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- RELIGIOUS PLACES |
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GOKARNA
: This coastal town is a must-see for
Hindu pilgrims, Sanskrit scholars and beach buffs.
Apart from its famed beaches and the Centre of
Sanskrit Learning, it has the ancient temple of
Mahabaleshwara with the Atmalinga, the Venkatramana
Temple, the Ganapati Temple and the Kooti Tirtha,
the large temple tank where pilgrims perform their
ablutions.
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SHRINGERI : Shringeri, where the founder of the
Advaita philosophy, Adi Shankara, discovered
a cobra sheltering a frog from the torrential
rains, has its spiritual centre on the banks
of the Tungabhadra river in the evergreen forest
of Chikmagalur. The Vidyashankara Temple located
here is a architectural marvel-its 12 sculpted
pillars, each representing a sign of the zodiac,
are placed so that the sun's rays fall on each
successively in the order of the solar months.
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UDUPI : Approximately 60 km from
Mangalore is the Vaishnavite pilgrimage town of
Udupi.
This was the sanctum of Madhavacharya, the great
Sanskrit philosopher. It is known for its chefs,
cuisine and restaurants as much as its Krishna
Temple. The main attraction of this temple is
the 'Kanakana kindi'- a small window through
which Krishna is believed to have given darshan
to his devotee, Kanakadasa, a saint-ministrel.
The colourful Paryaya festival - when pontiffs
change to officiate as priest once in two years
- at Udupi beckons thousands of devotees from
all over the country.
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MOOKAMBIKA TEMPLE : Amid the green canopy of the Western
Ghats lies the village of Kollur, located 80
km northeast of Udupi. Here, the Mookambika Temple,
one of the seven sacred spots of the coastal
region, is dedicated to the goddess of emotional
power and strength. It has gold plated crest
and copper roofs. Adi Shankaracharya, the great
philosopher, is said to have visited this temple
and performed penance.
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DHARMASTHALA : Besides the many Jain Basadis and the
museum, the centrepiece of this temple town is
a 39 ft monolith statue of Bahubali. Dharmasthala,
situated 75 km east of Mangalore, in Belthangady
taluka of Dakshina Kannada district, is a remarkable
example of communal harmony and religious and
cultural tolerance. The Jain tirthankara and
Lord Manjunatha (Shiva) are worshipped on the
same consecrated ground. The Manjunatha Temple,
a prominent Shaiva centre, is administered by
a benevolent Jain Heggade, whose charity and
concern for social welfare have become legendary.
Irrespective of caste, creed or religion, pilgrims
are given free meals and lodging. Here, religious
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SHRAVANABELAGOLA : A short 135 km drive from Bangalore
takes you to Shravanabelagola, a prominent Jain
pilgrimage centre in Hassan district. The largest
monolithic statue in Asia, that of Lord Gomateswara,
towers 58 feet, looming atop the picturesque
Vindhyagiri hill. Every 12 years Jain pilgrims
gather here to participate in the colourful Mahamastakabhisheka
of the Lord - the splendid head-anointing ceremony.
Hundreds of pots containing curd, milk, honey,
vermilion, coconut water, turmeric paste and
even gold and precious jewels are poured over
the statue's head from a specially erected scaffolding.
Endowed with a rich cultural and historical Jain
legacy, Karnataka has a cluster of Jain pilgrim
centers. Karkala and Venur with huge Gomateswara
statues, Moodabidri with the Thousands Pillars
Basadi, Humcha with an ancient Jain Matta, Narasimharajapura
and Belgaum with Jain Basadi are the main ones. |
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MURUDESHWAR : Located on the main Mangalore-Karwar
highway, Murudeshwar is sandwiched between the
picturesque Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea.
Its main attractions are its beach, the awesome
Shiva statue and the famous Shiva Temple built
in the Dravidian style depicting Chalukya and
Kadamba sculptures on a hillock which offers
a magnificent view of the sea.
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SKCON TEMPLE : Visit this ornate temple located 10
km west of Vidhana Soudha in Bangalore. Built
on a hillock with granite, marble and Korean
glass, the huge cultural complex was established
to promote Vedic culture and spiritual learning.
It houses various deities like Krishna, Balaram
and Radha. The annual Rath Yatra (chariot procession)
of Krishna and Balaram draws a crowd of millions.
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KHWAJA BANDE NAWAZ
DURGAH : The tomb of the great Sufi saint, Khwaja
Bande Nawaz, a magnificent building in the Indo-Saracenic
style, holds pride of place in the hearts of
Muslims. Every day thousands of people visit
the dargah to pay homage to the saint. It is
the venue of an annual urs (festival) attended
by nearly one hundred thousand people, both Muslims
and Hindus. At festivals held on the 15th of
every lunar month, one can see devotees dancing
spontaneously like the dervishes in the Sufi
shrine in Turkey's Konya. The Dargah Library
houses almost 10,000 books in Urdu, Persian and
Arabic.
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GURUDWARA NANAKJHIRA
SAHIB : Legend has it that Guru Nanak halted
at Bidar, at a time when it was reeling under
a severe drought. The Muslim saints requested
him to invoke the blessings of the divine water.
The crystal clear stream that still flows out
of the rock near the Gurudwara is believed to
be God's answer to the Guru's prayers. Its' waters
are said to possess medicinal properties. This
place has come to be known as Nanak Jhira (jhira
means a spring of water), and is visited by thousands
of Sikhs every year. |
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BANAVASI : Nestling deep in the forests of the
Western Ghats, on the border of Uttara Kannada
and Shimoga districts, this temple town is located
on Vardha river, known for its rice, sugarcane,
arecanut, spices and the famous Banavasi pineapple.
This is the place where the eminent poet Pampa
composed his poems. It was the capital of Kadambas,
the first kingdom of ancient Karnataka. The Madhukeshwara
Temple famed for its architecture, derives its
name from the honey coloured linga.
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YELLAMMA TEMPLE : Situated atop a hill near Soundatti
in Belgaum, the Renuka (Yellamma) Devi Temple
is visited by pilgrims mainly from Karnataka,
Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. The famous Yellamma
jatre takes place on the full moon day known
as the Bharat hunnime. The goddess Yellamma's
worship on this occasion is conducted in the
manner of Shakti puja.
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