Rani Chennamaji. The temple comprises of the sanctorum, a
hall and the Lakshmi Mantapa at the rear. This Lakshmi Mandapam has four
pillars and it is about 135 feet long. These four pillars are adorned with
splendidly carved images of Indian deities.
The beautiful sculptures are figurines of various Gods and
Goddesses such as Vinayaka or Ganesh, Subrahmanya, Naga, Mahishasura Mardini
and the mother goddess or Devi in various forms. The Garbagriha at this
Kollur temple is contemporary and artistic in value. A huge deepasthambam
stands tall with its base like a tortoise’s head. This Deepasthambam has 21
beautiful concentric circles which appear very divine and similar to that of
Makara jothi when all the lamps are lit and viewed from distance.
The Navarathri festival begins with an invocation to Lord Ganesh
who is on this pillar. As we move inside the corridor beyond the Garbagriha
there are four types of idols of Ganapathi. Among them are Dasa bhuja
Ganapathi and Balamuri Ganapathi which is beautifully sculpted using white
marble. Then there is an image of a serpent that is worshipped by all Devi’s
devotees in order to wade off the evil effects of Sarpodosa and other doshas.
And it is believed that when touched while offering prayers, the devotees are
said to be blessed with good fortune.
The outer side of the pradikshana we see the idol of Lord Muruga
followed by the idol of Saraswathi, Pranalingeswara, Prartheshwar and Mukya
Prana. This Mukya Prana is placed just opposite to Veerabadrasamy shrine to
strike a balance for its dangerous appearance. This Veerabadrasamy is said to
be the presiding deity here.
|
Pooja timings and practices at Sri Mookambika temple
At this temple prayers are offered following two traditions. - One
as per the sacrificial ritual and the other as per Vijay Yagna Shastra. The
poojas are performed at the temple everyday and it is performed in the morning,
afternoon and evening and in the night. Among the many important rituals that
are performed and celebrated, Navarathri is considered very important and the
other is Brahmotsava and both are celebrated with great pomp and gaiety. This
Navarathri is also is known as Sharannavarathri that falls during October
month. The Goddess is said to grant boons to many an ardent devotee during
these days.
From Kollur, we
proceeded to Sringeri through the western gnat roads. We crossed the place called as
|
Agumbe,
one of the places that receive the heaviest rainfall in Southern India.
It is known as the Cherrapunji of the South and the rains feed streams, rivers
and the many waterfalls here. The dense rainforests of Agumbe are home to the
only permanent Rainforest Research Station in India.
We reached Sringeri in the afternoon, just in
time to have our lunch at the mutt itself and we stayed in their paid guest
house.
SRINGERI SHARADA PEETAM
Jagadguru
Sri Adi Shankara Bhagavatpada established the first of the four Amnaya
Peethams1 at
Sringeri more than twelve centuries ago to foster the sacred tradition of
Sanatana Dharma.
Hallowed
for all times by Sage Rishyashringa who stayed and performed Tapas here,
Sringeri attracted the great Acharya with a remarkable sight.
A contemporary painting of Sringeri
Tradition
has it that after the Acharya had dispersed all the non-Vedic creeds prevailing
in the country; He was on the look-out for a convenient and holy place where he
could establish an institution to spread the truths of Advaita Vedanta. When
the Acharya came to Sringeri, he saw an unusual sight on the banks of the
Tunga. A cobra was seen spreading out its hood over a frog in labor pains, to
give it shadow from the scorching mid-day sun. Struck with the sanctity of the
place, which could infuse love between natural adversaries, the Acharya chose
this very location to establish His first Math.
Sri Kappa Shankara - A Shrine on the banks of the Holy Tunga River in memory to the
glorious sight witnessed by Sri Adi Shankaracharya; A serpent giving shade from the
scorching sun to a pregnant frog in labor pains
The
Madhaviya Shankara Digvijayam describes that the Acharya came across many
virtuous people at Sringeri and taught them the doctrine of Advaita. He then
invoked the Divinity of Knowledge, Goddess Sharada and consecrated an icon of
the Goddess. Thus the Perham He founded at Sringeri in South India for
fostering the Vedas and the sacred tradition of Sanatana Dharma came to be
known as the Dakshinamnaya Sri Sharada Perham.
The
Acharya appointed his prime disciple, Sri Sureshwaracharya as the first Acharya
of the Perham. Since then, the Perham has been blessed with an unbroken Guru
Parampara, a garland of spiritual masters and Jivanmuktas representing Sri Adi
Shankaracharya. The succeeding Acharya have led a life of such austere penance
that it has led disciples to adore in them the radiance of Sri Adi Shankara
Himself.
Besides
being a centre of spiritual power, Sringeri also came to be known as a great
place of traditional learning owing to the presence of Goddess Sharada and the
erudition of the Acharya of the Perham. The Acharyas were instrumental in
bringing forth commentaries on the Vedas and in further expounding the Bhashyas
of Sri Adi Shankaracharya. The Acharyas also wrote a number of independent
works related to Advaita besides producing a number of hymns underlining their
ardent devotion to the non-dual Supreme worshipped in multifarious forms. The
Peetham thus came to be regarded as the Vyakhyana Simhasana, The Throne of
Transcendental Wisdom. Consequently, the Birudavali hails the Acharya as the
occupier of this throne. Many regard Goddess Sharada Herself to be moving in
the form of the presiding Acharya of the Peetham.
In the
14th century, royal patronage to the Peetham began with the founding of the
famous Vijayanagar empire under the divine guidance of the 12th Acharya,
Jagadguru Sri Vidyaranya. The austerity of the Acharya influenced the rulers to
such an extent that they began ruling in the name of the Acharya and granted
the Peetham the rights over secular administration of the land. At the rulers’
request, the Acharya began conducting a Durbar during the Navaratri festival -
an occasion deemed by the rulers to honor their Guru. Subsequently, the Acharya
came to be known as the Karnataka Simhasana Prathisthapanacharya and the Perham
became a mighty institution - a Samsthanam and is known to this day as the
Jagadguru Shankaracharya Mahasamsthanam, Dakshinamnaya Sri Sharada Perham at
Sringeri. Over the succeeding centuries, a number of empires and rulers
including the Mysore Maharajahs Hider Ali and Tip Sultan, the Noam of
Hyderabad, the Pashas and the Kelda rulers and Travancore Rajas were drawn
towards the Perham and respected the Acharya as their Guru.
Sri Vidyaranya Mahaswami being accorded royal honor in the Adda-Pallaki by the
Vijayanagara Emperors, Harihara and Bukkaraya. A 17th century painting based on the
mural at Virupaksha temple at Hampi. This tradition has continued since then and is followed even today.
In the
recent past, the Sharada Peetham has shone through the lives of the Acharyas -
Jagadguru Sri Sachidananda Shivabhinava Narasimhan Bahrain Maha swamigal, the
re-discoverer of Sri Adi Shankara’s birthplace at Kalady and the founder of the
famous Pathashala at Sringeri; followed by the renowned Jivanmukta, Jagadguru
Sri Chandrasekhara Bharati Mahaswamigal; succeeded by the crest jewel of Yogis,
Jagadguru Sri Abhinava Vidyatirtha Mahaswamigal. They have all left indelible
impressions in the hearts of the disciples.
With
such a rich history associated with Sri Adi Shankaracharya’s first and foremost
Peetham, many wonder at the aptness of the Acharya’s choice of locating the
Peetham at Sringeri, a spot replete with a hoary past, and bountiful with
natural splendor and serenity.
Today,
the Sringeri Sharada Peetham bedecked with an unbroken chain of Acharyas
continues to uphold the principles of Sanatana Dharma with the 36th Acharya
Jagadguru Shankaracharya Sri Sri Bharati Tirtha Mahaswamiji acting as a
treasure of spiritual wisdom and peace for all seekers.
HORANADU ANNAPOORNESHWARI TEMPLE
Horanadu is located in the Western Ghats of Karnataka, 100 kms south-west of Chikmagalur, located in the midst of thick forests and valleys.
Horanadu is a place of enchanting natural scenery, the ancient temple of Goddess Annapoorneshwari (Horanadu Annapoorneshwari Temple, Horanadu Annapurna Temple), here has been restored and renamed as the Adi-Shaktyatmaka Shree Annapoorneshwari. The single image depicts the Goddess Annapoorneshwari standing on a peeta with Shanku, Chakra, Sri Chakra and Devi Gayathri in her four hands.
The name "Annapoorneshwari" means "Feeding one and all". The uniqueness of this temple is everybody who visit this temple are provided with food including breakfast, lunch and dinner and place to sleep in the temple premises.
Horanadu is located in the Western Ghats of Karnataka, 100 kms south-west of Chikmagalur, located in the midst of thick forests and valleys.
Horanadu is a place of enchanting natural scenery, the ancient temple of Goddess Annapoorneshwari (Horanadu Annapoorneshwari Temple, Horanadu Annapurna Temple), here has been restored and renamed as the Adi-Shaktyatmaka Shree Annapoorneshwari. The single image depicts the Goddess Annapoorneshwari standing on a peeta with Shanku, Chakra, Sri Chakra and Devi Gayathri in her four hands.
The name "Annapoorneshwari" means "Feeding one and all". The uniqueness of this temple is everybody who visit this temple are provided with food including breakfast, lunch and dinner and place to sleep in the temple premises.
Lapped in the luxurious
abundance of the beauty of the nature the village of Subramanya lies in the
Sullia Taluk in south Kanara with a sancity which very few places can boast
of. The temple is situated in the heart of the village. Nature reveals
herself in all her unhidden beauty in the rivers, forests and mountains which
the temples is surrounded by. It is about a 100 KM from Mangalore and can be
easily reached by buses or taxis.
From Sringeri, we went to
Dharmastala after our lunch but the temple was closed at 2.30 itself and will
open again at 7 PM only. We thought
that due to large numbers of pilgrims visit this shrine continuously every day,
the timings of the temple would be convenient nut it is not. To greater extent we got disappointed. As it is not worthwhile to spend the time
till 7 Pm for the worship and then to stay for the night, we decided to
proceed to Kukke Subramanya which is just 75 minutes drive from
Dharmastala. We reached there and
stayed in a private lodge. Here also
we were disappointed as we have been shunted between various centers of
pilgrims” stay and everyone were evasive to provide us a place for stay in
their paid guest houses.
KUKKE
SUBRAMANYA
|
The main entrance to the
temple lies to the east. The devotees will have to enter courtyard from behind
and go before the idol. The sanctuary of Sri Subrahmanya Swami lies opposite to
the main entrance. A Garuda pillar with silver covering towers high between the
sanctuary and the newly constructed portico. It is said that the pillar was
charmed and erected in order to shield the people from the flames of poison
emanating from the breath of Vasuki residing inside. Devotees have to encircle
round including this pillar too. Beyond this pillar the outer Mantapa and then
the inner Mantapa and later the sanctuary of Sri Subrahmanya meet our eyes.
There is a pedestal in the center of sanctuary. On the upper dais stands the
idol of !Sri Shanmukha and then the idol of Vasuki and little lower the idol of
Maha Shesha. Panchamrith Mahapooja and ‘Utsava’ of these deities take place
daily. More details have already been given in the preceding chapters.
Kukkelinga :
To the north of the sanctuary there is a cluster of lingas known as
‘Kukkelingas’. Some believe that the lingas got that name simply because people
usetd to worship them together kept in a basket. Now of course they have been
installed in the back portion of the sanctuary and are being worshipped there.
Some argue that the place owes its name "Kukke Pattana" to the Kukke
linga and they precede a step further and say that the epithet
"Kukke" in ‘Kukke Subrahmanya Degaru’ owes its origin to the curious
custom of worshipping images kept in the basket. Also there is a fanciful
contention that Kukke must be the Halegannada form of the Sanskrit word
"Kukshi" meaning "cave". As the image was installed by Vasuki
in the cave it came to be called as Kukkelinga. Moreover as already been
referred we come across the phrase ‘Subramanya Ahipeshwara’ in the Lalithagama.
The car festival of Kukkelinga takes place every year on Makara Sankramana. At
present many families, worship Kukkelinga as the titular deity of their families.
According to the legendary history, Sri Shanmugaswamy installed Shiva Lingas in
three places in order to get rid of the sin resulting from killing Tharakasura.
Afterwards many Gods and sages installed many more Lingas and images. In course
of time when the place was subjected to the vicissitudes of the ebb and flow of
its fortune, people collected these images and Lingas and placed them in the
temple. Further particulars of this can be seen in Subrahmanya Mahatma, the
book published by the temple management.
Having come so far, we wanted to visit
Dharmastala in the next morning, despite the fact of travelling again for 90
Kms to & fro as our route to Madigere is via Subramanya only. Gopalan was the motive behind our decision to
go to this shrine and we left in the early morning of 6th
March.
There were no rush in the temple and we could
have a good darshan of the deity conveniently.
It is
believed that Mayura Varma, and Narasimman the Kadamba King who ruled vast
areas of southern and central India in the 4th Century A.D. brought Brahmins
from Adhi Kshetra (or Ahichatra) and put them in-charge of various temples in
Tulu Nadu. Adhi Kshetra is mentioned in the Mahabharata as lying north of the
Ganges, and as being the capital of Northern Panchala. It is apparently the
Adisadra of Ptolemy, and its remains are visible near Ramnagar in Tahsil Aonla in Bareilly
district.[3]
The
Brahmins who first landed in Shivalli in Tulunadu and then spread across 31
villages came to be known as Shivalli Brahmins or Tulu Brahmins. It is from
Shivalli and Tulu Brahmins, that the priests of Talakaveri temple have come
from.
Achar Family of Talacauvery
The
beginning of the Achar family in Talakaveri starts ten generations or about 220
to 230 years ago. A Brahmin named Venkappayya and his two brothers, along with
their families came to Talakaveri on a pilgrimage. Lingaraja the First was the
ruler of Kodagu. One night God appeared in Lingaraja's dream and indicated that
there was a Brahmin family currently visiting Talakaveri. God commanded
Lingaraja to appoint this Brahmin to be the priest at the temple. After the
king arose from his dream, he sent for this Brahmin family. The king's
messengers found Venkappayya in Talakaveri and informed him about the king's
desire. Venkappayya accompanied the king's messengers from Talakaveri to
Madikeri, a distance of about 24 miles to meet the king
Lingaraja
received Venkappayya and requested him to start daily puja at the temple. The
king set up an endowment to pay Venkappayya for his services at the temple.
This was the beginning of the Achar family of Talacauvery. The priesthood
bestowed by Lingaraja upon Venkappayya has passed on through many generations
to his heirs. It is hereditary as most priesthood is, and all male members of
the family have the birthright to become priests at the temple. The current
generation of Achar priests at the temple is the ninth from Venkappayya.[
Venkappayya
came from Shivalli Halli (village) of South Canara district. The Brahmins here
were called Putturayas, probably meaning priests from Puttur. This Puttur is
near Udipi. Venkappayya Putturaya's descendants are the Achars. The current
Achars are the ninth generation from Venkappayya. It is not known why the
descendants of Venkappayya took on the surname of Achar. Although Venkappayya
came to Talakaveri with his two brothers, only Venkappayya's descendants are
documented.[
The next
morning, after the break fats, we took leave of Mrs. Leena and Mr. Prakash and
proceeded to Mysore for our return journey to Chennai by night train. On the way, we went to river side where the
elephants used to be brought from the nearby forest for bath and we were told
that it would be very interesting to see it.
With great anxiety in our mind, we reached the place well in time and
before 12 noon. But we were disappointed
as we have been informed that mahouts have not brought the elephant this day, after
we were charged Rs 50 per head to take across this small river by dinghy boats
and only there we were told so. We have
been told in confidence that there is a rift between the mahouts and the
rafting club in the matter of mamools.
The mamools have to be paid to the mahouts on a fixed basis irrespective
of the rush of visitors.
Then we
visited the Bamboo park, where there is shopping centre for all the produces of
Madigere forests like Elachi, Clover, Coffee seeds and powder and other items.
