Temple Details

Nellitheertha   South Kanara


About Nellitheertha

The main deity of the temple is Sri Somanatheshwara (Shiva). The temple also has MahaGanapati and Jabali Maharshi as deities here. In fact, the Jabali Maharshi Brindavana was recently constructed. In typical Tulu-naadu tradition, the temple also has its set of “Bhootas“. Bhootas are considered as the “Ganas” or warrior-assistants of the Gods. The main bhootas of the Nellitheertha temple are Pili-Chamundi (Pili means Tiger in Tulu), Kshetrapala, Raktheshwari and Doomavathy.

The Lingam of Shri Somanatheshwara has been made out of pure Saligrama shila and is considered very sacred. There are other artifacts in and around the temple which are pointers to the past glory of this place. Among them are the “Arasule Mancha” (King’s seat), “Arasule Mantapa” (King’s abode) and the “Jina Vigraha” (Jain Statue). The temple of Shri Mahaganapati has been rebuilt recently and is splendid in itself.

The most beautiful aspect of the temple is the Cave, which is described in the subsequent section. The “Nagappa Kere”  is a small pond situated to the north of the temple. This natural pond, along with its religious significance, is also a scenic spot. The lake is at its best immediately after the monsoons (Oct—Dec) when its crystal clear water is a swimmer’s delight.

The “Arasule Mancha” or King’s seat is situated near the main entrance of the temple towards the north. Historical evidence suggests that this seat was where the king of the land used to be seated when he visited the temple. It is believed that even today, the spirits of the former rulers visits the place at night and so it is prohibited to sit on the seat after dusk.

The Nellitheertha temple is a symbol of secularism. The temple and the cave is open to members of all beliefs and castes. Any person, above the age of 5, is allowed to enter the cave irrespective of gender. Truly, Nellitheertha is a special and model place.

  1. The nearest city to Nellitheertha is Mangalore (about 360 kms from Bangalore). You can find a direct bus to Nellitheertha from the Mangalore Central Bus Stand. A taxi should cost you around 250-300 rupees. Get on to the Moodabidri road and pass through Gurupura, Kaikamba and approach Yedapadavu. Just before you reach Yedapadavu, you need to deviate to the left and travel about 8kms to reach the temple.
  2. Another route is to take the Mangalore – Udupi highway and take a deviation to the right at Mulki. On that road, reach Kinnigoli and continue until you hit a V-intersection. Take the road to the left and travel 13kms to reach Nellitheertha(through Mucchur town).
  3. You can also reach Nellitheertha from Bajpe via Kathelsaar. This would mean you need to take the Mangalore—Bajpe—Kathelsaar– Nellitheertha Road. This is actually the shortest route to Nellitheertha from Mangalore and is about 14 kms shorter than the Moodabidri route.
  4. Nellitheertha is extremely close to Kateel which is one of the most famous temples in South India. It is about 8 kms from Kateel and can be reached via Ekkaru—Neerude.

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The Lingam of Shri Somanatheshwara has been made out of pure Saligrama shila and is considered very sacred. There are other artifacts in and around the temple which are pointers to the past glory of this place. Among them are the “Arasule Mancha” (King’s seat), “Arasule Mantapa” (King’s abode) and the “Jina Vigraha” (Jain Statue). The temple of Shri Mahaganapati has been rebuilt recently and is splendid in itself.

The most beautiful aspect of the temple is the Cave, which is described in the subsequent section. The “Nagappa Kere”  is a small pond situated to the north of the temple. This natural pond, along with its religious significance, is also a scenic spot. The lake is at its best immediately after the monsoons (Oct—Dec) when its crystal clear water is a swimmer’s delight.

The “Arasule Mancha” or King’s seat is situated near the main entrance of the temple towards the north. Historical evidence suggests that this seat was where the king of the land used to be seated when he visited the temple. It is believed that even today, the spirits of the former rulers visits the place at night and so it is prohibited to sit on the seat after dusk.

The Nellitheertha temple is a symbol of secularism. The temple and the cave is open to members of all beliefs and castes. Any person, above the age of 5, is allowed to enter the cave irrespective of gender. Truly, Nellitheertha is a special and model place.

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