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, Kāraṇika Hanumān (Kāraṇika Hanumānta), is famed for fulfilling the wishes of his devotees. People of all faiths visit, offering ellēnīru, tender coconut water when their prayers are answered. The 3000-5000 tender coconuts offered daily along with the 90 rangapoojas requested by the devotees daily are testament to the wish fulfilling ability of this deity.
Closeby is the Shri Venkataramana temple. For a GSB, 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, chieftains under the Vijayanagara Sāmrājya.
One 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. 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.
However, according to historians, the story is different. Taking advantage of the weak leadership at the Vijayanagara empire, the Cauṭa stopped paying their taxes to the king and tried to establish their individual authority and fiefdom. When Krishnadevaraya came into power in 1510, he took the chieftains to task and in order to offer their apology the Cauṭas went to the Vijayanagara capital with a 50 member team including a GSB Narayan Pai. The king accepted their apology and sent back the Cauṭa leader in a palanquin along with 50 members of ‘Bovi’ community. 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 in Puttige(there was no palace in Moodbidri). Later the idol was brought to Moodbidri when the palace there was ready. 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.
Shri Mallya installed the idol under a small thatched roof (beleived to be in the Year 1650). The temple was expanded in 1932 through a generous donation from Ānantrāya Viṭṭhala Prabhu, an affluent GSB from Mumbai.
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. Also while traditionally, a temple does not have the entrance door to the South, this temple has a South facing door but that was done to align with the East facing Hanuman idol.
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!
Latest News
These temples were built when the population was less and therefore both the crowds and offerings were manageable. Only a few tender coconuts offered everyday. After years of growing devotees and increasing popularity, the tender coconut offerings have gone up by huge numbers. Cracking open 3000+ coconuts a day is not just a physically laboursome task but the coconut water has also started causing chemical damage to the ancient idol and therefore the temple authorities are reconsidering the offering.
For those interested in hearing the miracles bestowed by Lord Hanumantha from the beneficiaries themselves check out this video in Kannada