Sharavu Maha Ganapathi Temple
We first headed to
the nearest temple from our hotel: Sharavu
Maha Ganapathi Temple.
Lord Ganesha is seen
in a unique form here with ten hands with Siddhalakshmi seated to his right and
lion as his vehicle instead of the usual mouse. History gives a long reason for
this and this temple is many centuries old but renovated recently. To put in
current perspective, in Kali yuga people are more interested in material gains.
Hence it is said that Lord Ganesha appeared in this form to remove obstacles
and bestow wealth and prosperity to his devotees.
Kudroli Sri Bhagavathi Temple
This temple is said
to be 800 years old and the four temple complexes are renovated with beautiful
maroon and gold colors.
Katil Shree Durga Parameswari
This beautiful
temple is situated on an islet near River Nandini. This is the only temple that
has a live river flowing through it. The river is named after the daughter of
holy cow Kamadhenu. The temple main diety of the temple is Sri Durga
Parameswari. The temple is in the middle of hills and the drive itself is
through lush greenery. The drive to Kateel from Mangalore is around 20 km and
takes around 40 mins. You have to go past the Mangalore airport and pass
through ghat section.
Kadri Manjunatha Temple
The city of
Mangalore itself is on hills. Kadri Manjunath temple is situated on the highest
hill in Mangalore. This 9th century temple is in square shape and
has nine water tanks behind it. It is
believed that Parashurama who was living in Sahyadri, killed the kshathriyas
who were cruel and donated the lands to Kashyapa. Parashurama threw his axe
into the sea and created a place for his penance. Yielding to Parashurama's
prayers Lord Shiva appeared to him as Manjunatha along with Goddess Parvathi
and stayed at Kadri for the betterment of the world.
There is a natural spring at an elevated location where there is a natural spring. Water comes out of the mouth of a cow shape. This is called the Gomukha. This water is let into nine tanks. People take a dip in each of the tanks which they believe will absolve them from doshas.
There are multiple temples within the compound. There are steps which take you further up the hill and there are many more temples there. This marks the end of our trip to Mangalore.
