Historic spots cry for attention

Seethas well, Pandavas cave turn into a dumpyard

Adding to the list of the condemnable acts of miscreants in the city, yet another spiritual place is being habitually polluted by miscreants, thus hurting the feelings of monument lovers and devotees.

Acclaimed as Parashurama creation, the coastal Karnataka, being a land of penances is rich in  spiritual destinations.Such a place is at the heights of Kadri hills in Mangalore and is closely connected to the famous Kadri Shri Manjunatheshwara temple. Kadri Yogeshwar mutt (locally recognised as Jogi mutt), which is related to Parashuram himself, is believed to be the place where the great sage carried over penance and sacred fire ritual (yajna),  Kalabhairava, Kapilashwara and Gorakshanatha - the different forms of Lord Shiva are worshipped  in the Yogishwar mutt by the sages of Natha Pantha, also known as Barah Pantha, by whom the mutt is being administered.

According to devotees, the history of the mutt dates back to the ‘Threta yuga,’ the period of Ramayana, and so is the history of ancient monuments around the mutt. 

Complimenting this belief, the caves and shrines have become mute witnesses to the human activities of pre-historic age.

Adjacent to the Yogishwar mutt, there are mainly two spots of interest, namely Seetha Bavi (Seetha’s well) and Pandavara Guhe (Pandava’s cave), which, unfortunately have been badly treated by unknown miscreants in recent days.

The visitors’ curiosity would be converted to disappointment when one will be greeted by tattered pieces of waste materials like polythene bags and bottles.

A research was done on these stone slabs in 1970s by Dr P Gururaj Bhat Kalyanpur and from the research outcomings which are also mentioned in the temple history book, it is evident that the history of Kadri, the administration of Mangalore in 14 -15 century by the Royal descendents of Vijayanagara empire and their donations to the mutt etc.

These stone slabs, in which the administrative history of Mangalore are enshrined, now lay orphaned in the premises of mutt and the carved letters have faded due to the hitting of coconut stones by some of the devotees for a long time.

Pandavas cave

According to Yogi Mangalanathji of Yogishwar mutt, history of Pandavas cave date back to the era of Pandavas, i.e., Dwapara Yuga. 

It is believed that, during their exile, Pandavas came here, and lived within these caves carved by them, protecting themselves from wild animals. 

Presently, miscreants have discarded gutkha packets and cigarettes in the cave.

On the other side of the mutt, a 45-feet square shaped deep well exists, which is named after Seetha, the divine consort of Lord Rama. Only in a distance of few yards, there is a stone platform on which a simple sanctorium is situated with Goddess Seetha’s idol in it.

Legend has it that Seetha used to draw water from the well, offer a sacred bath(abhisheka) to Lord Shiva and  meditate in the place where the sanctorium is placed. 

No trace of water could be found in the well which is in the ground level, without walls or protective fences. 

Thanks to the ignorant, the act of which has turned the well into a dustbin, with all kinds of discarded materials dumped in it.

While one leaves the place with a sigh of disgust, the wisest expectation would be that the local administartion and archeological department will take necessary steps to protect these monuments from miscreants before it is too late.