Kukke Subrahmanya Temple
Encyclopedia
Kukke Subramanya is a Hindu
temple located in the village of Subramanya in the Sullia
taluk of Dakshina Kannada
District near Mangalore
, Karnataka
, India
. The temple is one of the pristine pilgrimage locations in India. Here Lord Subrahmanya is worshipped as the lord of all serpents. The epics relate that the divine serpent Vasuki
and other serpents found refuge under Lord Subrahmanya when threatened by Garuda.
and take a holy dip in the river before entering the temple for their darshan
holy viewing of the Lord.
The devotees enter the courtyard from the doorway at the back, and walk around to go before the deity
. Between the sanctorum and the portico
entrance, there is the Garuda
pillar covered with silver. Devotees circumambulate this pillar. It is believed that this pillar was charmed and planted there to shield devotees from the poisonous flames streaming from the breath of Vasuki who resides inside. Beyond the pillar is the outer hall, the inner hall, and then the sanctorum of Sri Subrahmanya. At the center of sanctorum is a pedestal. On the upper dais
stands the deity of Sri Subrahmanya and the deity of Vasuki and, at a somewhat lower level, the deity of Shesha
. Ritual worship is offered to these deities every day.
Aslesha Bali puja in Kukke Subramaya temple will be performed in two shifts – 7:00 am and 9.15 am. Those who want to perform this puja need to report for sankalpa with Purohita inside the temple either at 7:00 am or 9.15 am. After the completion of Homa Poornahuthi Puja, devotees will get prasadam. Devotees believe Shravana masa, Karthika masa, and Margashira masa are the most auspicious months to perform Aslesha bali puja at Kukke temple.
Due to the widespread belief in the snake god in Tulunad region of Karnataka and Kerala, this pooja is performed by people of all faiths.
operates buses on a daily basis from these two places. The nearest airport is the Mangalore International Airport
(Bajpe Airport), at a distance of 115 km. The nearest railway station is Subrahmanya Road (SBHR) Railway Station on Mangalore-Bangalore railway route, which is 7 km from Kukke Subrahmanya. There is a daily passenger train service from Mangalore (Train No. 0651/0652), which leaves Mangalore at 10:30 a.m. and reaches Subrahmanya Road Railway Station by 1:00 p.m. One can then catch local transport from the station for a 15-minute trip to the temple. Train services have been introduced between Bangalore and Mangalore that pass through Kukke Subrahmanya (train numbers: 6515/6516 and 6517/6518). (NOTE-Mysore passengers:
Good
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
temple located in the village of Subramanya in the Sullia
Sullia
Sullia is a taluk in the Dakshina Kannada district of the state of Karnataka, India. It is a small town, surrounded with evergreen wooded mountains in the Western Ghats range in South India. Sullia has plantations of rubber, areca nut, coconut, cashew nut, black pepper and banana...
taluk of Dakshina Kannada
Dakshina Kannada
- Geography :The district geography consists of sea shore in the west and Western Ghats in the east. The major rivers are Netravathi, Kumaradhara, Phalguni, Shambhavi, Nandini or Pavanje and Payaswini which all join Arabian sea. Vast areas of evergreen forests which once covered this district, have...
District near Mangalore
Mangalore
Mangalore is the chief port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located about west of the state capital, Bangalore. Mangalore lies between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghat mountain ranges, and is the administrative headquarters of the Dakshina Kannada district in south western...
, Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. The temple is one of the pristine pilgrimage locations in India. Here Lord Subrahmanya is worshipped as the lord of all serpents. The epics relate that the divine serpent Vasuki
Vasuki
Vasuki is a Sanskrit name for a naga, one of the serpents of Buddhist and Hindu mythology. He is a great King of the nagas and has a gem on his head. Manasa, another naga, is his sister...
and other serpents found refuge under Lord Subrahmanya when threatened by Garuda.
Temple
Pilgrims going to the temple have to cross the Kumaradhara RiverKumaradhara River
The Kumaradhara River is an Indian river, in the southwestern India state of Karnataka. One of the two major rivers of Sullia, it merges with the Netravati River at Uppinangadi before flowing to the Arabian Sea...
and take a holy dip in the river before entering the temple for their darshan
Darshan
or Darshan is a Sanskrit term meaning "sight" , vision, apparition, or glimpse. It is most commonly used for "visions of the divine" in Hindu worship, e.g. of a deity , or a very holy person or artifact...
holy viewing of the Lord.
The devotees enter the courtyard from the doorway at the back, and walk around to go before the deity
Cult image
In the practice of religion, a cult image is a human-made object that is venerated for the deity, spirit or daemon that it embodies or represents...
. Between the sanctorum and the portico
Portico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls...
entrance, there is the Garuda
Garuda
The Garuda is a large mythical bird or bird-like creature that appears in both Hindu and Buddhist mythology.From an Indian perspective, Garuda is the Hindu name for the constellation Aquila and...
pillar covered with silver. Devotees circumambulate this pillar. It is believed that this pillar was charmed and planted there to shield devotees from the poisonous flames streaming from the breath of Vasuki who resides inside. Beyond the pillar is the outer hall, the inner hall, and then the sanctorum of Sri Subrahmanya. At the center of sanctorum is a pedestal. On the upper dais
Dais
Dais is any raised platform located either in or outside of a room or enclosure, often for dignified occupancy, as at the front of a lecture hall or sanctuary....
stands the deity of Sri Subrahmanya and the deity of Vasuki and, at a somewhat lower level, the deity of Shesha
Shesha
In Hindu tradition, Shesha or Sheshanaag is the king of all nagas, one of the primal beings of creation, and according to the Bhagavata Purana, an Avatar of the Supreme God known as Sankarshan. In the Puranas, Shesha is said to hold all the planets of the Universe on his hoods and to constantly...
. Ritual worship is offered to these deities every day.
Puja Activities
Ashlesha Bali Pooja & Sarpa Samskara are two important Sarpa Dosha Poojas are done at Kukke Subramanya Temple.Ashlesha Bali
Ashlesha Bali Puja or Aslesha Bali pooja is one of the important Kaalasarpa dosha pujas performed at Kukke Subramanya temple near Mangalore in Karnataka. Lord Subramanya is known as the protector from Kaalasarpa dosha and Kuja dosha. Kukke Sri Kshetra temple is the most popular for Sarpadosha puja. Aslesha Bali puja is performed on Aslesha nakshatra in each month. It is believed that if this puja is performed on other days it has no power.Aslesha Bali puja in Kukke Subramaya temple will be performed in two shifts – 7:00 am and 9.15 am. Those who want to perform this puja need to report for sankalpa with Purohita inside the temple either at 7:00 am or 9.15 am. After the completion of Homa Poornahuthi Puja, devotees will get prasadam. Devotees believe Shravana masa, Karthika masa, and Margashira masa are the most auspicious months to perform Aslesha bali puja at Kukke temple.
Sarpa Samskara / Sarpa Dosha
Sarpa Samskara / Sarpa Dosha is one of the poojas performed by devotees at this temple to get rid of the sarpa dosha (according to belief, a person, either in this birth or in any of his previous births, could be afflicted by the sarpa (serpent) dosha (curse) either knowingly or unknowingly, through many ways). Persons who are afflicted with this dosha are advised by astrologers / horoscope writers to perform this pooja for their own wellbeing. Pooja can be done either by the afflicted person himself if he is male and married, or through a priest. This is because the pooja involves rituals similar to those done while performing shrartham (funeral rites). Sarpa Samskara seva devotees are required to be present for two days. The seva is performed during the daytime, with no particular poojas in the evening. Food arrangements will be made for these devotees by the temple devasthanam, for up to four persons per seva.Due to the widespread belief in the snake god in Tulunad region of Karnataka and Kerala, this pooja is performed by people of all faiths.
Transportation
Kukke Subrahmanya can be reached by road from Mangalore and from Bangalore. KSRTCKSRTC
KSRTC may refer to:* Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation* Kerala State Road Transport Corporation...
operates buses on a daily basis from these two places. The nearest airport is the Mangalore International Airport
Mangalore International Airport
Mangalore Airport, formerly known as Bajpe Airport, is a domestic and customs airport serving the coastal city of Mangalore, India...
(Bajpe Airport), at a distance of 115 km. The nearest railway station is Subrahmanya Road (SBHR) Railway Station on Mangalore-Bangalore railway route, which is 7 km from Kukke Subrahmanya. There is a daily passenger train service from Mangalore (Train No. 0651/0652), which leaves Mangalore at 10:30 a.m. and reaches Subrahmanya Road Railway Station by 1:00 p.m. One can then catch local transport from the station for a 15-minute trip to the temple. Train services have been introduced between Bangalore and Mangalore that pass through Kukke Subrahmanya (train numbers: 6515/6516 and 6517/6518). (NOTE-Mysore passengers:
Good