Search
» »One-day Trip To Kunjarugiri In Udupi

One-day Trip To Kunjarugiri In Udupi

Kunjarugiri is a village which is at a distance of 11 km from Udupi. It is known for the famous Durga Devi Temple, the Parashurama Betta, the sacred ponds (teerthas) and the Pajaka Kshetra.

By Brunda Nagaraj

As Rosalia de Castro states, "I see my path, but I don't know where it leads. Not knowing where I'm going to is what inspires me to travel it".

The same happens to me most of the times; unknowingly, the paths that I follow have revealed the most gorgeous destinations. This time it was Kunjarugiri in Udupi that took me to a state of ecstasy.

Kunjarugiri is a village which is at a distance of 11 km from Udupi, lying in the laps of Mother nature and an unknown beauty, this place has the charm to capture hearts of everybody who visits here.

Also Read : A Road-Trip From Udupi To Honnavar

Kunjarugiri in Udupi

PC : Brunda Nagaraj

Kunjarugiri is known for the famous Durga Devi Temple, the Parashurama Betta, the sacred ponds (teerthas) and the Pajaka Kshetra.

I hired an auto at the Udupi bus-stand and headed straight to the Kunjarugiri hills. The ride on the roads with the trees on either side forming a canopy is just an amazing experience. I put my head to breathe in the fresh air, as I smiled along comparing this quiet atmosphere to the chaotic city roads.

Parashurama Betta

Kunjarugiri in Udupi

PC : Brunda Nagaraj

I reached Kunjarugiri in about 45 minutes and went towards the Parashurama Betta first. This hill has a temple dedicated to Lord Parashurama (incarnation of Lord Vishnu) and there are steps leading to this temple. The view from here is breathtaking and this hill is opposite to the Kunjarugiri Hills.

Durga Betta

Kunjarugiri in Udupi

PC : Brunda Nagaraj

As I descended from the Parashurama Betta, I headed towards the Kunjarugiri Hill, which is fondly known as Durga Betta because of the Durga Devi temple here. There are four paths leading to this temple and I chose the one with the steps. I had to climb more than a hundred steps to reach atop.

The climb is not all that strenuous and takes about 15 minutes. The temple is spread across a large area and the view from the temple is a sight to behold. The idol of Goddess Durga was installed by Parashurama and it is said that the Gods had descended to earth to offer floral tribute during the installation of the idol here, as per the legend.

The idol of Goddess Durga is less than two feet and is mostly adorned with beautiful sarees and jewels. The nose-ring of the goddess shines amidst the oil-lit lamps and the ambiance took me to a world of divinity.

I spent some time at the temple premises sinking in the serenity the place had to offer. The temple premise is neatly maintained and also has ample parking space for vehicles. The temple also has built-in rest-rooms for devotees, which are clean.

Pajaka Kshetra

Kunjarugiri in Udupi

PC : Brunda Nagaraj

My next stop was Pajaka Kshetra, birth place of Sri Madhvacharya; the founder of the Dvaita philosophy. This place is another beauty, and as I walked towards Pajaka, my mind travelled to another world taking me back in time to the stories narrated by my granny.

The house of Madhvacharya has some important spots not to be missed out on while here, and there are boards hung in every place explaining in detail about the miracles of Sri Madhvacharya from his childhood.

Vasudeva Teertha

First one is the Vasudeva teertha. As per legends, it is said that Madhvacharya's mother went around to take a holy dip from all the sacred teerthas every day, and looking at her plight little Madva created this pond exclusively for his mother, which had water from all the four ponds.

The Tamarind Tree

As I went ahead, I saw a huge tamarind tree and the story of this tree was quite an interesting one. As per the story, Madhva's father was unable to repay a loan borrowed by a merchant and when the merchant started pestering his father, little Madhva picked a few seeds from the tamarind tree and gave it to the merchant which had turned into coins.

The Peepal Tree

Kunjarugiri in Udupi

PC : Brunda Nagaraj

As I still digested the story of the tamarind tree, another miraculous spot awaited me and that was the uprooted peepal tree. I was stunned to see the leaves sprout from the roots of a tree. This tree was uprooted by Madhva to make his mother believe that the Vasudeva Teertha created by him had the water from all the four holy ponds around Kunjarugiri.

As per the legend, the tree had started to grow from the roots and Madva's mother had to accept that her son was indeed a blessed one. I was smiling as I took circumambulation around the serpent idols installed under this huge tree.

Boulder Lids

After walking around the temple, now it was time to explore the inside of the house. As I walked inside, there were huge boulders that were used by Madhva as lids to cover the vessels. There is also an idol of Lord Panchamukhi Hanuman in this place.

There is a shrine of Lord Ananta Padmanabha inside the house and a place where Madhvacharya had first learned to write. Adjacent to the house is a small temple of Sri Madhvacharya as well, which has an impression of his foot.

Kunjarugiri in Udupi

PC : Brunda Nagaraj

I was drenched in divinity, I spent a lot of time going around the house and taking a stroll around the place. I also went around the four holy ponds known as the Baana Teertha, Gadha Teertha, Dhanush Teertha and Parashu Teertha.

It was close to evening and time for me to return to my home sweet home. I thanked my auto-driver for the amount of interest and patience he'd exhibited while driving me around. We had a cup of hot coffee and some yummy potato bhajiyas from a nearby shop discussing about the day.

Reliving the moments spent in Kunjarugiri is certainly soul-filling and I shall certainly recommend everyone to visit this heavenly abode during their trip to Udupi.

The Holy Land Of Pajaka KshetraThe Holy Land Of Pajaka Kshetra

Get Instant News Updates
Enable
x
Notification Settings X
Time Settings
Done
Clear Notification X
Do you want to clear all the notifications from your inbox?
Settings X