Did you know that the Gokarnanatheshwara Temple in the Kudroli area of Mangalore, Karnataka, dedicated to Gokarnanatha, a form of Lord Shiva was built in 1912 by Adhyaksha HoigeBazar Koragappa under the spirtiual guidance of Narayana Guru, a philosopher, spiritual leader and social reformer from Kerala?
Did you know that Mangalore Dasara is the Navarathri festival held for nine days at Gokarnanatheshwara Temple since 1991 where the decorated idols of Sharada Devi along with Mahaganapati and Navadurgas are worshipped?
The Gokarnanatheshwara Temple, also known as Kudroli Shiva Temple in the Kudroli area of Mangalore, Karnataka, was built in 1912 by Billava community leader and businessman Adhyaksha HoigeBazar Koragappa under the spiritual guidance of Narayana Guru, a philosopher, spiritual leader and social reformer from Kerala.
This temple came about and nurtured to give the common man his place of worship with the initiative of the Billava community leader Sahukar Koragappa, who was deeply hurt when members of his community were denied entry into temples.of Mangalore. He then decided to have a temple built exclusively for worship by his community. In 1908, he took the lead towards this end and invited philosopher and social reformer Sree Narayana Guru of Kerala to Mangalore to consecrate the Shiva Lingam, which he brought from Kerala. Adhyaksha Koragappa gave Narayana Guru a horse-driven carriage to select a suitable place for a temple between places Mulihithilu (where a lot of linga Roopa Aradhana used to happen especially from saints of NATH tradition) and Kudroli. After Narayana Guru selected Kudroli as the site for building the temple, Koragappa donated gave the necessary land and funds to build this temple. The temple in the Kudroli area of Mangalore was consecrated in February 1912 and named 'Gokarnanatha’.
The temple originally built in Kerala style of architecture was substantially renovated by Shri H. Somasunder, Adhyaksha Koragappa's son with guidance and support of B Janardhan Poojary, former Union Minister, in the 1990s with an impressive entranace gopura in the Dravidian style of architecture; Sthapati K. Dakshinamoorthy was the architect who designed and renovated the temple in the Chola style of architecture. Apart from the Sanctum sanctorum housing the Gokarnatha (Shiva) idol there is also an impressive Swarna Kalamantapa where festivals are held. TThere is also a large Pushkarini pond inside the temple complex. The new gopuram is 60 feet in height and very beautiful. The renovated Gokarnanatha Kshethra or temple was inaugurated by the former Prime Minister of India Rajiv Gandhi in 1991, shortly before his assassination during an election rally This temple with its most striking golden gopura (tower) has become one of the largest temples in Mangalore. The Gopura and its adjacent walls are decorated with murals of various gods and goddesses. Murals depict scenes from Hindu epics and legends.The temple entrance also has a marble statue of Narayana Guru. A Hanuman temple is also a new addition infront of this temple. The temple has a massive compound with an expance of 2 Lakh sq. ft with marble flooring throughout and many fully-equipped air-conditioned marriage halls.
Concurrently with the renovation of the temple, in 1991, B Janardhan Poojary also initiated the Dasara festival celebrations at this temple, populalry known as "Mangalore Dasara". During Navaratri (Nine festive nights) various idols along with Sharada Devi are installed by the priests at Swarna Kalamantapa amidst the chanting of hymns and performance of Vedic rituals. In these nine days of celebrations, the decorated idols of Sharada Devi along with Mahaganapati and Navadurgas will be worshipped. The navadurgas in their different avataras (incarnations) as mentioned in the puranas are installed as a unique feature of the Kudroli temple. Mahagowri, Mahakali, Kathyayini, Shailaputri, Brahmacharini, Chandraghanta, Kushmandini, Skandamatha and Siddhi Dhatri are the navadurga avataras. This is, perhaps, the only temple in the country that offers pujas to all the nine forms of Durga’s. The procession begins from the Kudroli Shree Gokarnanatheshwara Temple in the evening of Vijaya Dashami and will end at the same venue early morning on the next day with the immersion of the idols at the Pushkarini pond inside the temple complex.
Apart from the Dasara festival , the temple observes many festivals. Maha Shivaratri, Krishnashtami, Ganesh Chaturthi, Nagara Panchami, Deepavali, Navaratri, Sri Narayana Jayanthi are celebrated with traditional gaiety and splendour.
The temple is 3 km from the centre of Mangalore city.
Narasipur Char
