About Sharavu Mahaganapathi Temple

  Mangalore is known as a pilgrim center and boasts of many sacred temples like Sharavu, Kadri, Mangaladevi, Kudroli etc. Out of these Sri Sharavu Sharabeshwara - Sri Mahaganapathy Kshetra is an outstanding, pious center of great illustrious history of marathon 800 years. It is at a walking distance from Hampankatta and also can comfortably reached by autorickhaws.

  More than 8oo years ago, king Veerabahu, born in Sun clan, was ruling the Tulu kingdom. He was a brave Kshatriya king, besides being a scholar, and paid due attention to the welfare of his subjects, and was engaged in religious pursuits. Like rulers in those days, he was fond of hunting wild animals. One day, Veerabahu along with his family and attendants, went on a hunting expedition. He moved from forest to forest, hunting and killing wild animals that devastated the crops cultivated by farmers and, at last, came to a vast forest area near the Arabian Sea. 

  It is believed that this place was 15 square miles in area. Three miles to the east of 'Kadali Kshetra' was the "Gupta (secret) Kadali Kshetra'. To the south of Kadri, there was 'Gorakshak Kshetra' or 'Goraknath Kshetra', and to its south, on the bank of the river Nethravati, existed a holy place called 'Jalashivalaya'. To the north of Kadri, on the bank of river Falguni, there was a Vishnu temple called 'Vishnu Sthan'. On account of these holy temples, the area surrounding the Shiva temple was considered very sacred. The king Veerabahu, after destroying wild animals, at several places, came to 'Swarna Kadali Kshetra' (Kadri), along with his family, and worshipped Lord Manjunath, with intense devotion. 

  He was surprised to see a thick forest to the west of temple wherein, he thought, existed a large number of wild animals. In the said forest, there were several hermitages (Ashrams) of holy rishis including that of Bharadhwaja. In the middle of that forest, the king witnessed a strange sight of a tiger and a cow standing close to each other, and thought that the tiger was about to attack the cow.  Fearing this, in a hurry, the king shot an arrow from his quiver, at the tiger, in order to protect the cow. 

    If one goes through the "Ganesh Purana' (mythological story of Ganapathy or Ganesh), in 'Krita Yuga',  Lord Ganapathy was seen with ten hands, and had lion as his vehicle. In 'Treta Yuga', he had six hands, with peacock as his vehicle, and was married to 'Siddhi' and 'Buddhi', mental offsprings of Lord Brahma.  In 'Dwapara Yuga', it seems Lord Ganapathy had four hands, with mouse as his vehicle. It looks strange that Lord Ganapathy decided to manifest himself along with 'Siddhilakshmi' on his left side, in the present 'Kali Yuga'. According to 'puranas', it is possible that he may assume different forms in 'Kali Yuga', and subsequent ages.  It is believed that Lord Ganapathy at Sharavu (with 'Siddhilakshmi' seated on his left side) had manifested himself in order to grant the wishes of his devotees.