S
|
ri Venkataramana Temple is an amalgamation
of glory, faith and architecture. The temple is the hub of all religious and
cultural activities of the Gowda Saraswath Brahmins. There is, perhaps, hardly
an individual in Karkala who has not adored the architecture, worshipped the
deities or offered ardent prayers.
Constructed
by the Bhairavas
History tells us that the then rulers of Karkala, the Bhairava dynasty had
constructed the temple when some Gowda Saraswath Brahmins settled at Karkala
after fleeing from Goa in the aftermath of Portuguese invasion. It is learnt
that the temple was installed on April 25, 1537.
The site for the construction of temple was chosen in a very orthodox
way. A cow and her calf were let off after performing a pooja and the place
where the cow took rest after feeding her calf was selected for the holy
shrine. An inscription available in the temple reads that the temple was renovated
in 1699.
Deities
The main deity of the temple called Pattada
devaru is Srinivasa and the utsava
devaru is Lord Venkataramana taken out in religious processions. It is said
that Karkala was constantly attacked and looted by outsiders. The villagers
fearing that the robbers would take away the idols that they so dearly worshipped
appeared to have carried the idols with them looking for a safer place. They
are reported to have hidden the idols in a well near Mulky. With attackers gone, these people tried to
retrieve the idols, but could not get one of them. A person of the locality who
could find it, refused to return it. He got the idol installed at Mulky. So the
presiding deity at the temple in Mulky is still called Sri Venkataramana of
Karkala.
Divine
intervention
The devotees became frustrated after losing one of their idols. It is
said that they had a dream directing them to go back to their place where they
would receive an idol of Lord Srinivasa from a saint. Their dream came true
when a Brahmin stranger gave them an idol of Srinivasa which he had brought
from Tirupati. The saint who continued to
live in Karkala, breathed his last and was cremated on the outer premises of
the temple on the western side and even today his tomb is worshipped on certain
occasions. The Parivara deities Sri
Mukhyaprana, Sri Garuda, Sri Lakshmidevi and Sri Ganapati were installed in due
course.
Padu
Tirupati
Thanks
to the historic temple’s legendary association with Tirupati, Karkala is also
known as Padu Tirupati. The belief is so
firm that the devotees without a second thought offer donations meant for
Tirupati here itself. A part of the
donations received used to be offered to Tirupati Srinivasa.
Festivals
and rituals
The
Lakshadeepotsava, the festival of
myriads of lights known for its festivities, is one of the famous festivals of
the temple. The idols of Lord Srinivasa along with Lord Venkataramana are taken
in a procession to Srinivasaashrama, about three kilometers from the temple,
for Vanabojana. It is believed that the Gods move eastwards
once a year in the direction of Tirupati. The idols, on their way back, halt at
Manna Gopura, in the heart of the town. The idol of Lord Srinivasa is brought back to
the temple in a beautifully decorated chariot while the idol of Sri
Venkataramana is brought in an equally decorated palanquin after receiving
special poojas at gurjis (stationary chariots) specially erected for the
occasion.
The
annual car festival, rathotsava is
another grand event of the temple.
Paryayotsava is another
important event. As the name indicates the right to perform the pooja
alternates between two families, the Puraniks and the Joshis, after each
year. A family of Tantris performs all
religious activities in the temple other than the poojas.
Worshipping of spirits and
darshana were the other special events. The spirit initially identified as
Kalabhairava was later believed to be Basava. Darshana played an important role
in the lives of the people where they used to flock expecting divine solutions
to their everyday problems – be it marriage, sickness or property dispute. The darshana patri was believed to imbibe
the spirit of Basava and his words were taken with respect and faith.
It
is said that there was a proposal to make Moodbidri - which was a part of
Karkala taluk when Karkala was a part of Dakshina Kannada district - the taluk
headquarters. When the devotees went and
prayed at darshana, the patri
prophesied that Karkala itself would become the headquarters and did it become!
However, darshana has been discontinued in recent years.
Veeramaruthi
shrine
The
Veeramaruthi temple built opposite to the main shrine across the road on the northern
side, is another landmark in the town with a 15-feet monolith of Lord
Hanuman. The idol is said to have
installed in the sixteenth century during the Bhairava regime. It is also said
that the statue was unearthed during an excavation process near Anekere.
Fascinated by the size of the statue, Tippu Sultan is believed to have
sent silver to prepare a cover for the idol. But as the silver was not enough
for a cover, a necklace was made which still adorns the idol.
Pillars
of fame
The
four pillars erected at the Garuda Mantap of the temple are architectural
miracles. Each pillar narrates a different story. Small creatures like
honeybees, spiders and butterflies are meticulously carved on the pillar. The movable
chains carved out of a single stone are examples for the fineness and dexterity
of the work. These pillars stand out as
a living monument to the great sculptor the late Renjala Gopala Shenoy, who was
awarded the Master Craftsman Award from the Government of India.
Renovation
The temple has witnessed many a renovation from time to time. A Brahmakalashotsava was held in 2016, after
extensive renovation. Community members’ munificent contributions could make
such a task possible.
No comments:
Post a Comment