14 February 2018: Enroute to Dharmasthala we stopped over at Sowthadka Vinayakar temple. A very charming and quaint open to sky temple festooned with brass bells of all shapes and sizes. The history of this temple goes back over 800 years. For more details you can log onto:
Sowthadka Shree Mahaganapathi Temple : History of the Temple
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| An array of attractive bell souvenirs |
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| Maha Ganapathi |
After spending around 15 minutes we drove on and around 3.30 pm reached Dharmasthala, the abode of Lord Manjunathaswamy. We drove straight to Netravathi Guest House belonging to the Devasthanam and owned and managed by Veerendra Heggade the Dharmadhikari of Dharmasthala. Rooms were spacious, bed linen neat and clean and split air conditioners fitted above window level. The remotes were are not given to the residents and for any temperature control we have to inform the reception. Presumably this is done to arrest disappearing remotes which purportedly the residents are secreting away as souvenirs :)
After a brief nap followed by coffee at a nearby cafe we proceeded for temple darshan.This is an 800 year old Hindu temple administered by a Jain Bunt family who are the hereditary trustees. There was hardly any crowd but we had to traverse through long winding barricades for nearly 15-20 minutes before we could reach the sanctum.The barricades had been put in place ostensibly to control huge crowd of devotees who must have descended on Dharmasthala for Shivaratri which happened to be yesterday. Once inside we had comfortable darshan and no jostling crowds to contend with.By the time we emerged after darshan it was dark - well past 6.30 pm. We meandered around the market place for a while trying to locate the
(Manjusha Museum, Dharmasthala - Team-BHP)
where Veerendra Heggades incredible collection of Vintage cars is housed. However we were informed that the museum closed at 6.00 pm and disappointingly we trudged back to to our rooms.
Night dinner consisted of Kali Dosas,Set Dosas, Sevige & Goli bajji followed by coffee @ Cafe Coffee Day vending machine.
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| Selfie in front of Netravathi Guest House |
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| Manjunathaswamy Temple at dusk |
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| Illumination at night |
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| Manjunathaswamy Temple at first dawn |
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| Collection of ancient chariots collected from various temples exhibited in a raised parking lot - above and below |
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| Veerendra Heggade's posh residence atop a hill - D. Veerendra Heggade (born 25 November 1948)
is a philanthropist and the hereditary administrator/Dharmadhikari of
the Dharmasthala Temple. He succeeded to the post of Dharmadhikari at
the age of 20, on 24 October 1968 becoming the 21st Dharmadhikari of
Dharmasthala Temple. |
You take the best group selfies of anyone. Do you have a selfie stick or is your camera a special type? All your photos are great and the temples are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteHa ha ! I click with my 3 year old outdated Samsung smart phone camera which is overdue for change.I use my long arms as a selfie stick :)
DeleteReligion sure has left its mark on the monuments of the world.
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ReplyDeleteThank you for the insightful blog post on the Tirupati tour package! It provided a detailed overview that truly captures the essence of this sacred destination. The package seems well-organized, offering a comprehensive itinerary that includes not only the revered Tirumala Venkateswara Temple but also other significant sites in the region. With such meticulous planning and thoughtful inclusions, the Tirupati Balaji tour package promises a spiritually enriching and memorable experience.
ReplyDelete