Popular Temple
Sri Mookambika Temple, Kollur
Kollur, Udupi district, Karnataka
A Devi shrine below the Kodachadri hills, where the goddess is worshipped in a svayambhu linga
At a glance
- Location
- Kollur, Udupi district, Karnataka
- Presiding deity
- Goddess Mookambika (Adi Parashakti)
- Temple type
- Popular Temple
- Tradition
- Shakta
- Nearest railway station
- Byndoor (Mookambika Road) railway station (~30 km); Kundapura (~40 km)
- Nearest airport
- Mangaluru International Airport (~135 km)
- Best time to visit
- October to February; Navratri and Vijayadashami bring large crowds for Vidyarambham. The region gets very heavy monsoon rain.
History
Kollur lies in Byndoor taluk of Udupi district, on the southern bank of the Souparnika river below the Kodachadri hills. Tradition links the temple to Adi Shankaracharya, who is said to have meditated on Kodachadri and consecrated the goddess here — a widely held belief, though the historical evidence for it is thin.
Spiritual significance
The sanctum holds a svayambhu linga along with the metal image of the goddess, divided by a gold line; by tradition its left half is Mahakali, Mahalakshmi and Mahasaraswati and its right half is Shiva. In Kerala and coastal Karnataka she is especially invoked as the goddess of learning and speech, and children are brought here for Vidyarambham, their first lesson.
Plan your visit
Darshan timings
Open from early morning to night, with the sanctum closed for part of the afternoon. Hours are extended during Navratri.
Timings change on festivals and special occasions. Confirm with the temple's official source before you travel.
Byndoor on the Konkan Railway is the nearest station, with buses and taxis onward. Direct buses run from Udupi, Mangaluru and Kundapura.
Continue your Durga bhakti
Devotional texts for this deity, already on the site.