Dakshina Kannada tourist spots round-up
Dakshina Kannada and its surroundings are a traveller’s haven. I do not mean just a tourist’s. Of course the tourists can have their fun – watch, whoop and wave goodbye. But for a traveller – someone wishing to go beyond viewing to exploring and experiencing the joys and sorrows of a land, Dakshina Kannada is truly a world of indulgences.
Let us take Mangalore as a centre point to start off on a trip across the district and beyond. What most Mangaloreans do not realise is the wealthy world of beauty and fun they have got just next to them. Everyone is bored by what they have at home – everyone wants excitement outside of their sphere. We think of travelling all the way to Kashmir for the mountains and forget our very own Western Ghats. Of course you may argue that they are not THE highest mountains of the world. But have you seen what’s home first before looking out of your window? Everyone wants to go to Goa to enjoy the beaches – and forget the lovely home-beaches such as Panambur, Someshwara and NITK Suratkal, or the slightly-further-away Kapu, Mulki, Malpe or Maravanthe.
Everyone has a common problem – difficulty in exploring their own homeland. Maybe that’s what keeps most of us bored in our cities. So the Coastal Mirror has decided to cover certain nearby areas for your information and benefit. We will provide you pictures and insight on some of the neighbouring areas in and around Mangalore in the coming issues. Let us go exploring!
Moodbidri: An around-the-year destination, the town is famous for the Saavira Khambada Basadi, or the 1000-pillared temple. One can reach the small town after traversing through mountain sides looking down unto steep valleys and the bus groaning on the small village roads. The Basadi is approximately 15-minutes’ walk from the bus stop. The entrance gate of the Saavira Khambhada Basadi rises high around one of the small roads. The words on the inside gate of the ancient 1462 Jain temple proclaimed it to be the abode of the Jain tirthankara Tribhuvana Choodamani. The tall manastambha of the temple greets one pleasantly. A carved gate follows the newer concrete gate, with the traditional stone dwarapalakas on guard.
There is a golden flagstaff, and the temple itself rises behind the manastambha in full regalia. Not only is it not ruins, but is also apparently well maintained. However, as one closely inspects the pillars and the walls, one can find patches of cement, exposing a poor renovation work sometime in recent past. The first sight of the temple innards is majestic – huge elephants guarding the entrance, rows and rows of pillars, a huge inner gallery and a distant glimpse of the sanctum sanctorum. It leaves you mesmerised.
The gallery or mantapa at the start of the temple consists of pillars built in the Hoysala style, while the inner pillars have Nepali designs, according to the ‘guide’ in the Basadi. He is one of the caretakers of the Basadi who double up as guides when required. The Hoysala pillars are much more intricate and delicate, with carvings of Ramayana, life of Tirthankaras and absolutely exquisite figures such as the poorna kumbha, Goddess Lakshmi or the various dwarapalakas.
Nepali pillars depicted the life of Krishna, nature objects such as peacocks and elephants, among others. There are also Halegannada inscriptions explaining the history of the place in one of the walls of the inner courtyard and on some of the pillars. Other notable features include panels of dancing yaksha-yakshinis, warriors setting out for a battle, and other floral designs along the base of the Basadi. There are a total of 237 designs created in stone in the 1000-pillared Basadi, which took 30 years to complete. The main pillars, the half-pillars, the mini-pillars carved on to the large Hoysala pillars, as well as the ones on the mezzanine and top floors together added up to the number 1000.
The Basadi still performs its functions as a place of worship. Poojas are conducted in the mornings, and only then are the sanctum sanctorum and the upper two floors of the Basadi opened. Visitors are not allowed to enter inside. The sanctum sanctorum contains a nine-feet statue of the eighth tirthankara Chandranatha Swami made of gold and panchaloha (3:1 proportion). The second and topmost floor has the sacred areas that are believed to house all 24 tirthankaras.
The Basadi is surrounded by a strong and high red laterite brick wall around 50mts from the temple gate. Within this wall and outside the Basadi one can spot the chariot (ratha) housed in a shed. The chariot is taken out in great processions on special days and festivals in the Basadi and in the Jain community.
Dharmasthala: The town is famous for its Car Museum and the Manjusha Museum, the Bahubali stupa and the Manjanatha Temple. Despite its alarming smallness, it is flocked by millions of devotees every month. The route, including the National Highway 66 (erstwhile 17), is dotted with colourful houses, a testimony to cash flowing from abroad – homes of the NRIs who have sold their sweat and blood in the distant lands to buy some dignity in their hometown. Almost until Vogga, there isn’t much to view – no scenic beauty or touching glimpses of rural life. Just the plain dry road and barren lands and the NRI houses.
The ghats show up again after Vogga, and one cannot but be besotted by the misty jaded green hills looking majestic surrounded by small towns and barren lands. As you enter the town, what greets you is a vast stretch of land, with rows of buildings on the sides, a huge dwara, some temple-like structures here and there, and steps up some hills.
The view that met your eyes as you enter the place is awe-inspiring. A sea of bald heads – women, men, children, the physically challenged, short, tall, thin, fat: all kinds of human beings with one common attribute – bald heads. One of the main offerings at the temple is ‘mundan’, shaving off the hair on one’s head. The whole place is lined with – literally lined with – rows and rows of lodges. The ones around the temple are named Ganga, Kaveri and Narmada, which must constitute around 200 rooms each. There were seven other modern lodges/residential facilities in the town, capable of holding way above 1,500 devotees. It is incredible! No points for guessing what the prime source of income and the centre of the town’s life would be. Not to mention that these lodges are used by the people of the town as landmarks.
The temple, a stately structure is not very old but quite traditional-looking and even inviting. On the way to the main temple gate, there are some buildings alongside. A ‘jnana bhavan’, which seemed like an assembly hall; a board declaring the location of Annapoorna dining hall; directions to the ‘Q for Darshan’, and places to park your footwear and buy flowers and coconuts for offering.
Within the dwara that leads to the outer gate of the temple, on a corner is the temple chariot in a shed, and around it shops selling idols, photos, and other pooja materials. There are also two gajaveeras around which enthusiastic groups crowd for blessings. Little children scream in fear, while slightly bigger children enjoy the touch of the elephant’s trunk on their heads, and the adults close their eyes in prayer as the elephant takes the offered coins or bananas and pat their heads.
The monolithic structure of Bahubali is located atop Ratnagiri hill, which is just before the main town dwara. The statue can be accessed either by a road way climbing up the bette or by climbing the 250-odd steps that have been constructed around the bette for convenience of tourists and devotees. The summit of the bette has been attempted to be developed as a park in vain. The stupa stands at the far end of the ‘park’, facing a flag-post, all built in stone.
There is an interesting legend around Bahubali. Bharatha and Bahubali were the sons of the first Jain Theerthankara, King of Rishabha. When the King renounced his worldly duties, he gave Ayodhya to Bharatha, his elder son. Bahubali got Podanapura to govern. Bharatha also acquired the celestial spinning Chakra Ratna, which gave him unmeasurable powers, with which he set about to conquer the world. He came back triumphant, but when he entered Ayodhya he realised that his brother’s land, Podanapura, was yet unconquered. Bharatha asked Bahubali to accept his supremacy, but Bahubali refused. The two brothers decided to duel instead of a bloody war. Bahubali was about to kill his brother when he had a bolt of disillusionment with the world of passion and greed. He left his kingdom to Bharatha, renounced the world and became a Digambara. He stood naked for penance and to gain enlightenment, which he did in the end.
The stone sculpture, the making of which began in 1967 and ended in 1970, symbolises renunciation, self-control and control over the ego as a first step towards salvation. The statue was commissioned by Shri Ratnavarma Heggade, father of Dr. Veerendra Heggade, and was built at Karkala by famous sculptor Shri Renjala Gopal Shenoy. The 39ft high statue is carved out of a single rock. The pedestal on which the statue stands if 13ft high. The 170-tonne monolith was transported 64kms from Karkala to Dharmasthala on a trolley with 64 wheels, driven by three tractors over the treacherous ghat roads.
But let us not leave from here yet, for there is more to see at Dharmasthala. No visitor to the town should return without going to the Manjusha Museum and the Car museum.
Both these museums are a result of the personal interest in heritage and arts of Dr. Veerendra Heggade, the Dharmadhikari of Shri Kshetra Dharmasthala (Manjunatha Swamy Temple). He has added several items from his own collection in both the general and car museums. Manjusha Museum contains several artefacts from all walks of life. Apart from sculptures in stone, different metals, precious stones and crystal; jewellery in precious stones, clay and beads; objects of worship; toys and games from different countries, etc. the museum also contains the complete evolution of scientific items like camera (a must-see collection), clocks, radios and television. Other objects at the museum include utilitarian items from the coastal belt, coins from different era, statuettes and objects from different countries, ancient manuscripts in Tulu, Kannada, Sanskrit, Prakrit and Tamil.
According to the website of Shri Kshetra Dharmasthala, the ancient manuscripts in possession of The Sri Manjunatheshwara Cultural Research Foundation number more than 5,000, including Valmiki Ramayana in Sanskrit, Bhaskaracharya’s Jyotisa Siddantha Shiromane, Bana’s Nataka and a host of works on Upanishads and Sastras. It also has over 400 Tulu manuscripts, with around 160 of them on Yakshagana prasangas.
Another interesting exhibit at Dharmasthala are ancient temple chariots. The beautifully carved rathas are kept for display outside the museum premises, under shelters. These include chariots from Sri Kodandarama Swamy Temple, Hiremagalur; Sri Gangadhareshwara Temple, Srirangapattana; and ri Malleshwara Swamy Temple, Fort Bellary.
A few hundred metres walk from the Manjusha museum leads us to the car museum, which contains several lovely vintage and classic cars as well as horse carriages, bikes and other vehicles. This is also part of Dr. Heggade’s passion, which has also ensured that most of the cars are in good condition and ready to hit the roads if required. Vintage and classic Buicks, Fords, Daimlers, Skodas, Studebackers, Morrises, Mercedes Benzs, Vauxhauls, Renaults, Rolls Royces, Chevrolets, Austins, Sunbeams and Fiats grace the museum with their presence. A Studebacker 1929 model collected from Pondicherry, which was used by Mahatma Gandhi during his Karnataka-Tamil Nadu tour, is also present in the collection. Another famous car would be the Packard 1946 model, which was used by H. H. Shri Abhinava Vidhya Theertha Swamiji of Sringeri Sharada Peetha – donated in 1989 to the museum. A Daimler double six, custom built in 1949 for H.H. Sri Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar of Mysore and made in the UK is also here. Another notable car is the Japan-made Datsun-1983 used by film actor Dr. Vishnuvardhan. The car museum is extremely fascinating for anyone with the slightest interest in motor history.
Dharmasthala also has several old Basadis worth a visit. Altogether, the town is a must-visit for people interested in temples, history, and cultures.
Kapu: Mangalore’s surroundings are crowded with temples and beaches. Among the most attractive of the beaches outside the Mangalorean limits is Kapu. The USP of this beach is its lighthouse. The structure, which was completed in 1901, is open to public and one can climb atop this friendly edifice and watch the beauty of the entire area and the vast expanse of the sea ahead.
Kapu (or Kaup) Lighthouse is 27.12 mts high and is functional after 6pm every evening. The beach where it stands, though not too safe for swimming as the waters are not shallow enough, is a beautiful stretch. Every evenings this place full of people from all walks of life. One can spot music aficionados getting their guitars to play the beach. Apart from the localites, the beach attracts visitors from the nearby Udupi, Manipal, Mangalore, etc, who come to spend the evening lapping up the waters. There is an eatery at the beach offering light snacks, tea, coffee and cold drinks, which makes it convenient to have a small picnic here.
Another interesting part of Kapu beach is its rock formations. The rocks are the base on which the lighthouse has been built. These rocks can easily be climbed upon, which make it an interesting exploration ground. There is a shallow backwater of the sea behind these rocks, where one can easily swim and rest their feet. However, one has to be very cautious on the rocks as they are steep and could be slippery in the monsoon. Once one reaches the top of the rocks, there are steps leading to the backwaters, which is again very entertaining.
While we are at Kapu, we might as well visit the age-old and well known temple of Krishna at Udupi, commonly known as Krishna Math. The temple is believed to have been set up by Madhvacharya in the 13thcentury. The idol of Krishna installed in the temple is believed to be the original at Dwarka temple. According to legend, the Dwarka idol got covered by sandalwood and was carried by a sailor in his ship. The ship was caught in a storm as it reached Malpe. Shri Madhvacharya got a vision during his meditation which prompted him to go to Malpe and find the idol from the waters of the sea. He took the idol with him to Udupi where he bathed it in a pond (now known as Madhva Sarovar where priests take bath till today before beginning prayers). Madhvacharya then installed the idol in a temple near his Mutt, now famous as Udupi Krishna Math.
A unique point of this temple is that the Lord’ darshana occurs through a small window, known as Navagraha Kitiki. There are no doors to the temple from the front. Another interesting story is that of the Muddu Krishna who can be viewed through the Kanakana Kindi. Kanakadasa, an ardent Krishna bhakta, was not allowed to enter the temple as he belonged to lower caste. He used to sit behind the temple and pray to the Lord. Krishna was so pleased by his devotee that one day a window opened on the back wall of the temple and the idol turned to face Kanakadasa. The window is known as Kanakana Kindi.
There are eight Mathas in the place, jointly known as Ashta Mathas, who are the keepers of the temple as well as Shri Madhvacharya’s philosophy of Dwaita. Each of the Mathas manage sevas and administration cyclically for two years. The area exudes a very holy atmosphere and one automatically walks into peace as they enter. There are several other temples in the vicinity where one can offer prayers and seek blessings.
I hope you enjoyed travelling to Dharmasthala and Udupi with me! In the next issue, I will take you to Sringeri with me. Have fun till then!
Originally published in Coastal Mirror issues 4 and 5 in two parts and republished at opinionationsofnamitha.blogspot.in on February 27, 2012.
