Madhur Sree Mahaganapathy Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Mangaluru airport at Bajpe is about 13 km northeast of Mangaluru city centre.

• By train

  Kasaragod railway station is a major station serving Kasaragod town in the Kasaragod district of Kerala.

Why devotees come here

Madhur Sree Mahaganapathy Temple stands on the bank of the Mogral river, about 7 km from Kasaragod town in Kerala. It is one of the six Ganapathi temples of ancient Tulunadu. Shiva is the main deity, but Ganapathi, installed facing south in the main sanctum, gets more importance.

Shiva, as Madanantheshwara, is the main deity. Ganapathi is installed facing south in the main sanctum itself, and the temple gives him more importance. Legend says Tipu Sultan set out to demolish the temple. He stopped to drink water from the well inside, changed his mind, and marched past Madhur. A mark he left is still visible on the building around the well.

The Mypadi rulers of Kumbla built the temple in the 10th century, and it was renovated to its present form in the 15th century. The architecture is the three-tiered gajaprishta type, which looks like the back of an elephant. The top two storeys of the dome have copper plate roofing, and the lower storey has tile roofing. A renovation began in April and was expected to be completed by 2021.

Festivals

• Major festivalGanesh Chaturthi

  One of the two major festivals celebrated at the temple, alongside Madhur Bedi.

• Five daysMadhur Bedi

  A colourful five-day event and the temple's annual festival.

• Occasional, last held in 1992Moodappa Seva

  A large idol of Ganapathi is covered with appam, an offering of rice and ghee.

Tips for your visit

• Floodwaters from the Madhuvahini sometimes enter the temple for a couple of days in the monsoon.
• On the fourth day of Madhur Bedi, the utsava moorthi (Thidampu) is taken out in a procession.

Questions people ask