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| Mekekattu Nandikeshwara Temple www.southtourism.in |
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Hindu rulers of various dynasties. Mekekattu Nandikeshwara Temple, dedicated to lord Shiva has an aura about it. Attracted by the charm and uniqueness, lots of tourists visit this temple built in a remote place.
Mekekattu Nandikeshwara Temple, about 20 kilometers from Kundapura town of Udipi Taluk, Karnataka is altogether a different temple with unusual ambiance, unlike traditional temples of South India. In almost all south Indian temples, the tradition has it that the deities are made of either hard stone or alloyed metal, consisting of five metals (Ayemponn) in particular proportion. Considered
to be at least 1000 years old Mekekattu Nandikeshwara Temple is believed to have been built by Parshurama just like other major temples of coastal Karnataka. This unique temple is situated in a remote place near Saibra katte, close to Barkur in Shirya village. It’s said to attract large crowd during Sankaranti festival, especially during annual festival, Hasara and Sedi.
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| Mekekattu Nandikeshwara Temple udupitourism.blogspot.com |
What is it so appealing about this Hindu temple? The absolutely amazing aspect of this none- such-a temple is is the presence of a huge collection of well- painted, impressive wooden idols, some of which are tall up to 10 feet and are beautifully, but carefully carved proportionately. The main wood used here is well aged Jack fruit tree wood (Halasa Mara; in Tamil- Palaa Maram ) that is available in plenty. The wood from this tree is strong and and can withstand the vagaries of alternating climate and gives resistance to water. With a view to preserving the safety and longevity of these marvelous wooden idols, there are no anointing or abisheka protocol as normally done in many Hindu temples either daily or periodically.
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The wooden deities survived for about 150-200 years after which they were remade. They were recreated as far back as 1970, and repainted in 2007. This place around Barkur had once 365 temple, but now there are only five functional temples. Rest were destroyed, perhaps during Muslim invasions. It is interesting that some statues hold the replica of an old hand gun or sword as if they were battle ready. Each and every wooden statue is given local legendary names.
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| Mekekattu Nandikeshwara Temple www.southtourism.in |
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A note on Jack fruit tree:
01. This well-known tree was named after William Jack (1795–1822), a Scottish botanist who worked for the East India Company in Bengal, Sumatra, and Malaysia.
02. The word "jackfruit" comes from Portuguese jaca, which in turn, is derived from the Malayalam
03. Matured jack fruit wood is the main wood used for making the wooden statues at the Mekekattu Nandikeshwara Temple.
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| A tree branch full of jack fruits. servingjoy.com |
04. The Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus), also called jakfruit, is a species of tree in the mulberry and fig family (Moraceae).
05. It is native to parts of South and Southeast Asia, and is said to have originated in the southwestern rain forests of Indian Subcontinent, in present-day Goa, Kerala, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka coastal Karnataka, and Maharashtra.
06.The aged wood from jack fruit tree is widely used in building construction work. Though it is resistance to water, it is not as good as timber wood. However, it is strong enough to last for a long time.
Ref:
https://hobbymonger.wordpress.com/2011/01/05/mekekattu-nadhikeshwara-temple-the-wooden-templ
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