Mangalore - 4

Continued from here.

Today, I'll write a bit about Udupi. Udupi is a town about an hour from Mangalore.

It is very well known for the Krishna Mutt (Krishna Temple) where my aunt wanted to take me. Shri Madhavacharya (a Vaishnav saint) founded this temple and it is known throughout the world for its rich customs.

It is different from ALL other temples and places of worship. In temples/churches, the idol always faces the entrance of the temple but here, the Krishna idol has its back faced to the entrance. There is a fascinating story associated with this.. My aunt had told me of it before she could take me there. There was a famous poet in Karnataka called Kanakadas. He would compose poems and songs in Kannada. He had written many songs in praise of Lord Krishna but he was never allowed to enter this temple as he belonged to a lower caste. There was a small window at the back of the temple through which you could see Krishna's back. Kanakadas decided to stand near this window and he would sing all those songs here. Touched by his devotion, Krishna turned to see out of the window, thus giving Kanakadas the darshan he longed for.. God does not differentiate.

Lord Krishna still stands facing this window and the window is now called "Kanakana Kindi".

Everyone has to go around the temple to the back to see Krishna from the small window. There is a wonderful aura that resonates throughout the temple and there is this particular Hanuman statue inside that makes wishes come true.. I made a wish there :P

Even though I am not very religious, the story gave me chills and I chose a small Krishna statue from one of the stores outside that my aunt purchased for me:

It resides in our home mandir now, along with the other Gods:

The Krishna Mutt offers meals to all those who come there.. we had lunch here too.

Though we were not allowed to take photographs inside the main temple, I took some in the temple surroundings..

Loved these rangolis.. they are so neatly done!!!

A small lake outside the temple :

Spotted many fish and tortoises inside this lake..

This is one of the chariots ("ratha") that is used during big festivals/processions. The God is carried in these chariots.

There was also a chariot fully made of gold but it was enclosed in such a way that I could not take pictures of it.

We returned to Mulki the same evening.. will write about Mulki next!

letting go~

sometimes, you have to let people go..
you have to give them space to get away from you,
to be themselves..
even if for a while.

but we still like to cling on to the familiar because the unknown is unfamiliar,
and unfamiliar is scary!

i guess that's where faith comes in the picture.
faith that the unfamiliar is okay, it's what's best for us..

i don't know a lot about how to get that sort of faith.. but being more in the present moment by putting my life into things works for me and i can say i'm seeing some progress :)

right now, i am just realising the importance of letting go..

got reminded of something that Izabela said about a month ago :
"Think of your life as a table with ten chairs around it. There is no place for your true friends to come and sit because these chairs are already occupied by other people."

It makes a lot of sense.. the people who are truly meant for you won't be able to enter your life till the time the old ones don't leave.

it's very difficult to keep generating that sort of power (faith) in you so that you may dare to tread into the future.. but it is certainly not impossible.. (believing so is working at the moment so don't ruin it for me :D)

-- So long from the philosophical me.. will continue with my Mangalore travelogue next!!

a magical universe!

i want to keep meeting you,
day after day..

i want to look forward to more conversations,
more smiles, and more love..

i want to grow with you,
and add beauty to the world..

the beauty that we generate
in between the conversations,
in between the laughs,
in between the moments,
when we are unaware..

so much love,
pure intention,
beauty, peace & happiness..

oh what we'll bring to the world!!

it'll truly be magical <3>

Mangalore - 3

Continued from here

Next, we headed to Karkala from Moodabidri to see the second largest Bahubali statue (in Karnataka) which is located there. The tallest Bahubali statue in Karnataka is at Shravanabelagola.

So let me tell  you a little about Lord Bahubali.

Bharat, Bahubali's elder brother, wanted to take over Bahubali's kingdom for its immense wealth so he decided to attack the kingdom. But when the ministers of both the kingdoms gave this a thought, they decided to hold a contest between the two brothers instead of a war between the two kingdoms as the latter suffered the risk of many innocent lives getting killed.

So, the contest began and Bharat was the first one to attack. He hit Bahubali hard and then, when it was Bahubali's turn, he raised his hand to hit Bharat but mid-way, realised that he was going to attack his own brother over materialistic possessions such as wealth and land. So, changing direction, he started pulling out his own hair with the hand and decided to live a life free of all worldly possessions henceforth. Bharat too realised his mistake and after ruling for a few years, joined Lord Rishabdev as a solitary renunciant.

These are the steps leading to the temple/statue:

 

Not too many steps but it adds to the experience..

 

A short/alternate path (without steps.. it's a direct upwards slope). I am not too much of a risk-taker in these matters yet I decided to take this route ;)

 

Finally the statue!!!

 This statue is carved from a single rock and is 42 feet tall (second largest in Karnataka) while the largest one in Karnataka is 57 feet tall.

The walls surrounding the temple :

The Tīrthaṅkaras.

 
And look what I found on the way back :)

 We stopped at a small lake before finally heading homewards :