S
|
hivathikere Sri Umamaheshwara Temple is
located at Hiriyangadi in Karkala. It is just 50m off the recently laid Bypass
Road.
A small dilapidated shrine and a large tank
with well-laid steps were all that existed when it was little known some 25
years ago. The temple site was hidden in
the thick vegetation surrounding it.
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Abandoned shrine |
Past
perfect
The ruins and the tank provided ample
evidence to the glorious past of the temple.
Historians infer that the shrine had been constructed around the tenth
century. The history dates back to the
days of Keladi kings. As the downslide
of the Keladi clan began, so was the glory of the temple, reducing it to mere
relics over the centuries.
Thanks
to the road, devotees made inroad
Proximity to the newly laid road is, in
fact, a turning point in the course of the temple. The thick
vegetation and fear of snakes had made the site impregnable. Now people started
trickling in. The number of devotees started increasing. Poojas
too were resumed to the Shivalingam that might not have had any such rituals
for centuries. Prayers were offered.
Bhajans were performed. The derelict
shrine became the centre of many religious activities.
Redevelopment
of the temple
Gradually the temple was developed with donations
from the public. The lingam was reinstalled with Ashtabandha
brahmakalashabhisheka in 2003. In later years Parivara deities Sri Balamuri
Mahaganapati and Sri Durga Devi were installed at the inner precincts of the
temple.
The sanctum sanctorum, teerthamantapa and pauli are made of stone. These structures amalgamate with the rich
heritage of Karkala known for its rock monuments. Dhwajastambha (flag post),
navagraha deities were installed in due course.
A shrine for daivas too is constructed recently. Ashtabandha
Brahmakalashotsava was again held in January 2017.
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| Goddess Sri Durga Parameshwari |
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| Balamuri Mahaganapati |
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| Navagraha shrine |
Annual
festival
The five-day annual festival is held
starting with dhwajarohana. The festival
culminates on the day of Shivaratri. Many
other special occasions are celebrated at the temple.
A
land mark
Shivathikere Sri Umamaheshwara Temple,
today, is so developed that it bears little resemblance to the site prior two
decades. Eminent astrologers were consulted while renovating the temple. Only the
beautiful tank and the shivalingam are the same.
Shivathikere is so called
because of the shrine of Lord Shiva and the tank. The green patches on two
sides of the pond lend serenity to the divine atmosphere.
