This guru peetha is located in the state of Karnataka. This place was formed for the people of Kuruba Gowda caste which is in the state of Karnataka. It is a Hindu caste and mainly people are shepherd and farmers. This community is present in the states of Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. The Kanaka Guru Peetha is located in the village Kaginele and is placed in the Haveli district of Karnataka. This place has followers all over the world and visits this peetha regularly. This place is the symbol of the spiritual and cultural center for the Kuruba Gowdas. Beerendra Keshava Tarakananda Puri is the first member of the cultural and spiritual member of the peetha. He has done a lot of work for the society by opening a lot of educational institutions in the village so that poor people can acquire knowledge and learn. The recent head of the place is the Sri Nirajnanada Puri Swamiji. He is the second pontiff of the muth as the previous head recently got moksha. 

History

Kaginele is a village in Karnataka in the Byadagi Taluka and in the Haveri district. It is the birthplace of Kanaka Dasa who was a saint of the Kuruba Gowda community. He did a lot of work for the people who needed education and did most of his work in the Kaginele village. He lived in the village and wrote his work there. His writings addressed social issues in the society as along with being a writer, he also worked as a social reformer. Kanaka Dasa loved traveling to different places where he thought he could gain knowledge. There is a Krishna temple in the village who was the family god of the Kanaka dasa. In his last days, he lived in Tirupathi and is one the greatest writers, poets, social reformers, musician, composer and philosopher India has ever seen.

All of the work written by Kanaka dasa is present and in 2004, the Karnataka state government decided to protect all his work and monuments. Hence, the Kaginele Kanaka guru peetha was formed which is even today the symbol of spiritual and cultural presence for the Kurba gowdas. The Mahasamsthana is head of the peetha and controls all the activities over by Shri Beerendra Keshava Tarakananda Puri Swamiji who is doing the same for the last years.

Architecture

The peetha is the symbol of the spirituality and devotion and the architecture of the peeth has played an important role in forming the devotional and spiritual atmosphere in the peeths. A variety of architectures can be seen in almost all temples in the state of Karnataka and most of the common features are seen in them. They represent the glory of kingdoms which were present years ago and showcase some magnificently sculpted figures and idols. The Keshava temple has a statue of Kanaka Dasa.

Best Time to Visit

Kaginele can be visited in any seasons, but the best time to visit is between February and March or from October to December. Tourists can spend 2/3 days if they wish to explore Kaginele and Haveri. The tourist attractions can be visited any time of the day. Travelers from Bangalore and Mangalore prefer visiting the place.

Entrance Fees

There are no fees to visit the peetha. Devotees from all over the world visit this place. People from Bangalore visit the place in large numbers.

How to Reach

By Train

There is no railway station in Kaginele. The major railway station near Kaginele is Hubli which is approximately 85 kms from the village. The Even Haveri railway station is the nearest railway station from the village which is 14 km from Kaginele.

By Bus

Kaginele is well connected by road to all nearby and major places. Haveri, Byadgi and Hubli are the nearest places. The village is located by Byadgi from the east side and Hanagal Taluka from the west side. From everywhere in the village is well connected by local buses and auto rickshaws. Private taxis or cars can be hired from Bangalore or Hubli.

By Air

The nearest airport is Hubli which is 89km. Apart from Hubli; there are other airports like the Sambre airport, which is 170 km from Kaginele and Dabolim, Goa which is 202 kms from the village.