Udupi: Devotees gather at Maldi island on Makara Sankranti

Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (EP)

Udupi, Jan 14: Special Sankranti puja and sea worship were held at Maldi island, situated at the south of Malpe Badragada island on Tuesday, the day of Makara Sankramana on Tuesday, Jan 14.  The devotional programme was held under the aegis of Kodavooru Sri Shankarnarayana Temple.

There is a relationship between Kodavooru Sri Shankernarayana temple and the divine power at Maldi island.  The name Krodashrama is due to the origin of Krodamuni.

The puja was organized by the temple management committee and about 300 fishermen came in boats for the worship. The prayers were led by Hayavadana Tantri. Fishermen held group prayers along with Samudrapuje.

An Udbhava idol in the well of the temple and performed Shatarudrabhisheka.

T Raghavendra Rao, manager of temple committee, vastu expert Subrahmanya Bhat, Raviraj Hegde, president of devotees group, Raghavendra Bhat, assistant manager of the temple, Vijaya M Bangera, Sudha Ulithaya, K Kalu Serigara, Fishermen’s leader Madhukar Bolar, Krishna Suvarna, Vasudev, Harish Kotian, Janardhan Kodavoor, Santosh Shetty Pancharatna, Umesh Rao, Seetaram Rao Thondu Bettu, Paniyoor Vishnu Moorthi, Poornima Janardhan, Ambika Rao, Ramesh Shetty, Loknath Ratnakar Amin, Harish Kodavoor and others were present.

The Maldi island in between the sea that takes about half an hour to reach from Malpe is an uninhabited area.  People are scared to come there due to the presence of poisonous snakes.  It is said that the place has divine powers.  There used to be devotion here nearly 275 to 300 years ago as there was road to reach here from Padukere.  The road eventually got destroyed due to sea erosion.  The devotion this time was held under a Banyan tree.  Several women participated in large numbers in the devotion.