Karnataka Yatra - Day 3 (part 2)

Sringeri Gopuram

After a wonderful darshan at Mookambika temple, we set out at around 2 pm to Sringeri. The distance to Sringeri from Kolur is about 110 kms which we covered in about 2.5 hours. The drive was through forest areas with little human population / villages on the way. The weather became distinctly cooler as we neared Sringeri which is located about 2200 feet above sea level. A friend had arranged for our stay within the temple complex. We first went to their office and, after registration formalities, were given keys to our room in a building called Shankar Bhavan. This is less than 200 feet from the temple and just inside the main Gopuram entrance. Simply awesome !! They even provided a decent room for our driver to stay.

Vidya Shankara Temple

Our room was decent with aircon (not really required due to the pleasant weather), a large bathroom and a small foyer. We rested for some time, and I also used the opportunity to wash a few clothes and hang them in the back of our lodging. In the evening after our bath and prayers, we proceeded to the temple.

The story goes that when Shankara Acharya came to Sringeri, he happened to see an unusual sight on the banks of the river Tunga. A cobra was spreading out its hood to give cover to a frog which was in labour pains, thus providing shade from the scorching sun. What stuck Sankara was that this was the place that could infuse love even among natural adversaries, such as snake and a frog. Therefore, it thought that this was the fittest spot to establish the temple he wanted to. The Acharya chose this very place to establish his first Mutt.

Sharada Devi Temple

Sringeri Mutt is one of the important centers set up by Adi Shankara to act as pillars and beacons for the Sanatana Dharma. The main temples in Sringeri Mutt are the Sarada temple (dedicated to Saraswati Devi), the Vidya Shankara temple (dedicated to Shiva) and a temple dedicated to Adi Sankara. There is also a unique temple of Ganesh ji, where the deity is placed above the door - there is no sanctum. It is called 'Thorana Ganapati'. 

Thorana Ganapati's origins are traced back to a previous Shankaracharya of Sringeri (5th Purva Acharya from current Acharya) called Vriddha Nrusimha Bharati. This Acharya was a veritable embodiment of Tapas. He had walked to Kashi twice during His purvashrama days to learn shastram from the vidwans there. Once He was sitting in dhyana when he foresaw some impediment to the Mutt. By divine intuition, he heard a voice in His mind to worship the nearest Vighneshwara Murti, and the obstacle would be sorted. He scanned the area around and found that there was murti of Ganapati atop a door near where He was sitting. He offered His worship there, hence the name - Thorana Ganapati.

There are also many smaller temples within the complex for some of the previous Acharyas. We were fortunate to witness the golden car procession ritual within the Sharada temple as it was a Friday. Our darshan was leisurely and comfortable – no pressure from anyone to move as there were very few devotees at that time. We also had darshan in the other temples leisurely and enjoyed the cool weather in the large compound of the temple complex. The skies were overcast and there was a hint of rain with few drops falling on us. The breeze that accompanied the clouds made it feel like a hill station. Overall, Sringeri temple was just as we had seen it 35 years ago and, at the same time, it looks better maintained and organised.

Later in the evening at 7.30 pm, we broke our fast at the Annadanam hall of the Mutt by eating Upma served with sambhar & chutney and accompanied by a glass of buttermilk. It was delicious. The people who served us were very caring and gave us personal attention. 

At around 8 pm, we went to witness the Chandramouleeshwar pooja being conducted by the senior pontiff, HH Sri Bharati Teerth Mahaswami also known as Mahasannidhanam, in a large hall situated across the Tunga river (connected by a small bridge for pedestrians) which flows alongside the temple. The pooja was attended by a couple of hundred people and telecast live over YouTube and some TV channels. The pooja was conducted in a very nice manner with the chanting of Sri Rudram etc. by the devotees assembled there. Later a couple of devotees sang some songs from the Tirupughal which was very pleasing to the ears.

Tunga River

We were fortunate to get a good darshan of Mahasannidanam and witness the detailed manner in which he did the Chandramouleeshwar puja. It was really a grand ceremony. A variety of fresh flowers, garlands, sandal paste, milk, honey etc. were liberably used in the pooja. We could not have darshan of HH Sri Vidhusekhara Bharati (Sannidanam) as he was away on a Vijaya yatra to Andhra Pradesh at that time.

After this, we walked back to our room. The air was crisp & cool and the ground was clean and comfortable to walk barefoot. The whole place was very well maintained and sufficient lighting was available. We were quite exhausted by this time and hit the bed for a sound sleep.

Karnataka Yatra - Day 3 (part 1)

Raja Gopuram

Day 3 started in a grand way. Our room, with a fantastic view of the bay, gave us enough reasons to wake up early and enjoy the breathtaking yet calming view of the sea and the beach. There were several tourists taking a dip and riding boats. We quickly finished our morning rituals and went to have a darshan of the temple which was located very close to our hotel.

When Ravana was trying to uproot the Lingam at Gokarna after Ganeshji placed it on the ground, much as he tried, he could not move it. But due to the excessive force applied by him, some parts of the Atma Linga got scattered across the region. It is believed that the cloth covering the Lingam fell here at Murudeshwar.

The temple here is built to commemorate that event. A huge Raja Gopuram which is about 20 stories in height was built in 2008 and is one of the impressive structures here. There is also a huge Shiva statue which is about 125 feet tall and very majestic. It can be seen from several miles around. One can go up the Raja Gopuram using an elevator and take a 360 degree view from the top. The view is grand and it feels like we are on an aircraft. At the bottom of the Shiva idol, there is a museum, but no access was available to us due to renovations.

The main temple housing the Sri Mridesa Lingam is a compact structure built in traditional style. There are many small temples for various deities around the main temple. There is also a Shaneeshwar temple outside the main temple. When we went, there were very few devotees inside and we could have a comfortable darshan. We also had time to take some pictures.

We then came back to our hotel for breakfast. As it was Sankashti, we just had some fruits and coffee. After this, we checked out and proceeded towards Kolur to have a darshan of Moogambika Devi. The drive was initially along the coast and then we went into the interior of Karnataka through thick forests. It was quite an experience driving through those areas.

Shiva Statue & Nandi

Mookambika is a highly revered temple. The temple is very special because it is part of the 108 Durgalayas and 108 Shivalayas. It is situated in the foothills of Kodachadri hills, on the southern bank of Souparnika River. The main deity of the temple is a Swayambu Lingam (self formed) which has a golden line cutting it into half, in which the left half represents the three goddess and the right half represents their consorts. An idol with four hands made of panchaloha (5 metals) of the goddess Mookambika was installed in the temple by Adi Sankara. Mookambika is seen seated in the Padmasana position with four arms, with two arms holding a Shanka or Conch, the Chakra or divine discuss and the other two hands are giving a Abhaya (to rid the devotee of all fears) and the Abheesta or Varada mudra (bestower of boons). There are sub-shrines for Ganesh ji, Shiva, Vishnu, Karthik Swami, Hanuman and the Naga Devatas in the temple.

The legend of the temple is as follows. Once a demon was doing severe tapas to placate Lord Shiva and ask for boons to make him very powerful and use the powers to harass the pious people. Knowing this, Devi made him dumb (Mooka) which prevented the demon from asking boons from Shiva. Enraged by this, the demon started harassing a Sage called Kola who was also offering penance here. The sage sought help from Devi who came and killed the demon. Hence, She got the name of ‘Mooka-Ambika’. Shiva then appeared before the sage who asked for a boon that Shiva and Devi remain forever here. Shiva then manifested in the form of a Linga which has two parts described above.

Mookambika Temple

We reached around 11 am covering the distance of approx. 60 kms in 90 minutes. The temple was closed for afternoon prayers and we had to wait in queue for about an hour till the temple reopened. During this time, we enjoyed the instrumental music played by a band. They were using the instruments typically used in wedding processions and it felt out of place as we are used to the Nadaswaram in temples. However, they played very well, and it was enjoyable.

After the temple opened around noon, we had our darshan in less than 15 minutes. Although it was crowded, no one pushed us and we could see the Devi in all Her glory comfortably. After darshan, we went around the temple via its corridors and saw the many smaller temples mentioned above. Kerala devotees are found in a large number here as they believe that the same Devi who is there in Chotha Nikara temple in the mornings is present here in the evenings and the two temples are connected thus.

If we hadn’t been fasting, we would have had Annadanam at the temple which we did during our honeymoon many years earlier. As we came out, we were feeling parched due to the warm weather and had a lemon soda in a shop outside before boarding our car to proceed to our next destination – Sringeri.

To be continued...

View from the Raja Gopuram top

Karnataka Yatra - Day 2

Waking up around 6 am and completing our morning ablutions, we proceeded to the Udupi temple complex area as we wanted to get one more darshan of Bhagawan Krishna.

The beauty of Udupi Krishna is such that one wishes to constantly see Him. Unlike other important temples of Krishna, here it is very easy to get a darshan. No big queues, no crowding, no pushing & jostling. One can have a leisurely darshan of a beautiful deity who is not more than 2 feet in height and can be seen at approx. 8-10 feet. He is decked up in bright clothes and shining jewelry as He is ‘alankara priya’ and His sight is mesmerizing and captivating. His eyes look straight at His devotees and is most attractive.

Devaki (Krishna's mother) had missed his childhood as He grew up with Yashoda. So, Krishna showed her His younger form by becoming a child again. When Rukmini saw this, she was so smitten that she asked the celestial architect to make an idol which she began worshipping. This particular idol was of Krishna with the butter churning rod in His hand which He used to break the pot when He was upset with Yashoda for not attending to Him when He was being suckled. At the end of His avatara, when Dwaraka was covered by waters, the idol began floating in the sea. Over time, it got covered with some material and the form was not visible. In the 13th century, a ship which was using this rock as a ballast, got caught in a storm. A saint guided the ship safely to the shore. The captain offered the saint a gift in return and the saint Madhavacharya chose the rock as he knew what it contained. The saint, Madhavacharya, then extracted the idol by removing the outer layers that covered it and installed it at this temple.

Udupi Krishna Temple

We first went and had darshan at Ananteshwar temple and then proceeded to Chandramouleeshwar temple where we witnessed the abhishekam of Shiva and chanted the Sri Rudram. After this, we went to Udupi Krishna temple which was closed for the morning abhishekam ritual from 7 am till about 8 am. We arrived about a minute late and hence missed the early morning darshan.

So, we decided to spend the next hour visiting couple of Mutts in the surrounding area. There are eight main Mutts here. There is also a large complex called Geeta Mandir which we didn’t visit due to paucity of time. We visited the serene Raghavendra Mutt which is very close to the Krishna temple and witnessed the Aarati. There were 3 cows tied up inside the temple which we could touch and get blessed.

After this, we went to the Mitra Samaj restaurant, and I had hot mini idlis dipped in sambhar with coffee. The food was tasty and reasonably priced. By around 7.45, we came back to Krishna temple entrance and stood in the small queue. At around 8 am, we were let inside for yet another comfortable and blissful darshan. Post this, we visited other shrines within the temple including the Brindavan of various saints who are interred here and the Goshala where many cows are taken care of.

We then returned to our hotel where I finished my midday prayers and then we had breakfast. The breakfast service was not great here. We then checked out and proceeded to Murudeshwar. The distance of ~ 100 kms was covered in about 2 hours. The roads throughout our trip were smooth and well maintained and traffic was thin. We reached and checked in at a hotel called RNS Residency. This is the best hotel in Murudeshwar with an excellent location overlooking the Sea as well as the temple. Tourists mainly come to Murudeshwar for the temple visit as well as enjoying water sports here. Our room, on the 6^th floor, was superb with a 180 degree view of the ocean. From our room, we could see the different water sports being indulged by visitors.

As we had a heavy breakfast, we skipped lunch and took some rest. At around 3.45 pm. We left for Gokarna which was 78 kms away. The road was virtually parallel to the coast which gave us a very good view of the sea for most of the journey. On the way, we stopped at a restaurant called ‘Rameshwaram’ at a place called Honnavar for some light snacks and tea. This is not connected to the famous restaurant with the same name at Bengaluru. This was the only decent place on the route, and we found the food quality was good.

Om Beach - Gokarna

We reached our destination by 6 pm. Gokarna, a coastal town in Karnataka, is famous as a unique blend of a major Hindu pilgrimage site and a serene beach destination, often called the 'Varanasi of the South'. Key attractions include the 4th-century Mahabaleshwar Temple (housing the Atmalinga), the naturally Om-shaped Om Beach, and scenic, laid-back spots like Kudle Beach and Paradise Beach. The town is small & congested but very attractive with nice shops and crowded streets. There were many foreigners in this place who have probably come to enjoy the beach resort. The atmosphere reminded me of Goa.

Our main objective for the visit was to visit the Mahabaleshwar temple which was one place I had been wanting to visit for a very long time. Gokarna is believed to be one of the 7 muktikshetras of Karnataka and even a glimpse of the deity bestows immense blessings on the devotees.

The Lingam here, called the Atmalinga & is believed to be Shiva’s soul, was given to Ravana by Shiva Himself pleased as He was with His devotee. Ravana was instructed by Shiva not to place the Lingam on the ground till he reached Lanka. However, during the journey when dusk approached, Ravana stopped for doing his evening prayers. He saw Ganesh ji appearing as a young brahmin boy with some cows and requested Him to hold the Lingam till he returned. Ganesh ji told him that he will call out thrice and if Ravana failed to return, He would place the Lingam on the ground. After some time, Ganesh ji called out thrice in quick succession and when Ravana didn’t respond, He placed the Lingam on the ground. After that, Ganesh ji disappeared into the ground along with His cows. Ravana tried to catch the last cow and pulled at its ears. The cow too disappeared leaving behind its ears which gave the name of GoKarna (Cows Ears) to this place. Ravana used all his strength to move the Linga but couldn’t do it and it was he who named it as Mahabaleshwar.

Mahabaleshwar Temple

The temple, a 4^th century construction, is not very large and, fortunately for us, was not much crowded at this time. We entered after removing shirt / banian and within 10 minutes we could enter the sanctum. While there, we saw a few devotees skip the queue and were carrying some articles for abhishekam. Upon enquiring I was told that they are doing a special seva the tickets for which could be purchased from the office. So, after our darshan, I also went and purchased NavaDhanya (nine ingredients) Abhishek Seva. It costed Rs. 1000.

A local priest (who was a Maharashtrian settled in Gokarna) helped us perform the puja in the parikrama area of the temple. We first did sankalpam, then invoke Shiva into a small cup filled with rice. Then, we chanted some parts of Sri Rudram and made the offerings of the different articles like milk, curds, honey etc. into the cup. After the completion of this pooja, we were allowed to enter the sanctum once again and pour the offerings into Atmalinga. We were also allowed to touch the Atmalinga which is not visible from outside as it is inside a cavity covered in silver. We could only feel it with our fingers. The cavity kept getting filled up with offerings from various devotees, and the priest sitting there would keep emptying it.

I then did my evening prayers in the temple itself. We also visited the Thamira Gowri shrine which is located adjoining the main temple. This is the shrine of Parvati Devi who undertook severe penances to attain Shiva., We also visited the Maha Ganapathy temple located just outside the main temple. After this, it was pretty dark and we retuned to Murudeshwar. When we reached back, it was nearly half past nine. We stopped at a restaurant called Indraprastha very near our hotel and had some light snacks and buttermilk.

We then returned to our room for the night.

Karnataka Yatra - Day 1

Udupi Krishna Temple

Over 3 decades ago, when we got married, Lalitha & I went on our first yatra as part of our honeymoon trip. We had flown to Mangaluru (then it was called Mangalore) and had visited several temples in and around the city including Udupi, Kollur, Dharmasthala etc. Now, after so many years of marriage and many more yatras (by ourselves & along with like minded friends), we wanted to do the Karnataka yatra once again. We hadn't visited Mangaluru together after that.

So, in early March 2026, we once again flew across to Mangaluru. Surprisingly, Indigo was on time and we reached Mangaluru by 8.45 am. At the airport, we were picked up by our taxi driver Raj, and driven straight to Udupi.

On the way, we halted at a restaurant called Shree Shankara Bhavana which was on the main road at Kulai. We had our breakfast here comprising of Neer dosa, Guliyappa (Paniyaram in Tamil), Idli Vada & coffee. Food was fresh & tasty but the sambhar was unlike what we are used to. There was an ever smiling attractive waitress from Nepal who served us.

              Durgaparameshwari Temple

After this, we halted at the Shree Durgaparameshwari Temple at Bappanadu. This temple is over 800 years old and in very well maintained. There were very few devotees here at this time and we had a wonderful darshan of the Devi. I could get very positive vibes at this temple which only shows how well they have been doing their rituals and keeping the deity as well as the temple charged with positive energy.

Then we visited another Devi Temple on the way. This was the Mahalakshmi Temple at Uchila which was really grand & spacious. For fishermen in the coastal region around Udupi and Mangaluru, the Shree Mahalakshmi Temple at Uchila is one of the most important places of worship. Dedicated to the Goddess Mahalaxmi, the idol housed in this temple is believed to be the third most revered Mahalaxmi idol after those in Kolhapur and Mumbai. The temple has been recently renovated. 

Mahalakshmi Temple

After our darshan here, we proceeded to Kapu to the Shree Hosa Marigudi Temple. This is yet another beautiful well maintained temple which must be about 300 years old. Here we are allowed to go up close to the main deity and circumambulate inside the sanctum. One unique feature in most of the big temples we saw in our journey, is that they provide Annadanam daily to all devotees who come.

After this, we proceeded to Udupi and reached around 12 noon. We checked into a hotel called Ocean Pearl which is a chain of hotels in Karnataka. The hotel was decent and has its own pure vegetarian restaurant called Sagar Ratna. 

After a quick freshen up and change of clothes, we proceeded to Udupi Shree Krishna temple. This was located less that 2 kms from our hotel. Krishna temple in Udupi is located in a complex in central Udupi and has a temple pond plus 3 shrines and many Mutts & small shops surrounding it. The place hasn't changed much in the last 30 + years and it still looks like an old settlement. There is a huge chariot outside the main temple meant for procession of Krishna on important festival days.

Chandramouleshwar
Temple

There was a queue of about 75 people waiting for the sanctum to open. After about 15 minutes, we were allowed inside. Men are expected to remove Shirts / vest etc. when inside the temple. 

The darshan was wonderful without any pushing or pressure to move. We have to see Krishna through a small barricaded silver plated window called the Navagraha Kindi. It has nine holes through which one can view the Deity  The main door is to His back as He changed His position to give darshan to His devotee through the back window. The 16th century devotee, Kanakadasa, who was of a lower caste was denied entry to the Udupi Sri Krishna Temple. Standing behind the temple, he sang passionately, causing the idol to turn west and a crack to appear in the wall, granting him darshan through what is now also called as the Kanakana Kindi. We had a very satisfactory and heart-filling darshan and also saw Garuda & Hanuman sanctums.

After this, we partook of the Annadanam. Here we saw many people eating off the bare floor without having any leaf / plate. I was told that people do this as a sort of penance and as a sign of gratitude for their wishes being granted.

Then we returned to our hotel and took some rest. In the evening, after finishing my evening prayers, we went to the Anantheshwar temple. This an ancient 8th-century shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva, located on Car Street, adjacent to the famous Krishna Matha. It is considered the oldest temple in the town, managed by the Puttige Matha. The temple is associated with the origins of the Dwaita philosophy, serving as a moolasthana (source place) for Acharya Madhava's teachings.

Pond adjoining Udupi Temple

Here, besides a small Ganesh idol (on the left side of the sanctum door), there is a powerful Shiva lingam. There is also a shrine dedicated to Madhavacharya who is believed to be still present in the form of a small draft of air. People usually visit this temple and another nearby temple before visiting Udupi Krishna Temple. We stayed awhile here as the vibes were very positive and strong. 

Then, we visited the small Chandramouleeshwar temple nearby. It is renowned for its sphatik (quartz) lingam that reportedly changes color, appearing black in the morning, blue at noon, and white at night. It is believed that Lord Chandra (the Moon God) performed penance here to redeem himself from a curse by Daksha Prajapati. People visit this temple also before visiting Udupi Krishna Temple. The atmosphere here was blissful and one can spend hours here chanting & meditation.

Udupi Temple
Chariot

Then, we went once again into the Krishna temple. This time, there were hardly many devotees and we could get leisurely darshan within 5 minutes.  

Then we came out and searched for a restaurant called Mitra Samaj which is within the temple complex and which serves delicious simple fare. Unfortunately, it was weekly off day for them. We then proceeded to another small restaurant called Dosa Hut. It is run by a lady & is famous for its quality. We had one vegetable Uttapam. The size was huge and it was very tasty too. Our driver Raj ate with us everywhere and we soon discovered that his favourite item was Masala Dosa.

We then returned to our hotel for a well deserved rest as we completed the first day of our Karnataka yatra.

Parasuram Kund Yatra - The last day

Bhasmachala Hill

Our last day of the yatra finally came. Waking up by 6 am (late by Northeast standards), we were pleasantly surprised to note that the large swarm of mosquitoes had apparently spared us. There were no visible marks of bites or any itching. We had a comfortable bath and finished our morning prayers. The organisers had arranged another important temple visit in the morning hours. After darshan of Balaji & other deities, we had breakfast breakfast (prasadam from Balaji temple) and then boarded the two buses to go for our final temple visit.

Archway welcoming visitors

After driving 23 kms, we reached the area near Brahmaputra River Heritage Centre at the banks of the river. The temple we were about to visit, was located in an island in the middle of the Brahmaputra River. This island, known as Bhasmachala Hill (renamed as Peacock Island by the British due to its shape) is the smallest inhabited river islands (0.67 square kilometers) of the world. It is believed that Shiva had opened His third eye and burnt Kamadeva (Lord of Love) at this very place. Kamadeva had come with an objective of disturbing Shiva (who was meditating here) so that Shiva weds Parvati and they beget a child who would kill a demon (who had taken a boon that he can only be killed by an offspring of Shiva – presuming that Shiva will never have one).

There is a temple here dedicated to Shiva & Parvati which is called the Umananda Temple. Uma is another name of Parvati and Umananda means the place where the divine couple lives here in eternal bliss. People believe that coming here and offering prayers leads to happy married life for couples.

We went in a motorised boat which had a viewing deck also – the only passengers in the boat were us yatris. The boat ride took only about 10 minutes with cool breeze blowing over us. After reaching the island, we had to walk about 75 steps to reach the top where the temple was located. A small courtyard was in front of the temple where we queued up after first having darshan of Ganesh ji.

After we entered the temple, we first had a darshan of Vishnu who is placed just in front of the doorway leading to the sanctum. After this, we joined the queue waiting to go into the sanctum. While we were waiting in the queue, one yatri started loudly chanting the Shiva Panchakshara Nakshtramala (composed by Adi Shankara) which is a series of 108 lines each ending with “Namah Shivaya”. The yatri would chant the line and rest of us in chorus would loudly say “Namah Shivaya” – the mood was electrifying.

Umananda Temple & Courtyard

The sanctum is at a lower level like in a cave. We had to climb down some steps to reach it. The priest there allowed us to touch the Lingam and offer our prayers without pushing us out. The sanctum seemed very pious and I could sense very positive vibrations in that holy place.

After coming out, we went to a nearby Kali temple. Then we took some photos. As we were coming down, also visited a small Hanuman temple. Then we came back to the ferry which left after all yatris had boarded. After returning to the riverfront where we had boarded the ferry in the morning, we had to walk some distance to get to the bus. Then, we quickly came back to Balaji temple complex. Here we did our midday prayers and then had lunch. Like in the previous day, we were served immediately after the Vaideekas were served. After lunch, we filled our tiffin box with Upma which was to serve as our dinner. The catering staff & organisers had made sure our food requirements were taken care till we reached home.

Although our return flight was in the evening (around 6 pm), we were advised to leave a little early as Prime Minister Narendra Modi was expected to visit Guwahati in the evening and, there was an expectation of delay in the journey. We departed around 2 pm to the airport. Luckily roads were relatively empty. We only faced some problem near the airport due to diversions and restrictions. However, we could get through due to a sticker placed on the bus windshield saying, “On Balaji Temple Duty”. It looked ‘official’ enough for the policemen to let us through.

At the airport, we were informed that Mumbai flight was delayed by nearly 3 hours. The airlines served us complimentary dinner. There was no prayer room in the airport. Hence, I found a corner, where I did my evening prayers. The return flight of 3.5 hours was uneventful – we slept through most of it. When we reached home, it was nearly 2 am the next day. It was so nice to be back in the comforts of our own homes. The yatra helped us realise this.

Prasadam of PK Yatra presented to HH

Stay tuned for the blogs on the next yatra !!

PS : The yatris, represented by the organisers and some of the Vaideekas, subsequently met HH Sri Vijayendra Saraswati, Shankaracharya of Kanchi, and presented Him with the prasadams of the yatra along with a detailed account of how it was conducted. He was also shown the pictures, videos etc. of the yatra.

Parasuram Kund Yatra (Kamakhya Mandir Darshan) - Day 7

Purva Tirupati Sri Balaji Mandir

We yatris arrived at Guwahati at 7 in the morning. Here, we were picked up by a couple of buses and transported to our destination which is the beautiful Purva Tirupati Sri Balaji temple. This was located approx 18 kms away and nearly took us 45 minutes to reach. 

We were accommodated on the second floor of their residential building meant for yatris - men & women were given separate large halls with attached 4 bathrooms & toilets. This place was significantly cleaner than PK lodging and the beds (on the floor for men and regular cots for women) too were covered with fresh clean sheets. The only drawback was that this place was swarming with mosquitoes - PK has none. We quickly got into the business of having bath etc. The bathrooms were better than PK and we didn't feel the need for hot water as the weather was not too cold. After finishing our morning prayers, we proceeded to the temple for darshan.

The Balaji temple complex in Guwahati is a must visit place for anyone travelling there. Located in a sprawling parcel of land of about 17 acres, it has a Veda Patasala and a Goshala beside the temples. There are 4 marble temples - a small one of Sri Ganesha which has a beautiful idol, two medium sized temple for Padmavati Devi & Maa Durga and one large temple of Sri Balaji. The temples, constructed in South Indian style, are clean and well maintained. They have large well manicured lawns in front of the temple giving it a feel as a picnic spot. Also, they have an excellent pure vegetarian restaurant near the entrance making it very convenient for visitors to spend time here with family & friends. Unfortunately, photography was prohibited and, hence I am attaching photos sourced from the internet. All the idols here are exact replicas of the original deities and even the decoration / alankaram is similar. The priests are educated from South Indian patasalas and hence they were easy to converse with.

After the darshan, we came to a nearby building, within the complex, where we were served piping hot & tasty pongal Prasadam from the temple. This building has a good kitchen and dining area which we used for all our meals. Later, we came back to the temple where we had the formal Vaideekas Sambhavanai ceremony. All the Vaideekas who had accompanied us for the yatra, were duly honoured and thanked and were given a small token of appreciation / gratitude by the yatris.

Then, we visited the Veda Patasala located within the complex, and met the students there along with their Guru. The students were from different parts of Assam and were staying here during the duration of their studies like a typical Gurukul. Upon the bidding of their Guru, they chanted some part of the Shukla Yajur Veda in unison. It was so heartening to listen to this and getting reassured that our traditions are being preserved so well in this part of the country too. We then proceeded towards the Goshala but couldn't see the cows close up as they were out grazing in the distance within the complex. It was good to see the cows getting some exercise by walking around - most goshalas that I have seen don't have the luxury of space for this.

After this, we had our lunch - Vaideekas were served first on banana leaves and, then the rest of us were served on our plates - for the first time during this yatra, we ate at the same time. Lunch was superb as usual. The catering staff had better kitchen facilities here as compared to PK and they churned out a superb spread- rice, vegetables , sambhar, rasam, papad, curd rice et al.

Maa Kamakhya Temple

Post lunch, around 2.30 pm we got into 2 buses and left for Kamakhya Temple. This Temple, located on Nilachala hill, is believed to be the site where the yoni (genital organ or womb) of the goddess Sati fell. Maa Kamakhya or Kameswari is the renowned Goddess of Desire, is considered one of the most sacred Shakti Peethas, symbolizing fertility, the creative power of women, and the center of Tantric practices. Maa Kamakhya Devalaya is one of the oldest of the 51 Shakti Peethas on earth.

It took us about 45 minutes to cover the distance of 20 kms. After alighting from the bus, we had to walk a short distance to reach the temple. As our organisers had made arrangements for a special darshan, we were asked to go into a waiting room where everyone who has purchased the special ticket has to wait. The wait time was long, nearly 1.5 hours but as we had seating arrangements it was ok. Most of the yatris were busy chanting various stotras including Lalitha Sahasranama during the wait time. 

Maa Kamakhya Temple

We moved into the shorter queue meant for people with special darshan tickets. Alongside was the regular darshan queue where people had been waiting for over 7-8 hours. It look us another 45 minutes before we could move into the sanctum. Just outside the sanctum there is an idol where people made offerings of flowers and clothes. The sanctum is a cave at a lower level which was dark – only some lamps were there to go by. We had to climb down some narrow steps to reach the main sanctum. There was an idol here but fully covered with clothes offered by the devotees. At the feet of the idol, there was a thin layer of water. The priest asked us to go down on our knees and touch the water. We did that and sprinkled the water on our heads. We also collected the water in small containers purchased outside the temple. As the water level was only about an inch or so, we could only collect little water. We were then pushed out to make way for the large number of devotees still in the queue.

Maa Kamakhya Temple

Once we came outside, we took some photographs. We also got small piece of red cloth from a local priest which was part of an offering made to Maa Kamakhya. Apart from the main temple of Maa Kamakhya, there are temples of the Dasamahavidya (ten incarnations of the deity) namely Kamakhya (i.e. Tripura Sundari, alongwith Matangi and Kamala), Kali, Tara, Bhuvaneshvari, Bagalamukhi, Chinnamasta, Bhairavi, Dhumavati, and five temples of Lord Shiva namely Kameswara, Siddheswara, Kedareswara, Amratokeswara, Aghora and Kautilinga around the Nilachala Hill which is also called as Kamakhya Temple Complex.

The main temple closes early here at 5.30 pm and the last aarti is at 7.30 pm. When we started moving out, it was around 6.30 pm and quite dark. Most of the numerous shops outside the temple had closed for the day. We walked back to our bus and returned to the Balaji temple for our evening prayers & dinner.

The mosquitoes here were waiting for us. We tried our best to keep them from biting us by keeping the fans on and covering ourselves with the blankets. As we were tired, we soon drifted to deep sleep and were blissfully unaware of what happened next. Thus ended our penultimate day of the yatra.

Pillars of Maa Kamakhya Temple 

Parasuram Kund Yatra - Day 6

Golden Pagoda

Our last day at Parasuram Kund (PK) started early. The ladies were busy celebrating Kanu - Kanu (or Kanu Pidi) is celebrated on the day after Pongal, focusing on sibling bonds and gratitude. They prayed for their brothers' well-being by placing rice balls, leftover sweet pongal, and sugarcane on turmeric leaves outdoors for crows to eat, symbolizing family unity. Some of the menfolk (including me) did our tarpanam after finishing morning Sandhya prayers. We cleaned our room by moving the mattress and sweeping the floor of dust using. It was good to do the prayers inside the room away from the strong winds blowing outside.

We then had our breakfast. Each of us had carried a tiffin carrier to pack our lunch. Our catering team had prepared Pulihora, Curd rice, Dry Potato bhaji, pickles and some fryums. We packed this in our boxes and then waited for the buses to arrive. We were ready by 8.30 am as informed but the bus came only around 9.45. After loading the bags into the buses, we boarded it and were soon on our way out from PK. Although, the lodging was not comfortable, we had gotten used to it after 5 nights here. We left PK with a heavy heart not knowing whether we will ever return here.

Within a short time, it started getting warm as we descended from the higher level. The roads were narrow and not smooth. The first hour of the drive was not very pleasant and we kept telling the driver to drive slowly as the bus was shaking and rocking. Some bags fell down from the luggage rack and, luckily no one was injured.

We drove about 2 hours to a place called Namsai which is about 70 kms from PK. There is a famous Burmese style Buddhist temple here called the Golden Pagoda. This was opened in 2010 and is in a large area of approx. 50 acres. Beautifully manicured lawns and lovely designed temples here caught our attention. Some pictures of the Pagoda are given at the end of this blog. We had our lunch here in the park under the shade of some trees as it was quite pleasant. The lunch was sumptuous albeit a little spicy. After lunch, some of our yatris also visited some shops outside the complex to buy some fruits, ice-cream, tea etc.

Bhupen Hazarika Bridge

By 2 pm, we left this place and proceeded towards the Bhupen Hazarika Bridge which is one of the longest bridges in India. It is approx. 9 kms long and connects the two states of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam over the River Lohit. The distance from Golden Pagoda was about 65 kms. On the way, we had a halt at a place to buy some articles, fruits etc. We reached the bridge in about two hours. After driving a kilometre or so on the bridge, we stopped to take some pictures. Then, we left towards a town called Tinsukia located some 55 kms away. Along the way, we stopped at a restaurant for tea break. Our caterers had packed some Mysorepak (sweet) and some mixture (snack) for us to eat. They were delicious and we thoroughly enjoyed them.

Then we drove towards the Tinsukia railway station which we reached by 6 pm. We were to leave that night by Rajdhani Express to Guwahati. Our organisers had arranged for Satwik dinner comprising of Aloo Paratha, mixed bhaji and curds. Some of us did our evening prayers at the railway station which was very clean and empty. After the prayers, we had our dinner and waited for our train which was delayed. We did some window shopping at the shops in the station. While we were waiting for our train, the famous “Dibrugarh to Kanyakumari” train came there – this journey takes about 75 hours !!

The Vidyarthees who had accompanied us left by a separate train to Sikkim around 8.45 pm. Around 9.15 pm, our train came and we quickly boarded it. We were informed in advance about our berth & bogie details which made the boarding of the 50 odd yatris smooth. Inside, we quickly settled down and made our beds. It was nice to sleep in a clean (although slightly cramped) bed after many days. The AC was perfect which helped me to slip into deep slumber in no time. Normally, I am not comfortable with sleeping in train but this time I was more than happy.

Thus ended Day 6 of our yatra.

Parasuram Kund - Day 5

We woke up with excitement on Day 5 and there were many reasons for the same. It was Maker Sankranti, the most important day of our yatra. It was also Pongal – all the ladies were prepared to celebrate it in style. It was also a day to do Tarpanam (offering of water with sesame seeds to one’s ancestors) although there were two opinions on what is the most appropriate day – 14^th or 15^th. Some people preferred to do in the afternoon of 14^th itself while some decided to do it on the morning hours of 15^th.

Colourful Rangoli

On this day, we waited for the bathrooms to become free for having our bath as most of the activity was to begin later in the afternoon only. We finished our morning ablutions leisurely. A handful of yatris went up to Hanuman temple to do the morning prayers there. The rest of us stayed back. The place outside our lodging was getting crowded with hordes of visitors all wanting to take a dip at the Kund on this auspicious day. We saw hundreds of busses at the parking area and a nearby open area had become a market with many makeshift shops which had virtually sprung up overnight. They were selling all kinds of thing from fruits, nuts, trinkets, vessels, knives both kitchen variety and ones used for fighting (swords), towels (for people who forgot to carry them), warm clothing, purses, belts etc. We had a good time going around and checking them out.

Pongal O Pongal

Meanwhile back at the lodging, the ladies had also finished their daily ritual of Surya Arghyam and were preparing for the Pongal celebrations. The center of the lodging, where we used to have our meals daily, got swept & cleaned for the rituals. Elaborate rangoli were drawn here by a few lady yatris, pictures of Shankaracharya’s & deities were placed and decorated with garlands and preparations for the traditional cooking of Pongal were made by creating a temporary hearth using bricks and dry sticks. All the ladies were in colourful sarees making the place look festive and, to add to the spirit, someone stated playing nice devotional songs using a portable speaker.

In the afternoon, around 1 pm, an earthen pot was filled with water and rice and the fire was light. Within some time, the water started boiling and, soon thereafter it overflowed from the pot and everyone joyfully exclaimed ‘Pongal O Pongal’. The ladies had an impromptu dance around the pot moving in rhythm to the music playing in the background. After this, each of them added some jaggery to the pot to make sweet Pongal. This was later mixed with the regular sweet Pongal prepared by the cooks. Then there was a Surya pooja done to mark the occasion of Sun’s transit in the Northerly direction.

Colourful Pongal celebrations

Post this, some of the men yatris did their tarpanam – interestingly they added “Parasuram Kund Kshetre, Lohita Nadi Teere” in their sankalpam mantras. I made a note of this for I planned to do my tarpanam the next morning. Each of us had carried the necessary items required for tarpanam – darbha grass / Pavitram, Koorcham, sesame seeds, plate to pour the water, fresh clothes (some were carrying silk clothes) for this ritual, asanam etc. Some of the yatris then did Surya Namaskar accompanied by chanting of Aruna Prashnam mantras. Aruna Prashnam is a sacred Vedic hymn from the Taittiriya Aranyaka of the Krishna Yajur Veda used primarily for worshiping the Sun God (Surya Devta) to gain health, prosperity, longevity, and spiritual radiance. It is commonly recited alongside Surya Namaskara to heal diseases, remove negative karma, and foster overall success. Some chanted Aditya Hridayam stotram which is a mantra taught to Sri Rama by Sage Agastya in the battlefield to help Him overcome obstacles and kill Ravana.

While this was going on, some yatris were busy doing distributing prasadam of sweet & salty Pongal for the visitors on the streets outside our gate. As in the previous day, this was received very well. We soon ran out of the leaf cups and had to stop the distribution. Lunch was delayed that day due to all the above. I didn’t mind as it was Ekadashi and I was fasting. Yatris had lunch post 4 pm that day.

Later in the evening, a few yatris went up to the Hanuman temple to do the evening prayers. The others went to the Mela area and did last minute shopping as we were departing from PK the next morning. It was quite windy & cold but the mood was good. The sight of large crowds, shops etc. made the place look lively. The thoughts of moving out the next day also lifted our spirits. We came back and repacked our bags. Most people skipped dinner on account of the late lunch. The catering staff got some respite due to this. The evening ended with happy thoughts of the days events as well as of the day ahead,

Parasuram Kund Yatra - Day 4

Indian Flag hoisted at PK

For a couple of days since our arrival in Parasuram Kund (PK), a team of army personnel were stationed there and they were busy making arrangements for a historic event that was to unfold on 13^th January. Within a short time, they had erected a large Shamiana and arranged for seating, organising a place for refreshments etc. On our Day 4, an iconic National Flag was formally hoisted and dedicated to the people at PK in a ceremony organized by Dao Division under Spear Corps, highlighting the spirit of national pride and integration.

The inauguration was graced by Lieutenant General Abhijit S. Pendharkar, GOC Spear Corps and Deputy Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh Shri Chowna Mein. The event showcased strong civil–military cooperation, symbolizing the shared commitment of the armed forces and local administration towards fostering patriotism and community engagement. This was followed up with a high tea event where all the yatris present could mingle & interact with the dignitaries and even take pictures.

This historic event happened very close to the Hanuman temple that we were using for our puja etc. Many of our yatris attended this event thanks to the identity badge provided to us by the organisers. We could interact with the armed forces personnel and express to them our appreciation of their services to the nation. When the national anthem was played by the live band of the armed forces, our prayers were halted and everyone spontaneously stood up to show our respects and commitment to our great nation.

View of the yatris at Hanuman Temple

The rest of the morning rituals were similar to the previous day with the abhishekam of Adi Shankaracharya concluding the morning events. The only difference was that the number of visitors / devotees to PK had dramatically increased - from a small trickle in the previous day, we could see several hundred people converging here. They mostly came by busses and some by private cars. The administration had arranged for a large parking ground near our lodging. One interesting thing observed about the devotees who came here from across North East India is their humbleness and simplicity. When they entered the temple or walked between people, they would bend and touch the floor with their right hand (even while walking).

Annadanam in progress

Post lunch, in the mid-afternoon, our team were entrusted with the task of distributing prasadam to the visitors who had to proceed to the Kund by walking past our lodging. Our catering team had done a commendable job of making different types of prasadams like sweet Sheera (Kesari) & Sambhar rice which was handed over to the visitors in the disposable leaf cups by the yatris. Many of the visitors were happy to receive this and consumed it happily. The crowding near our gate (where the distribution was happening) caused mini traffic issues which was managed by asking people to queue up. Some devotees refused to accept the prasadam stating that they will not eat before taking the dip at the Kund. It was a great experience for all of us to participate in.

The administration also had arranged for free meals to all visitors at a hall near the Parasuram temple. However, stay / toilet arrangements were woefully inadequate and we saw many visitors sleeping the open veranda with little shelter. Compared to them, we were living comfortably in our lodging! In fact, yatras like these helps us realise how blessed we are in our respective homes and have no reason to expect anything more.

Our tour organisers

After our morning Puja, abhishekam etc, our organisers gave us a talk on how this whole concept of yatra began 9 years ago under the guidance of HH Sri Jayendra Saraswathi who conceived of this and delegated this to the couple from Chennai Shri Anand & Smt. Ranjani from Chennai along with Shri Subramanian Sastrigal from Navi Mumbai. They told us how they had to literally discover this place which was unheard of then. They also detailed how the initial years were a struggle to identify place for boarding / lodging, arranging for logistics including transportation of the Adi Shankaracharya idol, the challenges faced with convincing & winning local people to support the yatra etc. They also explained how it was divine help and Guru’s grace that made this all possible. This talk helped us to understand and appreciate all the work done over the years by them and especially during the national lockdown during Covid pandemic.

Our evening program was also similar except that we were planning to wind up our major pujas / rituals at Hanuman temple that evening. Hence, after the evening chanting, puja and aarti, we brought most of the items back to our lodging. The Shankaracharya idol was placed inside the Sanctum next to Hanuman.

Back at the lodging, we had our evening meal as usual and retired for the night. The next day was Makar Sankranti day / Pongal and there were many activities planned for it. I was looking forward to seeing traditional Pongal celebrations for the very first time in my life.