Daijiworld Media Network – Karkala (EP)
Karkala, Feb 18: “I am proud to say that I hail from Mangaluru. The Indian cricket team is performing well. The relationship with the home town has improved due to religious faith. I have been visiting Mangaluru for the last seven years. May everybody be blessed,” said former Indian cricketer and acting director of Team India, Ravi Shastri.
He was speaking to media persons after visiting Karkala Erlappadi Govindooru Karvalu Mahavishnu temple on Wednesday, February 17.
The historical Nagabana deity that the family of Ravi Shastri has been praying to is in the premises of the temple. His family has been living in Mumbai for years.
When Shastri did not have children even after eighteen years of married life, he went to ask an astrologer who said that it was because he forgot the deity adored by his family. Thereafter Ravi Shastri has been visiting Karkala Karvalu Vishnumoorthi temple.
As a result of his visit, he was blessed with a baby girl.
Ravi Shastri has been visiting the temple every year since then. He reached the temple at 9.30 am on Wednesday, February 17 morning. After religious rituals at the principal deity Vishnu Moorthy, he visited Nagabana and received Prasada from the priest.
Udupi district police superintendent Annamalai, Mujrai department member Kenja Sridhar Tantri couple too visited the temple at the same time and prayed.
Temple trustee Somashekar Rao, Karvalu origin senior journalist Manohar Prasad, Yuvaraj Nayak and others were present. Ashok Karanth conducted Pooja. Ramananda Patri performed Naga Darshana.