Information of Mookambika Temple, Kollur, Udupi, Karnataka

Mookambika Temple at Kollur is a very significant Hindu pilgrimage temple in south Kanada. This is also known as the Devi Shetra or the Goddess temple. This temple is well known for serving free food daily to its devotees and poor peoples. This practice of serving free food is known from the ancient times. This temple is an ancient one but looks very contemporary in the present state. It is beautifully located in the Western Ghats mountain ranges n the lower hill side. The Sowpernika River flows nearby this temple. All together makes this place a divine in nature. It is located near the Kollur village in the Udupi District of Karnataka State in India.

Mookambika Temple Religious Significance

Mookambika Temple is a female goddess temple. It has the main deity of the Parvathi Devi. This Devi is considered as a powerful and prosperous deity of worship. This temple is also having its other set of goddess known as the Lakshmi and the Sawraswathi. Here the Lingam is also worshiped. The Navarathri is greatly celebrated for 9 days here. It has many rituals and principals to be followed while coming to this temple. It conducts the Car Festival yearly in the March month. It attracts many pilgrims within the state and from Kerala too. The Devi is taken out in a golden chariot and took round its village and come backs to the temple. This is believed that the Devi will keep away all bad omens from this place.

Mookambika Temple Mythology & History

Once in the ancient times, this place was under the though influence of a demon called as the Kaumasura. He was uncontrollable by the gods. Many of the tribal's of this place were praying for a good relief from this bad demon. When the heavenly goods were helpless, a Maha Guru named Shukracharya unravels the secret of killing this demon. The secret is, only a woman can kill this demon. The Lord Shiva assigns his wife Parvathi to do this task. Before that Shiva ask this demon for a Boon, but he was never permitted to get a boon by the Speech Goddess. Irrespective of it he asked for a boon and the speech god made him a Dump. There after he was called as the Mookasura. Mooka literally means as Dump. It was easier for Parvathi Devi to kill him in this state and after the blessings of all gods she came to earth and killed this demon. There after she was known here as the Mookambika. The present temple took shape from this mythic story.

Mookambika Temple Architectural Significance

This temple is built over a period of time. The present state of this temple has the style of a typical Kerala temple. This type of structure is built with lateraite stone structure with wooden grilled portions. It has a slanting roofs covered with terracotta tiles. The main temple consists of a Gopura, which is recently built here. There are very good stone sculptures found here. These are mostly carved out of a single stone. These are looking very beautiful. The gods and goddess sculptures carved her are of Devi idols in various forms, the Ganesha, Subraminiya and Naga idols are built here. It has a very high Depa Sthampa (Lamp Tower) this is looking similar to that one found in the Shabari Iyappan Temple. It has got a golden covered flag hoisting pole made out of teak wood. The temple flag is hosted here in times of festival. There are also two mandapabam (Porch) built here with beautiful pillars having various Hindu god carvings on it. It has two important chariots made of wood and stone.