Daijiworld Media Network – Kundapur

Kundapur, Jan 1: Hundreds of tourists traveling to the famed Kollur Mookambika Temple are being allegedly misdirected by Google Maps to the remote village of Nandalike, situated several kilometers away, leading to significant confusion and frustration.

For the past three months, tourists relying on Google Maps have been directed to Nandalike village instead of Kollur. This issue has particularly affected devotees from distant places like Hyderabad, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, Bengaluru, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala, as well as other parts of Karnataka and India. Upon reaching Nandalike, they realize their mistake and are forced to travel back hundreds of kilometers to reach the actual destination.

Small temple causing big confusion

At the heart of the problem is a small temple dedicated to Goddess Mookambika in Nandalike, which is mistakenly listed as Kollur Mookambika Temple on Google Maps. Tourists and devotees, unaware of this discrepancy, follow the map directions only to find themselves far from their intended destination.

Chandan, a tourist, expressed his frustration, stating, "We traveled from Hyderabad towards Udupi, following Google Maps, only to end up in Nandalike. It’s especially problematic when this happens late at night. This confusion has caused us considerable inconvenience."

Daily misguidance

Local residents report that several vehicles arrive daily at Nandalike due to this error, some even late at night. Most tourists then have to retrace their route back to Kundapur before proceeding to Kollur.

Devotees demand correction

Many tourists and devotees have appealed to Google to rectify the error and delist the Nandalike temple as Kollur Mookambika Temple. Despite numerous complaints, the incorrect entry remains unchanged, causing ongoing trouble for visitors.

A local resident said, "For the past three months, hundreds of vehicles have been misdirected to Nandalike. The entry in the map needs to be corrected to alleviate the difficulties faced by tourists."

A plea for caution

With the influx of tourists and devotees peaking during November and December every year, locals urge travelers to double-check their map entries before embarking on their journey. Tourists should ensure they correctly navigate to Kollur Mookambika Temple near Kundapur in Udupi district to avoid unnecessary detours and hardships.

Residents of Nandalike also have requested Google to promptly fix this issue to spare visitors from further inconvenience.