Southadka is a pilgrimage centre in

Dakshina Kannada district Dakshina Kannada district is located in the state of Karnataka in India, with its headquarters in the coastal city of Mangaluru. The district covers an area nestled in between the Western Ghats to its east and the Arabian Sea to its west. Dakshi ...

in the Indian state of

Karnataka Karnataka ( ) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed as Mysore State on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, States Re ...

. It is located 3 km from Kokkada in

Belthangady Belthangady is a town panchayat and the headquarters of Belthangady taluk of the Dakshina Kannada (South Canara) district of Karnataka state in India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the ...

Taluk. Lord Maha Ganapathi is in an open field without a ''Garbha gudi'' and temple structure. It is surrounded by greenery and always open for prayers.

Festivals

The Mahapuja is performed in the month of January. The temple serves food (''prasadam)'' to

devotees Devotion or Devotions may refer to: Religion * Anglican devotions, private prayers and practices used by Anglican Christians * Buddhist devotion, commitment to religious observance * Catholic devotions, customs, rituals, and practices of worship ...

Culture

Popularly known as Maha Ganapati Kshetra, Southadka in Belthangandy taluk of

is one of the district's many ''siddhi kshetras'' of the district.

Site

In front of the idol are rows of brass bells tied to wooden beams for devotees to sound them during the ''pooja''. A temple is decorated with bells offered by worshippers who have special wishes. Many monkeys are inside the temple. The temple sits on the banks of

Netravati River The Netravati River or Netravathi Nadi has its origins at Bangrabalige valley, Yelaneeru Ghat in Kudremukha in Chikkamagaluru district of Karnataka, India. This river flows through the famous pilgrimage place Dharmasthala and is considered o ...

. A ''goshala'' (cow shed), a row of shops vending ''pooja'' materials, a small temple office where ''seva'' tickets and ''

prasada 200px, ''Naivedya'' offered to Sri Maya Chandrodaya Mandir in Mayapur, India">Mayapur.html" ;"title="Sri Maya Chandrodaya Mandir, Mayapur">Sri Maya Chandrodaya Mandir in Mayapur">Sri Maya Chandrodaya Mandir, Mayapur">Sri Maya Chandrodaya Mandi ...

'' can be bought and a modest temple

kitchen A kitchen is a room (architecture), room or part of a room used for cooking and food preparation in a dwelling or in a commercial establishment. A modern middle-class residential kitchen is typically equipped with a Kitchen stove, stove, a sink ...

serving ''naivedya prasada'' is all that Southadka houses. The idol of Lord Ganesha, is installed under the bowers of an ancient tree. An arch surrounds the idol in black stone lit by brass lamps.

Etymology

In Tulu, means 'cucumber' and means 'field'. Local cowherds grew cucumber and offered it to Lord Ganapathi during worship. Hence, this place gets the name as Southadka.

History

According to the ''

sthala purana A sthala purana or sthala puranam () refers to a religious account that recounts the historical significance of a Hindu temple, or the sacredness of the region in which it is situated. It is sometimes referred to as a eulogistic work that glorifi ...

'' of Southadka, a Ganapati temple revered by a royal family was destroyed there by enemies. Cowherds carried it away and installed it in a place where cucumber was grown. Since means cucumber and means meadow in Tulu, the place soon gained popularity as Southadka. Local farmers wished to build a

temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a place of worship, a building used for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. By convention, the specially built places of worship of some religions are commonly called "temples" in Engli ...

there. But, according to a popular belief, Ganapati graced their dreams and asked them not to build a temple for him at Southadka as that would restrict devotees visiting the place to seek his blessings. The Lord expressed his wish to remain in open air with no formal structure surrounding him. According to temple authorities, of the many ''sevas'' offered at the temple, the most popular one is the ''avalakki panchakajjaya seva'' (a delicious mixture of beaten rice, ''jaggery'', ''til'' (sesame), coconut, honey and banana) performed on a regular basis.

References

External links

Annual Moodappa Seve at the Abode of Lord Ganapati Nurtures CulturePhotos of Southadka Shri Mahaganapathi Temple and description

Holiday info
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Temple detail
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Sowthadkata temple

Moodappa Seva Begins at the Southedka Ganapathi Temple
Hindu pilgrimage sites in India Hindu temples in Dakshina Kannada district