Mahalingeswara Temple, Puttur (SK)

Mahalingeswara   Temple, Puttur  (SK)

Compiled by

P.R.Ramachander

(There  is a g huge temple pilgrimage    going to temples of South Kanara  District of Karnataka  .Maost of them pass very near  by this temple  but do not visit it  .Near   the temple   there  is also a chilsdren’s zoo   established  in memory   of the Great Siva  Rama Karanth  .He was the first one to write a  Children’s encyclopedia   in India,)

Once up on a   time three   Brahmins went to Benares    and all three of them were returning back   to their homes along with a  Shiva linga each, which they were   carrying in a box. . On the way they  reached Uppinangady(SK)  which was known as  Gaya Pada Kshethra .Two of   the Brahmins decided   to stay  there itself but one of them along with his Shiva  Linga  reached  Puttue which was   during those times ruled by  Banga king.  It seems on the day he reached Puttur, the sister  of the  king   of Puthur was   in great labour pains  .When the  minister  of the king approached   the Brahmin, he took out   his Shiva  Linga, kept it on the floor   and did Pooja   and blessed the princess  . She had an easy delivery and was saved .The king gave lot of presents to the Brahmin but when the Brahmin wanted   to remove    the Shiva Linga from the floor, he found that   he was not able to move the linga. The   king sent his entire army to help him but they were  not able to move it.Then the royal elephant was brought  .But when it tried to move the Linga  , the k Linga became very huge  and still when the   elephant tried   it seems the elephant   broke in to pieces   and fell in different parts

        The place the tusk(kombu)   fell was  called  as Kombettu

        The place where  its leg fell   was called  Kariyala

         The  place where  its trunk fell was   called Kalpala

        The place   where its tail fell was  calledBeedimajlu

        The place   where  its head fell was   called  Taleppady

        The  place  where  its  back fell was called Beripadavu 

                  (all  these places   are existing even today)

The elephant died   falling in the temple tank  and   even today devotees believe that  any elephant drinking   water  of that tank will die.

       The Nandi   in this temple has only three legs. There  is a story behind it. It seems the   farmers roiund the temple found that   crops were eaten by  some animal at night. So they  waited with a big knife and threw it at that animal, when they heard some sound.Later  only they realised  it was   the Nandi of the temple   and they have cut off  , one of his legs. Other sub temples inside the temple are   that of Dharma sastha , Parvathi and Ganapathi

       The  following festivals    are celebrated  in  the temple:-

1.Nagara  Panchami  (Panchami of Sravana  month)

2.Kadiu (On Hastha  Nakshatra of Bhadrapada  Shukla)

3.Ganesh Chathruthi

4.Nava Rathri

5.Bali festival on Deepavalu

6.Pookare  Uthsava   on Hastha  Nakshatra   of Karthika month

7.Laksha deepothsava   and Thepothsava   amavasya night  on Karthika month

8.Makara  Sankrama

9.Shiva Rathri

10 annual Jaatre(festival)   April 10^th to 20^th

11.Pattananje   End of may every year

Contact particulars

ADDRESS:
Executive Officer,
Shree Mahalingeshwra Temple,
Endowments Department,
Puttur, Dakshina Kannada,
Karnataka, INDIA.
PIN Code : 574 201

Tel : 91 82511 230511
Email : putturshreemahalingeshwara@gmail.com

       The temple is about 52  km from  Mangalore   and  72 km from Dharma Sthala temple