2 DAYS TRIP FROM BANGALORE | DHARMASTHALA & KUKKE

At a distance of 70 km from Mangalore, Dharmasthala is a sacred town in Karnataka. Situated on the banks of the Nethravathi River, it is one of the famous places of pilgrimage in Karnataka, and among the popular places to visit as part of Mangalore Packages.

The main attraction of Dharmasthala is the famous Manjunatha Temple. This place is also known as Sri Kshetra, and is one of the top places to visit near Mangalore. Dedicated to Lord Shiva in the form of Manjunatha or Lokeshwara, this temple dates back to 16th Century. It is said that the Shiva Linga worshipped at this temple was procured from Kadri Temple in Mangalore. This place was known as Kuduma and was later renamed Dharmasthala in the 16th century by Vadiraja Swami of Udupi.

The shrines of four Dharma .....

At a distance of 70 Kms from Mangalore, Bahubali Temple located in Dharmasthala is situated near Manjunatha Temple (about 1 Km) on top of Rathnagiri Betta. This temple enshrines the monolithic statue of Bhagvan Bahubali (Gomatheshwara) which is 39 foot high. Sculpted by the famous Renjala Gopalkrishna Shenoi, it was completed in 1973 and installed in 1982.

Bharata and his younger brother Bahubali, both of royal birth, fought each other in a battle for supremacy. Bharata lost the battle but his life was spared. Bahubali then realized the futility of war and killing to acquire power. He handed over his kingdom to his brother and became a member of the Digambara Jain sect. He began a severe penance, standing naked until he gained enlightenment

The Maha Masthakaabhisheka festival, sacred bathing of the statue with saffron paste, milk and water, held once in every 12 years.

Temple Timings: 8 AM to 7 PM, Pooja Timings: 8-10 AM & 6-7 PM

At a distance of 100 km from Mangalore, Kukke Subrahmanya Temple is a sacred Hindu temple located at Kukke near Mangalore. It is one of the most famous temples in Karnataka and among the must-visit places as part of Mangalore holiday packages.

Dedicated to Lord Murugan, Kukke Subrahmanya Temple is one of the important temples of Lord Subrahmanya (Lord Murugan), and among the famous pilgrimage places to visit near Mangalore. This temple is famous for Sarpa Dosha. Lord Subrahmanya is worshipped as the protector of all serpents. The epics mention that the divine serpent Vasuki and other serpents found refugee under Lord Subrahmanya when attacked by Garuda.

Pilgrims visiting the temple have to cross the Kumaradhara River and take a holy dip in it before entering the temple. According to Mythology, Lord Kumaraswamy killed the demon rulers Taraka, Shoorapadmasura .....