Kollur Mookambika Temple

Kollur is a temple town very near the famous Kodachadri hills of Western Ghats. Trekkers not willing to stay on Kodachadri hills or nearby home stays prefer Kollur as this temple town is having many guest houses owned by Temple authority and others. Guest Houses owned by the Temple takes nominal fare for providing accommodation. Even though Kollur is in Karnataka, most of its visitors are from Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Kollur is also having direct buses from many cities of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

Kollur is having Mookambika temple. Goddess Mookambika is believed to manifestation of Shakti, Saraswathi and Mahalakshmi. It is also believed that the Goddess in Kollur is in the form of Jyotir-Lingam formed by the incorporation both Shiva and Shakti. Kollur Mookambika Devi is popularly known as ‘Moogambigai’ in Tamil Nadu and ‘Mookambi’ in Kerala.

Kollur Mookambika Temple entrance

According to Hindu Mythology, this place is where the Devi Mookambika was installed by Adi Shankaracharya. Adi Shankaracharya meditated at Kodachadri Hills and when Devi appeared before him asking for his wish. Shankaracharya expressed his wish to install her at a place in Kerala, Devi Mookambika agreed to it on a condition that she will be following Shankaracharya wish and Shankaracharya should not turn back till they reach destination, if he does so she will be installed at that spot itself. To check Shankaracharya, Devi stopped the sound coming out of her anklets and Shankaracharya turned back to see Devi, as put forth in the condition Devi installed at Kollur itself. The Panchaloha (alloy of five metals) image of Goddess was made on Shree Chakra by Adi Shankaracharya itself while installing Devi Vigraha at Kollur. (As evidence to this fact, there exists the Shankara Peetam on the top of Kodachadri Hills where it is believed that Shankaracharya did meditation)

inside the Temple premises

There is some interesting story behind the name Mookambika. Adi Shakti got the name Mookambika by killing the demon Mookasura. Kola Maharshi did penance in order to praise Lord Shiva and at the same time there was a demon doing penance to please Lord Shiva. When Lord Shiva appeared before demon, he could not ask for anything as he was made dumb (mooka) by Adi Shakti. Later the dumb demon (Mooka = dumb, Asura = demon) was killed by Adi Shakti.

Souparnika River also flows through Kollur and the water of this river is believed to cure all sorts of diseases as it absorbs various natural elements along its flow.

Dasara and Janmastami are celebrated grandly at Kollur. Kollur is well connected by road and railways.