About 35 km from Maṅgaḷūru lies the quaint town of Mūḍabidrī (ಮೂಡಬಿದ್ರಿ) — known through the ages as Muḍabidure, Biḍerāya-nagara, Venu-pura, and Vaṃśa-pura. Each of these names traces its roots to the wild bamboo — biḍure — that once grew in abundance here, and to the venu (flute) fashioned from it.
Those lush groves have mostly vanished now, except for a pocket of greenery at Soans Farm, a vibrant eco-tourism initiative by the Soans Group.
Search for Mūḍabidrī online and you’ll find it celebrated as the Jaina Kāśī, home to the legendary Sāvira stambha basadi — the “Thousand-Pillar Jain Temple.”
Yet, very few mention the three temples that form the spiritual heart of the Goud Sārasvata Brāhmaṇa (GSB) community here — the Śrī Veṅkaṭarāmaṇa Devasthāna, the Śrī Mahālāsā Nārāyaṇī Temple, and the Kāraṇika Hanumān Devasthāna.
Among these, the Veṅkaṭarāmaṇa and Hanumān temples share a special bond.
The Kāraṇika Hanumān — Granter of Wishes
True to his name, the Kāraṇika Hanumān (Kāraṇika Hanumānta) is famed for fulfilling devotees’ wishes. People of all faiths visit, offering ellēnīru — tender coconut water — when their prayers are answered.It’s said that the temple receives nearly 5 000 tender coconuts every single day just goes to show the number of devotees with their faith in the God.
In Mūḍabidrī, no auspicious occasion begins without invoking both Śrī Veṅkaṭarāmaṇa and Śrī Hanumān.
A prayer offered at one is incomplete without visiting the other.
Śrī Hanumān is worshipped as Mukhya-prāṇa — the vital life-force — while Śrī Veṅkaṭarāmaṇa, his Odeya (Lord), is revered as the Sarva-prāṇa.
History Behind The Temple
Though early records are scarce, temple lore traces its origins back nearly 900 years.
Mūḍabidrī was then ruled by the Jaina Cauṭa chieftains, vassals under the Vijayanagara Sāmrājya.
Legend tells that the Cauṭas once angered the Vijayanagara king by naming a child Rāya — a royal title. Accompanied by their GSB advisor Śrīnivāsa Mallya, they journeyed to the capital to explain themselves.
That night, a goddess appeared in a dream, instructing them to retrieve her idol hidden within a tree and consecrate it in their homeland. They discovered the idol exactly as foretold.
When they finally met the king, Śrīnivāsa Mallya clarified that the child was named Rāya not out of arrogance but devotion — the family had vowed that if blessed with a son, they would name him after their sovereign. The king, moved by this sincerity, forgave them and sent them home with honor — gifting several sacred idols, including one of Śrī Hanumān.
The idol was initially housed in the Cauṭa palace, but as the rulers were Jains, regular pūjā was difficult.
Later, when a GSB healer (believed to be Śrīnivāsa Mallya) cured the ailing chieftain, he was granted a boon — and he requested the Hanumān idol.
Thus began the story of the Mūḍabidrī Hanumān Temple.
Originally a small thatched-roof shrine, the temple was expanded in 1932 through a generous donation from Ānantrāya Viṭṭhala Prabhu.
It was rebuilt in 1991 under the blessings of Śrī Sudhīndra Tīrtha Svāmī of the Śrī Kāśī Maṭha Saṃsthāna, and once again in 2016 to serve its ever-growing devotee base.
A distinctive feature of this Hanumān idol is the lamp attached to the end of his tail — a unique touch seen in very few temples.
Local Miracle Stories
The temple’s fame rests not only on history but on countless tales of divine intervention:
- The Stolen Idols (2013): When ancient Jain idols were stolen from the Siddhānta Maṇḍira, the temple head prayed to Hanumān, vowing 1008 tender coconuts. The idols were miraculously recovered soon after.
- The Fire That Cooled: Years ago, the archaka (priest) had no tender coconut for naivedya. When he sought one from a nearby farm, the laborer refused without the owner’s consent. Later that day, the farm’s coconut tree mysteriously caught fire — which extinguished only after a coconut was offered to the deity.
- The Rain That Listened: Two neighbors once prayed for opposite outcomes — a farmer for rain, another for clear skies for his daughter’s wedding. Miraculously, it rained on the fields but not at the wedding venue!
For those interested in hearing the miracles bestowed by Lord Hanumantha from the beneficiaries themselves check out this video in Kannada