- Moodabidri
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Moodabidri
ಮೂಡಬಿದ್ರಿ
— town — Coordinates 13°05′N 74°59′E / 13.08°N 74.98°ECoordinates: 13°05′N 74°59′E / 13.08°N 74.98°E Country India Region Tulu Nadu State Karnataka District(s) Dakshina Kannada Population
• Density
25,710 (2001[update])
• 649 /km2 (1,681 /sq mi)
Time zone IST (UTC+05:30) Area
39.62 square kilometres (15.30 sq mi)
• 147 metres (482 ft)
Distance(s)-
• From Mangalore • 37 kilometres (23 mi)
Codes-
• Pincode • 574227 • Vehicle • KA 19,KA 20
Website moodbidritown.gov.in Moodabidri (Tulu: ಮೂಡಬಿದ್ರಿ , Kannada: ಮೂಡಬಿದ್ರಿ) (also called Mudbidri, Moodbiri and Bedra), is a small town 37 km northeast of the Dakshina Kannada district headquarters, Mangalore, in Karnataka, India.
Because of widely grown bamboo in ancient days, this place got named as Moodabidri. Moodabidri comes from two words: Moodu and Bidiru. Moodu means East and Bidiru means bamboo. This place was also known as Mooduvenupura (Kannada: ಮೂಡುವೇಣುಪುರ).
Its average elevation is 147 metres (482 feet).
Contents
Demographics
As of 2001[update] India census,[1] Mudbidri had a population of 25,710. Males constitute 48% of the population and females 52%. Mudbidri has an average literacy rate of 79%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: Male literacy is 82%, and female literacy is 76%. In Mudbidri, 10% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Moodbidri basically contains two villages: Pranthya and Marnad. Moodbidri is also called as "JainaKashi".
Location
Moodbidri is on National Highway 13. It is accessible from Mangalore (31 km away) by bus. Mangalore Airport is 40 from Moodbidri.
It is an hour from Udupi and near Karkala. Other nearby places are Venur and Kudremukh.
Bus / train booking
Online train and bus (government and private) booking facility is available at Moodabidri.
Nearby railway stations are at Mangalore (60 minutes journey by bus) or Udupi (90 minutes by bus) or Bantawl (25 KM from Moodbidri). The local online news of Moodabidri published in Kannada by ICARE Live on their dedicated website for Moodabidri called Namma Bedra
Languages
Tulu is spoken by majority of the population, followed by Konkani and Kannada. A small Muslim population speaks Byari and Urdu. Visitors can manage with Hindi and English.
Hospitals / Nursing home
Moodabidri has a state-run health center. The hospital has improved in the last few years. Medicine supply to the hospital is stable and medicines are available for all common ailments. Well qualified doctors, including dentists, are available and PG interns practice. The hospital has X-ray machine, dental chair, and an ambulance facility.
Private hospital services with highly qualified and experienced doctors (allopathic and ayurvedic) general medicine, with different specilisation are available. A few of the hospitals are Alva's nursing home, Prabhu clinic, G.V. Pai hospital, Dental clinic like Famous Modern Dental clinic with latest technology with international standards ( Dr Parveen Javed Shaikh)Janatha Clinic.
A few doctors/physicians render their services in their clinic. Medical stores serve needy people.
The town also has a reasonably well maintained veterinary hospital with a veterinary doctor and a veterinary inspector.
Religion and culture
Moodbidri is also known as Jain Kashi. The Thousand Pillars Temple is one of the most famous and holy shrine of Jains across the country. It also has Guru Basadi which houses the treasured Dhavala text. There are other Basadis, namely Ammanvara Basadi. Leppada Basadi, etc. There are several Jain temples in Moodbidri.
There are number of Hindu temples in Moodbidri. Among them Sri Hanuman Temple, Sri Venkataramana Temple, Mahalasa Narayani Temple (Mahamaye Temple), Sri Gowri Temple, Doddamane Road, Sri Eshwara Temple, Doddamane Road, Ponnechari Venkatramana Temple, Shiva Temple, Alangaar, Old Maari Gudi at Swaraj Maidan, New Maari Gudi at Swaraj Maidan and Maari Gudi near Sri Mahaveera College.
A sizable number in Moodbidri practise Roman Catholicism. They are also known as Mangalorean Catholics. There are around 11 churches in and around Moodbidri Varado. Among them, the 16th century old Portuguese-built church Igreja da Santa Cruz Hospet or Hospet Church is very famous.
Tradition and festivals
Hulivesha
Hulivesha (Tiger dance) is a unique form of folk dance in Dakshina Kannada. Since tiger is considered as the favored carrier of Goddess Sharada (the deity in whose honor Dussera is celebrated), this dance is performed during the Dussera celebration. It is also performed during other festivals like Krishna Janmasthami and Ganesh Chathurthi. Moodbidri is famous for Hulivesha performed on Ganesha Chaturthui as Mangalore is famous for Dashera Hulivesha and Udupi for Janmashtami Hulivesha.
Ganesh Chaturthi
During Ganesh Chaturthi, Moodbidri gets together to celebrate the festival. People worship Lord Ganesha's idol kept at Samaj Mandir by Saarvajanika Ganeshotsva Samithi headed by K. Amarnath Shetty. On the fifth day, a grand procession is held late at night and the idol is taken to the Manasa Gangotri pond at Sri Mahalingeshwara Temple Alangar.
During Navaraatri, the idol of Sharada Maathe is kept at Shri Lashmi Venkatesha Temple, Ponnechari, Moodbidri, by Saarvajanika Samithi and celebrated for two days very grandly. The Sharada Maathe idol is kept at the Venkataramana Temple Moodbidri and here it is celebrated for three days.
Maari Pooja or Rashi Pooja
There are five Maari Gudi Temples in Moodbidri. Old Maari Gudi at Swaraj Maidan, Maari Gudi at Swaraj Maidan, Maari Gudi at Mahaveera College,Maari Gudi at Kotabagilu and maari Gudi at kallabettu.
Bhuta Kola
Bhuta Kola or spirit worship is practised here. Bhuta Kola is usually done at night. Most of the temples have Bhuta Kola on their annual festival.
Kambala
Kambala or buffalo race is conducted in water-filled paddy fields. The Rani Abbakka Kambala Stadium is constructed at Kadale Kere Nisarga Dhama. Every year Kambla is organised here for two days.
Korikatta
Korikatta (cockfight) is another favourite sport for village people on the annual festival of the temples.
Nagaradhane
Nagaradhane or snake worship is practised according to the popular belief of the Naga Devatha to go underground and guard the species which lived on top.
Dindu (Lakshadeepotsava)
Konkani-speaking GSBs have their own tradition of celebrating Lakshadeepotsava (Dindu) five day festival starting from Uthana Dwadashi (Tulasi Pooja Day — the day on which four month chaturmasa of Lord will end and Lord will come out of the temple for the first time in last four months. This day denotes start of Utsava (Pete Savari) of lord for the year). Out of five days last three days being Keredeepotsava (Chaturdashi) Lakshyadeepotsave (on full moon day of Kartika month in Kannada Kartika Hunnime) and last day Okali (Holi) attract many people to the temple.
Uroos
Muslims celebrate Uroos in the Masjids every year.
Rathotsava
Jains have their Jain Milans yearly. All Jaina Basadi celebrated Ratotsava very grandly. Each goes for seven days.
Santhmari
Celebrated by Christians at Alangar Church and Corpus Christi Church.
Education
Moodabidri has elementary, higher elementary, high schools, junior colleges and first grade colleges.
Sri Dhavala College, Jain PU College sponsored by DJVV Sanga Sri Mahaveera College, S N M Polytehcnic, headed by Manipal Academy. It has 22 primary and higher elementary schools, five high schools. Moodbidri has three engineering colleges: Mangalore Institute of Technology and Engineering (MITE), Dr. M.V. Shetty Institute of Technology and Alva's College of Engineering.
History
Typical Yakshagana Artist
- Gowri Temple in the heart of the city is the oldest temple in Moodbidiri. The temple is said to have been built in the 7th century.
- Hanuman Temple in the heart of the city is the most famous temple around Moodbidri. People from many religions including Hindus, Muslims, and Christians offer prayers to the Lord Hanuman.
There are 18 temples, 18 lakes, 18 Jaina Basadis and 18 roads connecting various villages in Moodbidri.
During 14th–16th centuries this town emerged as a center of Jain religion, culture, art and architecture. 18 Jain temples, snown as Basadis, were constructed during this period. The Jain Math at Moodabadri is headed by a Bhattaraka belonging to the Mula Sangh order.
The most famous among them are Guru basadi, Tribhuvana Tilaka Chudamani Basadi and Ammanavara Basadi.
- Guru basadi is the earliest of the Jain monuments. A stone idol of Parshwanatha, about 3.5 metres tall, is installed in the sanctum of this basadi. Here the rare Jain palm leaf manuscripts of 12th century A.D. known as ‘Dhavala texts’ are preserved.
- Tribhuvana Tilaka Chudamani basadi is the largest and the most ornate of the Jain temples of this region. People also call this temple Thousand Pillared Temple (Savira Kambada Basadi) . This is a large granite temple built in 1430 A.D. The 2.5 metres tall bronze image of Lord Chandranatha Swami in the sanctum of this basadi is considered to be very sacred. This three-storey construction was supported by the rulers, the Jain Bhattaraka Swamiji, merchants and the common people. The temple is famous for the open pillared hall in front, consisting of a large variety of ornate pillars decorated with carvings typical of Vijayanagara style. A 15-meter-tall single stone pillar called manastambha stands in front of the basadi.
Ratnakara Varni, the medieval Kannada author of Bharatesha Vaibhava belonged to this place. The famous Jain canonical texts known as Dhavala texts and also a number of palm leaf manuscripts of historical and literacy value are preserved in the Jain Math (monastery).
Moodabidri was the seat of the Chowtas, a Jain ruling family, who were originally located at Puthige, about 5 km from here. They moved their capital to Moodabidri in the 17th century. The remains of the 17th century Chowta Palace is known for its carved wooden pillars and ceilings.
Sports
Yearly and monthly sports activities are held Swaraj Maidhan and SMC ground. State level and national sports meets are held here. Cricket, volleyball, badminton and different types of matches are played. Many flood light cricket and volleyball matches are held here. Alva's Education Foundation has hosted many state and national level sports meets here.
Companies
Small-scale industries employ many people. Many cashew industries are here. Kadale Kere is the industrial area where many small-scale industries are.
Transport facilities
Long distance travel and local transport
The local and long distance transport includes the buses which ply regularly. Shuttle and express buses to Mangalore, Udupi, Karkala, Shimoga, Kudrmukha, Sringeri, Dharmastala, Bantwal Bethalgady, Naravi and Mulki run every 5–10 minutes.
There are government buses to distant places like Bangalore, Hubli,Dharwad, Subramanya , Chickmagalur and all the important places of Karnataka. Private buses from Moodbidri are also available to Bombay, Goa and Bangalore by established travels like Navami, Nishmitha, Sugama, Vishal, Ideal and Ananad.
Entertainment
The main source of entertainment here is watching movies. There ia a 800 seating capacity, theater named "Amarashree." Normally Kannada movies are screened here except very rarely some famous non-Kannada movie like Titanic. There is also a mini theater of 100 seating capacity, near the main bus stand. Here recently released English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam moveies are screened. In a day, four different language movies are screened, sometimes a single language movie, based on public demand.
Other entertainment is watching Yakshgana, unique to this district. This includes a drama like play on epics, which lasts a whole night, starting at 9:30 pm and ending at 6 am next day. This is played normally once a week, and only in few months a year.
Some private Tulu drama companies play comedy drama at regular intervals between November and June.
See also
- Tirthas
- Jain Bunt
- Shravanabelagola
- Kukke Subramanya Temple
- Dharmastala
- Horanadu
- Shringeri
- Udupi Krishna Temple
- Mangalore
- Karkala
- Kambala
- Mangalorean regionalism
- Venur
References
- ^ "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 2004-06-16. http://web.archive.org/web/20040616075334/http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999. Retrieved 2008-11-01.
External links
Categories:- Jain temples and tirthas
- Cities and towns in Dakshina Kannada district
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