Devotees make their way to Kunjarugiri for ‘Sona Shukrara’.

By Eugene Moodubelle
Bellevision Media Network

 Moodubelle, 27 August 2010:  Every year during the month of Shravan known as Simhamasa or Sona in coastal Karnataka, thousands of devotees make their way to Kunjarugiri  also known as ‘Dugrabetta’ on four or five  Fridays of the month to pay their homage to Goddess Durga for the favours received from her or  seeking new favours. According to temple authorities during these four or five  Fridays around eighty thousand to a lakh of devotees visit this temple on the hill surrounded by natural beauty in all directions.

Kunjaru is a small hamlet under the jurisdiction of the Kurkalu Grama Panchayat. However, the Kunjarugiri (hill) occupies a distinct place as the abode of Goddess Durgadevi. She is the destroyer of evil represented by Mahishasura. The reference to Kunjarugiri as the abode of Goddess Durga is found in the composition of ‘Samadhwavijaya’ by Shri Narayana Panditacharya and ‘Teerthprabhandaha’ composed by Shri Vadiraja Teertha. These compositions highlight Pajakakshetra,  the birth place of Shri Madhwacharya and his close relation with Goddess Durgadevi of Kunjarugiri.

According to legend, the Durga Temple on Kunjarugiri was founded by Shri Parashurama, one of the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu. To the west of Kunjarugiri, the so called ‘Parashuramabetta’ is located, where as the birth place of Shri Madhwacharya, founder of the Ashta Mathas and the exponent of the Dwaita philosophy is situated a little away towards the east of Kunjarugiri. There are four theerthas which are near Kunjarugiri. These are-Parashu, Dhanu, Bana and Gadha.

Daily there are five ‘pujas’ in the Durga temple of Kunjarugiri from 5.30 am till 8 pm. Among the annual festivities, the Fridays of the Simhamasa, also known as ‘Sona Sukraras’ occupies an important place  as thousands of pilgrims visit this temple. Though people visit this temple on week days and holidays, the four or five Fridays in the month of Sona has a special significance. Devotees throng to Kunjarugiri from different  parts of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada Districts. They collect flowers, bananas, coconuts and other offerings from the make-shift shops that are pitched below the hill as well as on the way to the hilltop temple. There are also shops selling sweets and other items such as toys. Many bangle shops could be seen in the vicinity of the temple as women devotees make it a point to wear new bangles after visiting the temple.

Another sight that attracts the attention of the visitors to Kunjarugiri during this season is the presence of a large number of monkeys who feast on the coconut as well as banana  prasada that the devotees share with these monkeys. They are found in groups  and sometimes fight with each other  for their share of the ‘prasada’.

When this reporter visited Kunjarugiri  on second Friday of the Sona on 27 August 2010 at around 9.30 am, with his neighbour Pravin Castelino,  there were considerable number of  devotees  inside the temple who had been coming through their own vehicles or hired ones. As it had been raining since three days the flow of pilgrims was not as much as expected. But the temple authorities said that the number of pilgrims would increase as the day progresses.  The administration has made security arrangements to prevent any untoward incident.