Along with the story of Goddess Mookambika, the article provides a complete information on Kollur Mookambika Temple along with details about Kodachadri mountain range, Ganapathi Cave, Souparnika River, Sarvajna Peetha and Chitramoola.
Story of Goddess Mookambika is found in the Skanda Purana. The ancient Purana narrates that a demon named Kaumasura performed intense austerities and was blessed with the darshan of Mahadev Shiva. The demon intended to ask immense powers and immortality as boon. But Goddess Saraswati as Vagdevi robbed the demon of his speech.
The demon was thus unable to ask the boon and from that day he came to be known as Mookasura.
Through the austerities performed, Mookasura had attained immense strength. He used this strength to attack the Devas and human beings.
To put an end to the demon, Goddess Shakti, Lakshmi and Saraswati combined into one form and annihilated the demon Mookasura.
Devi then merged into the Shivling at Kolluru.
Even today before the Rathotsava festival in the temple, Mookasura is offered prayers.
Kollur Mookambika Temple in Karnataka is famous temple where children are initiated in the world of learning. There is a popular belief that children who are initiated into the world of letters at Mookambika Temple become successful in life.
Kollur Mookambika Temple
- Kollur is one of the famous seven sacred places of Tulunadu created by Parasurama and is also one of the greatest centers of Shakti worship.
- An inscription of Kolluru dated 1481 AD, tracing the evolution of Shakti worship says that Mookambika is Adi Shakti in the Linga form and is the personification of creation, preservation and dissolution and that she is the lord of the mountains, indicating her tribal nature.
- The deity worshipped in the temple is Mookamba or Mookambika, the slayer of Mookasura or Kollasura and Devi is manifested here as Adi Shakti (union of Maha Kali, Maha Lakshmi and Maha Saraswathi), the only one of its kind in the country.
- In the self manifested Linga of Mookambika, Shiva and Vishnu dwell on the right and left sides respectively demonstrating the fact that Sakti and her male partners are inalienable facets of one and the same divinity.
- The huge Jyotirlinga was installed by Adi Shankaracharya and is divided by a golden line. The left larger portion represents Shakti; and the southern portion that of Siva.
- Every morning at the time of the Nirmalya Pooja, devotees will have an opportunity to see the Swayambhu Linga.
- Sankara also installed the Panchaloha lotus-seated image of Devi on Sri Chakra as he had the vision of the Goddess while observing his penance here.
- The Panchaloha idol of Mookambika is very attractively carved. She has three eyes and four hands and the upper two hands hold the Sanka and Chakra and the lower ones indicate benediction.
- There is a Sri Sankara Simhasana in the inner enclosure of the temple and worship is still conducted as per prescriptions laid down by him.
- The subsidiary deities worshiped in the temple are:
- Shree Veerabhadra Swamy on the eastern side.
- Shree Subrahmanya.
- The highly venerated Saraswathi Mandapa is situated on the southeastern side of the outer corridor.
- On the western side of this outer corridor there are the shrines of
- Shree Pranalingeshwara,
- Shree Partheshwara,
- Shree Panchamukhi Ganapathi,
- Shree Chandramouleshwara,
- Shree Nanjundeshwara,
- Shree Anjaneya,
- Shree Venkataramana and
- Shree Tulsi Gopal Krishna.
Kodachadri – Ganpati Cave – Souparnika River – Sarvajna Peetha – Chitramoola
Kodachadri
Kodachadri mountain range, on which the Mookambika Temple is
located, is believed to have appeared when a chunk of mountain carrying by
Hanuman to save the life of Lakshmana (during the Ram – Ravan war in Ramayana)
fell here. Therefore, the mountain is also known as Sanjeevini Parvatha.
There are many medicinal plants, roots and herbs growing
abundantly at the Kodachadri Mountains.
Ganapathi Cave – Souparnika River
The first important sacred place we come across when we trek
the Kodachadri mountain is the cave of Ganapathi.
Legend has it that at the entrance to the Ganapathi cave, demon
Mookasura sat in penance. Pleased with the rigorous penance of Mookasura, Lord
Brahma appeared before him. When Brahma sprinkled water from his kamandala on
Mookasura's face, he came out of his deep meditation and drank water from the
kamandala. The excess water from the kamandala fell as shower and it still flows
through an underground channel, to emerge beside the Ganapathi cave. This is
also believed to be the origin of Souparnika River.
When we trek from here, we have the darshan of the temples
of Parvatheshwara, Kala Bhairava and Parvati Devi.
Sarvajna Peetha
On further trekking, we reach the Sarvajna Peetha. Adi
Shankaracharya did penance here. Even today, many saints and ascetics sit in
meditation to attain Siddhi. This is considered a holy spot by many spiritual
seekers.
Chitramoola
Beyond Sarvagna Peeta, if we proceed along a narrow trail, we
find another holy spot called Chitramoola, some 200 feet below. This is the
place where many ascetics have attained Siddhi. Legend has it that Sage Kola
performed penance here and had darshan of Shiva. Adi Shankaracharya also
meditated here.
Situated further below from Chitramoola is the expanse of deep
and dense forest called known as Ambhavana. There is a Goddess Bhagavati Temple
here and it is believed that even today at midnight saints and celestial being
perform pujas and rituals here.