Mundkur is a small village, in Udupi district, Karnataka, situated on the bank of Mulki (Shambavi) River on Kinnigoli - Balman road. The place is known for a Durga Parameswari temple. According to Dr Gururaja Bhat the worshipping Durga idol installed originally during ca. 13 century AD. The picture below presents a scene of temple car festival during the annual festivity of the temple. The ornate wooden car or chariot is topped with a globular wood and cane superstructure, decorated with numerous red and white flags. The colourful and vibrant car festivals have continued to inspire devotees since years.
Traditional anecdotes connected with the temple describe that one bad rakshasa called Mundakasura was pestering people in this region. The Godess Lord Durga Parameswari killed him and brought solace to the people, and so on.
Mundkur or Mundakur village is known as Munder in Tulu. I presume that the name Munder came into being on account of the fact that it was a early settlement of Munda tribes in Tulunadu. There are many villages in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts that carry the name of Munda tribes: Munduru, Kalla Mundkur, Mundaje, Mundodi, Mundadi, Mundoli etc. The reference to tribal term Mund- is specific in all these place names. Linguistic and anthropological studies have suggested that Munda tribes of Austro-Asiatic origin predated Aryans and Dravidians in
These villages appear to relics of bygone settlements of earliest recorded settlers in our land. Besides, one of the tribals in Tulunadu are popularly known as Mundaladakulu (= Mundala people).
