Information of Sri Gokarnanatheshwara Temple, Kudroli, Mangalore, Dakshina Kannada, Karnataka

Sri Gokarnanatheshwara Temple at Kudroli is a famous Hindu temple built for Lord Shiva. This is a century old temple, built by the well known Saint, Sri Narayana Guru of Kerala State. This is a very colorful temple to see in Mangalore District. There are many colorful statues of Durga Devi kept in a large Mandapa in side this temple. This temple is famous for providing free food knows as the Anna Dhana since the temple stared functioning. Its festival seasons are visited by lakhs of devotees. This temple attracts many pilgrims from the Kerala State. This is a modern temple built in the Dravidian temple style with lot of color painting works on idols. It is located in Kudroli Town, Mangalore District of Karnataka State in India.

Sri Gokarnanatheshwara Temple Religious Significance

Lord Shiva is the main deity here. But this temple complex has deities of Shani Bhagavan, the Navagraha idols, Subramanya Swamy, Lord Ganesha, Anandhabhairava and Sri Annapoorneshwari. All of these gods and goddess can be worshiped in this temple in a single day visit. All of the devotees who come here are given free food from this temple in the main mandap.

Sri Gokarnanatheshwara Temple Mythology & History

Sri Narayana guru was the person of Divine movement in the 18th century. During this time the backward classes were not allowed inside a Hindu temple. He broke this rule stating one god and one religion for all and there is no un-equality before God. The Kudroli tribal's recommended to build a temple for their area and he founded this temple in 1912. Since then this temple was popular among the Kanadiga's and the Keralites. The Name Kudroli was kept here since; the Mysore King Tipu Sultan used this land for horse staple. The horse in Kanada is called a Kudrol, hence when this temple was built the nick name of this place was also added with the Lord's name for this temple.

Festival at Sri Gokarnanatheshwara Temple

Sri Gokarnanatheshwara Temple festivals are very colorful and amazing to see. The main festival is Navarathri and Maha Shiva Rathri. The Navarathri is grandly celebrated for 12 days. More than 35 lakhs peoples visit this temple and participate in its cultural activities around these temple areas. The Shivarathri festival is mostly accompanied by many special poojas and rituals. This is also witnessed by many devotees by coming to this temple and staying asleep with chanting manthras. The festival here is celebrated with great pomp and show making the celebrate grandeur and adding more importance to the temple among the devotees and the visitors. The holiness and the spiritual belief of the devotees combinedly make this temple popular in the state of Karnataka.

Sri Gokarnanatheshwara Temple Architectural Significance

This temple is a perfect example of Dravidian style. One can find the Basava of Lord Shiva o the entrance of this temple and making it very holy to touch this Bull statue and enter inside this temple. Next to it a deepasthamba (Lamp Tower) and a dwaja-stupha (pole) is built near to the main entrance. On the adjacent side there is a pond built here, which is called the Pushkarni. Here devotees used to sprinkle this pond water on their heads and enter inside the main temple areas. The entrance of this temple is having a huge gopura (Tower) similar shaped small towers are also seen on the grabhagraha areas. This temple has a 2 laksh square feet area and its open lands are fully covered with marble slabs. The main deity of this temple is Lord Shiva and its idol is seen in the Linga style having his face on the front of the Linga and is covered by silver coverings. The other sub deities are seen very colorful with painting works done on these idols. There are also many murals found on these temple walls which are describing the Mythical stories of Hinduism. A life size statue of Sri Narayana Guru is also found here which is built to honor him for the construction of this temple. There are few large mandapa (Hall) built here. One of the Mandapa is having colorful status of Durga Devi in various forms. These statuses will be immersed in to the nearby river annually on the completion of the Navarathi festival. Few small statues are also immersed in to its temple pond. The temple pond is also a colorful place. The lord Shiva is seated on the all four edges of this pond and water rise up from his head like a fountain and all four water reach up and collide and falls to the center of this pond. The pond's border walls are painted like mount Kailash and Lord Shiva is seen as if sitting on these mountains.