Kadri Manjunath Temple

The Kadri Manjunatha Temple located in Mangalore in the state of Karnataka, India, dates back to approximately 1068 The square temple built with nine water tanks, nestles at the foot of the highest hill at Kadri in Mangalore.

Description

The chief deity of this temple is Manjunatha (Lokeshwara or Lord Shiva) who is depicted in a statue made of bronze. This statue of Lokeshwara in the seated position with three faces and six arms is tipped to be the best bronze statue in India [cite news
url = http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/apr122005/spectrum833262005411.asp
date = 2005-04-12
title = History set in bronze
accessdate = 2006-03-25
publisher = Deccan Herald] . It is about 1.6m tall.

The temple is a neat and middle sized structure with a pyramid-shaped roof. The temple, as the inscription indicates, may have been built in the 10th or 11th century, as evidenced by the installation of the Lokeshwara statue in the 968. The Balipitha in front of the temple also gives us an almost definite period going back to 10th century. Within the temple premises to the west is the temple of Goddess Durga, and to the north the temple of Lord Ganesha.

History

The earliest reference to it is in the epigraph dated 968 on this statue. It mentions that King Kundavarma Bupendra of the Alupas lineage, caused the Lokeshwara statue to be installed in Kadarika Vihara. Kadarika is the earliest name of the place, and Vihara is the name given to a Buddhist settlement there. Buddhism flourished at Kadri till the 10th century. Even after its decline and with the advent of the Natha Pantha, (an offshoot of the Vajrayana form of Buddhism,) the name continued in practice. Hence the name Kadri. In one of the Vijayanagara epigraphs, the name Kadali can be come across.

King Kundavarma Bupendra built a mutt on top of the Kadri hill which came to be called 'Jogimutt'. There are some stone caves on top of the hill which are known as the caves of the Pandavas. The idol of Lord Manjunathaswamy of the temple is said to be the oldest of the South Indian temples. The seven sacred ponds, Jogi Mutt and caves of Pandavas are the pilgrim attractions here.

Gomukha & Water Tanks

There is a natural spring at an elevataed location on the backside of the temple. It is called as Gomukha.

The water from this spring is let into 7 ponds of different sizes adjacent to it. People visiting the temple, come here wash themselves before entering the main temple.

References

External links

* [http://www.mangalorecity.gov.in/tourism.html Mangaladevi temple]