Buddhist & Hindu related Kadri Manjunath Temple – Coastal Karnataka

Kadri Manjunath Temple is situated in the hillocks of Kadri Hills in Mangalore (Mengaluru) district and is very near to the coast.

This ancient temple of Kadri Manjunath dates back to 10-11th centuries. It was a time when India was predominantly a Buddhist country with majority population following the middle path of Lord Buddha.  The temple was a prominent spiritual place for Buddhists across the country and specially in the southern India. 

But when Buddhism started to decline in the sub continent, many followers started worshipping Hindu Deities. Nath tribe came into predominance in this area. The temple was a center of Buddhist as well as Hindu worship for centuries but eventually it came under the Hindu fold. 

The Nath prantha followers were Shiv devotees who are also sometimes associated with tantric practices. Earlier in 10-11 century it was like a monarchy but in 12th century the king of the time gave land to build the temple. The temple got renovation again in the 14th century. 

This temple has a long history and is associated with Lord Parashuram as well. Once after killing Kshtriyas and donating his land to Kashyaps, Parashuram prayed to Lord Shiv and asked for a place to live. Lord Shiv suggested him to do penance. Parashuram threw his axe into the sea and created the place for penance. Love Shiv as committed appeared there with Goddess Parvati and stayed at Kadri. Due to this, the temple found a lot of significance in devotees of Shiv. 

One of our readers, Namrata,  visited the temple and shared her experience and knowledge via a YouTube video below.