Kollur Sri Mookambika Temple
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Special puja for "Tiger of Mysuru" everyday
The Times of India, Nov 10 2015
Vinobha KT
This K'taka temple holds puja for Tipu every day
Karnataka, the Kollur Sri Moo kambika Temple on the foothills of Western Ghats continues to perform a special puja in the name of the `Tiger of Mysuru' every day . It's believed that the temple has salam mangalarathi to commemorate Tipu Sultan's visit to the temple. However, temple authorities say there is no documentary evidence for it. Salam mangalarathi is nothing but a mangalarathi offered to the deity in the evenings, said TR Uma, executive officer of Kollur Sri Mookambika Temple. She told TOI that salam mangalarathi is an oral undocumented tradition fol lowed at the temple. “The tradition is being followed for several years. It is believed that the puja is performed to commemorate Tipu Sultan's visit to the temple. It is a tradition of offering respect to chief ministers, ministers or officials. When VIPs arrive, temple staff accord a welcome and lead them to the shrine holding a torch. A mangalarathi is offered to the deity in the presence of VIPs. At present, the tradition is followed when the executive officer visits the tem ple in the evenings,“ Uma said. Historian Uday Barkur said the tradition of honouring kings or government representatives in temples is common. “Tipu Sultan had visited Shankaranarayana Temple, just 10 km from Kollur temple.The ruler, who offered a bell to Shankaranarayana temple, might have visited this temple too. The ritual might have been followed to commemorate his visit to the temple. I plan to study how the tradition started,“ Barkur said.
