Sri Marikamba Temple Sirsi

SRI MARIKHAMBHA TEMPLE

Sirsi, Uttara Kannada, Karnataka, India

Goddess

Goddess Marikambha is main deity of this temple, who is an incornation of Goddess Durga. The idol of Devi is of huge size at about seven feet tall and has eight arms. The diety has distinct weapons in her hands symbolizing different powers. The crown of devi is embedded with nine gems along with artistic intricate carving.

Interesting Facts

The idol of Devi at Sri Marikamba Temple is of huge size at about seven feet tall and is the biggest idol.

Best Season To Visit

The best season to visit this temple is Winter season. The best months to visit are September to February.

Weather

Highest - April to June (38°C during day and 26°C during night)Average - May (37°C during the day and 21°C during night)Lowest - October to February (27°C during day and 18°C during night)Monsoon season - August to September

Dress Code

For men the dress code is Shirt & Trouser, Dhoti or Pyjamas with upper cloth.
For women the preferred dress code is saree or half-saree with blouse or chudidhar with pyjama and upper cloth.
These rules are applicable for foreigners also. Shorts, mini-skirts, middies, sleeveless tops, low-waist jeans and short-length T-shirts are not allowed.
Pilgrims/visitors will not be allowed inside the temple if dress code is not followed.

Do's & Dont's

Do bathe and wear clean clothes before you enter the temple.
Do respect ancient customs and co-piligrims while at temple.

Smoking is strictly prohibited inside the temple premises.

transport connections

Name	Distance	Contact Number
Sirsi	1 KM	9449596666
Talguppa	55.6 KM	139
Hubballi Airport	108 KM	0836 - 2300 623

Railway Station Name	Distance	Contact Number
Talguppa	55.6 KM	139

Airport Name	Distance	Contact Number
Hubballi Airport	108 KM	0836 - 2300 623

Architecture

Sri Marikhambha Temple is facing North direction. This temple was constructed Later Kadamba style of architecture. The sanctum sanctorum, the top of the temple with lions on it. Paintings adorned the walls of this temple depicting scenes from Ramayana and Mahabharata. The temple's façade, a 19th-century addition, is painted blue. After one enters through the façade, there is courtyard in the middle, which has cloisters surrounding it. The cloisters are filled with images of deities from the Hindu epics. The changes made inside the temple have hidden any evidence of older structures. The sanctum sanctorum has the central image of a fierce form of the goddess Durga, multi-armed (eight shoulders), riding a tiger and killing a demon. It is believed that the 7-foot-tall (2.1 m) image was retrieved from a pond on the road to Hanagal. The temple has very special paintings of murals in Kaavi art, an art form which was popular in the coastal Konkan region of Karnataka. In this art form, now extinct, the top plastered layer of the mural was first dyed with a red pigment, which when removed revealed a lower white layer of plaster over which the murals were created It is said that the first Marikamba Devi idol was crafted in kortagere.

Religious Significance

The main priest at the temple belongs to the carpenter, or Vishvakarma, caste. As the story goes, the Goddess is said to have told a devotee in dream that her insignia was to be found in a tank on the out skirts of the town and to derive benefit to the region by its installation and worship. Kanakadasa, a famous saint poet of the Bhakti movement, had visited the temple and advised the people to stop animal sacrifice of the he-buffalo. When Mahatma Gandhi visited Sirsi in 1934, during his campaign to abolish untouchability of Dalits, he refused to visit the temple, as animal sacrifice was a prevalent ancient practice at the temple; the sacrifice was in the form of offering of he-buffalo as a sacrifice to appease the goddess. A he-buffalo was specially bred for offering as a sacrifice to the deity during the annual Rathayatra. Following the protest by Gandhi, there was a social movement in the town not only to abolish animal sacrifice but also to allow Dalits entry into the temple. This movement was spearheaded by Keshwain, chief trustee of the temple, in association with Vitthal Rao Hodike, a teacher and dedicated Gandhian of the town. Both objectives of the movement were fulfilled.

History

Temple construction started in 1688 and completed 1760.

Temple Timings

Day	Timings
All Days	06:00 AM - 10:00 PM

Tours

Airports

Airport Name	Distance
Shamshabad	40 KM
Lorem Ipsum	12 KM

Railway Stations

Railway Station Name	Distance
Secunderabad	10 KM
Nampally	12 KM
Begumpet	6 KM
Lingampally	20 KM

Bus Stations

Bus Station Name	Distance
MGBS	35 KM
CBS	28 KM
kukatpally	20 KM
Lingampally	30 KM
Uppal	35 KM

Private Transports

Transport Name	Distance	Contact Number
Private Transport	8 KM	9546858757
Private Transport1	8 KM	9546858757
Private Transport1	8 KM	9546858757
Private Transport1	8 KM	9546858757
Private Transport1	8 KM	9546858757