KADRI MANJUNATHA TEMPLE, MANGALORE

This Temple on Kadri hills is dedicated to Lord Manjunatha, an incarnation of Lord Shiva. The square temple built with nine water tanks, nestles at the foot of the highest hill at Kadri in Mangalore. The idol of Lord Manjunatha is oldest among the south Indian temples. The idol of Lord Manjunatha is made of bronze. The sub-deities include Lord Ganesh, Lord Vishnu, Goddess Durgaparmeshwari, Lord Shasta, Vyasa Muni and Gomukha Ganpathi. The main pilgrim attractions of Kadri are the temple, the seven sacred ponds, Jogi Mutt and caves of Pandavas.Kadri Manjunatha Temple.

HISTORY

Kadri Manjunatha Temple dates back to approximately 1068. The earliest reference to it is in the epigraph dated 968 on this statue. It mentions that King Kundavarma Bupendra of the Alupas lineage, caused the Lokeshwara statue to be installed in Kadarika Vihara. Kadarika is the earliest name of the place, Buddhism took shelter at Kadri mutt till the 10th century. Hence the name Kadri.