415. Uma-Maheshwara at Attavara

Temples in India have a regular traditional system of renovation usually in a period of twelve years and this is known as Brahma-kalasha ceremony.  Most of the temples have thus been and are being subjected to this classical process of renovation and updating, and as a consequence,   it is but natural that   specific evolutionary features of historical significance embodied   in the ancient temples since their initiation are likely to be modified or subdued. This issue is further complicated by absence or lack of systematic preservation of historical data relating to temples. Dr. Padur Gururaja Rao (19xx ) has made an extensive study of idols installed in temples of Tulunadu and attempted to roughly date them according to the characteristic sculptural features displayed . However, still lot of further work is needed to be done to refine what has been already contributed by Gururaja Bhat. One of the issues faced by researchers appears to be is the lack of access to the idols. To assist genuine students of history those in charge of these sacred renovation ceremonies may (1) provide opportunities for gathering data directly and/or (2)  provide or publish historical information available at their disposal.

This year a number of temples in the region have undergone Brahma-kalasha ceremonies with active participation of the devout public. The temples of Mundkur, Palimar, Polali and Attavara (Mangaluru) have recently have undergone the brahma-kalasha ceremonies.

Uma Maheshwara Temple (renovated)

 Uma Maheshwara

The poster advertisement put up in newspapers on the brahma-kalasha celebration of ceremony of Uma Maheshwara temple at Attavara, Mangaluru, contained an interesting piece of information. It reported that about 200 years ago, while excavating for the construction of District Collectors office in Mangaluru (near the present site of Deputy Commissioners Office) they recovered an idol of Shiva. The idol was shifted to Attavara and was installed in a temple dedicated to Uma-Maheshwara. It is interesting to note that the ancient coastal village around DC office and old port/ Bunder area in Mangaluru was known as Nireshwalya (ie. Neere-Shivalaya)  in old records. (The village name has almost been obsolete and forgotten as people are calling the  locality simply as “ Bundar”.) Anyway, the piece of information suggests that the idol could be a part of the ancient Shiva temple in the ancient  Neere Shivalaya village. Shivālaya means a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and Neere means the water or the tidal reach between the village and the Arabian Sea. Thus the original idol of Shiva apparently was reinstalled at Attavara as Uma Maheshwara as per the popularity of the deity during the time of reinstallation. Unfortunately, we do not find any temporal analysis or allied information on the idol in Gururaja Bhat’s famous work on Tulunadu temples. Therefore anyone who has additional information on the issue may kindly share it in this blog.

Uma Maheshwara Temple

 However this piece of information may be useful for students of history as it reveals how several  ancient idols and even temples might have been shifted during the course of (unfortunately unrecorded) history. Similar local information on Bappanadu temple, Mulki, suggests that original Bappanadu temple was near the bank of Mulki port which is about 500 meters interior of the present location of the temple.

Since most of the ancient temples have been updated every 12 years, as per the prevalent custom of brahma - kalasha ceremonies, basically designed for stabilization of temples apart from other issues, it is obvious that many of the original aspects of historical significance might have been lost over the years.

Sri Uma Maheshwara Temple Attavara, Mangaluru

Sapaliga-Ganiga community

A note on the Sapaliga –Ganiga community that manages the temple at Attavara, Mangaluru, evidently, since last two centuries appears pertinent here. The interesting note apparently throws light on the tidbits of traditional aspect on how the initial “ bari“ lineages were converted into castes or communities and how the castes in turn were bifurcated into subdivisions  during the past history in our country.

The temple of Uma Maheshwara at Attavara is managed by people of Sapaliga- Ganiga community, probably since last two centuries since the idol was brought from Nireshivalaya (near old Bunder /DC office area, Mangaluru) and installed here.

Members of Sapaliga community are associated with temple music activities in Tulunadu since several centuries, probably dating back to the ancient days of Kadamba king Mayura Sharma (ca. 400 CE), who is credited with rejuvenation of Hinduism and initiating a popular culture of temple based worship. The word “sappaliga” means one who makes sounds (“sappala”) or the music.

The Ganigas in Tulunadu  are traditional  oil extractors, known for drawing oil from coconuts  abound in the coastal region.

The common association of Sapaligas and Ganigas especially popular in Mangaluru and Bantwal region suggests that members of these communities shared professions in the historical past.

Offshoot of Mogaveera community

However it is interesting to note that matrimonial alliances between members of Sapaliga and Marakala (Mogaveera) communities are commonly accepted even today, especially in Udupi-Karkala and northern part of Mangaluru   regions. Old people in the community used to report   that during olden days volunteers for the temple service, as  Sapaligas, were drawn from the members of Marakala/Mogaveera community during the historical period. And as a vestige of the old custom even today matrimonial relationships continue among these community members. It can be seen that members of these communities share similar and common bari lineages which are older in historical perspective than the castes proper.

R