Description
The southern part of India is well known for its historic and magnificent temples. The Kadri Manjunatha Swamy Shiva Temple is one of them. This happens to be one of the oldest temples in India. Located in the Kadri hills of Mangalore city, this place is serene, peaceful and historic and bears several mythological occurrences to it. This temple possesses a Hindu as well as a Buddhist history. In the days of yore, around the 10th century, Buddhism was practiced here. But with the decline in Buddhism people were dedicated to Manjusri and Avalokitesvara who believed in Buddhism as well as the Tantric traditions of Shiva. This is how the temple derives its name, where Kadri means vihara i.e Buddhist monastery and Manjunatha i.e. incarnation of Lord Shiva.
History
The Kadri Majunatha temple was built in the 10th century was then transformed into an absolute structure that was made up of stone around the fourteenth century. The deity of Lord Manjunatha is the oldest among all, which are found in the temples of South India. The story of its origin goes like this- Parshurama who lived in the Sahyadris had destroyed the Kshatriyas who supposedly were merciless and gave away the territory to Kashyapa. After which Parshurama repented and asked Lord Shiva to help him find a place to reside. Lord Shiva guaranteed Parshurama that he would complete his punishment, Lord Shiva would reincarnate as Manjunatha for helping the world. According to the instructions of Lord Shiva, Parshurama flung his axe inside the ocean and prepared a spot for himself to perform the penance. Hence after repenting and going through the punishments for his sins, Lord Shiva was pleased with Parshurama and revived in the form of Manjunatha by the side of Goddess Parvati and resided in the Kadri hills for the progress of the earth. Thus there is a profound significance of this place, which refers to the whole concept of purifying oneself and the feeling of regret. Because Parshurama was an incarnation of Lord Vishnu himself, he meditated and observed penance for his wrong doings. Hence a Kadri Manjunatha temple is considered as the granter of forgiveness and peace.
Importance/Significance
The earliest reference to this temple can be found in the form of a message on the pedestal of the Avalokitesvara image which mentions that King Kundavarma of the Alupa dynasty was a devotee of Lord Shiva. It is said that the statue of Lord Manjunatha is made of five elements (pancha loha).Surrounding the temple at an elevated position, is a natural fresh water spring called Gomukha which is said to flow into sacred ponds adjacent to it. There also is a beautiful garden which surrounds the temple and a huge light pole. During the Karthik month of the Hindu calendar, a deepostav i.e. the festival of lights is celebrated in which this light pole whereas the whole temple is decorated with lamps. This view is absolutely divine and magical. This temple also has statues of Gorakanath, Machendranath, Lokeshwara, Shringinath, Buddha And Manjushri and Hence enriched with such heritage, beautifully sculptured architectural designing and scenic surroundings Kadri Manjunatha Swamy Shiva Temple is a must visit place.
Festivals/Events/Gatherings
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