Karnataka is a State where many religious centres with unique features are found. State’s Western Ghats is like a heaven for the nature lovers. Amid these ghats we come across many temples. Each and every temple has its own importance and has marked its own legacy in the pages of history. Among these temples Sigandur Chowdeshwari Temple stands out.
It is said that Chowdeshwari is one of the ‘avataras’ of Goddess Parvathi, and Sigandur is one among the nine Shaktipeethas of Karnataka. The temple is on the banks of River Sharavati. Sigandur is located in Sagara Taluk of Shivamogga District. Three sides of Sigandur is covered by water and one side by road which connects to Kolluru. The amazing fact of this place is that the devotees must travel through ferry from one shore to another of the River to reach Sigandur.
The temple has a history of about 300 years. As per a story, a person from the village by the name Sheshappa had gone hunting to forest in the nearby village where he got lost. Tired, he was sleeping under a tree when he dreamt of Goddess Sigandureshwari, who asked him to build a temple for her. Later, Sheshappa narrated this dream to the priest of the village and both of them together built a temple for the Goddess. Sheshappa became the trustee of the village temple. Many people from the State of Tamil Nadu and nearby areas come here seeking solutions to their personal and business-related problems.
There is a guest house with 60 rooms constructed with most of the facilities built-in. There is also a large dining hall constructed which feeds lakhs of devotees every year. Also there is a large hall constructed which is used for marriage and other temple-related activities like functions and meetings. Apart from this the temple conducts a lot of other social activities encouraging cleanliness and health of the villagers.
Every year a big and grand fair is conducted here. This annual fair is conducted in the month of January on the day of Makara Sankranthi. During this festival devotees from different parts of South India visit the temple to seek the divine blessing of Goddess Sigandur Chowdeshwari. Makara Sankranthi is one of the most auspicious days as per Hindu tradition.
The places nearby Sigandur that can be visited are Jog Falls, Kodachadri, Kolluru, Sakrebailu Elephant Camp, Agumbe, and Kudli. The best time to visit Sigandur is November to March.
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