News & Pics: Suvarna Brahmavar
Daijiworld Media Network—Udupi (RD/CN)

Udupi, Sep 3: The rare artistically adorned Jangamara Mutt, also known as the Panduranga Temple, in Chantaru village, Brahmavar, concluded its Gokulashtami celebrations on Thursday September 2.

Ten days of ‘bhajans’ and religious worship were held from Wednesday August 25 to Thursday, to celebrate the festival at the temple. Although the temple is under family administration, entry is open to
all. The temple had paddy fields that produced 200 ‘muras’ of rice in the past. However, now the family manages all the temple expenses on their own.

Background:

During the Vijayanagar Empire, the villages of Barkoor, Humbuja, Basroor, and Hattiangady, were the strongholds of the Keladi rulers who were the caretakers of Vijayanagar dynasty. It is under their
rule that the Jains living in these villages migrated to Beltangady and Naravi regions of the present Dakshina Kannada district. Later, it came under the rule of Lingayat (Veerashaiva) petty rulers. All this
took place from 1600 to 1700 AD. In the aftermath of the British rule the princely states disintegrated and this forced the Lingayats to return to their native Uttar Karnataka.

Local resident Santa Bhatrabettu Anandaraya purchased the huge plot of land, where the temple worshiped by the Veerashaiva community was located, from a Lingayat while disposing off their properties. The worship centre of Lingayats became Jangamara Mutt in the later years.

The descendants of Anandaraya procured an idol each of Panduranga and Rukmini and installed it at Jangamara Mutt. It was later known as Panduranga Temple. However, the idols were later replaced since they were disfigured.

Large stones are located in four corners of the temple with the shape of the ‘Lingam’ on each, a feature which proves it was a significant worship centre of the Lingayats. British rulers donated worthy logwood to the temple authorities when the Barkoor Munciff Court was razed. The logwood was converted to
four pillars and erected in the Panduranga Temple.

Rare Paintings

There are rare paintings on the temple walls. The specialty is that these have been painted using colours extracted from leaves, flowers, and fruits to paint a masterpiece of Sri Krishna Leele. The chalks of
red soil and the leftover smoke from kerosene lamps were also used by some anonymous artists. The paintings are faded because the outer layers are plastered with limestone and earth.

Present State of Temple

The family of Anandaraya still worships the temple deity every morning and evening. The general public arrives to offer puja only on special occasions. The special puja during Gokulashtami was held at
the specially built podium on which the family claims many miracles have taken place in the past.