7th March, 2020 – Saturday

My travel bug started kicking me as I had not taken my car out for the last couple of weeks. I had already listed few places that I have to visit in 2020. I went through my list and picked Kurudumale. The place Koodumale a.k.a Kurudumale, houses two ancient temples, Ganesha Temple and Someshwara temple. The place is just hundred kilometres away from my home. We started after our Saturday afternoon nap around 330 PM. The Ganesha temple closes by 7 PM and the Someshwara temple (100 metres from Ganesha temple) closes by 6 PM.

Ganesh Temple

The temple has one of the biggest Ganesha idols. The idol is 18ft high. Legend says it that “Lord Brahma (The Creator) installed this idol here along with Lord Vishnu (The Protector) and Lord Shiva (The Destroyer) to kill a demon during the Satya yuga, the first mythological era. The idol was placed in an open field. Since all the three heavenly bodies (Tri-Murthi) came together at this place, the place is called Koodi-Malai (The meeting point). It was also believed that Lord Rama in Treta Yuga and Pandavas in Dvapara Yuga worshipped at this place before their respective wars at Lanka and Kurukshetra.” The mighty King Krishnadevaraya in Kali Yuga finally constructed a temple for the idol. The inscriptions are all in Tamil and some even date back to the 13th century during the rule of the Hoysala Kings. Ganesha is worshipped here as “Vighnaharta”, the one who gives success to those who worship with pure hearts.

A scenic location to just sit and relax

The Entrance

Carvings on the door

Beautiful backdrop

Sunsetting at the back

The Vilva (Bilva) Tree

Navagraha Complex

Panoramic shot – With temple and the mountain backdrop

The outer courtyard

Someshwara Temple

The Someshwara temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, is said to be even older than the Kurudumale Ganesha temple. The temple was built by the Chola rulers in the Dravidian style. The most interesting aspect is that the temple has no foundation as such and is essentially built on rock. The priest there told me that his family was doing pujas for over 16 generations. Incredible!! The temple has more intricate and sophisticated carvings throughout.

Temple built with no foundation

A closer look at the Gopuram

Huge Ganesha idol at the entrance

Resembles the Dravidian Style

Aesthetically carved

Intricate Carvings on the pillar by Dankanachari, the son of the Legendary Sculptor Jakanachari.

Post darshan, we had our dinner at VegetArea which had a beautifully outdoor setting. We reached home by 10 PM.