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A tryst with Jainism
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The seat of Jain culture for centuries, Moodbidri still has its charm
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Awe-inspiringThe 1000-pillar temple
The road meanders through lush fields bordered by coconut and palm trees. Bamboo stalks greet you; a hanging bridge appears out of nowhere, dangling precariously above the fields. One nondescript hamlet follows another. We are driving down Dakshina Kannada. Flanked by the Western Ghats on the one side and the Arabian sea on the other, this picturesque road takes you on a pilgrimage.
Preserved for posterity
A confluence of the spiritual and the historic, this region is dotted with temples and basadis (Jain temples) that speak of various rulers, their spiritual beliefs and the art and architecture they left behind.
Nestled at the confluence of the Netravati and the Gurupura rivers, this port town is the headquarters of Dakshina Kannada district. A 40-minute drive from here takes us to Moodbidri, the Jain Kashi of the South.
For more than 500 years, this town was the seat of several dynasties that promoted Jainism. Proof lies in the Basadis that which were built here. Moodbidri alone boasts 18 of them. We wanted to see at least one, and decided on a 700-year-old Basadi .
A detour from the main highway leads us to Tribhuvana Tilaka Chudamani Basadi (the crest jewel of the three worlds). The locals and the tourist books refer to it as the 1,000-pillar temple or the Savira Kambada Basadi.
It is said to have been built by the local ruler, Devaraya Wodeyar in the 15th century and the basadi houses a tall bronze image of Lord Chandranatha Swami, the 8th Tirthankara. The basadi is a three-storey symmetric structure and is poetry carved in granite.
A huge wooden carved door opens to a 55 feet tall single pillar called called the Manasthamba that greets us right at the entrance. A couple of ladders are perched here and there — some restoration work is in progress. There is deep silence and not a soul is around.
The monolithic Manasthambha built by Queen Nagala Devi, queen of Bhairava Raja, installed at a later date is about 55-feet high.
Getting there
Moodbidri is about 37 km from Mangalore, and is ideal for a day trip.
LAKSHMI SHARATH
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