By Shobha Smilemaker

Aug 2: We had grown up in Mumbai learning to be far away and terrified about snakes, but it was only after moving to Mangalore, that I realized that praying to the snake God's with devotion can lead to fulfillment of boons, especially regarding marriage or children.

On Nagapanchami festival day, I was amazed to see the faith of hordes of devotees at the snake temple at Kudupu. They were busy buying silver offerings, pooja items, milk or tender coconut water, purchased from the numerous stalls outside the temple. The whole festive ambience combined with simple devotion made Kudupu a special place to visit on Nagapanchami day.

Mangalore is the land reclaimed by Lord Parashurama from the sea. So the original inhabitants of our holy land were snakes. This is the reason why snake worship is considered as an important part of Mangalorean culture and we often find many stone made snake idols worshipped across the city, throughout the year.

As I walked around the main shrine, I gazed at the many different wooden sculpted panels around the sanctum. Inspite of the crowds a volunteer decided to enlighten me with the interesting legend about this Kudupu temple. A pious brahmin meditated for children, and instead his wife delivered three snake eggs. He was instructed to keep the eggs on a big cane made rice water strainer called kudupu and hide it in the midst of a dense forest. Later a local ruler dreamt about constructing a temple on that same spot within a day, and he got the best artisans to do so. However before dawn on the next day the workers were able to complete the construction of the whole temple except the top ornamentation portion called Mugul and this portion is absent in this temple even today.

It was miraculous for me that in the midst of the intense crowds the volunteer called Harish singled me out to tell me the history of the temple. I too told him the history of the silver palaquin that is used carry the idol for processions that was given by my grandfather Venkappaiah Kanemar to beget a son (my father Vasudev Kanemar) after having 8 other daughters!

Hence we always bow to the power of the snake God which was clearly visible in the intense feeling of devotion among the local people.

..in the pradakshinas around the temple, as they touched the huge anthill above the entrance steps, in the sevas offered, prasada collected, the tender coconut broken, the Turmeric and sandal paste distributed and the sumptuous meals that satiated every single visitor to the temple.

I paused a bit to enjoy the unique architecture, ambience and the spiritual energy of the place.

I sprinkled some water from the holy tank on my head, silently became one with the power of the place and left feeling fulfilled at the unexplainable connection between me and the snake king Vasuki.

Do visit the snake temple at Kudupu, be charmed by the numerous snake idols at the rear side of the shrine and discover the possibility of a joyful connection between humans and snakes, as was practiced by our ancestors!

Shobha Rao Smilemaker has a vision of living in a world where people use their ability to find and make smiles in any situation. She is a lawyer by qualification, a soft skills trainer by passion, a motivational speaker, a freelance journalist, a bestselling author, an avid traveler and founder of 'Smilemakers Trainings'. She can be contacted at www.shobhasmilemaker.com.