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Wednesday 27 November 2013

Murudeshwaram Temple - Second Highest Statue in the World

Murudeshwara Temple:-


Murudeshwara is a town in the Bhatkal Taluk of Uttara Kannada district in the state of Karnataka, India. “Murudeshwara” is another name of the Hindu god Shiva. Famous for the world’s second-tallest Shiva statue, Murudeshwara beach town lies on the coast of the Arabian Sea and is also famous for the Murudeshwara Temple.
 it is designed in such way that it gets sunlight directly and thus appears sparkling.The temple which embodies a Shiva Linga is believed to have erupted when Ravana (Demon King of Lanka) flung the cloth covering the Atmalinga at Gokarna while lifting it. Lord Shiva, following a complicated sequence of events, declared that Murudeshwara should be one of his five holy places.
This place is also famous for wonderful beaches. The sea on three sides surrounds the temple towering on the small hill called Kanduka Giri. This is a great place to watch the sunset.

The two inscriptions found in the ancient temple paves way for the reasons behind the construction of Nandi Mantapa, assumed to be in 1542 AD by the Devaraya II Raj of Vijayanagar. The temple depicts the Chalukyas and Kadambaas sculptures in the Dravidian style and is believed to be located on the spot where Ravana flung the cloth covering the Atma Linga at Gokarana while lifting it.

Surrounded on three sides by the waters of the Arabian Sea, the Murudeshwar temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva with a 20-storied Raja Gopura on the temple. As one ascends the hillock, there is a shrine of Jattiga seated on a horse and two life-size elephants in concrete stand guard at the steps leading to the temple.

When Vishnu withdrew his Sudharshan chakra, Ravana saw bright sunlight and understood that he was tricked by the Gods. He became furious. He came to the Linga and tried to uproot it with all his might. But the idol did not budge even a liitle. The idol's shape now looked like a cow's ear. Hence, the place is known as Gokarna. [Go means Cow and karna means Ear in sanskrit.] The crest fallen Ravana was deeply upset and beat the boy on his head. In anger he pulled and threw the case of linga, which fell 23 miles away at Sajjeshwar. He threw the lid to the south 27 miles away at Guneshwara in the form of “Vamdev Linga”. He threw the cloth wrapped to the idol to south, 32 miles away at Kanduka hills on shore of sea. It took the form of “Aghora”at Murudeshwar. The thread winding the idol was flung to south at Dhareshwara, came to known as “Tathpurusha Linga”.

Shiva learnt all this from wind god Vayu. He came on earth along with Parvathi and Ganesha and visited all these five places and worshipped the linga. He declared that these would be his Panchakshetras and those who worshipped lingas at those places would be free from all sins and their wishes would be fulfilled and ultimately reach the abode of Shiva.

Statue of Lord Shiva:-

A huge towering statue of Lord Shiva, visible from great distances, is present in the temple complex. It is the third highest statue of Lord Shiva in the world. The Tallest Lord shiva statue is in Nepal known as the(Kailashnath Mahadev Statue). The statue is 123 feet (37 m) in height and took about two years to build. The statue was built by Shivamogga’s Kashinath and several other sculptors, financed by businessman and philanthropist R.N. Shetty, at a cost of approximately 50 million Rs. The idol is designed such that it gets the sunlight directly and thus appears sparkling. Originally, the statue had four arms and was adorned in gold paint. However, large wind gusts blew the arm off  (the one that held a small drum), and rain dissolved the paint.



Story of Murudeshwara:-

Ravana (King of Lanka) prayed and worshiped Lord Shiva to attain immortality by getting the ‘Atma Linga’ Pleased by his prayers, Lord Shiva appeared before him and asked him what he wanted. By this time Narada had asked Lord Vishnu to change Ravana’s mind. As a result of this plot, Ravana asks for Goddess Parvati instead of atma linga and lord Shiva offers Parvati to Ravana. On the way back to Lanka Narada showing the Kali avatar of Parvati tells Ravana that Shiva has not given him the real Parvathi and that the real Parvathi was in Pathala. Ravana frees Kali and went to Pathala and married Mandodari assuming her to be real Parvati. He then returns to Lanka, where his mother asks him for the Linga. Ravana then realizes that he was tricked started worshiping lord Shiva with much more strong devotion. Lord Shiva appears again and this time, Ravana requests theAtmaLinga as his boon. Lord Shiva agrees to give him the boon with the condition that it should never be placed on the ground. If the AtmaLinga was ever placed on the ground, all the powers would return to Lord Shiva again. Having obtained his boon, Ravana started back on his journey to Lanka.

Sage Narada, who came to know of this incident, realised that with the AtmaLinga, Ravana may obtain immortality and create havoc on earth. He approached the Lord Ganesh and requested him to prevent the AtmaLinga from reaching Lanka. Lord Ganesh knew that Ravana was a very devoted person who used to perform prayer ritual in the evening every day without fail. He decided to make use of this fact and came up with a plan to take possession of the AtmaLinga from Ravana.

As Ravana was nearing Gokarna, Lord Vishnu blotted out the sun to give the appearance of dusk. Ravana now had to perform his evening rituals but was worried because with the AtmaLinga in his hands, he would not be able to do his rituals. At this time, Lord Ganesh in the disguise of a Brahmin boy accosted him. Ravana requested him to hold the AtmaLinga until he performed his rituals, and asked him not to place it on the ground. Ganesh struck a deal with him saying that he would call Ravana thrice, and if Ravana did not return within that time, he would place the AtmaLinga on the ground.

As predicted, before Ravana could return after completing his rituals, Ganesh had already placed the AtmaLinga on the ground. Vishnu then removed his illusion and it was daylight again. Ravana, realising that he had been tricked,tried to uproot and destroy it; Due to the force exerted by Ravana, some pieces were scattered. One such piece from the head of the linga is said to have fallen in present day Surathkal .The famous Sadashiva temple is said to be built around that piece of linga. Then he decided to destroy the covering of the AtmaLinga, and threw the case covering it to a place called Sajjeshwara, 23 miles away. Then he threw the lid of the case to a placed called Guneshwara (now Gunavanthe) and Dhareshwara, 10–12 miles away. Finally, he threw the cloth covering the AtmaLinga to a placed called Mrideshwara in Kanduka-Giri (Kanduka Hill). Mrideshwara has been renamed to Murudeshwara by the sea on three sides, is the ideal destination for the seeker.

Architecture of Murudeshwara Temple:-



The Statue of Lord Shiva is near the Murudeshwara Temple, which is on top of a small hill called Kanduka Giri. The temple complex is of very recent construction, with a tall 20 storied Gopuram. This temple complex encloses the Murudeshwara shrine which houses the ancient Murudeshwara or Mridesa Linga. Two large, life-size concrete elephants flank the steps leading up to the temple. Near this temple is the Huge Statue of Lord Shiva, 130 ft high. The statue at Murudeshwara was commissioned by businessman and philanthropist Mr. R.N.Shetty. The statue was sculpted by a team of sculptors led by Shivamogga’s Kashinath. The statue has been placed such that it gets direct sunlight.

 Murudeshwara Temple and Raja Gopuram:-


The Rajagopura at the entrance of the Temple is the world's tallest, standing at 249 feet. Inaugurated in May 2008, this mammoth structure is the latest addition to the Temple. The Gopura has 22 floors and is the only Gopura to be fitted with elevators.

Besides the temple, the pilgrim finds himself in the midst of numerous sculptures on the Kanduka hill. The Geetopadesha, Sun chariot, the sculpture of Lord Ganesh receiving the Atmalinga from Ravana in the form of a young boy, and others dot the landscape of the hill. On the very top is the Shiva statue. Beneath the statue is a cavern with impressive life-size sculptures depicting the story of Murudeshwar narrated through an impressive sound and light show.

Not to be missed out are the Thirthas (water streams) like Bheema thirtha and Agni thirtha which originate on the hillock.raja-gopura-murdeshwara.

This tranquil temple town surrounded by the sea on three sides, is the ideal destination for the seeker.

Pooja  (Seva) :-

Nanda Deep Seva:-

permanently every year on the day of devotees desire, Nandadeep Seva will be performed and prasadam will be sent to him.

NityaSeva:-

 Permanently every year on the day of devotees desire, Lord Murdeshwar will be worshipped on donors behalf and prasadam will be sent to him.

Festivals:-

Maha Shivaratri is the major festival celebrated at Murudeshwar Temple in a grand scale, attracting thousands of people from Karnataka and the near by states.

Other Places around Murudeshwara:-

Murudeshwara Beach:-

Murudeshwar Beach, with the Arabian sea roaring on the west and a serene river on the east, is a secluded beach and a popular attraction. Visitors can enjoy a pretty good bath in the Arabian sea here.

A marvellous chance of getting the photographs with the huge statue in the background is in offing for nature beauty lovers. Murudeshwar offers you the magnificent natural views, sun, sand, diving and a secular beach and calm private village! One can come down to Murudeshwar beach for a great view of the sunset.

Netrani Island (Pigeon Island):-



Locally known as Netragudo, the Netrani Island is an excellent picnic spot off Bhaktal coast. The Indian navy often uses this island for target practices. Besides them, the only inhabitants of the island are wild goats.

The lee of the Island, a seamount supporting a soil layer overgrown with trees and plants, looks like a cake with its vertical sides topped by a gentle sloping plateau. There exists a subterranean cave with openings in the south and north above the high water mark.

The Island is enveloped by untamed growth of trees and climbing the step hill is not that easy. The ruins of a temple, a Roman catholic church and a mosque show the ancient past of the island. The place looks like a botanist's paradise and at night, it is a still world from a city dweller's point of view. Really a remarkable place to visit!

Murudeshwar Fort:-

Murudeshwar Fort generally goes unnoticed by the tourists and so is not very popular. The Murudeshwar Fort is present behind the Murudeshwar temple and historians believe that it may have been built during the Vijayanagar kings. The fort is believed to have been renovated by Tipu Sultan, the leader of Mysore.

Idagunji Shri Ganapathi Temple:-

Idagunji, a distace of 22 kms from Murdeshwar is famous for its Ganapathi Temple. It is an ancient temple, with a history dating back 1500 years. This temple is very famous and receives around one million pilgrims every year. The Ganapathi idol in this temple is a tall standing figure with two hands. One hand is holding a Modaka while the other hand is holding a Padma (Lotus).

Kolluru Mookambika Temple:-

Mookambika temple is an ancient temple located at Kollur in Karnataka. Kollur is about 60km away from Murdeshwar. It is the only temple that is dedicated to goddess Parvathi and believed to be created by Parashurama. This temple is very well known among the people of Tamilnadu and the goddess Parvathi is called in Tamil as Thai Mookambika.

Bhatkal:-

Bhatkal also known as Batecala in some Portuguese historical texts is a port town in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka, India 15 km from Murdeshwar. Once ruled by Jain King Bhattakalanka and thus the name, Bhatkal town lies on NH-17 running between Mumbai and Kochi and is one of the major stations along the Konkan Railway line running between Mumbai and Mangalore. The place has been attracting a wide range of tourists to this place. As far as cuisine is concerned its widely large because of amalgamation of different cultures.

Apsarkonda Honnavar (Bhima Thirth):-



Apsara konda(Apsarakonda) is a small village near Honnavar, town in North Kanara district. Falls is reffered by the name "Bhima Thirth". Set against the beautiful scenery of the surrounding hills and green fields, Apsarakonda Falls is an ideal weekend hideout, 30 km from Honnavar. Legends say that the apsaras came down from heaven to bathe in the pond here. People bathe here as it is said to possess therapeutic value, as well as holiness attached to it. The caves in this place house idols of Lord Narasimha and Umamba as the presiding deities.

Gokarna Temple:-

A small town on banks of Arabian sea, Gokarna, literally meaning Cow's Ear, is a temple town in the Uttara Kannada district of the Karnataka. As per Hindu mythology, Cow has a special religious place as Mother Earth. Gokarna is town of contrasts as it is a temple town and also a holiday destination. Gokarana is a famous pilgrimage centre as well as a tourist attraction for those who want to explore the cultural heritage and beauty of India. Gokarna finds its reference in a number of Hindu historical literatures.

Gokarna Om Beach:-


Around the town lie a number of beaches sefving as a major attraction for travelers. This coastline is surrounded by natural beauty of five beaches (Gokarna beach, Kudle beach, Om beach, Half moon beach and Paradise beach) and hills alongside, the traveler can choose his favorites for himself. This is not a place to hurry. One should just drift up the coast, enjoying the scenic beauty of this coastal area and marvelous cultural heritage of India.

Yana:-

Yana is a village in the district of Uttara Kannada in the state of Karnataka, which is surrounded by unusual rock formations. The destination is situated in the Sahyadri mountain ranges in the Western Ghats. Yana is located 78 km from Murdeshwar near Chandrika River.

Yana also has religious importance as mentioned in an event of Hindu mythology. It is believed that the demon king Bhasmasura performed penance to acquire a boon from Lord Shiva. As per the boon, whatever he touched burnt into ashes. Bhasmasura chased Lord Shiva in order to destroy him, who found refuge in the Bhairaweshwara peak at Yana.

Sirsi Marikamba Temple:-

"Goddess Shri Marikamba" is well known as the highly awakened, vigilant deity of SIRSI,an important township in the district of Uttara Kannada. Shri Marikamba of SIRSI is also a sacred foundation of goddess among many such others in the state of Karnataka. Innumerable devotees of Goddess Marikamba of SIRSI are spread over in the neighbouring states of kerala, Tamilnadu and Andra Pradesh.Shri Marikamba as she is believed has become the chief goddess of worship,a family deity of the people of Uttara Kannada and Dakshina Kannada districts.


Jog Falls:-

Jog Falls is the second-highest plunge waterfall in India, Located near Sagara, Karnataka, these segmented falls are a major tourist attraction. It is also called by alternative names of Gerusoppe falls, Gersoppa Falls and Jogada Gundi. It is a sizzling waterfalls cascading from the height of 253 meters. The Jog Falls is one of the most well-known tourist sites in the state of Karnataka. The segmented waterfall comprises of four distinct falls named Raja, Rani, Roarer and Rocket, each merging together to form the huge waterfalls and presenting a picture of grandeur. The uniqueness of Jog Falls lies in the fact that the water does not flow down in a tiered fashion.

How to reach:-

By Air:-
Mangalore International Airport is the nearest airport which is 165 km away from Murudeshwar. It is well connected to other Indian cities and abroad.

By Train:-
Nearest railway station is Murudehwara. Only some trains from Mangalore and Mumbai stops Murudeshwara. Mangalore is a major railway junction, which is connected to all major cities in India.

By Bus:-
Murudeshwar is well connected with bus services from other cities. Private deluxe bus services are available from Bangalore to Murudeshwar (500 km) up to Honnavar, which is nearly 20 km away from Murudeshar.

2 comments:

  1. I wish to go for Darshan of Lord Shiva I got this Image of Lord Shiva on my Whats app one of my Friend have send me on Shivratri day I like the Image of lord Shiva so much that went on goo gal such than I came to know about the temple now I wish to go there very soon Jai shri Lord Shiva ki Jai

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  2. Murudeshwar is an awesome and favorite place for everyone. It is my favorite place too. Thanks for sharing about this wonderful place with lovely pictures. If anyone want to visit this place then book your bus tickets in Online Bus Ticket Booking portal.

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