Gokarnanatheshwara Temple, Kudroli
Shiva (as Gokarnanatha) temple · Mangaluru (Kudroli), Dakshina Kannada, Karnataka, India
The Shree Gokarnanatha Kshetra, popularly called the Kudroli Gokarnanatheshwara Temple, is a Shiva temple in the Kudroli area of Mangaluru, Dakshina Kannada district, Karnataka. Its main deity is Shiva as Gokarnanatha. The temple says it is the only temple in Karnataka consecrated by the saint and social reformer Sree Narayana Guru, who installed the Shiva linga here in 1912.
Founded as a place of worship open to everyone, the temple is today best known for its Navaratri celebrations, the 'Mangaluru Dasara', in which images of the nine Durgas and of Sharada are installed and then taken through the city in a large procession on Vijayadashami.
Faith & Tradition
Religious Significance of Gokarnanatheshwara Temple, Kudroli
The temple was created in response to exclusion. According to the temple's own history, in 1905 a family from Mangaluru on pilgrimage to Gokarna was turned out of the temple there, publicly insulted and the premises ritually purified once their birth became known. Community leaders from Mangaluru, led by Sahukar Koragappa, then travelled to Kerala to seek the guidance of Narayana Guru, who urged them to build a temple of their own where all would be welcome.
The temple says the Guru named the deity Gokarnanatha, 'Lord of Gokarna', as a pointed answer to that insult. Deccan Herald, reporting a temple leader's account, adds that the Guru brought the Shiva linga with him from Kerala. The temple describes itself as a lasting symbol of human dignity and as following Narayana Guru's message of 'One Caste, One Religion, One God'.
The temple has continued with reforms in that spirit. It states that it has appointed widows as priests and allows people of all castes, creeds and genders to perform puja. Women's eNews reported in October 2013 that two widows had officiated as priests at the temple during that year's Dasara.
Heritage
History of Gokarnanatheshwara Temple, Kudroli
According to the temple, Narayana Guru came to Mangaluru with the community leaders in 1908 and chose the site at Kudroli, land formerly used as a grazing ground for horses. He laid the foundation stone and set up an association to keep the community organised. On Mahashivaratri in 1912 he consecrated the Shiva linga. Mangaluru Smart City records that the name Kudroli is linked to this former use of the land as a horse pasture.
The original temple was in the Kerala style. In 1991, under the leadership of the former Union minister B. Janardhana Poojary, it was rebuilt in the Chola style with a 60-foot rajagopuram; the temple says the renovated shrine was inaugurated by the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Deccan Herald reports that the temple began installing the Navadurgas for Dasara in the same year, 1991.
Architecture and sacred features
The present temple is in the Chola style, as both the temple and the Dakshina Kannada district administration note, with a 60-foot rajagopuram. Mangaluru Smart City describes gopurams decorated with murals of legends and scenes from the epics.
Around the main shrine are smaller shrines of the Navagrahas, Annapoorneshwari, Mahaganapati, Subrahmanya, Shaneeshwara and Anandabhairava, according to Mangaluru Smart City. Narayana Guru is also worshipped in the complex; the temple lists separate daily pujas for Gokarnanatha, Ganapati and Narayana Guru.
Plan Your Visit
Darshan and Visitor Information
The temple is open to devotees of all backgrounds. It is extremely busy during Navaratri, when Deccan Herald reports that organisers expect lakhs of visitors and the Vijayadashami procession keeps the city awake through the night. Confirm current timings and seva arrangements with the Shree Gokarnanatha Kshetra office before visiting.
Timings and arrangements change with seasons and festivals. Confirm current details with Shree Gokarnanatha Kshetra, Kudroli (official website) before travelling. Last reviewed 1 November 2026.
Sacred Calendar
Festivals at Gokarnanatheshwara Temple, Kudroli
Navaratri – Mangaluru Dasara
Images of Sharada, Mahaganapati and the nine forms of Durga are installed and worshipped for the festival; on Vijayadashami they are taken through the city in a long procession of tableaux and folk troupes.
Mahashivaratri
One of the temple's two major festivals according to the district administration, and the day on which Narayana Guru consecrated the linga in 1912.
Location
How to Reach Gokarnanatheshwara Temple, Kudroli
The temple gives its distances as about 2 km from Hampankatta in central Mangaluru, 3.4 km from the KSRTC bus stand, 2.7 km from Mangalore Central railway station and 12 km from Mangaluru International Airport. City buses and taxis run to Kudroli from the bus stand.
Location: Mangaluru (Kudroli), Dakshina Kannada, Karnataka, India
Nearest airport: Mangaluru International Airport (about 12 km, per the temple)
Nearest railway station: Mangalore Central (about 2.7 km, per the temple)
More in Hindu temples in Karnataka · Shiva (as Gokarnanatha) temples · Temples in Mangaluru Taluk · Temples in Dakshina Kannada District
Questions
Gokarnanatheshwara Temple, Kudroli: Frequently Asked Questions
Who consecrated the Kudroli Gokarnanatheshwara Temple?
Sree Narayana Guru consecrated the Shiva linga on Mahashivaratri in 1912. The temple says it is the only temple in Karnataka consecrated by him.
Why is the temple called Gokarnanatha?
According to the temple, Narayana Guru chose the name in answer to an incident in 1905 in which a Mangaluru family was expelled from the temple at Gokarna because of their birth.
What is Mangaluru Dasara?
It is the Navaratri festival centred on the Kudroli temple, when Sharada and the Navadurgas are installed and then taken out in a grand procession through Mangaluru on Vijayadashami.
When was the present temple built?
The original Kerala-style temple was rebuilt in the Chola style in 1991, with a 60-foot rajagopuram. The temple says the renovated shrine was inaugurated by Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
Does the Kudroli temple have women priests?
The temple says it has appointed widows as priests, and Women's eNews reported two widows officiating there during Dasara in 2013.
How far is Kudroli temple from Mangalore railway station?
The temple gives the distance from Mangalore Central railway station as about 2.7 km, and about 2 km from Hampankatta.
Sources and attribution
- Shree Gokarnanatha Kshetra, Kudroli — Home page
- Shree Gokarnanatha Kshetra, Kudroli — History
- Shree Gokarnanatha Kshetra, Kudroli — How to Reach?
- Shree Gokarnanatha Kshetra, Kudroli — Mangaluru Dasara
- District Dakshina Kannada, Government of Karnataka — Places of Interest
- Mangaluru Smart City Limited — Kudroli Gokarnath Temple
- Deccan Herald (PTI) — With no govt funding or royal patronage, Mangaluru's Dasara is called a 'common man's Dasara' (30 September 2024)
- Women's eNews — When Indian Widows Get a Break, All Women Benefit (10 October 2013)
- Wikipedia — Gokarnanatheshwara Temple
Further reading: Gokarnanatheshwara Temple, Kudroli on Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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