Renovated Shri Venkataramana Temple to be consecrated on Jan 16

Renovated Shri Venkataramana Temple to be consecrated on Jan 16

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, Jan 5, 2012: Speaking at the press meet held at Press Club on Jan 5, Thursday, C Laxman Shenoy, Trustee of the Temple Shri Venkataramana Temple said that the consecration ceremony of the reconstructed temple and reinstallation of the deities in its sanctum sanctorum will be performed by His Holiness Shrimad Sudheendra Teertha Swamiji, Matadhipathi of Sri Kashi Math Samsthan, Varnasi along with patta shishya Shrimad Samyameendra Teertha Swamiji on the auspicious Muhurtham on Jan 16 Monday at 10.29 am (Meena Lagnam). 

            

 

 

Further, he said that thousands of devotees from all over the country are expected to participate in this memorable event. A special holiday has been declared for the establishments of the local GSB community so that they can participate in the ceremony.

Speaking about the GSB community, he said that the GSBs belong to one of the five classes of North Indian Brahmins known as Pancha Gowdas. Hence, the name of ‘Gowda’ is prefixed to the name of the community. Historians have recorded the fact of migration of the community from the banks of River Saraswathi in the Punjab to other places like Trihothrapura in Bihar and their further migration to the Gomanthak, a part of the then Konkan Desh whose mother tongue was Konkani. Consequent upon the destruction of their temples in Goa by the Portuguese, the Gowd Saraswaths abandoned their homes in Goa and settled in the coastal belt of Karnataka and Kerala, engaging themselves in trade and agriculture.

History of the Temple

He also said that Sri Venkataramana Temple, situated in what is known as the Temple Square of Mangalore, has a glorious history of about 3 centuries. Founded in year 1736 A.D. by the mhala pai family of the koushika gothra, also called as the sowkar family, this temple has recorded speedy development over the ages, thus achieving country wide and fame. Belonging to Gowd Saraswat Brahmins, this temple is invariably managed and run by the trustees representing the “Hattu Samastharu” of the community.

The temple began as a small shrine for Moola Venkataramana. The deities Veera Vittala and Gopalakrishna were added subsequently. The panchaloha idol of veera venkatesha with the sword hanging from the waist, a unique image, was consecrated in the Garbhagriha in the year 1804 A.D. by H. H. Srimad Vibhudendra Thirtha Swamiji, the then matadhipathi of Sri Kasha math samsthan, Varanasi. Since then Lord Veera Venkatesha is worshipped as the presiding deity and Lord Sri Srinivas as the rthsava deity.

Over the centuries, the temple structure having become old required renovation, a process known as ‘jeernoddhara.’ The ritual of ‘nidhi kalasha shilanyasa’ was the first step towards the process of reconstruction and it was performed under the guidance of the heads of Sri Kashi Math Samsthan on May 5, 2011, the auspicious day of Akshaya Thruthiya.

Thus, the activity of reconstruction had an auspicious start. The process of sanctification started right from digging the earthen bed and filling of the holy Mruthika (Soil) of the Ganga brought from the Vyasa Ghat of Haridwara Vyasashrama.