Nellitheertha Cave Temple in Nellitheertha,

Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...

, India is dedicated to the Indian deity Sri Somanatheshwara, or

Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...

. The temple dates back to at least 1487 CE. To the right of the temple is a natural cave, about long. Access is restricted, forcing visitors to crawl in on their knees. Inside, there is a lake and a Shiva Lingam.

Origins

It is believed that the cave in Nellitheertha was used by Sage Jabali to perform a penance to appease Goddess

Durga Durga ( sa, दुर्गा, ) is a major Hindu goddess, worshipped as a principal aspect of the mother goddess Mahadevi. She is associated with protection, strength, motherhood, destruction, and wars. Durga's legend centres around co ...

Parameshwari. Goddess Durga appeared in front of

Sage Sage or SAGE may refer to: Plants * ''Salvia officinalis'', common sage, a small evergreen subshrub used as a culinary herb ** Lamiaceae, a family of flowering plants commonly known as the mint or deadnettle or sage family ** ''Salvia'', a large ...

Jabali and assured him that she would kill the demon Arunasura. She later took the shape of a bumble bee and killed Arunasura on the banks of the river Nandini. At that place today is a beautiful temple of Goddess Durgaparameshwari and the place is very well known as

Kateel Kateel or Kateelu is a temple town in the Dakshina Kannada district of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is considered one of the holiest Hindu temple towns in India. It is situated on the banks of the river Nandini. Geography It is about ...

. Goddess Durga also assured Sage Jabali that Shiva,

Vishnu Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within t ...

and Durga herself would grace that region and that there would be temples to worship all three of them in the vicinity. One can find a Vishnu temple near Nellitheertha at a place called Kompadavu. Goddess Durga is worshipped in a place called

Muchur Muchur is a small village in the Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka, India. It is very close to Kateel and Nellitheertha. There is a very ancient temple of Lord Sri Durga Durga ( sa, दुर्गा, ) is a major Hindu goddess, wo ...

, again near Nellitheertha. And Lord Shiva made Nellitheertha his abode.Birth of Nellitheertha
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Reaching Nellitheertha

There are several routes to reach Nellitheertha. * From

Mangalore Mangalore (), officially known as Mangaluru, is a major port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats about west of Bangalore, the state capital, 20 km north of Karnataka–Ker ...

, take the route towards

Moodabidri Moodabidri ( kn, ಮೂಡುಬಿದಿರೆ ''Mūḍubidire''; also called Mudbidri, Moodbidre and Bedra), is a town and taluk in Dakshina Kannada district. It lies 34 km northeast of the district headquarters, Mangalore, in Karnat ...

. Travel beyond

Gurupura Gurupura, Karnataka, India is a small town situated on the Phalguni, or Gurupura River. It is located about 345 kilometres (214 miles) west of Bangalore, the state capital, and 13 kilometres (8 miles) east of Mangalore, Karnataka's chief port ...

Kaikamba Kaikamba also known as Gurupura Kaikamba is a suburban town of Mangalore, Dakshina Kannada District, Karnataka State, west coast of India. Kaikamba lies between Moodabidri and Mangalore city in Dakshina Kannada district. This town lies on Ma ...

and reach Yedapadavu. Here, take a deviation towards Muchur. Nellitheertha is 8 km away from Yedapadavu. * Reach

Bajpe Bajpe is a locality in Mangalore city of Dakshina Kannada district in the state of Karnataka, now also known as Bajpe Town, India. It is around from the city of Mangalore. The Mangalore International Airport is located at Bajpe and was previou ...

from Mangalore and take the route to Kathelsaar. Continue on the same road to reach Nellitheertha. * Reach Kateel from Mangalore. Nellitheertha is about 5 km away from Kateel. * While driving from Bangalore, one can take a deviation at B C Road and go through Polali and

and reach Nellitheertha. This avoids having to travel through Mangalore. * While driving from Bangalore, one can take a deviation at B C Road and go through Kuppepadavu, Yedapadavu and reach Nellitheertha. This also avoids having to travel through Mangalore.

References

External links

Nellitheertha Somanatheshwara Cave Temple New webpage

Nellitheertha Somanatheshwara Cave Temple main webpage

Nellitheertha - A Hidden Jewel Waiting to be Discovered
Hindu cave temples in Karnataka Shiva temples in Karnataka Hindu temples in Dakshina Kannada district 15th-century Hindu temples 1487 establishments in Asia 15th-century establishments in India Geography of Dakshina Kannada district {{india-hindu-temple-stub

Origins

Reaching Nellitheertha

See also

References

External links