A temple regal & beautiful

Our visit to Sri Vijayadurga Kshetra happened by chance rather than choice. We were on our way to Karkala from Bengaluru when a few kilometres from Hassan, at Aalur, we came upon a sign board on the highway indicating the temple. The decision was instantaneous. We immediately took a right on the National Highway 48 in the direction of Vijayadurga Kshetra. We were happy for the halt at the temple. Peaceful, serene, tranquil: these words fall short to describe what we experienced in this spiritual place.

A beautifully sculpted archway gives way to a brick tiled parking area flanked by lush lawns leading to the octagonal Purushartha Yaga Mantapa. The exterior walls of this yaga shala are based on pancha bhootas or the five elements, and have niches containing sculptures of nine forms of Goddess Durga. Bang opposite the yaga mantapa is an exquisitely crafted sanctum sanctorum, built entirely of white marble. A simple but elegant dhwaja sthamba is erected between the entranceway and the sanctum sanctorum. The entrance arch, a rectangle one, holds aloft Goddess Durga with Ganesha and Anjaneya to her left and right sides. Shantananda Kshetrapala with Bhairava stands guard, a picture of sartorial elegance in white, on the left of the sanctum in a separate open shrine accorded to him. To the right is a pedestal that is holding a tulasi plant. Uniform lattice work panels displaying floral motifs run along the exterior walls of the sanctum, adding to the aesthetics of the edifice.

A place of solace
The sanctum, a spacious hall worked in marble, houses the sculpted deities of two forms of Goddess Durga in the centre, flanked by Aiswarya Karpaga Vinayaka on the left and Ishtasiddhi Anjaneya on the right. The Lakshmi and Vijaya sthambas adorn the left and right sides of the main altar. Decked in pink satin attire and adorned in floral finery, a weapons-wielding Durga as Sri Udasalamma stands tall and majestic, symbolising Shakti, Power, Strength and Bravery.

Devotees throng to her abode seeking solace from problems, especially associated with justice. A calm and composed Sri Matsalamma, dressed in blue, is seen in sitting posture next to Udasalamma. Goddess Durga sitting as a yogini represents Soumya Shanti, indicating permanence and stability, with the power to bring about self-realisation.

Ganesha, the pot-bellied elephant god,  charms his way to your heart as he sits smug in meditation, holding the Shiva linga in his right palm. Referred to as Aiswarya Karpaga Vinayaka in this temple, his idol is believed to be rare. It is said that there is only one other temple, in Tamil Nadu, that has such a sculpted form of Ganesha with the linga in his hand.

Lord Rama’s most ardent devotee, Hanuman, as Ishtasiddhi Anjaneya, bestows upon you your most cherished desires. There are several worshippers who we see proceed to a tree behind the temple, and tie a talisman obtained from the altar of Anjaneya. The belief is that in doing so, they would have their wishes fulfilled. The banyan tree, called ishtasiddhi vriksha, dates back several centuries.

Legend has it that when the blind Anjana Devi performed penance under it, she got back her sight and also gave birth to the strong and powerful, Anjaneya. Another tree, dvishakti tree, which is said to be over 200 years old, is a combination of seven trees and is believed to protect the main temple deities.

Unique story
There is an interesting story associated with the temple, the main idols of which are over 400 years old. In the past, the statues of the deities, Udsalamma and Matsalamma, were in a small four-walled building, the door of which was accidentally burnt in a fire from lamps lit in the temple. Fearing the wrath of the gods from some misdoing or wrong of unknown nature, the families residing in the temple vicinity and presiding over it, fled the village and resettled elsewhere.

The temple was given a new life by a divine vision that was experienced by Sridhar Raj Urs, whose family deities are Udsalamma and Matsalamma. With providential guidance, the Urs family located the idols of the deities which remained intact in the humble temple structure that suffered destruction from the fire. The statues, thus recovered, were installed in the present precincts.

The temple complex is a five-acre patch of land that houses the temple, the yagashala and other structures. Besides daily pujas in the morning and evening, the temple observes with much fanfare Sankranti, Shivaratri, Yugadi, Rama Navami, Gauri-Ganesha, Vaikunta Ekadasi, Hanumath Jayanthi, Dasara and its annual festival.