Syed Abubaker
Maliki
THE NAWAYATHS OF
BHATKAL
The mention of the name Bhatkal will
invariably conjure before anyone the image of Nawayaths. Yes, Nawayaths are a
decisive force in Bhatkal. As is natural in the case of all human beings, the
Nawayaths also have made a relentless search for their roots and have come up
with a plausible answer They are a small yet significant sect among the Muslims
and are living mainly in and around Bhatkal in Karnataka India. They have traced
ancestry to the Arabs, the traders of the medieval.
Settlements of
Nawayathis
Their old settlements comprise clusters of
old structures in compact areas and are called Saiys. Houses are seen
constructed wall to wall on either side of the street. In every street. there is
a mosque catering to the spiritual needs of the devout inhabitants. The new
settlement consist of beautifully designed sprawling mansions with all amenities
usually available in mega cities.
Mode of Life
The traditional
code of dress of Nawayath men consists of kurta, lungi and topi. Their ladies
have opted for the local Indian way of dressing. Not withstanding this, full
purdah is a must for women. The Nawayaths are generally light skinned and good
looking. They are very religious-minded. The 60 mosques of Bhatkal bear eloquent
testimony to their piety and so do the numerous religious schools established in
this town. This is further substantiated by the fact that there is quite a
large number of young Hafiz who have committed the entire Holy Quran to memory.
Quite many of them belong to the age group 12-15. Jamia Islamia, the premier and
prestigious college for Islamic learning for boys attracts students from far and
wide. Similarly Jamiatus-Salihat is an institution meant for
girls.
Social
Customs
Nawayaths of Bhatkal rarely go in for intercaste
marriages. Marriages are conducted as laid down in the laws of Islam. It is
gratifying to note that the obnoxious and much-hated dowry system has not raised
its dirty head in the Nawayath community and has been strictly prohibited.
Wherever the Nawayaths go, they settle in groups and make it point to live in
close contacts with the other religious life. An intense fraternal feeling
prevails amidst all Nawayaths. They belong to the Shafi school of thought.
Paradoxical though it may seem, the affluent Nawayaths remained educationally
backward for a deplorably long spell. The Anjuman-Hami -e- Muslimeen
spear-headed the long drawn battle against illiteracy. A wide range of
educational institutions ranging from the kindergarten schools to the
professional college have come into being. At last these efforts have begun to
pay dividends. Scores of Nawayaths have emerged as engineers and doctors.
Numbers of
periodicals are brought out by the Nawayaths. One in English-"The Bhatkal Times'
which began its innings from August 1990. This fortnightly news magazine is
edited by Aftab Hussein Kola. Another periodicals called the
'Naksh-e-Navayath, Al Ittihad, Sahil News,’ (forthnightlies) as been in this
field .There are lot of websites on the net. The first website
www.bhatkal.com was launched by Syed
Abubaker Maliki, Then www.sahilonline.com,
www.bhatkallys.com,
www.bhatkal.net and so on. The Nawayath community can pride over the fact that it has produced quite
a good number of distinguished sons of India who by their magnanimity and
service-mindedness, raised the image of India notch by notch. While late I.H.
Siddique was a top-ranking freedom fighter and a legislature of Bombay Assembly,
M.M. Siddique was a social worker and front-line crusade who
waged a relentless war against the many ills plaguing the society at large. A.K.
Hafizka served India as her ambassador to Saudi Arabia in 1977. As the member of
the Legislative Assembly of Bombay and BPCC (I) president he served the state to
such an extent that he became the pride and envy of his counterparts.
J.H.Shamsuddin rose to the position of a deputy minister for electricity and
finance in the early sixties. The contemporary Nawayath community too has not
lagged behind in this respect. It has many outstanding personalities on various
fronts. Thus, S.M. Yahya who has served the Govt. of Karnataka in various
capacities as the Finance Minister, Minister of Industries and the Education
Minister and is presently an M.L.A. and the senior vice president of KPCC(I) is
a Navayth. Navayths show great affinity towards Urdu poetry and the
community has produced eminent poets like Dr.Muhammad Husain Fitrath , Mr. Payam
Sayeedi, Mr. Hasrat Bhatkali, Syed Abubaker
Maliki, Mohd Hasan Muallim, Mohd Ali
Qamar,Kauser Jaferi, Haneef Shabab and Abdul Rahim Irshad who have acquired
national fame. Majlis-e-Islah-o-Tanzeem, the official organ of the Nawayaths, is
making strides in the social and political fields. It is regarded as the most
powerful Muslim organization in the entire Uttara Kannada district. If any
single community can claim the credit for projecting Bhatkal on the map of
India, it is the Navayaths. They have toiled untiringly to make Bhatkal a
healthy and happy place to live in and have accelerated the developmental
process of this palm tree-studded silvery shore. To put it in a nut-shell, it
would suffice to say that they can look back to an excellent track record
and look forward to a still more promising future.
H I S T O R Y
At a
time when the whole community was writhing in the grip of ignorance, a few
thinkers decided to awake the literally sleeping community by opening a maktab
(elementary school) by the name "Islah-O-Tanzeem" in 1912. But the need to form a
bigger institution cropped up and as a result the " Anjuman Hami-e-Muslimeen"
was founded on 2nd Aug, 1919 to intiate the process of bringing education to the
door-steps of the common man. Almost all had favoured the idea. It was
initiated as a result of the painstaking efforts of illustrious men like F.A.
Hasan, I.H.Siddique, M.M.Siddique , Haji Hasan, S.M. Syed Muhammed , Syed
Abubaker Moulana, Abu Abdurrahman among others. F.A. Muhammed Hasan became its
first president while M.M. Siddique its first school on Sept. 1, 1919, with only
11 students on its roll. Primary section was added in 1929, and the same year
also saw the recognition of the school by the Government. Moving steadily and
with the support from the
community's elite, the school was upgraded into a high school in June 1939. Thus
was born the Islamia Anglo Urdu High school at Bhatkal The very first batch of this high school comprised
of 8 students only. And from here onwards Anjuman never looked back, but
progressed with all its might. At present, 740 students are on the rolls with 41
staff in this Islamia Anglo Urdu High School. Mr. Usman Hasan Jubapu's tenure
as the headmaster for 27 years
is worth recalling. It was he who played a vital role in bringing quality to
teaching. Mr. V.V. Nainan was the school's first head master. The school
administration under Mr. U.H.L. Bhat is also worth
recalling.
Educational
Institutions
Anjuman Arts, Science & Commerce College Established in 1968 and
conceived by S.M. Haji Syed Mohiddin, this college initially started with only
the arts faculty. Science course was introduced in 1969 & commerce in 1975.
Prof. S. Nazeer Ahmed was its principal. In the first instance the college was
accommodated in the high school building and was later shifted to the new
location atop the hillock. The college with 1029 students including 294 girls
and 60 staff is just one aspect of the Anjuman. This institution is affiliated
to the Karnataka University, Dharwad. The college library has a good collection
of books numbering 14,875 and it subscribes to over 50 periodicals. The college
has a separate well-equipped laboratory block. Prof.Abdul Rahman is the present
principal of this college.
Anjuman Girls' High
School
Started in June 1971 in `Farhat Manzil' at
Sultan Street with Mrs.Rasheeda Basha as the Head Mistress (she still holds the
post) this Anjuman girls' high school was conceived by Messrs. Usman
Hasan and S.M. Yahya, then Anjuman's
general secretary its president. English medium section was introduced
in June 1979 and the school now located in the Basti Road has 527 students on
its roll and 26 staff.
Anjuman Nursery and Primary
School
Attach to the Islamia Anglo High School Anjuman
Primary and Nursery school was opened was in August 1973. It was only a primary
school then and the nursery section was introduced in June 1981. The Nursery
school has 190 students and 677 students are enrolled in the primary section with a total of 25
staff Anjuman Pre-University
College For Women Accommodated
in the girls high school, the Anjuman Pre-university college for women was
started in July 1980. This college has only an arts faculty. The present
strength is 86. The staff includes 3 full-timers and 4 part-timers.
This
college is situated in a small town called Bhatkal in North Canara (Uttara
Kannada ) District of Karnataka State. The place is on the National Highway 17.
This is about 150 km away from Mangalore, about 3-4 hours by road when you are
coming from the south and 250 km, about 5-6 hours by road from Goa if you come
from the north. NH 17 is a main route for all the buses which ply between Bombay
and southern parts of the country, especially to Mangalore, Kerala etc. Now
Bhatkal is connected to the rest of the country by railway, you guess..... Yes
the much talked famous Konkan Rail corridor pass through Bhatkal. College is on
top a hill with a pretty good scenic back ground. The Sahyadri on one side and
the Arabian Sea on the other side. This is a very rare opportunity for you to
see where Sahya Mountains meet the Arabian Sea. Once one of guests told during a
College Day function, "We feel like we are On Top Of The World".
Striving to reach greater height, this professional
private un-aided engineering college was established inspite of stiff resistance
from a number of people. This is located atop the same hillock where the Anjuman
arts, science and commerce college is situated. This college started its innings
in Aug 1980. Great efforts were put into the establishment of this professional
college, which is the only one of its kind in the entire North Kanara District.
Now, the college has five branches, viz., Civil, Mechanical, Electrical &
Electronics, Electronics & Communication and Computer Science and
Engineering. The college's present intake is 250. The college has gained wide
recognition for quality engineering education attracting students from all over
the country.
JAMIA
ISLAMIA
Jamia Islamia, a citadel of
Islamic learning is located in Tengingundi, 5 Kms from Bhatkal and the place is
called 'Jamiabad'. It is no exaggeration to observe that the Jamia is deeply
indebted to Moulana Abdul Hamid Nadvi whose relentless presence paved the way
for the birth of this seat of Islamic learning. Embracing about 20 acres, Jamia
Islamia now enjoys the pride of place in the map of Karnataka. Out of the 20
acres, 101/2 acres of land were gifted to the Jamia by the legal heirs of Mr. S.M. Syed Meera in 1967, 6 acres of
land were taken on lease from the State Govt. and the rest of the land was
purchased. The system of education is traditional and the emphasis is
more on imparting religious knowledge. The Jamia Islamia offers a course in
Islamic studies in Arabic medium leading to the `Alim' (graduate) degree. The
course begins with primary education in a Maktab (elementary school) four years.
The Maktabs are located at two places, one at Chowk Bazaar and the other in
Navayath Colony. After completion of years, one joins the Jamia Islamia in
Jamiabad and after 9 years of successful completion one writes for the final
exam to become an `Alim' (religious scholar). This examination is conducted by
the Nadwa-tul-ulema, Lucknow to which this institution is
affiliated. An S.S.L.C. completed student can join the course at the 7th year of
the 9-years course. Apart from religious learning, English, Kannada, Science,
etc., are also taught. The Jamia also has made arrangements to produce `huffaz'
(plural of hafiz), persons who memories the full text of the Holy Quran.
Jamia has, at present, 367 students on its rolls. It is basically a residential
school. Students come here from far-off places like Bihar, Bombay, Kerala &
other parts of Karnataka. However, locals constitute about 80% of the strength.
The present campus in Jamia Islamia symbolises love and
unity. The sprawling campus has a number of buildings. The main building which
is on the eastern side and where classrooms are accommodated has 21 rooms on its
ground floor including the office, principal's room and the administrator's
room. Construction of the first floor is at present in full swing and is likely
to be completed by the end of this year. The elegant
Darut-tahfiz block where the students memorize the holy Qur'an is on the right
side after the entrance. About 90 students are presently engaged in memorizing
the Qur'an under five instructors. Flower beds adorn the front space of the
rectangular-shaped building. The small children wearing caps and reciting Qur'an
present a marvelous sight. The most beautiful building, however, is the library
block situated on the mid-western part of the campus. The library
houses about 7,000 books and it subscribes to 15 periodicals, mostly Arabic.
There is also an audio cassette hiring facility. The old hostel, which is on the
left side after the entrance has four lengthy halls, two on either side
separated by a passage. These halls are used as dormitories. Two halls have cot
facility. The long dining hall (mess) which is internally connected to this has
a kitchen. There are also four big hostel rooms. There is an arrangement for
about 200-250 student's accommodation in the Jamia. The staff quarter are on the
western side. A guest house made of bricks was recently constructed and is fully
furnished.
BHATKAL EDUCATION TRUST
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When the
Anjuman-Hami-e-Muslimeen, the pioneering education trust at Bhatkal was
twenty years old, Bhatkal saw the birth of yet another
trust which embarked upon its soil to fulfill the needs of the Kannada
speaking people. The trust which came to known as the `Bhatkal
Education Trust' was founded in 1939. The fruitful efforts of Messrs..
Vaman Nayak and Vaman Shanbagh yielded results. And persons like the late
Nagappa Naik, Hanumanth, V. Shanbagh and Pandurang Nayak later helped it
to blaze a new trail. Mr. R.G. Kole, an industrialist asserts that the
Bhatkal Education Trust was formerly a public trust. Only
one institute - the New English High
School, at Bunder Road is being managed by
this Trust. The first S.S.L.C. batch came out in 1954. The New English
High School is one of the well-maintained high schools of the district.
The school has around 700 students on its rolls. The ground floor building
has a decent appearance with a spacious and well-laid front garden.
English medium section was introduced from the year 1987-88. The school's
excellent academic performance over the years has brought fame to this
high school. 23 full-time staff and 11 part- timers constitute the
teaching faculty with Mr. L.K. Moger as the headmaster.
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A PEEP
INTO THE CHEQUERED HISTORY OF BHATKAL
There is every reason to believe that by virtue of its
strategic location Bhatkal has for centuries been an apple of discord. It seems
as though many rulers-foreigners not barring-vied with one another to gain
control over this town by hook or crook. Paradoxical thought it may seem, very
little is known about the history of this place prior to the 12th century A.D.
except a few stray references here and there. This being so, reconstructing the
history of this glorious town is stupendous task by any counts. Not withstanding these facts there is conclusive
evidence which goes to prove that Bhatkal was a part and parcel of the Hoysala
empire for more than 50 years during the rule of Ballal III from 1291 to 1343.
Although the Alupas were the nominal rulers of Bhatkal taluk during the early
decades of the 14th century, they in turn owed allegiance to the Vijayanagar
emperors. The rulers of Vijayanagar administered Bhatkal with Honnavar as the
headquarters. This rule lasted throughout the reign of Harihara II, Devaraya I
and Devaraya II. However, in the early days, the rulers of Haduvalli did defy
the supremacy of Vijayanagar and did not hesitate to give tough resistance. Varthema (1503), the Italian traveler speaks very highly of
Bhatkal. In his words Bhatkal was noble city, very beautiful, Bhatkal was among
the top-ranking centres of trade and commerce in the Vijayanagar empire. That
was the reason why the Portuguese appealed to Krishnadevarya time and again to
permit them to open a factory there. The fact that Krishnadevarya who maintained
amicable relationship with the Portuguese refused their request underscores the
importance of Bhatkal. After the disintegration of Vijayanagar empire the
Saluva rulers of Haduvalli brought this coveted town under their rule. Thus the
dawn of the 15th century marked the beginning of a new chapter in the chequered history of Bhatkal. Many temples and
bastis came to be constructed here during Chennabhaira Devi's rule. It is said
that one of her commanders, Narayana Nayaka (1556) built the Vardhamana Basti.
It is a matter of great pride to us to recall that the eminent scholar like
Akalanka II who was the mentor of the renowned Kannada grammarian Bhattakalanka
(1598) was a great son of this locality. This region passed on to
the Nayakas of Keladi from Chennabhaira Devi. Meanwhile sweeping changes were
taking place in the political scenario of the country. the Portuguese had
secured a strong foot-hold in Goa. their meteric rise was upsetting all
political equation. In the alter part
of the 17th century they had entered into an agreement with Chennammaji (1678)
and succeeded in obtaining her permission to build churches at Bhatkal and
elsewhere. The Maratha King Shivaji came by the sea route and tried to plunder
Bhatkal in 1664. The Dutch maintained cordial relationship with the rulers
of Bhatkal. No wonder their policy paid rich dividends. Trade between the two
countries prospered as never before. When Bhatkal came under Tippu's rule its
overseas trade received a further boost. He opened many state-owned depots at
Bhatkal. Bhatkal proved to be invaluable and indispensable
for the prosperity of the economy of any kingdom. Thus it changed hands quite
frequently. In 1606 it came under the Keladi Navayakas and continued to rise
notch by notch. The Portuguese succeeded in opening a factory of their own at
Bhatkal in 1678. From the Keladi rulers, Bhatkal passed on to Hyder Ali and
Tippu from whom it came under the British in 1799. Antequetil dy parron who
visited this place in 1758 speaks of a fort built on a rock. Buchanon who came
here in 1801 says that there were 50 houses in Bhatkal . Bhatkal did not lag
behind its counterparts in other parts of the country in our struggle for
freedom. The historic Quit India procession was taken here during the second
week of 1942. Thus even a sketch history that can be
reconstructed in the light of available evidence speaks volumes of the greatness
of Bhatkal and of its vital role in our country's economy. FACTS : There
were two division of Canara in Nov. 1800-Northern & Southern; Bhatkal was in
the northern division. In 1871, both the division merged to emerge as a
single division. In 1862, the single division was again divided into two
districts-Uttara Kannada with Bhatkal Petha was transferred to the Bombay
Presidency. In 1960 - Bhatkal was elevated as a taluk.
TEMPLES IN BHATKAL
The Hindu philosophy accommodates diverse
interpretations of its ancient scriptures. It stands for a process of
evolution extending from the worship of arthromorphic God, to the
realisation of self as God. A Hindu temple symbolises this process. The
styles of temple have reflected their basic purpose and the different
views of the civilisation in which they occur. Bhatkal town is not only
famous for elegant mosques, but also for the temples that dot the town.
The old structures have withstood the ravages of time to tell the tales of
the past splendour. And there are new ones built by the new generation people. While the
majority of the ancient temples are situated in Mudbhatkal, lying to the
east of the town, the new ones and a few older structures are in the town.
The temples dotting Mudbhatkal include Khetapayya Narayana, Joshi
Shankarnarayana and
Choleshwara. Other temples in the area are as follows:
Santappa Nayaka
Tirumala temple was
constructed by Santappa Nayaka, who is believed to have been the
brother-in-law of Khet Pai. In this temple, God Venkataramana is
worshipped. Built in 1555, profusely sculptured motifs adorn the
walls. The Virupaksha Narayan
temple is a small
structure built in 1565 by Jeevana Nayaka. The Narasimha temple is another
fine structure in Mudbhatkal. A hero stone is found on its left
corner. Nothing is visible on it. A merchant
by name Narasa Kini built the temple in 1538. The ceiling is adorned with
fine images of Brahma and its Navaranga has pillars with lathe-turned
top. Lakkarasa Kamthi Lakshmi Narayana is a small monument in the
green field. The temple is assigned to 1550 AD. The Raghunath temple in the area is assigned to 1590 AD
and was built by Bala Kini Bhatkal town proper, too, has a score of
temples including a few older ones. The cynosure of all is the
Maruthi
temple at car Street.
During its construction period, which we couldn't trace out, eight
guardian angels called `Astadik- palakaru' were installed in its eight
directions with a belief that these will guard the temple from unforeseen
evils. The Maruthi is the gramadevata of Bhatkal. During March-April, a
car festival of this temple is held. The Shri Marikamba temple, renovated in 1980, situated on the
busy main road (Marikatta) The Nichchalamakki Sri Venkatar -amana
temple at Asarkeri is another famous temple here which has about 200 years
history. His Holiness Sri Ramanujacharaya and Sri
Madhavacharya installed Sri venkata- raman idol, which was brought from
Tirupathi. The Sunkadakatte Sri Ganapati temple recently renovated has an
interesting history.Sunkada Katte in Kannada means check post (for
collecting octroi). And it is believed that
its employees had installed Ganapati idol for their daily worship and
subsequently it became a temple. The Soddigadde Shri Mahasati temple has disciples mostly from
Moger and Namadhari communities. It is said that previously there were
five `peethas'. In the year 1973 the new idol of
Mahasatiwas installed. There is no permanent priest for the rituals. And
any man is free to enter and worship according to his own customs. The car
festival takes place in the month of January. The Sri Siddhi Vinayaka
temple at Ranginkatte is
70 years old. The main speciality of this Ganapathi idol is that its trunk
is turned right, and not left as usually seen. In the year 1921 Ved Shri
Kabre Timmanna Bhat of Kabre village installed this idol made of white
marble and build this temple. This temple is managed by Havyaka
Brahmins. Other temples include the Shanteri Kamakshi, the
Parashurama Damodhara, the Gopalkrishna, Dattareya, the Vader
math, Durgaparameshwari, Kashi math, Nadagara, Shri Ram, Padmavathi and
Shivalaya. The Amar Lingeshwar Temple at Bunder has a long history but we
will not go into it. The temple was renovated in 1987. His Holiness Sri
Vishweshwar Teertha Swamiji of Shringeri Math installed the Ishwar Linga.
The temple is at the bottom of the hillock near the sea. Mr. Vasudev Bhat
belonging to Havyaka Brahmin community is its priest. Other temples at
bunder are: Hanumanth, Mahalingeshwar, Durgaparameshwari and Kutshmeshwar.
Murdeshwar Additional places of
interest
REMINISCENCES OF A
BYGONE SPLENDOUR
Jain who ruled Bhatkal during
the fourteenth century have left behind vestiges of their once famous bastion.
1336 A.D. marked the glorious beginning of the Vijayanagar empire and Bhatkal
became its major centre in the southern taluks of Uttara Kannada district. Most
of the bastis and temples at Bhatkal were built during the regions of
Vijayanagar and Jain rulers. These imposing ancient monuments whisper gently the
glories of town that had seen far better days and flourished in the distant
past. The ancient monuments, magically revive past splendour and bring alive the
ancient town before our mind's eyes. Given below are the pen-sketches of such
beautiful ancient struc -tures which reminisce our rich and colourful heritage. There Are Four Beautiful Temples... Parshawantha Temple...Kethapayya Narayana Temple ... Joshi Shankar Narayana Temple...
Choleshwara Temple Moni
Basti This is locally
famous by the name `Moni Basti'. The Parshwanatha basti ranks
among the ancient structures built in 15 century in Bhatkal. Situated as it is
on the Bazaar Main Road in the heart of the town, this place of worship has been
a silent witness to the rise and fall of empires as also to the sweeping changes
that This is locally famous by the name `Moni Basti'. The Parshwanatha basti
ranks among the ancient structures built in 15 century in Bhatkal. Situated as
it is on the Bazaar Main Road in the heart of the town, this place of worship
has been a silent witness to the rise and fall of empires as also to the
sweeping changes that have overwhelmed this region. The basti testifies to the
artistic excellence of the architects and engineers of those far-off days.A tall
monolithic Manasthamba greets the visitor from a distance. The small shrine atop
this pillar contains fascinating images, carved in marble. The
Navaranga is supported by the typical granite Vijayanagar pillars of square and
octagonal shapes. Yet another wide-spread belief is that it was a Jain
Queen, Mohini who built this. But there is no conclusive evidence to
substantiate this.
The Kethapayya Narayan temple is the most
outstandingly beautiful architectural structure found in Bhatkal. Located at
Mudbhatkal the beauty and sharpness of the art carved on the temple walls makes
the pilgrims spellbound. The Navaranga supported by four pillars represents the
Vijayanagara style of architecture. Idols of `Ashta Dikpalakas' guard the eight
directions. At the door step of the temple pictures of episodes extracted from
Ramayana, Putra Kamesti, Vanavas, Rama pattabhisheka, etc., make one dream of
those ages. There is a huge monolithic swajastambha (flag pillar) in front
on which are engraved on one side facing the deity a rich couple, presumably of
Kheta Pai and his wife. It is said that Khetha Pai, a noted jeweller who came
from Goa. There is a belief that Rani Chennadevi donated liberally for the
construction of this temple. Joshi Shankara
Narayan Temple Located in the vicinity of the Kethapayya Narayan
Temple, Joshi Shankarnarayana Temple is supposed to have been built around 1554
A.D. The very name of this temple indicates that there is no difference between
Hari and Hara. This bears witness to the fact that devotees can worship their
god at one place and offer salutation to one Idol, which resembles both Hari and
Hara. And the prefix in its name indicate the name of the builder. In the temple
only adyturn (garbhgudi) is there. It has a separate front structure of flat
roof. The building which is small and square shaped is beautiful beyond belief.
There is no Idol of Shankara Narayana. Only Kaivalya idol remains. This
attractive idol is two and a half feet in height, with four hands on the left
hand side. The face on this side is of Vishnu, the right hand side face is of
Shanker and the two hands are holding Trishul and Japasara (garland of beeds).
On either side of the seat Nandi and Garuda Lanchana can be seen .Choleshwar Temple This temple is
believed to be the oldest temple of Bhatkal. The Cholas invaded upto Bhatkal
during 10th century. In memory of this conquest the Chola King built the
Choleshwar temple. Originally built of laterite, and now renovated using
granite, it looks like a metal boiler placed upside down. There is no separate
sanctum sanctorum for the idol. It is completely dark inside. The temple has a
beautiful balipitha and also a monolithic pillar with a small Nandimantapa atop.
A curvilinear Shikhara has been added to the garbhagriha in the recent past,
which houses a linga. The altar in the precincts is enchantingly beautiful. The scripts on the walls are in Tamil and speak of one
Modaliyan, which is not of Chola times, Choleshwar temple remains intact
proclaiming the greatness of India's history and culture.
Murdeshwar Murdeshwar, 16 km from Bhatkal has recently shot
into prominence as one of the loveliest spots in Karnataka. One can enter
Murdeshwar from the Bhatkal-Honnavar National Highway through a specially
erected big entrance decorated with intricate carvings. Murdeshwar symbolises
the past glory of Hinduism. It is centered around the splendid Murdeshwar temple
atop a hillock overlooking the Arabian Sea. Epic has it that this magnificent
Murdeshwar linga emerged when Ravana threw the cloth covering the Atmalinga at
Gokarn (another pilgrim centre in Uttara Kannada). And this cloth is presumed to
have landed on this hillock called `Kanduka Parvata' and called Marideshwar'.
The two inscriptions found in the older temple shed light on the construction of
Nandi Mantapa in 1542 A.D. and the times of Devaraya II of Vijayanagar. There is
however another version about the atmalinga being broken into four pieces &
thrown by Ravana. The old temple has been recently renovated. Built in a
Dravidian style, this temple excludes medieval grace and charm. The magnificent
temple overlooks the Arabian sea. To the side of the compound wall is the
Nataraja statue made of bell metal. A shrine of `Jattiga', the guarding deity,
is seen installed outside the temple. One is greeted with the bewitching beauty
of the surroundings as one reaches the top of the hillock. The vast stretches of
silvery sands with the Sahyadri mountains framed into the background, the
coconut trees dancing to the tunes of the billows, rose of boats dancing and
drifting towards the shore, the sun looking like a ball of fire just before the sunset
and then sinking into the sea - all weave a magic spell and make the viewers
forget themselves.
|
THE
DESTINATION Around
10 miles west of the Karnataka coast on the Arabian Sea is the Netrani
Island. The only inhabitants of the island are wild goats. Besides,
the Indian navy often uses this island for target practice.
THE
JOURNEY To
get there, one has to hire a fishing trawler from Bhatkal or Honawar.
One approach to Bhatkal is from the south by road from Mangalore or
from Bombay. Nestled between the Arabian Sea and Saraswathy
forest, Bhatkal is a small sleepy and picturesque town untrammeled by
tourists. The constant travel of the locals to the Middle Eastern
countries seems to have had such an impact as to create a pseudo Arabic
culture and the place abounds in fancy bungalows and grand mosques.
THE ISLAND
On approaching the lee
of the island, from the east face, it looks like a cake with near vertical
sides topped by a gentle sloping plateau. It is really a seamount,
supporting a soil layer overgrown with trees and plants. The monsoon rain
percolating into the soil is held and preserved by rocks to sustain plant
life round the year. Denudation through weathering and gunnery is
extensive on the west face and to a lesser extent on the south, but flora
reaches down to the sea level on the north and east, preserving the soil.
There exists a subterranean cave opening in the south as well as north
clear of the high water mark.
Scouting along the sea face, a grotto can be
located further south. It contains a fresh water spring having a
flow about a liter a minute. The water is cool and tastes like mineral
water. Apparently these grottos under the shadow of the tree line usually
possess fissures' flows.
If one chooses the dry watercourse, one would
find an incline of about 60 degree that is packed with loose broken rocks
overgrown with grass. After a crawling climb of nearly 170 meters, a
gentle plateau appears. The place looks like a botanists paradise.
At night, it is a silent world from a city
dweller's point of view. Yet it has its own decibels. Sounds of sea gently
break on the rocks; wind blowing through the leaves; nesting birds calling
out to each other; wild goats foraging nearby; or an occasional rat
scampering about, punctuate the night.
On the plateau is a temple and mazaar, where in
April pilgrims come and release a goat or chicken as an offering.
The temple and the mazaar co-exist peacefully with a lone coconut palm
maintaining vigil between them. The mazaar appears ancient and has
numerous flags tied around it. The temple consists of a platform on which
stand several deities. The lingams and the statues seem fairly old
bordering on the antique. One of the lingams has some inscriptions
on it.
The temple has three bells. Puja offerings of
cash and other paraphernalia lay scattered. A notice nailed to a large
tree nearby reads, "People are prohibited to kill and take away the
birds and animals left here in the name of God. Lifters will be
responsible for the consequences."
HOW TO REACH
: To
reach Netrani, one has to hire a trawler from Bhatkal or Honawar. It is a
22 hour-long journey by bus from Bombay to Bhatkal. It takes almost two
and a half hours to three hours to reach Netrani by the trawler.
WHERE TO STAY
: One
certainly can get a lodging at Bhatkal, but if one decides to stay
overnight at Netrani, they should make their own arrangements like tents,
sufficient food and water. |
Locally known as Netragudo, the Netrani island
is an excellent picnic spot off the Bhatkal coast. Also called as Pigeon island,
this Netrani island which is about 25 km from the Bhatkal coast, is a hill in
the Arabian Sea.The island is enveloped by wild growth of trees and climbing the
step hill is not that easy. If we are able to reach the top of the hill braving
all hazards involved which is a rewarding experience we can see the idol of
Jattiga and sculptures of cocks and elephants on one side and grave of a Muslim
on the other. It is believed that it was once common to take vows to offer
worship here. The ruins of a temple, a Roman catholic church and a mosque can
still be seen. The island has sheltered innumerable wild goats.
Manki Located about 28 km from Bhatkal,Manki is a place
of considerable antiquity and was a famous Jain centre during the 14th and 15th
centuries. The place has temples dedicated to Ganapathi, Venkataramana, Durga
etc. The place has 3 mosques.
ADDITIONAL PLACES OF INTEREST
Shirali , Hadwalli, Kaikin ,
Marvanthe , Chitrapur , Shirali 4 km from Bhatkal on the National Highway
is Shirali, a place of considerable antiquity. Lying on the north of the
Venktapura river, Shirali has inscriptions of the Alupas, Hoysalas,
Hadwalli rulers and
Vijayanagar. This place houses a centre which measures rainfall. The
Mahaganapathy temple is situated here. The idol of Ganapati is carved out
of stone whereas the icon of Mahamaya is made of an alloy of five metals.
Hadwalli Hadwalli which falls
under Bhatkal taluk lies on the Sagar road about 20 km from Bhatkal. It
had been once the capital of the Saluvas. Shorn of all its glory, it has
since been reduced to an
anonymous hamlet. The village amidst lush foliage has interesting Jain
monuments. The Padmavati temple is one of its prized possessions. In this
temple one can see an array of statues of 24 Theerthankaras engraved in fine black polished
stone, each over a half meter tall. The beautiful bell metal statues of
Yakshi, Padmavathi, Jain, Saraswati and Brahma on horseback bear
testimony to the excellent of the artists of yore. Especially so the bell
metal icon of Ananthana Theerthankara encircled with a halo on which are
engraved the figures of 72 Threethankaras. Nearby there are two hillocks
called Chandragiri and Indragiri. Below Chandragiri is the fine
Chandranatha Basti of Vijayanagar times with fine lathe-turned pillars. In
the smaller Basadi located outside this Basadi, we can see the transparent
marble statue of Chandranatha in standing posture. The outer column
contains engravings depicting pots, bracelets and anklets. The door
with intricate carvings depicting creepers reveal a high standard of
artistic excellence.
Kaikini Prominent centre of ancient times, this
village of about 6,000 people, is 13 km from Bhatkal and lies along
the Bhatkal-Honnavar Road. The only basadi, is the old Parshwanatha
Basadi, which houses 24 engravings. One of the inscriptions found in the
Basadi testifies to the facts that Kaikini was a busy town in far-off
days, that 24 `Jananis' look after the town administration and that during
Vijayanagar period, it was a bee-hive of `Vaisya' (traders)
activities.
Marvanthe A fairyland of scenic beauty, about 45 Kms
from Bhatkal is Marvanthe, a scenic spot. The highway bordered on either
side by the Arabian Sea and the Sauparnika River, with the
Kutachadri Hills forming the background, makes the drive an exciting
experience. And at sunset a crimson sky and golden rays reflected both in
the sea and the river convert Marvanthe into a fairy land of scenic
beauty.
Chitrapur
Shri Chitrapur Math,
the renowned Parijnanashrama Swamiji's monastery, is the abode of six
samadhis at Chitrapur (Shirli). So far a lineage of ten swamijis has been
at the helm of affairs here starting with Swami Parijnanashram ascending the
Peetha in 1675. The tenth swamiji in the lineage known as
Parijnanashrama swamy the third who died recently was an acclaimed
scientist. Around this
monastery are situated the temples of Gopalkrishna, Dattatreya,
Shantadurga and Keshvanarayana. A beautiful park has been raised in the
vicinity of the Math and animals like the deer, hare, etc., have been reared. The Shri
Chitrapur museum set up in 1973 houses a mass of archival wealth and
several types of conches, halos made of bellmetals, plates, idols made up
of ivory &
sandalwood, swords, shields, spears, copperplates and a lamp dating back
to the 13th century and many other artistic articles
Syed
Abubaker Maliki Comments & Suggestions bhatkal@eim.ae