SREE MOOKAMBIKA DEVI, KOLLUR, KARNATAKA

On 03 04 22 morning, we started from Udupi and proceeded to Kollur to have darshan of Sree Mookambika Devi.  Kollur is part of Udupi District of Karnatka and is at distance of 75 kms and covered in one and a half hours.   River Sowparnika flows by the side of the temple.   It is this place near the bank of Souparnika river that Adhi Shankara stopped to fix the Chakram and above it placed the Devi and this forms the central idol behind the Linga.    Adi Sankara meditated on the Devi and she appeared in front of him and asked for his wish, Adi Shankracharya wished to install Devi’s idol. Devi agreed on it but to test Adi Shankracharya, Devi made a condition that she would follow him to his destination and he should not look back. When they reached Kollur Adi Shankracharya turned back in doubt whether she was coming or not. After that incident, Devi asked Adi Shankracharya to install her idol right on that location which was Kollur.

As we reached around 11.00 AM, we were in the normal Queue but there was a Special Darshan Queue for Rs.100/-.     The Queue is around the prakara and next to the wall and everytime a procession of the Goddess was taken, a part of the Queue path was closed to enable to procession to go.  This helped to have a very close view of the procession whenever deity was taken and on this day, there was the Uchikala puja and procession taken for offering bali at the peedams around the temple, the Deity taken in a Ratha and Deity in Palanquin - and thus we were blocked in moving further in the queue three times and thus we had the Dharshan of Deity at 1.00 PM only.   But fortunate to have darshan of the Urchava Diety in  the processions.

The pictures are from web as photographs are not allowed inside the temple.  On entering the temple through the Main Entrance, we see the Gold plated Dwasthamba. Behind this is the Lamp post or Deepasthamba with base as a tortoise head.    Khambada Ganapthi is in the dwasthamba pillar.  Dasa bhuja Ganapathi and Balamuri Ganapathi  are made in white marble stones.

The legend of the temple -

A monster known as Kaumhasura, wanted to get a boon from Lord Shiva, that, he should not get death from any living being. To disable him from asking the boon Vagdevi made him dumb. Accordingly he became Mooka or Dumb. Due to this, Mookaasura became furious and wanted to take revenge against the Gods. The Gods could not withstand the trouble imparted by him and sought refuge from Devi. In response the Devi had integrated the powers of the Trimurthis and all the Gods into her to put the Mookasura to death and after that, assimilated into the Linga and now exists known as Mookambike and protects her devotees The supremacy of the Kollur Kshethram is described in the Skanda Puranam which has the legendary background of Kollur. Since Kola Maharshi had meditated in the Khshethra, which was named as Kolapura. Today it is known as Kollur. Kola Maharshi was fascinated to see a Cow pouring milk onto a linga from her udder. Then he started to worship the linga. We can see the symbol of the hoof of the cow on the Linga,  

Around the sanctum sanctorum of goddess Devi, Sannidhis are for deities Veerabhadra, Subrahmanya, Dashabhuja Ganapathi, Anjaneya, Chandramouleeshwara, Mahishasuramardini and Gopalakrishna.    The Vigragha of Mookambike is beautiful and has four arms.   The upper two arms are holding Shankha and Chakra and the palms of the lower two arms are held as blessing the devotees with the Abhaya and Varada Hastha.

                                                                               Veerabhadra swamy   
 .

Anjaneya

Temple Timings
05.30 AM - 9 PM