Karnataka - Udupi   

Mookambika Temple decked up for Navaratri

By Our Staff Correspondent

UDUPI, OCT. 13. The stage is set for the Maha Navaratri festival at Sri Mookambika Temple at Kollur from October 15 to 23.

Thousands of devotees from the State, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry and Andhra Pradesh visit the temple during the festival every year.

On the first day of the festival, the Kalasha Sthapane ritual is held followed by Shatarudrabhisheka. The Mahapuja, the Navaratri Kalpokta Puja and Bali Utsava are also held. On October 19, during the Moola star, the Sharada Sthapane ritual is conducted and a special Sharada Puja held.

On October 22, the Chandika Yaga will be conducted at 9 a.m. The Rathotsava will be held at 12.30 p.m. The utsava idol will be taken for pradikshana around the temple. The Purnakumbabhisheka will also be performed. The Vijayadashmi festival is on October 23 and rituals such as Sharada Puja and Sharada Visarjane will be performed.

Vidyarambha

One of the highlights of the Vijayadashmi festival is the Vidyarambha ceremony at Saraswati Mandira.

The ceremony marks the beginning of the education of children. Saraswati Mandira is the place where the exponent of Adwaita philosophy, Shankaracharya, composed Saundarya Lahari. Thousands of children would participate in the Vidyarambha ceremony. The Navanna Prashana would be performed at 12.30 p.m. the same day.

An important aspect of the festival at the temple is that on the nine days, Mahadeeparadhana and Suhasini Puja are performed.

Separate pujas are performed to each of the nine Navakshari Kalashams at the Shankara Peetham. Thus it is Yoginidra on the first day, Devajatha on the second, and Mahishasura Mardini, Shylaja Dhroomaha, Chandaha, Mundaha, Nishumbhaba and Shubhaba on the subsequent days. On these nine days, the goddess is decorated in different styles.

After the Suhasini pujas, women are permitted to enter the Lakshmi Mantapam (in the normal course, women are prohibited from entering the inner precincts of the temple). On Vijayadashmi day, the utsava idol of the goddess will be carried to the Shukla Tirtha, about 1.5 km from Kollur, and brought back. This is called Vijaya Utsava.

Arrangements

According to the managing trustee of the temple, B.M. Sukumar Shetty, more than 75,000 people are expected to participate in the Maha Anna Santharpane on Navami day. Feeding arrangements have been made at the temple and Mookambika Sabha Bhavan. Two borewells have been drilled to supply water to the devotees. Parking space for vehicles coming from Udupi side has been created near the Junior College ground, while devotees from Shimoga side will have to park their vehicles behind Lalitambika Guesthouse.

History

The temple was established by Shankaracharya. Legend has it that a Jyotiralinga appeared here when sage Kolamaharishi was doing penance. When Shanakaracharya learnt about this, he went to Kollur and worshiped Adishakti. The goddess appeared before him and ordered him to erect her idol beside the Jyotirlinga. Shankaracharya then had the statue sculpted in the form in which he had seen the goddess. He also ordained that prayers should be offered daily to the goddess.

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