Bantwal: Thousands of Devotees Throng Narahari Hill Shrine on Aati Amavasye
Report and Pics by Mounesh Vishwakarma
Daijiworld Media Network – Bantwal (RD/SP)
Bantwal, Jul 22: Thousands of devotees thronged the hill shrine of Sri Sadashiv temple, located at Narahari Paravata, near here on Wednesday July 22 morning. Ati Amavasya (new moon day) is considered to be very auspicious. This time, the occasion fell on Wednesday, on which the temple attracted a large number of devotees from all over the taluk. The devotees on their arrival, have a holy dip in the holy tanks located high by the side of the hill shrine, by climbing nearly 400 steps from access the road, near Kalladka, on Mangalore – Bangalore National Highway (NH) 48. The people, in a belief passed on over generations, trust that those who bathe in the ponds of the hill shrine on Aati Amavasye day, will be cleansed of all sins and lead a healthy life.
Narahari Parvata derives it’s divinity from the mythological stories that say that Lord Sri Krishna and Arjuna, one among the five Pandavas, had bathed in the three natural ponds located at the hill top here and worshiped the presiding deity of the temple, Lord Sadashiv, on Aati Amavasye. Meanwhile, the new moon day of every month is considered auspicious by all the devotees, to have a holy dip in these ponds.
The newly married couples and other devotees regardless of caste, creed and religion, thronged Narahari Parvata on Wednesday July 22 morning, to offer prayers and worship deity, Lord Sadashiv. They also offered the offerings plates stacked with betel leaves and areca nuts to the Lord and sought divine intercession in their difficulties and troubles. The newly married couples sought the Lord’s grace for marital-bliss on the occasion.
It is heartening and admirable that all the devotees braved the task of climbing a large number of steps leading to the hill shrine in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Meanwhile, the solar eclipse that happened in the taluk from 6.00 am to 7.20 am on Wednesday also added a sense of added divinity to the occasion.
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