Anegudde is a small village in Udupi district in the state of Karnataka in India. Anegudde means elephant hill in the local Kannada language. A temple of Lord Vinayaka, the elephant-headed god, is situated on the hill. Vinayaka, Ganesha or Ganapati are some of the names the deity is known by, as per ancient Indian scriptures. Another name for this village is Kumbhasi. Indian mythology has a reference to a demon called Kumbhasura. This demon was killed at this village by Bheema, as per folklore having roots in mythology. Sage Parshuram is believed to have created seven pilgrimage places. These places are also known as Mukti-Sthalas. Literal meaning of Mukti-sthala is place of salvation. Anegudde is one of them and is revered by many.

A temple of Lord Ganapati is the main attraction of visitors. “Siddhi Vinayaka” is the other name of Lord Ganapati. The devotees believe that this deity confers divine benefaction on all. This place is a popular destination for devotees and tourists. Ganesh Chaturthi is the main festival celebrated in this temple. Chaturthi means fourth day after full moon day as per the lunar calendar. The Prasadam meaning sacrament is distributed to all devotees, in the form of lunch. The celebrations are marked with a lot of fanfare. The Rathotsav meaning car festival is celebrated in the lunar month of Margashirsha, which falls in the month of December.

History

The history of this temple dates back to many centuries. Indian mythology has many references to this place. As per devotees’ belief, the temple has come up where the demon was killed by Bheema in Mahabharata literature. As per mythological account, sage Agasthya was performing a sacred ritual for the well being of people. The demon Kumbhasura tried to stop the ritual. At that point of time, Lord Vinayaka gave Bheema, the most powerful of the Pandavas, a sword. Bheema killed the demon with this sword, thereby facilitating completion of sacred ritual, which resulted in prosperity to the local populace. Thereafter people started worshipping Lord Vinayaka at that spot, which eventually became a temple. More additions were made to the temple, subsequently for devotees.

Architecture

The idol of Lord Vinayaka is in standing posture at the temple’s sanctum Sanctorum. The idol is having four hands. Two upper hands are known as “Varad Hasta”, literally meaning hands to offer divine boons. Remaining two hands are pointing towards the ground, the inference being of salvation. The idol is having silver armor, giving a magnificent look. The temple surroundings have many figurines sculpted. These figurines relate to many characters mentioned in the Puranas, the ancient scriptures.
Renovation of this ancient temple was done in 1985, providing modern amenities to visitors. Visitors can now avail the facility of a lodge and board near the temple premises. Guest houses and dining hall is built for this purpose.

Best Time to Visit

People visit this place all over the year. However, large gatherings of devotees are seen on every Chaturthi. Many more people visit this place around the first week of December to join the festivities of Rathotsava. The temple is open for general public between 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. There are two guest houses available for visitors and tourists at Kumbhasi. Kundapur also offers good accommodation facilities.

Devotees throng the temple throughout the year to offer obeisance. Tulabharam is a special offering made by devotees to the deity. People offer commodities as sugar, jaggery, coconuts, rice, etc. equivalent to their own weight to the God. Special poojas like Ganahoma or Rangpuja are also conducted as per wishes of devotees. Many believers throng the temple to make a wish. They also visit the temple on fulfilling their wishes.

Entrance Fee

There is no entrance fee for visitors. People also visit three other temples in the vicinity of the Shri Vinayaka temple. The temples are named after Shri Harihara, Shri Suryanarayana and Shri Aiyappa Swami respectively.

How to Reach

Anegudde is 9 kms from Kundapur, a Taluka place in Udupi district. It is 30 kms from Udupi and 96 kms from Mangalore. Within Kumbhasi village, visitors can avail the services of auto-rickshaws to reach the temple.

By Train

The nearest railhead is at Kundapur. There are regular train services of Konkan Railways on this Mumbai-Mangalore route. Many trains are available for travel to all directions.

By Bus

Regular Bus services are available from Kundapur to Kumbhasi. Buses also ply from Mangalore and from Udupi.

By Air

There is an International Airport at Mangalore. Domestic and International flights are operational at Mangalore as per extant schedule.