After a long break, I am writing the blog....
As I was keen to explore new places in and around Udupi, started searching for rural, calm and cool places to visit with family. Then found a post with a photo of this cave temple in Facebook on Thursday. Then onward started to extract more information in the Google about Moodgal. I could not find much information except below given blogs:
1. http://mangalore4u.blogspot.in/2010/02/cave-temple-sri-keshavanatheshvara.html
2. http://nimmaadiga.blogspot.in/2010/03/cave-temple-sri-keshavanatheshvara.html
3. http://rohithshetty143.blogspot.in/2014/10/cave-temple-sri-keshavanatheshvara.html
In these blogs, I could get a few contact details and called Mr. Sudheer Shetty to know more about Moodgal, as he is from the same place. He gave a local contact, and I got the real-time situation of the Keradi and Moodgal roads.
When I discussed this with one of my friends, he gave the contact of Sri Varasiddivinayak Temple, Keradi. Then, I spoke to Mr. Keradi Chandrashekhar Shetty; he is a trustee of Sri Siddivinayaka College. He gave more details about the Keradi and Moodgal place and temples. As per his suggestions, we planned our trip.
We started from Udupi at 8:30 AM and reached Keradi by 10:15 AM, which is 75 km travel. We visited the Sri Varasiddi Vinayaka Temple. There we met Mr. Raju; he had arranged an Omni to go to Moodgal Temple, which is 6 km from the Keradi Temple.
The road to reach Moodgal is a mud road, as rains just got over road condition was bad; still, we can go by cars such as Alto, WagonR and 800. Our driver's name is Mr. Manju Kotari Keradi; he owns tourist car. We started from Keradi at 10:35 AM and reached Moodgal Temple at 11:00 AM. The journey was awesome because it passes through Mookambika Reserve Forest which is moderately a thick forest, Once we reach the hilltop, we can plain ground with small flowers, it gives different shades to the ground. As per driver usually animals such as deer, gaur and wolf will be roaming in that ground. We could see only cows and peacocks.
The cave Temple is an ancient temple. Only 5-6 families live in Moodgal, which is very remote from the city. There is no electricity and people rely on solar power for agriculture. As reach-ability is an issue, the temple does not have any name and fame outside Keradi.
Once in a year on the day of "Ellu Amavasya", nearly 1000-1500 pilgrimages will gather in this temple, and they will offer pooja. The rest of the year only Archaka will be there. A week before "Ellu Amavasye" people of Keradi will repair the road. So from that day to the start of rain road condition will be good and any vehicle can reach Moodgal Temple.
The cave is not dangerous in any way. It has many fishes and snakes, which are harmless. They will follow you in the cave. Usually people will take rice to those fishes, but we did not know that. So if you are planning please take some rice, they will be very happy.
The Archaka family is very friendly and helping in nature, if we inform a day before the visit, they will arrange food.
This is a place one must visit once.
Route: Kundapur - Tallur - Neralakatte - Keradi (Road is good)
Contact No.:
Sri Raghavendra Kunjathaya (Archaka) : (91) 9480320652
Sri Manju Kotari Keradi (Driver): (91) 9741883927
Sri Raju Keradi (Keradi Temple): (91) 8197199753
As I was keen to explore new places in and around Udupi, started searching for rural, calm and cool places to visit with family. Then found a post with a photo of this cave temple in Facebook on Thursday. Then onward started to extract more information in the Google about Moodgal. I could not find much information except below given blogs:
1. http://mangalore4u.blogspot.in/2010/02/cave-temple-sri-keshavanatheshvara.html
2. http://nimmaadiga.blogspot.in/2010/03/cave-temple-sri-keshavanatheshvara.html
3. http://rohithshetty143.blogspot.in/2014/10/cave-temple-sri-keshavanatheshvara.html
In these blogs, I could get a few contact details and called Mr. Sudheer Shetty to know more about Moodgal, as he is from the same place. He gave a local contact, and I got the real-time situation of the Keradi and Moodgal roads.
When I discussed this with one of my friends, he gave the contact of Sri Varasiddivinayak Temple, Keradi. Then, I spoke to Mr. Keradi Chandrashekhar Shetty; he is a trustee of Sri Siddivinayaka College. He gave more details about the Keradi and Moodgal place and temples. As per his suggestions, we planned our trip.
We started from Udupi at 8:30 AM and reached Keradi by 10:15 AM, which is 75 km travel. We visited the Sri Varasiddi Vinayaka Temple. There we met Mr. Raju; he had arranged an Omni to go to Moodgal Temple, which is 6 km from the Keradi Temple.
The road to reach Moodgal is a mud road, as rains just got over road condition was bad; still, we can go by cars such as Alto, WagonR and 800. Our driver's name is Mr. Manju Kotari Keradi; he owns tourist car. We started from Keradi at 10:35 AM and reached Moodgal Temple at 11:00 AM. The journey was awesome because it passes through Mookambika Reserve Forest which is moderately a thick forest, Once we reach the hilltop, we can plain ground with small flowers, it gives different shades to the ground. As per driver usually animals such as deer, gaur and wolf will be roaming in that ground. We could see only cows and peacocks.
The cave Temple is an ancient temple. Only 5-6 families live in Moodgal, which is very remote from the city. There is no electricity and people rely on solar power for agriculture. As reach-ability is an issue, the temple does not have any name and fame outside Keradi.
Once in a year on the day of "Ellu Amavasya", nearly 1000-1500 pilgrimages will gather in this temple, and they will offer pooja. The rest of the year only Archaka will be there. A week before "Ellu Amavasye" people of Keradi will repair the road. So from that day to the start of rain road condition will be good and any vehicle can reach Moodgal Temple.
The cave is not dangerous in any way. It has many fishes and snakes, which are harmless. They will follow you in the cave. Usually people will take rice to those fishes, but we did not know that. So if you are planning please take some rice, they will be very happy.
The Archaka family is very friendly and helping in nature, if we inform a day before the visit, they will arrange food.
This is a place one must visit once.
Route: Kundapur - Tallur - Neralakatte - Keradi (Road is good)
Contact No.:
Sri Raghavendra Kunjathaya (Archaka) : (91) 9480320652
Sri Manju Kotari Keradi (Driver): (91) 9741883927
Sri Raju Keradi (Keradi Temple): (91) 8197199753
