theerTha prabanDha - Koteshwara

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teerTha prabanDha - Koteshwar Kshethra

 

Koteshwar is 2 kms north of Kumbhasi,( 32 Kms from Udupi) also known

as " dhwajapura " , one of the 7 sacred places. There is a big temple of

Lord Shiva, known as Kotilingeswara temple, reminds the huge temples of

Tamilnadu . Each and everything in this temple is unique and

astonishing. The car street is very wide and reminds that of Puri

Jagannath car street. This temple is said to have seven

'prakara'(circular path around the central deity). The outermost

prakara is now a concrete road and the temple has got doors on all

the four sides. There is a 10'*10' platform very outside of the

temple, leading to the main entrance. Once can see the deity directly

from this platform. The main entrance door, facing east, is a huge one

about 25 feet high and 10 feet wide. There is a big 'dwajasthambha' of

about 100 feet height and there is a small 'Nandi' on the top of that.

The second prakara is also very wide, havinge many big stone plaques

(shila-shashana) narrating the history of the temple. Unfortunately no

one knows how to read them and so the history of the temple is still

mysterious. The main kitchen hall, the overhead water tank in the shape

of 'Damaru' and the small temples of Shri Ganapathi, Shri Mukhyaprana

and Shri Venu Gopalakrishna are main attractions in this prakara.

The next door leads to the main building of the temple. The

temple, a rare and miraculous construction of granite stone, dates to

many centuries back. The giant pillars, slabs, roof-sheets everything

is by granite stone and it is beyond one's imagination about how they

constructed such a big temple without any modern tools and technology.

There are many small temples on this third prakara, few of them are

'sapth Mathrakeyaru' ( 7 goddesses), subramhanya, Venkatesh and

Parvathi. There is a very unique deity called 'Kali Laxmi' holding a

child in one hand and broom in other hand. It is very interesting to

see such unique statue. Unfortunately the legendary tale behind this,

is yet to be unfolded. There is a big Nandi and as seen in any other

Shiva temple, lot of stones representing the 'booth gana' are lined up

in this prakara .

The Garbagudi starts from here onwards inside. There are two big

full size Nataraja statues made of bronze, on both sides of the door.

The shlokas composed by Shri Vadiraja are written with big letters at

this entrance and devotees can pray Lord by reciting these shlokas.

Normally devotees won't go inside and 'theertha, gandha' are

distributed at this door. However one can go inside upto main 'Garba

graha' which is in fourth prakara. There is another Ganesh in this

prakara in south corner, known as 'moole ganapathi' and can be seen

from outside through a window. The main deity is still inside and only

priests can enter here. There is a small well in the center inside

and it is said to have one crore lingas on the inner surface of the

well. It is not clearly visible from outside and earlier people used

to feel that by hand on inside wall of the well. The well is normally

covered with a big silver face of Lord Shiva and all pooja is done to

icon.

According to local history, long long back all sages numbering to

one crore, gathered in this place and did tapas for a long time to

please Lord Shiva. Then Shiva appeared in front of each of them thus

this place where Lord Shiva appeared in one crore form, became popular

as Kotee-eshwar, but slowly got translated as Koteshwar. It is said

that the present temple was built by Pandavas, no doubt it looks that

old and giant. Historically people say it was built by King of

Basaruru, a nearby place where some traces of royal family can still be

seen.

 

There is a big lake on the north side of the temple known as

'Kooti-theerTha'. It is well constructed with pavements on all the

four side and nowhere nearby such a big well constructed lake is seen.

There were big and old 'aswaththa' trees with 'Naga shila' ( stones

with carving of cobra) on four sides of this lake, but now only one or

two are seen. On the main pavements, there are nice carvings of

tortoise, crocodile, fishes etc. Everyday the water from this tank is

taken for abhisheka of main deity. Newly wedded couples are supposed to

go round this lake on the day of car festival.

 

The car festival is a grand nine day program of evening festivals

and it is called 'Kodi habba' meaning the top most car festival, top in

all respect, in duration, gathering, size of the chariot etc.. The

deity will go on procession, in the late evening to nearby villages, in

one direction each day for four days, and in the night after return

from the tour, the deity will be taken around the temple on a small

chariot. On the final day, (the full moon day of scorpion) the big

chariot or 'Brahmaratha' will be used for procession in the morning

and evening. Thousands of people gather in that small town on that day

and everything goes very peacefully and methodically. The decorated

chariot is very lovely and it is amazing to see that giant chariot

being pulled by people. The proceeding of the festival continues for

another two days. It is said that in earlier days, all three nearby

major towns ( Kandhavara, Gajapura, Brahmavara) used to contribute for

this temple, accepting Lord Shankar's supremeacy.

The " Kodhanda Rama temple', started by all madhwas, is very next

on the car street, and one can see the rare beautiful idols of sri

Rama, Sitamatha, Laxmana and Anjeneya, carved out of white marble. (It

is worth noting that the family members of Sri Srinivasa Bhat, Detroit,

have contributed a lot to this temple, in all respects).

Shri Vadiraja worships Lord Kote-eshwara in two shlokas,

superbly bringing out the story of 'Tripurasura samhara'. Shri

Vadiraja says that Lord Shankar has fulfilled the desire of one crore

sages and why not he fulfil desire of one sage (himself)?

 

chaaru kOtIshwarasThaanam shObhathE yathpurathrayaM |

puraariva nirjithya DhwajEnaadhyaapi jRumbhathE ||49||

 

Word by word:

chaaru kOtIshwarasThaanam shObhathE, yath puraariva purathrayaM

nirjithya DhwajEna adhyaapi jRumbhathE ||49||

 

English Version

Oh Koteshwar Kshetra, You are

As powerful as Gangadhara

Who dwells here in Koti(Crore) Linga form.

Oh shankara you have hoisted the flag,

At Kailasa after conquering Tripuras.

Here also you have won Kandhavara,

Gajapura & Brahmavara, and get gifts

for holding thy annual car festival,

In a supremely colourful manner. .............49

 

 

namasthE shithikamTaaya kOtisamKyarShithOShaNaath |

yah kOtIshwarasamjGnyO & bhUth sa kim naikarShikaamaDhuk ||50||

 

Word by word:

shithikamTaaya thE namah yah(bhavan) kOtisamKyarShithOShaNaath

kOtIshwarasamjGnya abhUth sa(bhavan) EkarShikaamaDhuk na kim |

 

English version:

Oh Shambho, your presence here,

As Koti Lingas was to bless Crores of Munis,

Who prayed for your kind grace;

Oh supremely devine Shankara,

Can you not fulfil our wishes,

As we are praying you all alone. ............50

 

It is to be noted that, the people from this place (Koteshwar) are

great disciple of Shri Vadiraja. There is a story that the five

hundreds years back, Brahmins of this region were outcasted by the

neighboring region Brahmins, over a dispute. Then Koteshwara brahmins

requested Shri Vaadiraja to protect them and then shri Vadiraaja

accepted them as his disciples. Then onwards the people in this place

are getting special blessing of Shri Vadiraja and progressing in

education, banking and hotel business. There was a grand celebration to

mark the 60th birthday of the present swamij H.H. Viswoththama

theerTha, few years back, in this place. Also during paryaya of Shri

Sode swamiji(96-98), these devotees have arranged for 'brahmaratha

seva' everyday continuously for two years. It is a record event in

the history of Udupi Shri Krishna temple.

 

Next kshethra Shankaranarayana ... to be continued

Shri Hari Priyatham

B.Gopalakrishna

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

Thanks Gopalakrishna Varna,

That was a great varnane of Koteshwara Temple. One small addition. Sri

Gopalakrishna Varna's family member (grandfather?) - Sri Venkatakrishna Varna

- used to be the great teacher of " Akhila Bharatha Madhwa Maha Mandala "

school which was run in the Sri Kodanda Rama Temple. I was fortunate to be

the student of Sri Venkata Krishna Varna. His descipline, puntuality and

social responsibililities were parallel to none. Every year he used to

arrange " Sri Raghavendra Swamigala Aradhane " and " Sri Vadiraja Swamigala

Aradhane " in Sri Kodanda Rama Temple. I still remember the celebration,

especially upanyasa by scholars in the evening. Thanks again Mr. Varna for

bringing back old memories.