Shree Venkataramana Temple is located at Car-street
in Mangalore. The structure that we see today is a complex that grew
over a period of two hundred years, the many structures belonging
to different times, but so integrated as to form a cohesive structure.
A small shrine for Lord Venkataramana is constructed in 1736. At the
time, it was a small shrine with just a Garbha-griha. The images under
worship were bronze images of Srinivasa group, installed in the temple
by the family of one Sri Mhala Pai According to one source in 1804
A.D., a peripatetic Sanyasi visited Mangalore. He put up a temporary
shelter in Car-street and kept a beautiful image of Veera Venkatesha
worshipped by him and lived on the offerings of the people. The image,
which was very beautiful, attracted great deal of attention. When
the crowds began to swell, he moved his shelter to lower car-street
to avoid the crowds. The Baba Pai family of this community, obtained
this image from the Sanyasi. There is another Story that The Sanyasi
came to Mangalore . He kept the idol (which was covered by cloth)
at Sahukar Mhal Pai's shop promising of returning soon and to open
the cloth covering if he doesn't returns with in few days. Not knowing
what is inside no one bother about this packet,till one day when fumes
started raising from it. when cloth was removed they found beautiful
image of Lord Venkataramana inside. The idol was taken to Shrimad
Vibhudendra Thirtha Swamiji of Sri Kashi Mutt who admired the beautiful
image and approved of its installation at Sri Venkataramana Temple
at Mangalore It is said that four prominent purohits of the community
performed the preinstallation ritual for three days continuously and
installed the image in the temple in A.D. 1804. The two subshrines
for Mukhyaprana and Garuda appear to have been added about this time.
The other subshrines for Ganapathi and Laxmi were added about 100
years ago. |