Shri Kadri Manjunatheshwara Temple
Kadri Manjunatheshwara Temple is located in Mangalore. It is the spectacular temple of Lord Manjunatha or Lord Shiva on the Kadri hills. The temple is a complete depiction of early Vijayanagara architecture dating back to the 10th and 11th century AD.
The location of the temple is overwhelming with the presence of the deity of the temple, and the marvelous hillocks of the Kadri hills, which have many caves cut into the hills. The caves contain many pre-historic pieces of evidence too which adds to the impeccable holy spirit of the valley. The overall location is extremely spiritual and calm. The temple belongs to the category of Tulunadu temples in the Dakshina Kannada region. The Kadri hill also has the biggest Natha Pantha (idolization) in the south of India.
History of Shri Kadri Manjunatheshwara Temple
Kadri was a center of Buddhists in the early 10th century. Later when Buddhism declined the Natha Pantha (a new religious belief) came into existence here. Natha Prantha was believed to be a modified form of religious beliefs obtained from the Vajrayana from the Mahayana section of Buddhism. Later the Natha Prantha was more of worshiping Lord Shiva as the deity. The followers were called Jogi and the monasteries were called Jogimutt by the localities.
The earliest settlements in Kadri were the Buddhists and the people of Natha Prantha. In the earliest epigraphs found in these places, Kadri was called Kadrika Vihara and Mangalore as Mangalapura.In some inscriptions in the stone epigraphs, around the 12-13th centuries, a King who ruled then declared to give away the land for the construction of the temple is mentioned in Kannada and Malayalam languages.
In the 12th century the magnificent temple was built in typical Hindu architectural style (Hindu Agama Shastra). Later it was rebuilt using granite stone in the 14-15th century and the pancha loha idol of Lord Manjunatha was installed. The jogies being ardent devotees of Lord Shiva worships Lord Manjunatha who is a form of Lord Shiva. The Jogimutt is surrounded by caves called the Pandava caves and the Jogimutt is of great significance here. Many small temples have been installed in and around the Jogimutt which gives the place a holy appearance and ambiance.
Architecture of Shri Kadri Manjunatheshwara Temple
The temple is built according to the Vijayanagara style of structure. The temple complex is square. It is built on the highest hill in Kadri. The temple is surrounded by several ponds from a natural spring at the back of the temple. A Deepasthambha can be found on the northern side of the complex. The temple has 2 Kalyana mantapa (wedding halls). The capacity of 2 Kalyana mantapa is more than 500.
