TOURISM PLACES-Kodachadri hills

Yet another beautiful scenic Hill Station nestling amongst the Western Ghats. The Linganmakki Dam is a short distance away, don't miss it.The hill is at 4411 ft Above Mean Sea Level. An expansive view of the lush greenery can be had from the topmost part of the mountain. An excellent place for viewing the sunrise and sunset.

The hill is surrounding one of the thick evergreen forests on all the sides. If you are person who love to go on a trekking then this is place where you can take up the challenge to climb that very steep, difficult ascends on the first portion of the hill and the other sides of the hills. The hills gives you a try climbing some of the difficult descends which are almost perpendicular for about 1200 metres facing the South Kanara forests below. Be warned that it is very hard to climb the hills in the monsoon season.

After reaching the top, you will be able to see wonderful scenic beauty surrounded all over the hill and on a clear day you will be able to see the sea from the top of the hills which is quite close and on the clear day, you will be able to seen the ships moving around with the naked eyes too. The hill is covered by beautiful scenic surrounding and there is Linganamakki Dam close by the hills which should not be missed by one who goes here. This is a perfect place to escape from all those hectic pace of the cosmopolitan day of life

TOURISM PLACES-Kollur

KOLLUR


The Mookambika shrine at Kollur is one of the most revered pilgrimage centers in Karnataka (and in Kerala). It is located at a distance of 147 km from Mangalore. The nearest railhead is Udupi, and it is well connected with tourist centers such as Mangalore and Shimoga in Karnataka and Kannanur in Kerala.
Kollur is regarded as one of the Seven Muktislala pilgrimage sites in Karnataka which are (kollur), Udupi, Subrahmanya, Kumbasi, Kodeshwara, Sankaranarayana and Gokarna.
Kollur is known for its association with Aadi Sankara. Mookambika is said to have appeared before Aadi Sankara here, and he is said to have installed her image at this shrine. There is a room near the sanctum - enshrining the Sankara Simhasanam which is regarded as the very spot where he meditated and had a vision of Mookambika. Mookambika is regarded as a manifestation of Shakti, Saraswathi and Mahalakshmi. The Kudashadri hill houses sites such as Ambavanam and Chitramoolam where Adi Sankara is believed to have meditated.
Deities: The swayambhu lingam in front of the image installed by Adi Sankara, has a golden rekha (line) approximately at the center, and is considered to be a Shiva-Shakti manifestation. The image of Mookambika is in a seated posture, bearing the conch and the discus. Also enshrined near this image are those of Mahakali and Saraswathi. There are also shrines to Veerabhadra, Subramanya, Naga, Vinayaka and Anjaneya. Veerabhadra is worshipped first by devotees before entering the shrine to Mookambika.
Legends: Kollur is referred to in the Skanda Purana. It was originally known by the name Maharanyapura. It is said to have been home to several sages and yogis. A sage by name Kola was advised to worship Shakti at Kollur. A lingam appeared on its own accord then at Kollur, and Shiva requested Kola Rishi to worship it and that in due course Shakti would manifest herself as Mahalakshmi there. The name Kolapura eventually changed to Kollur.
Further, the ravages of the demon Kamha bothered the ascetics of Kollur. Upon being requested by Kola and other sages of Kollur, Shakti cursed the demon to become mooka or dumb. Undaunted, the demon continued his atrocities, and an enraged Devi vanquished him. Upon vanquishing Mookasura, Devi is believed to have merged into this self manifested Lingam in this temple. 24 km from Kollur is Maarana Ghat where it is believed that the demon Mookasura was destroyed. In the temple at Maarana Ghat, there is a Sri Chakra symbolizing Devi.
A trek to the peak of the Kudashadri peak and a hike to the Govinda Theertha waterfalls are noteworthy trips from Kollur.
The temple has been patronised by ancient Hindu Kings and several parts in it are still believed to contain valuable treasures. This was the state temple for the Nagara or Bednore Rajas and many jewels now adorning the idol are said to have been presented by them and by their overlords of Vijayanagar. During the Mahratta raids in this district in the 18th century these freebooters are believed to have carried away gold, silver and gems worth crores of rupees.

TOURIST PLACES-Udupi

TOURIST PLACES:

The places of interest mostly include temples & beaches surrounding Udupi.Apart from this one can visit St. Mary's Island which is a picturesque island near to Udupi. Commutation to this island is possible by means of steamers which you can catch in Malpe. A visit to Jog Falls could be a full day program.Bus service is the most suitable way as there are plenty of private buses running around different places.Of course if you are rich enough you can also book a taxi from Udupi :-)

In the heart of Udupi town you can visit Sri Krishna Mutt & other Astha Mutts (8 Mutts ot temples). If you are planning to visit nearby places then it is best to stay in Udupi & plan your trip to different places from here.

UDUPI

Lord Sri Krishna came to be worshipped by Shri Madvacharya  and later the other eight Swamijis of the Mutts of Udupi thereby bestowing the status of vaikunta on earth to the town of Udupi.

Enter the Capital of the Temple Town - CARSTREET, and you can see the tower of Sri Krishna Temple, with the Kanakana Kindi just below that. In the immediate vicinity of the temple is Anantheshwara and Chandra Moulishwara temples. As you enter the temple the path leads us to the sacred tank known as MADHVA SAROVARA. The Paryaya Swamiji have to bath in the tank before commencing the worship of the Lord every day.

The Statute of the chenna keshawa adornse the now closed entrance to the sanctum sanctorum ( Garbha Graha ). But at present only on the vijaya dashami day this door is opened. When you proceed to the left circumblating path become across the small room known as anuyaga shala. The hall of oblation to the fire God. The golden palanquin ( Pallankhi ) is kept in a room in front of that. On the western side is the soorya shala a hall, where the scholars recite veda, purana, ethihasa and the works of the Madhwacharya. In the evening the pipers and the musicians sing and play musical instruments to offer their services to the lord. The chinnada kone ( treasury of Jewels ) where the jewels offered to the lord right from the days of the vijayanagara empire are stored. To the right is the mantap in front of the shrine, where the holy water is offered to the devotees. Between the mantapa and the sanctum sanctorum is the small passage and window through which the devotees can have a look at the lord. This window is popularly known as NAVAGRAHA KINDI Which represents the nine planets of the universe. From the window one can see the image of LORD SRI KRISHNA as a small boy with the churning rod ( Kadagolu ) in his right hand and rope in his left. Behind the innocent look in the face is hidden the mighty power of the lord.

Every hour and day for centuries the lamps by the side of the lord have been burning and never allowed to get extinguished. To the right of this idol is another idol of sri venugopala krishna.There is a small mantap in front of the sanctum sanctotrum where the fanning of the diety with chamara before the evening pooja and the mantap pooja after the night worship is performed. These two small shrines on either side of the hall. In the north is the LORD MUKHYA PRANA and in the south of lord garuda. The paryaya swami performs the main worship rituals known as THE MAHA POOJA every noon and THE RATHRI POOJA in the night. The tulasi vrindavana is the plat form for the sacred tulasi plant. The narrow passage leads us to the throne, kitchen and dining hall known as CHOWKI. The small shrine of Sri Madhwacharya with the mudras of knowledge and fearlessness in his hands is also located here

 

Coastal ARTS- Bootha Kola

BHOOTHA KOLA:

Bhoota Kola is a form of 'Bhuta Aradane' or worship of holy spirits , widely followed in South Canara & parts of Kerala.Bhoota or Daiva is a holy spirit and Bhoota Kola is all about paatri ( impersonator ) also called as 'Nalke' in tulu, getting possessed by holy spirit.This event mostly happens anually.It is a worship which starts after the dusk and can go on till the early morning.In short to sum it up, Bhoota Kola is system of rituals,social gathering, miraculous healing of ailments and solutions to problems.

The holy spirit is also known as 'Daiva'.Mostly this is relevant to few families which have been following this for hundreds of years.Such families might have a small temple like structure built which is known as 'Bhootada Gudi'.These families rely on the holy spirit to shower them with good fortune and protect them from the evil.

Bhoota Kola has an artistic look to it with the paatri wearing gorgeous costumes,dancing to the tunes of drums and wind instruments played with different tempo. As it get's closer to possession of the spirit tempo depth increases.A typical costume is a gown made of palm leaves and a big nimbus like structure called "ani" made of palm leaf and decorated by few ornaments.Costume might have slight variation based on spirit.After the holy spirit is in possesion it can get very dramatic such as paatri eating a live chicken or walking over the fire.

Though Bhoota Kola is not a public event,it is common for the neighbours from surrounding places to gather at the house where it happens.Few come for pure entertainment & few seeking solution to their problems.After the possession of the holy spirit the paatri answers questions fired at him by the gathered people, mostly such questions on nagging problems & difficulties faced by them.The holy spirit answers them by providing solutions to their problems

Coastal ARTS-Nagamandala-serpent worship

NAGAMANDALA

'Naga Mandala' is a form of serpent worship, believed to have originated in erstwhile South Canara.In simple words 'Naga' means serpent and 'Mandala' means drawing of serpent on the ground. A unique worship where the participant dances artistically while he imbibes the serpent God into his body.Serpent worship although not very common in North India,it is widely followed in coastal Karnataka & Kerala.

'Naagamandala' is performed by two groups of performers; the 'Paatri' who gets possessed is the serpent God. The second group is known as 'Naagakannika'. The 'Naagakannika' is supposedly a female serpent. This character is identified as 'Ardhanaari' or 'Naagakannika' who dances and sings around the Mandala( Serpent drawing,drawn on the floor with natural colors).

Paatri gets possessed with the serpent God by dancing to the tunes of 'Dakke' around the 'Mandala' holding areca flowers in his hands.Once the 'Paatri' is possessed the serpent God speaks through the 'Paatri'.People seek solutions to their problems, where serpent God is believed to be answering their questions.This session of the event is typically called 'Prashne' which in Kannada means question.

The beauty of such an event is that it fullfils the religious faith giving an artistic look with 'Snake Dance' performed to the tunes of a traditional drum namely 'Dakke' & a special instrument named 'Naga Swara'.On the other hand beautifully laid 'Mandala' adds to the attraction.All the people who attend the event are served with tasty traditional food.During 'Naga Mandala' if any of the attendees goes back with dissatisfaction over the event, the entire event is believed to be fruitless.

Coastal ARTS-Kambala

Kambala is a race between pairs of bullocks rode by a human, bullocks being tied together with a wooden shaft on their neck.The race is conducted typically on an unused rice field in muddy water.The length of the race is usually about 100 meters.Many of the places in Udupi & Mangalore districts are well known because of the "Kambala".One of such places is Kadri located near Mangalore.The event takes place anually & the winner is paid cash rewards.


Ideally events would be held from December till April on unused fields.In some cases this schedule might also get extended till early June before the culivation of the first crop.Each of these events are cheered by a large number of supporters thus giving a boost for this tradition to continue.

The kambala is held in 18 places in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts and at one place in Kasargod. Since they are organised by various families, they do not get any aid from the Government.

yakshagana artists-snaps