The Kukke Subramanya Temple of Karanataka, India - A Sacred Place of Worship

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Karanataka is a city in the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka. The place is famous for the temple of the Goddess Subramanya. This temple is dedicated to Lord Subramanya, an avatar of the Hindu god Shiva. He is also known as Shankapurusha and Srinivasan.

This temple has been attracting devotees from all parts of India and even the world for centuries now. It is believed that the first pooja was performed here around 5,000 years ago by one sage called Sage Agastya. One cannot talk about sacred places without talking about sacred rivers that flow through them.

One such river that flows through Karanasta is called Kanthi Aapa aa nee kolu (red water tank) meaning ‘The River That Has Red Water’ in the Kannada language which is also known as Kolu Bhagavathi or Bhagavathi’s Tank’ or Bhagavathi’s Well’ depending on which version one listens to. The Goddess Subramanya or Kukke Subramanya Temple lies at the base of this river, next to it being her consort Dakshinamoorthy or Anjaneya Swamy Temple.

History of the Kukke Subramanya Temple

The place has been an important religious and cultural place of worship since the time of Sage Agastya. The temple of Kukke Subramanya has been following the Srividya Shastra or the Path of the Goddess.

Here, the Goddess is the soul of the place and the place is the soul of the Goddess. The Kukke Subramanya Temple is an important pilgrimage place for Hindus in South India. People visit this temple to pay their respects to their god, Lord Subramanya.

The Kukke Subramanya Temple is said to be one of the 108 Shakti Peethas or the sacred sites where the Goddess is worshipped. The goddess is said to have appeared from the kanthi papa or the red water tank and given the place her name. The temple is a part of the Ananthadwara Temple Network and is one of the 108 matas (mother goddess) temples of South India. Most of the Shiva temples in South India are part of this network.

The Story of a Red Water Tank

The holy river in this place is called Kanthi Aapa aa nee kolu which in the Kannada language means ‘The River That Has Red Water’ or Kolu Bhagavathi. This river is said to have red water because sage Agastya is said to have performed a very important Sthapana or a holy ritual here.

Sage Agastya, a highly revered sage, is said to have visited this place during the Treta Yuga. It is believed that the river initially had a very dark tone and the sage Agastya is said to have performed a special Sthapana or a holy ritual on it to change it to a very red tone. This is how this place is known as Kolu Bhagavathi or The River That Has Red Water.

A Brief Overview on the Subramanya Cult and Practices at the Temple

The Kukke Subramanya Temple is dedicated to the Goddess Subramanya or Kukke as she is commonly known. She is known as The Great Mother Goddess and is considered to be the personification of the Devi aspect of the Hindu goddess Shaktism.

The Kukke Subramanya Temple is also a part of the Ananthadwara Temple Network, which has 108 Shakti Peethas as its roots. One can visit the temple on all days of the week except Mondays. One can visit the temple in a day from Bengaluru by car. One can also visit this place from other cities in Karnataka by road. No bus or train is available for the temple. Visitors can stay at the temple at the Subramanya Swamy Temple Guest House or at the Subramanya Swamy Temple Hotel.

How to Reach Karnataka and Drive from Bengaluru?

One can reach Karnataka from Bengaluru in a day by car. One should take the National Highway 64 from Bengaluru to Mysore passing through Shivamogga, Halebid, and Koppal.

One can take the Koppal-Hassan road to reach Hassan or one can take the Bellary-Chikballapur road passing through Bidar and Yadgir to reach Karnataka. One can also take the Tumkur-Machilipatnam road passing through Shimoga and Chitradurga. There are daily flights from Bengaluru to Mangalore and there are also daily air services available from Mangalore to Hassan.

Where is there more to see in Karanataka?

Karanataka is a district in Karnataka. This district is famous for the Hoysaleshwara temple at Halebid, the famous Banashankari temple in Bangalore, the Kumaraswamy temple at Srirangapatna, and the Chennakesava temple at Puttaparti.

One can also visit the Arebal Temple in Belgaum, the Prabhulingeswara Temple in Haveri, the Manasawadvipa or the Monkey Temple in Dandeli, the Venugopalaswamy temple in Karwar and the Lingarajaswamy temple in Bagalkot.

Stay at Resort Near Karanataka or Stay at Hotel?

The place is very important so one needs to stay close to the place. One can stay at the Kukke Subramanya Temple Hotel or at the Subramanya Subramanya Swamy Temple Hotel or at the Kukke Subramanya Temple Guest House.

Conclusion

The Subramanya Swamy Temple is a sacred place of worship for Hindus. The temple is dedicated to Lord Subramanya, an avatar of the Hindu god Shiva. The river in this place is said to have turned red because of the prayers of sage Agastya.

The place is an important pilgrimage for Hindus and is one of the 108 Shakti Peethas. In the southern part of India, there are two important goddesses - Subramanya and Bhadrakali. Subramanya Swamy Temple is located next to the Kanthi Aapa aa nee kolu or the 'red water tank' and close to the Kolu Bhagavathi or 'the river that has red water'.

This river is said to have turned red because of the prayers of sage Agastya. The Srividya Shastra or the Path of the Goddess is followed in this temple and the Goddess Subramanya is the soul of the place and place is the soul of the Goddess Subramanya.

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