Madanantheshwara Siddhi Vinayaka temple, Madhur

This week we will go to Kasargod, Kerala, which houses some of the most ancient and powerful temples in the state. Kasargod lies on the border of Kerala and Karnataka.

Today I will take you to Madhur Siddhi Vinayaka temple. Lord Ganesha is the son of Shiva and Parvathi. He has the face of an elephant and the body of a man. Known for his trademark pot belly, devotees revere him as the remover of obstacles, and giver of boons. He should be the first to be revered before starting any venture. 

Siddhi Vinayaka is the Lord who fulfils our wishes. The Vinayaka temple at Madhur is called Madhanantheshwara temple. The entry to the temple is from a back gate, so we take a half pradakshinam before we enter the main sanctum. There is a lovely little tank right in front of the sannidhanam. See for yourself! 

We have come late afternoon, when the temple is closed. We are allowed inside, so we take a leisurely walk around the inner precincts with nobody else in the temple! The doors of the deities are closed, so we take our time admiring the architecture of the old temple. The temple is built in the style of an elephant’s body. The main sanctum has a three-tiered roof, with intricate wooden carvings adorning it.  

It is said that Tipu Sultan invaded Kasargod, and came to the temple with every intention of destroying it. Mercifully, he changed his mind. It is said that he drank water from the temple pond, and decided against attacking it. Tipu spared the temple to the good fortune of the future generations of worshippers. However, his ego did not permit him to leave the temple unscathed. He struck a mild blow to the metal covering of the roof of a small enclosure. This mark exists even today, and a board indicates this. The temple staff excitedly point it out to us.

Soon the main priest arrives and opens the sanctum sanctorum. The priest goes about lighting several oil lamps inside and we finally get a clear view of the Lord. Lord Vinayaka is a stone murthi, and is decorated with flowers. Legend says that the image was drawn on the wall of the sanctum, which eventually took the shape of Lord Ganesha. Many years ago, the temple was dedicated to Lord Shiva, who was known as Madhanantheshwara. The then priest’s son drew the image on the wall. Over time, this image began to grow, and the Lord started being venerated.

The main sanctum with a three-tiered roof

We stand in peace, offering our prayers to the Lord. There is a namaskara mandapam in front of the Lord’s sanctum. This is also decorated with lovely wooden carvings that are centuries old. 

After having our fill, we move ahead to pay our respects to Lord Kashi Vishwanathan. We circumambulate the shrine and move on to Dharmashastha, a form of Ayyappa. We continue on the path to pay our respects to Goddess Durga Parameshwari. Further down the circumambulatory path is Subramanya Swami. Towards the end of the path is the roof with Tipu’s sword mark.

The entire circumambulatory path has a covered compound wall, with a raised platform where devotees can sit and do their prayers. A small group of ladies sit down here and proceed to sing bhajans. There are lovely pictures of several deities on the wall. 

As we complete our darshan and make our way out, one of the ladies from the staff gives us a packet of prasadam. We thank her for the sweet avil (flattened puffed rice), which is delicious, and make our way out. We exit the inner sanctum and cross the Madhuvahini, a stream that flows beside the temple on our way out as it starts drizzling.

I hope you all enjoyed the trip to Madhur. May Siddhi Vinayaka grant you your wishes! Till we go to the next devalayam, stay safe, and stay devout!

PS - The temple authorities are planning a renovation of the temple. Plans are on to add new facilities (a dining hall, Veda school, guest house, marriage hall etc.) to the temple, apart from renovating the structure. Those who wish to contribute towards the cause can get more details at their website.