JOIN USPopularly known as Jaina Kashi, Moodabidri has an interesting history of its own. Deriving its name from the combination of two Kannada words, Moodana (east) and Bidiru (bamboo), this town which had widespread bamboo growth in the earlier times and became a popular Jain centre of worship in the 13th and 14th century AD.
Being home to eighteen basadis (Jain shrines), this town is visited by many from all over the country. The biggest of them is the Tribhuvana Tilaka Chudamani Basadi or popularly known to the common man as the Saavira Kambada Basadi (the basadi with a thousand pillars).
Being very simple in construction, these structures can be easily mistaken for houses and ignored. It is only when one gets closer, does the basadi become apparent. Built in 741 AD, the Guru Basadi is said to be the oldest. Lord Parshwanatha is worshipped here as the main deity.
It has a very interesting story behind it. One morning, a sage belonging to the Digambara sect of Jainism, while returning from ablutions in the forest, happened to see a rare spectacle of a cow and tigress drinking water together from a stone receptacle, oblivious of their enmity.
Believing the place to be a divine site, the sage on searching around, found the statue of Lord Parshwanatha lying around in the bamboo bushes. The sage had the statue recovered and installed in a shrine thus giving rise to Guru Basadi.
The shrine is very peaceful and its serenity touches your soul. Located adjacent to it is Koti Basadi. Paying obeisance and coming out, we managed to get a glimpse of the other basadis like the Vikrama Shetty Basadi, Mahadeva Shetty Basadi, Kallu Basadi among a few others.
While some are kept open all day, others remain closed throughout, except on some occasions. Nevertheless, the simplicity in some and the magnificence in the others is something that definitely warrants a visit.
The ancestral house of ancient Kannada poet and author of Bharatesha Vaibhava, Ratnakara Varni is located in this town.
Visiting such beautiful pilgrimage centres, we learnt a lot about our culture and the journey left us wiser. Though a Jain pilgrimage centre, this place is a must visit for one and all.
Moodabidri is about 40 km from Mangalore and is situated in the Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka. Regular bus service is available from Mangalore. On reaching the town’s bus stand, one can hire auto rickshaws for a nominal fare or you can also walk to the Basadi. Do visit all the basadis on this road.