Holy Pilgrimage – Karnataka State –( Karnataka, Bangalore and Anegudde Temple) -1 at 10:22 PM

Holy Pilgrimage – Temples in Karnataka State

Karnataka

Karnataka /kɑrˈnɑːtəkə/ is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, which is celebrated annually as Karnataka Rajyotsava (English: Formation Day). Originally known as the State of Mysore, it was renamed Karnataka in 1973  It is the land of the Kannadigas, Tuluvas, Konkanis and Kodavas. The capital and largest city is Bangalore, also known as Bengaluru, which is at the forefront of the rapid economic and technological development that India is experiencing.
Karnataka is bordered by the Arabian Sea and the Laccadive Sea to the west, Goa to the north west, Maharashtra to the north, Andhra Pradesh to the east, Tamil Nadu to the south east, and Kerala to the south west. The state covers an area of 191,976 square kilometres (74,122 sq mi), or 5.83 per cent of the total geographical area of India. It is the eighth largest Indian state by area. With 61,130,704 inhabitants at the 2011 census, Karnataka is the ninth largest state by population, comprising 30 districts. Kannada is the most widely spoken and official language of the state.
The two main river systems of the state are the Krishna and its tributaries, the Bhima, Ghataprabha, Vedavathi, Malaprabha, and Tungabhadra, in the north, and the Kaveri and its tributaries, the Hemavati, Shimsha, Arkavati, Lakshmana Thirtha and Kabini, in the south. Both these rivers flow eastward into the Bay of Bengal.
Though several etymologies have been suggested for the name Karnataka, the generally accepted one is that Karnataka is derived from the Kannada words karu and nādu, meaning "elevated land". Karu nadu may also be read as karu, meaning "black", and nadu, meaning "region", as a reference to the black cotton soil found in the Bayalu Seeme region of the state. The British used the word Carnatic, sometimes Karnatak, to describe both sides of peninsular India, south of the Krishna.
With an antiquity that dates to the paleolithic, Karnataka has also been home to some of the most powerful empires of ancient and medieval India. The philosophers and musical bards patronised by these empires launched socio-religious and literary movements which have endured to the present day. Karnataka has contributed significantly to both forms of Indian classical music, the Carnatic and Hindustani traditions. Writers in the Kannada language have received the most number of Jnanpith awards in India

History

Karnataka's pre-history goes back to a paleolithic hand-axe culture evidenced by discoveries of, among other things, hand axes and cleavers in the region. Evidence of neolithic and megalithic cultures have also been found in the state. Gold discovered in Harappa was found to be imported from mines in Karnataka, prompting scholars to hypothesize about contacts between ancient Karnataka and the Indus Valley Civilization ca. 3000 BCE.   
 Prior to the third century BCE, most of Karnataka formed part of the Nanda Empire before coming under the Mauryan empire of Emperor Ashoka. Four centuries of Satavahana rule followed, allowing them to control large areas of Karnataka. The decline of Satavahana power led to the rise of the earliest native kingdoms, the Kadambas and the Western Gangas, marking the region's emergence as an independent political entity. The Kadamba Dynasty, founded by Mayurasharma, had its capital at Banavasi; the Western Ganga Dynasty was formed with Talakad as its capital.

These were also the first kingdoms to use Kannada in administration, as evidenced by the Halmidi inscription and a fifth-century copper coin discovered at Banavasi These dynasties were followed by imperial Kannada empires such as the Badami Chalukyas, the Rashtrakuta Empire of Manyakheta  and the Western Chalukya Empire, which ruled over large parts of the Deccan and had their capitals in what is now Karnataka. The Western Chalukyas patronised a unique style of architecture and Kannada literature which became a precursor to the Hoysala art of 12th century  Parts of modern-day Southern Karnataka (Gangavadi) were occupied by the Chola Empire at the turn of 11th century. The Cholas however lost Gangavadi to the Hoysalas in the 12th century before regaining Eastern Gangavadi under Vikrama Chola
At the turn of the first millennium, the Hoysalas gained power in the region. Literature flourished during this time, which led to the distinctive Kannada literary metres and the construction of temples and sculptures adhering to the Vesara style of architecture  The expansion of the Hoysala Empire brought minor parts of modern Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu under its rule. In the early 14th century, Harihara and Bukka Raya established the Vijayanagara empire with its capital, Hosapattana (later named Vijayanagara), on the banks of the Tungabhadra River in the modern Bellary district. The empire rose as a bulwark against Muslim advances into South India, which it completely controlled for over two centuries.
In 1565, Karnataka and the rest of South India experienced a major geopolitical shift when the Vijayanagara Empire fell to a confederation of Islamic sultanates in the Battle of Talikota. The Bijapur Sultanate, which had risen after the demise of the Bahmani Sultanate of Bidar, soon took control of the Deccan; it was defeated by the Moghuls in the late 17th century.^[ The Bahamani and Bijapur rulers encouraged Urdu and Persian literature and Indo-Saracenic architecture, the Gol Gumbaz being one of the high points of this style. During the sixteenth century, Konkani Hindus migrated to Karnataka, mostly from Salcette, Goa, while during the seventeenth and eighteenth century, Goan Catholics migrated to South Canara, especially from Bardes, Goa, as a result of food shortages, epidemics and heavy taxation imposed by the Portuguese
n the period that followed, parts of northern Karnataka were ruled by the Nizam of Hyderabad, the British, and other powers. In the south, the Mysore Kingdom, former vassals of the Vijayanagara Empire, was briefly independent. With the death of Krishnaraja Wodeyar II, Haidar Ali, the commander-in-chief of the Mysore army, gained control of the region. After his death, the kingdom was inherited by his son Tippu Sultan. To contain European expansion in South India, Haidar Ali and later Tippu Sultan fought four significant Anglo-Mysore Wars, the last of which resulted in Tippu Sultan's death and the incorporation of Mysore into the British Raj in 1799. The Kingdom of Mysore was restored to the Wodeyars and Mysore remained a princely state under the British Raj.
As the "doctrine of lapse" gave way to dissent and resistance from princely states across the country, Kittur Chennamma, Sangolli Rayanna and others spearheaded rebellions in Karnataka in 1830, nearly three decades before the Indian Rebellion of 1857. Other uprisings followed, such as the ones at Supa, Bagalkot, Shorapur, Nargund and Dandeli. These rebellions - which coincided with the 1857 war of independence - were led by Mundargi Bhimarao, Bhaskar Rao Bhave, the Halagali Bedas, Raja Venkatappa Nayaka and others. By the late 19th century, the freedom movement had gained momentum; Karnad Sadashiva Rao, Aluru Venkata Raya, S. Nijalingappa, Kengal Hanumanthaiah, Nittoor Srinivasa Rau and others carried on the struggle into the early 20th century.
After India's independence, the Maharaja, Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar, allowed his kingdom's accession to India. In 1950, Mysore became an Indian state of the same name; the former Maharaja served as its Rajpramukh (head of state) until 1975. Following the long-standing demand of the Ekikarana Movement, Kodagu- and Kannada-speaking regions from the adjoining states of Madras, Hyderabad and Bombay were incorporated into the Mysore state, under the States Reorganization Act of 1956. The thus expanded state was renamed Karnataka, seventeen years later, in 1973. In the early 1900s through the post-independence era, industrial visionaries such as Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvarayya born in Muddenahalli, near Kanivenarayanapura, Chikballapur District played an important role in the development of Karnataka's strong manufacturing and industrial base.
Geography
The state has three principal geographical zones:

1.   The coastal region of Karavali

2.   The hilly Malenadu region comprising the Western Ghats

3.   The Bayaluseeme region comprising the plains of the Deccan plateau

The bulk of the state is in the Bayaluseeme region, the northern part of which is the second-largest arid region in India. The highest point in Karnataka is the Mullayanagiri hills in Chickmagalur district which has an altitude of 1,929 metres (6,329 ft). Some of the important rivers in Karnataka are Kaveri, Tungabhadra, Krishna, Malaprabha and the Sharavathi.
There are 30 districts in Karnataka:

Bagalkote, Bangalore Rural, Bangalore Urban,Belgaum,Bellary,Bidar,Bijapur,Chamarajanagar,Chikkaballapur

Chikkamagaluru,Chitradurga, Dakshina, KannadaDavanagere,Dharwad,Gadag,Gulbarga,Hassan,Haveri,Kodagu,Kolar

Koppal,Mandya,Mysore,Raichur,Ramanagara,Shimoga,Tumkur,Udupi,Uttara Kannada,Yadgir.

Language
The Kannada language serves as the official language of the state of Karnataka, as the native language of approximately 65% of its population and as one of the classical languages of India.^[101][102] Kannada played a crucial role in the creation of Karnataka: linguistic demographics played a major role in defining the new state in 1956. Tulu, Kodava and Konkani are other minor native languages that share a long history in the state. Urdu is spoken widely by the Muslim population. Less widely spoken languages include Beary bashe and certain dialects such as Sankethi.
Kannada features a rich and ancient body of literature covering topics as diverse as Jainism, Vachanas, Haridasa Sahitya and modern literature. Evidence from edicts during the time of Ashoka the Great (reigned 274–232 BCE) suggest that Buddhist literature influenced the Kannada script and its literature. The Halmidi inscription, the earliest attested full-length inscription in the Kannada language and script, dates from 450 CE, while the earliest available literary work, the Kavirajamarga, has been dated to 850 CE. References made in the Kavirajamarga, however, prove that Kannada literature flourished in the native composition meters such as Chattana, Beddande and Melvadu during earlier centuries. The classic refers to several earlier greats of Kannada poetry and prose.
Kuvempu, the renowned Kannada poet and writer who wrote Jaya Bharata Jananiya Tanujate, the state anthem of Karnataka^[104] was the first recipient of the "Karnataka Ratna" award, the highest civilian award bestowed by the Government of Karnataka. Contemporary Kannada literature has received considerable acknowledgement in the arena of Indian literature, with seven Kannada writers winning India's highest literary honour, the Jnanpith award - the highest tally for any language in India.
Tulu is spoken mainly in the coastal districts of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada. Tulu Mahabharato, written by Arunabja in Tulu script, is the oldest surviving Tulu text. The Tulu language now uses the Kannada script due to the gradual decline of the Tulu script, which was in use until a few centuries ago. The Kodavas who mainly reside in the Kodagu district, speak Kodava Takk. Two regional variations of the language exist, the northern Mendale Takka and the southern Kiggaati Takka.^[106] Konkani is mostly spoken in the Uttara Kannada district and in some parts of the Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts. Both Kodava Takk and Konkani use the Kannada script for writing. English is the medium of education in many schools and widely used for business communication in most private companies.
All of the state's languages are patronised and promoted by governmental and quasi-governmental bodies. The Kannada Sahitya Parishat and the Kannada Sahitya Akademi are responsible for the promotion of Kannada while the Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Akademi,  The Tulu Sahitya Akademi and the Kodava Sahitya Akademi promote their respective languages

Tourism
Karnataka has a rich diversity of flora and fauna. It has a recorded forest area of 38,720 km and Wild animals that are found in this State.
By virtue of its varied geography and long history, Karnataka hosts numerous spots of interest for tourists. There is an array of ancient sculptured temples, modern cities, scenic hill ranges, unexplored forests and endless beaches. Karnataka has been ranked as the fourth most popular destination for tourism among the states of India. Karnataka has the second highest number of nationally protected monuments in India, second only to Uttar Pradesh, in addition to 752 monuments protected by the State Directorate of Archaeology and Museums. Another 25,000 monuments are yet to receive protection.

Transport
Air transport in Karnataka, as in the rest of the country, is still a fledgling but fast expanding sector. Karnataka has airports at Bangalore, Mangalore, Hubli, Belgaum, Hampi, Bellary and Mysore with international operations from Bangalore and Mangalore airports  Major airlines such as Kingfisher Airlines and Kingfisher red are based in Bangalore.
Karnataka has a railway network with a total length of approximately 3,089 kilometres (1,919 mi). Until the creation of the South Western Zone headquartered at Hubli in 2003, the railway network in the state was in the Southern and Western railway zones. Several parts of the state now come under the South Western Zone, with the remainder under the Southern Railways. Coastal Karnataka is covered under the Konkan railway network which was considered India's biggest railway project of the century.^[86] Bangalore is extensively connected with inter-state destinations while other important cities and towns in the state are not so well-connected.^[87][88]
Karnataka has 11 ports, including the New Mangalore Port, a major port and ten other minor ports. The New Mangalore port was incorporated as the ninth major port in India on 4 May 1974. This port handled 32.04 million tonnes of traffic in the fiscal year 2006-07 with 17.92 million tonnes of imports and 14.12 million tonnes of exports. The port also handled 1015 vessels including 18 cruise vessels during the year 2006-07. The inland water transport within the state is not well developed.
The total lengths of National Highways and state highways in Karnataka are 3,973 kilometres (2,469 mi) and 9,829 kilometres (6,107 mi), respectively. The KSRTC, the state public transport corporation, transports an average of 2.2 million passengers daily and employs about 25,000 people.^[90] In the late nineties, KSRTC was split into three corporations, viz., The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation, The North-West Karnataka Road Transport Corporation and The North-East Karnataka Road Transport Corporation with their headquarters in Bangalore, Hubli and Gulbarga respectively.

Bangalore

Bangalore also rendered Bengaluru  is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and fifth-most populous urban agglomeration. Bangalore is well known as a hub for India's information technology sector. It is among the top 10 preferred entrepreneurial locations in the world.As a growing metropolitan city in a developing country, Bangalore confronts substantial pollution and other logistical and socio-economic problems A succession of South Indian dynasties ruled the region of Bangalore until in 1537 AD, Kempé Gowdā—a feudatory ruler under the Vijayanagara Empire—established a mud fort considered to be the foundation of modern Bangalore. Following transitory occupation by the Marāthās and Mughals, the city remained under the Mysore kingdom, which is now a part of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore continued to be a cantonment of the British and a major city of the Princely State of Mysore which existed as a nominally sovereign entity of the British Raj. Following the independence of India in 1947, Bangalore became the capital of Mysore state, and remained capital when the new Indian state of Karnataka was formed in 1956. With a Gross domestic product of $83 billion, Bangalore is listed 4th among the top 15 cities contributing to India's overall GDP.
Bangalore is home to many well-recognized colleges and research institutions in India. Numerous public sector heavy industries, technology companies, aerospace, telecommunications, and defence organisations are located in the city. Bangalore is known as the Silicon Valley of India because of its position as the nation's leading IT exporter. A demographically diverse city, Bangalore is a major economic and cultural hub and the second fastest growing major metropolis in India

Etymology

The name Bangalore represents an anglicised version of the Kannada language name, Bengaḷūru . The earliest reference to the name "Bengaluru" was found in a ninth century Western Ganga Dynasty stone inscription on a "vīra gallu" (ವೀರಗಲ್ಲು) (literally, "hero stone", a rock edict extolling the virtues of a warrior). In this inscription found in Begur, "Bengaluru" is referred to as a place in which a battle was fought in 890 CE. It states that the place was part of the Ganga Kingdom until 1004 and was known as "Bengaval-uru", the "City of Guards" in Halegannada (Old Kannada). An apocryphal, though popular, anecdote recounts that the 11th century Hoysala king Veera Ballala II, while on a hunting expedition, lost his way in the forest. Tired and hungry, he came across a poor old woman who served him boiled beans. The grateful king named the place "benda-kaal-uru" (Kannada: ಬೆಂದಕಾಳೂರು) (literally, "town of boiled beans"), which eventually evolved into "Bengalūru"

History

The region of modern day Bangalore was part of several successive South Indian kingdoms. After centuries of the rule of the Western Gangas, the region was captured by the Cholas in 1024. In 1116 the Hoysala Empire overthrew the Cholas and extended its rule over the region. Modern Bangalore had its beginning in 1537 by a vassal of the Vijayanagara Empire, Kempé Gowda I, who built a mud-brick fort at the site that would become the central part of modern Bangalore. Kempé Gowda referred to the new town as his "gandubhūmi" or "Land of Heroes"
Within the fort, the town was divided into smaller divisions—each called a "pete"  The town had two main streets—Chikkapeté Street, which ran east-west, and Doddapeté Street, which ran north-south. Their intersection formed the Doddapeté Square—the heart of Bangalore. Kempé Gowda's successor, Kempé Gowda II, built four towers that marked Bangalore's boundary. During the Vijayanagara rule, many Saints and Poets referred to Bangalore as "Devarāyanagara" and "Kalyānapura" or "Kalyānapuri" ("Auspicious City")
After the fall of the Vijayanagara Empire, Bangalore's rule changed hands several times. Kempé Gowda declared independence, then in 1638, a large Adil Shahi Bijapur army led by Ranadulla Khan and accompanied by Shāhji Bhōnslé defeated Kempé Gowda III, and Bangalore was given to Shāhji as a jagir (feudal estate). In 1687, the Mughal general Kasim Khan, under orders from Aurangzeb, defeated Ekoji I, son of Shāhji, and leased Bangalore to Chikkadevaraja Wodeyar (1673–1704), the ruler of Mysore kingdom.  After the death of Krishnaraja Wodeyar II in 1759, Hyder Ali, Commander-in-Chief of the Mysore Army, proclaimed himself the de facto ruler of Mysore. The kingdom later passed to Hyder Ali's son Tipu Sultan.
Bangalore fort was captured by the British armies under Lord Cornwallis on 21 March 1791 during the Third Anglo-Mysore War and formed a centre for British resistance against Tipu Sultan.^[25] Following Tipu Sultan's death in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War (1799), the British returned administrative control of the Bangalore "pētē" to the Maharaja of Mysore, choosing only to retain the Cantonment under their jurisdiction. The 'Residency' of Mysore State was first established in Mysore city in 1799 and later shifted to Bangalore in the year 1804. It was abolished in the year 1843 only to be revived in 1881 at Bangalore and to be closed down permanently in 1947, with Indian independence.
In the 19th century, Bangalore essentially became a twin city, with the "pētē", whose residents were predominantly Kannadigas, and the "cantonment" created by the British, whose residents were predominantly Tamils.^[ Bangalore was hit by a plague epidemic in 1898 that dramatically reduced its population. New extensions in Malleswaram and Basavanagudi were developed in the north and south of the pētē. Telephone lines were laid to help co-ordinate anti-plague operations, and a health officer was appointed to the city in 1898. In 1906, Bangalore became one of the first cities in India to have electricity from hydel power,  powered by the hydroelectric plant situated in Shivanasamudra. Bangalore's reputation as the Garden City of India began in 1927 with the Silver Jubilee celebrations of the rule of Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV. Several projects such as the construction of parks, public buildings and hospitals were instituted to improve the city. After Indian independence in August 1947, Bangalore remained in the new Mysore State of which the Maharaja of Mysore was the Rajapramukh (appointed governor) ^.

Transport

 Air

Bangalore is served by the Bengaluru International Airport (IATA: BLR, ICAO: VOBL) which started operations from 24 May 2008. The city was earlier served by the HAL Airport which was India's fourth busiest airport.^[80][81][82] Kingfisher Airlines has its registered office in Bangalore.^[83] It is now the fourth busiest airport in India in terms of passenger traffic and the number of air traffic movements (ATMs) with about 280 per day.^[84] The airport is around 40 km from the city centre. The most hassle-free way to commute is by taxi. Meru cabs and Easy cabs have taxis present in the rank at the airport. There are also certain private cab companies.^{[citation needed]}

Rail

A rapid transit system called the Namma Metro is being built. A 7 km stretch from Bayappanahalli to MG Road was opened to public on 20 October 2011.^[85] Once completed, this will encompass a 42.3 km (26.3 mi) elevated and underground rail network comprising 41 stations. It is expected to connect central locations in Bangalore to Devanahalli and the Chikballapur regions.^{[86] [87]} This much-delayed project is the city’s primary response to the worsening intra-city transport infrastructure which has become a major deterrent to continued business growth.^[76]
Bangalore comes under Bangalore railway division of the South Western Railway zone of the Indian Railways. Bangalore City Railway station and Yesvantpur Junction connect it to the rest of the country through the Indian Railways. The Bangalore Rajdhani Express connects the city to New Delhi, the capital of India. Bangalore is also connected by rail to most cities in Karnataka, as well as Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Indore, Belgaum, Hubli, Mysore, Bhagalpur, Tatanagar, Trivandrum, Bhopal, and other major cities in India.^[88] The sprawling Rail Wheel Factory is Asia's second largest manufacturer of Wheel & Axle for Railways and headquartered in Yelahanka, Bangalore.^{[citation needed]}

Road

Buses operated by Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) are an important and reliable means of public transport available in the city.  While commuters can buy tickets on boarding these buses, BMTC also provides an option of a bus pass to frequent users.  BMTC runs air-conditioned luxury buses on major routes, and also operates shuttle services from various parts of the city to the Bengaluru International Airport. The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation operates 6,918 buses on 6,352 schedules, connecting Bangalore with other parts of Karnataka as well as other states. The main bus depots that KSRTC maintains are the Kempegowda Bus Station, locally known as "Majestic bus stand", where most of the out station buses ply from. Some of the KSRTC buses to Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh ply from Shantinagar Bus Station, Satellite bus station in Mysore road and Baiyappanahalli satellite bus station.  BMTC is the first metropolitan transport corporation to introduce air conditioned buses in India.
Three-wheeled, green and black auto-rickshaws, referred to as autos, are a popular form of transport. They are metered and can accommodate up to three passengers. Taxis, commonly called City Taxis, are usually available only on call. Taxis are metered and are generally more expensive than auto-rickshaws.

 Culture

 Bangalore is known as the Garden City of India  because of its greenery and the presence of many public parks, including the Lal Bagh and Cubbon Park 
The city celebrates its oldest festival, "Karaga Shaktyotsava" or Bangalore Karaga.  Deepavali, the "Festival of Lights", transcends demographic and religious lines and is an important festival, along with the nine nights of Navratri. Other traditional Indian festivals such as Ganesh Chaturthi, Ugadi/Gudi Padwa, Sankranthi, Eid ul-Fitr, and Christmas are also celebrated.
Bangalore is home to the Kannada film industry. Bangalore is also a major center of Indian classical music and dance.  Classical music and dance recitals are widely held throughout the year and particularly during the Ramanavami and Ganesha Chaturthi festivals.

Anegudde Temple, Karnataka

Anegudde is a village in the Kundapura taluk of Udupi district, India. The village is also known as Kumbashi . It lies en route from Udupi towards Kundapura on the NH 17.

Etymology

While the name Kumbhasi is said to be derived from Kumbhasura, who was slain here. The story behind the name goes like this…. Long ago when this area was hit by drought, sage Agasthya came here to perform yagna to please the rain god. During that time the demon Kumbhasura tried to disrupt the yagna by troubling sages performing the yagna. To rescue the sages Lord Ganesha blessed Bheema, the strongest among the Pandavas(In their exile period) with a sword, using which Bheema killed the demon and facilitated the completion of the yagna. Hence the name Kumbashi! The name Anegudde comes from Aane (elephant) and Gudde (hillock), as it is the abode of the elephant-headed god, Sri Vinayaka.
One of the best known Ganesha temples in Udupi District is that of Shri Maha Ganapathi at Anegudde. Anegudde is one of the seven ‘Mukti Sthalas’ (Parashurama Kshetra)in coastal Karnataka.
Here, Lord Ganapathi is also called, ‘Siddhi Vinakaya’ and ‘Sarva Siddhi Pradaayaka’, the provider of all boons. People come here with all kinds of wishes. The Lord Vinayaka here is said to fulfill all the wishes of his devotees.
The Anegudde Vinayaka Temple situated on the hill attracts a large number of pilgrims. Important new activities in the area are started after a worship of this deity. The Temple of Mahalingeshwara is surrounded by a lake and poja is offered to a shallow pit in which "water from the Bhagirathi (Ganga)" is said to collect. The right side of the lake is called Surya-Pushkarini and the left-side the Chandra-Pushkarini. There are also shrines of Suryanarayana, Channakeshava and Lakshminarayana on the banks of the tank and a branch of the Sode Mutt.

Anegudde means elephant (Aane) hillock (Gudde) and it is the abode of the elephant god, Sri Vinayaka. Sri Vadiraja Yathi, in his Theertha Prabandha epic said that when drought hit this area sage Agasthya came here to perform yajna to please the rain god. The demon Kumbhasura tried to disrupt the yajna by troubling the sages performing the yajna. To rescue the sages Lord Ganesha blessed Bheema, the strongest among the Padavas, with a sword (Asi), using which Bheema killed the demon and facilitated the completion of the yajna.

The main sanctum sanctorum contains the majestic figure of Vinayaka resplendent in silver Armour, in standing posture. Of the four arms two are "varada hasta" indicating his inclination to grant boons. Two hands point to his feet, as a means to salvation. The Vinayaka here is said to be a swayambhu (emerged by himself) who manifested in Dwapara Yuga. What is striking is the very large head of the God with huge ears.

Tulabharam, a custom of offering to God valuables in weight equivalent of a person is frequently done in this Temple by devotees. Auspicious ceremonies like wedding, naming ceremony etc are also held here.
All around the shrine there are sculptural depictions from the Bhargava Purana. People from far off places come here to take blessings from Lord Vinayaka. Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated with great splendor. Lunch is served to devotees as Prasadam. The Prasadam here, as in most Temples in coastal districts, is the Panchyagajjya, which is a mixture of dal, sugar, copra, milk and honey. Devotees arriving from distant places are offered food and shelter.
Pooja:
Pooja is performed thrice a day, namely, at 5 am, 1 pm and 8.30 pm. The Temple is open for devotees from 6 am to 9 am. A number of devotees throng this Temple on Sunday, Tuesday, and Friday and on special occasions such as Sankramana, Sankashtahara Chaturthi and Ganesha Chowthi. The annual festival and Rathothsava is being held on Margashira Chaturthi every year. At least ten Saharsra Nalikera Ganayaga takes place here annually.

Other poojas offered to Lord Ganapathi include Sathya Ganapathi Vratha during a marriage or when their wishes are duly met with. Fruits, coconut, sugarcane, Modakam, Apoopa and Kadubu are offered to Lord Ganapathi as Naivedyam (offerings).

The Moolabimba is massive in size and exhibited in the form of an elephant. Only the trunk portion is clearly visible and the darshana of this deity is symbolic. It is not a sculpture and is not touched by a chisel or any other instrument to depict the shape.

As myths run, a devotee (Vishweshwara Upadhyaya) was living here, regularly worshipping Lord Ganesha. On day, a Brahmin Vatu (young boy) appeared in his dream and said that he was hungry. Taking Upadhyaya with him, the Vatu disappeared near a stone in Nagachala. Getting surprised by this unusual dream, he started off on the next morning in search of the spot, where the Brahmin boy disappeared in his dream. It was his usual path, which led to a pond, where he used to take his bath, bring sacred water for Abhishekam and collect flowers for worshipping Lord Ganesha.

Soon he found the same granite stone, which he witnessed in his dream and was covered by wild flowers giving it a divine appearance. Impressed by this sight, Upadhyaya hurriedly took his bath in the nearby pond and worshipped the deity and offered wild flowers and fruits. He continued to do so for a long time. One day, he saw a cow standing there pouring in milk from her udder on the deity. After this incidence, his devotion became stagnant and worshiped his God with more devotion. People generously donated land on which a straw hut was constructed to enable Upadhyaya to continue his worship. Thus started a new tradition of worship at Kumbhashi, which did not stop at any stage.

People from far off places come here to take blessings from Lord Vinayaka. On the Chauthi / Chaturthi (the 4th day after the full moon) of every lunar month, special poojas are held at the temple. Also the Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated with great splendor. In recent times His Holiness Sri Vishwesha Theertha Swamiji of Pejavar Mutt inaugurated a huge dining hall which is able to accommodate 1000 people. Lunch is served to devotees as ‘Maha Prasada’ everyday.

How to reach

Kumbhasi is located on the NH-17 ( now NH-66 ) at a distance of 96 km from Mangalore, 9 km from Kundapur, and 30 km from Udupi. Kumbhasi is located about 400 km from the state capital Bengaluru.
Frequent bus service is available from Mangalore /Udupi /Kundapur to Kumbhasi.
One can either walk from Kumbashi bus stand using the stairs or hire an autorickshaw to reach Anegudde temple at the top of the hill.
The nearest airport is at Bajpe near Mangalore. The nearest railway station is at Barkur, near Kundapur.

Other information

Other places to visit in Kumbashi are "Shree Harihara temple", " Shree Surynarayana temple" and "Shree Aiyappa swamy temple". All the three temples are located in the vicinity of "Anegudde temple"

 

Om Tat Sat

                                                        

(Continued...)                                                                                                                              

(My humble  salutations to the great devotees ,  wikisources  and Pilgrimage tourist guide for the collection )