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

coastal ARTS...Yakshagana

Yakshagana is a classical folk art form of the state of Karnataka in India mostly popular in the districts of North Canara, Shimoga, Udupi and South Canara.Yakshagana is the most famous theatre form of Karnataka. In Yakshagana theatre, dance, music, dialogue all are harmoniously blended. Its theatre tradition goes back to the 17 th century. Not only is it very old but it is a continous tradition. For 400 years it has entertained and instructed the rural masses of Karnataka. Its main attractions are its gorgeous masks and costumes and themes from the Epics of India. This would be considered to be a form of opera in western eyes. Actors wear costumes and enact the various roles. Traditionally, Yakshaganas would go on all night.


A Yakshagana performance begins at the twilight hours with the beating of drums for up to a couple of hours before the ‘actors’ get on the stage. The actors wear resplendent costumes, head-dresses, and painted faces which they paint themselves. A performance usually depicts a story from the Hindu epics and puranas. It consists of a narrator who narrates the story in a song-like fashion, backed by musicians playing on traditional musical instruments as the actors dance to the tune, with actions that portray the story as it is being narrated. The actors have a limited dialog during the course of the performance.


With the socio-economic changes of the 19th Century, arts like Yakshagana also changed. The 19th Century produced a big number of compositions. Around 1800, a troupe from Dharmastala visited the court of the king of Mysore and established a troupe there. In the 1840s, a troupe from Uttara Kannada (North Kanara) visited Maharastra, and inspired the first modern age mythological drama by Vishudas Bhave. A number of troupes arose all over the Coastal Karnataka and probably in other parts of Karnataka too. By the early decades of this Century the structure of Yakshagana reached a definite shape and form.


1930s saw some changes in compositions, organization and presentation. Dance and the spoken word was further developed and refined. But in costume, a type of degeneration started setting in due to the use of ‘modern’ clothing and stone jewellery, in place of handloom clothing and wooden ornaments. The Year 1950 saw the birth of ‘tent’ troupes, giving performances to audience by tickets, with ‘tent theatres’ and furniture for seating. These troupes brought in to organization of Yakshagana, with both merits and demerits. Yakshagana saw major changes in form and organization, electrical lights replaced the ‘gas lights’ or ‘petromax’ lamps. Seating arrangements improved. Major changes came in the themes, with the inclusion of folk epics, Sanskrit dramas and created (imaginary) stories forming the thematic base. Popular entertainment became the criterion in place of ‘classical’ presentation. Tulu, the language of the Southern part of the D.K. district was introduced on the stage, where hitherto only Kannada was used. This gained great popularity. All these trends continued with added vigour after 1970s, with a new element of influence. The North Kanara style of Yakshagana hitherto not know outside, started making a big impact on other styles. This trend continues even today. Along with all these, the traditional type of troupes, giving free shows financed by devotees still continue and have a very good support.

UDUPI... A Brief

Udupi is a divine shrine in the coastal region of Western Ghats. Situated about 60 kms from Mangalore, it is a fairly large and upcoming town that was sanctum of Madhvacharya, the great Sanskrit Philosopher. The famous temple here, has a fascinating idol of Lord Krishna that is richly adorned with jewels. It is the center for education, social and religious activities in the district of South Canara. It is known for the famous Sri Krishna temple. The reasons for its fame are the statue of Sri Krishna installed by the great saint Sri Madhvacharya and the penance and influence of Sri Vaadiraja yathivarenya. Another attraction of this temple is the 'Kanakana Kindi' -a small window through which Krishna is believed to have given darshan to his ardent devotee, Kanakadasa. There are three temples in Udupi; Chandreshwara, Anantheshwara and Sri Krishna temple. Chandreshwara and Anatheshwara are the most ancient temples of Udupi.


The meaning and origin of the word `Udupi': Udupi is known as oDipu in the Tulu language. Narayana Panditacharya in his notes called Bhâva Prakasha on the Sumadhva Vijaya records thus: rajatapiiThapurasya oDipu ityapabhrashhTa saMGYaa The modern name Udupi must have developed from this ancient folk name. A different etymology is provided by certain other scholars, but there is not too much credence given to it. According to them the original Sanskrit name is derived from uDupa (uDu 'star' + pa 'lord') -- lord of the stars, namely, the moon. Udupi then refers to Shiva, who bears the moon on his head. Since there is the ancient temple of Chandramaulishwara in Udupi, the place may have been known by the name Udupi, after its ancient deity. It is quite evident that this idea developed very recently. The author of the Sumadhva Vijaya opines that the word is of Tulu origin. The word `Udupi' also does not seem to have been associated with Shiva anywhere else in the Sanskrit literature. Even if the word is to be considered to be originating from a Sanskrit root, one can provide a better explanation and etymology. `Udupi' also means boat or raft in Sanskrit: uDupaM tu plavaH kolaH

The word `Udupi' can then mean a place to which Lord Krishna came (from Dwârakâ) by boat. The Tulu word oDipu can also be associated with a more or less similar meaning. There is a temple at Malpe which is known as oDabhaaNDiishvara. There appears to be some kind of relationship between the words oDabhaaNDa and oDipu. Its Kannada version is `Udupa'. The root element of all these words is oDepu, meaning "cracking," or "breaking." Until the secret of this word is cracked, the origin of the modern word Udupi will remain shrouded in mystery. This temple at Malpe is well worth a visit and appears to be of great vintage. It is only a short distance to the beach from the temple and so it is possible to walk to where Sri Madhva saved the ship carrying the icon of Sri Krishna from being wrecked during a storm. The beach itself is quite pleasant to walk along. At one time cargo ships that had been decommissioned were drawn up on the beach and cut up for scrap. This was some distance to the south but was very interesting to watch.