The Padi Igguthappa Temple

History

It was around 1810 when Linga Rajendra was the Raja of Kodagu. Upon the suggestion of his minister, Diwan Apparanda Bopu, Linga Rajendra came on an elephant hunt to the Balyatri forest, near Padi Igguthappa. Initially, the Raja found no elephants and was displeased with the Diwan. After a whole day of futility, the king ordered Diwan Bopu to find elephants the next day. Otherwise, he was to face dire consequences. Surprisingly, the following day, the Diwan found several elephants for the Raja.

The hunting party shot dead 34 elephants and captured 8 elephant calves that very day. A three-fourth foot tall silver elephant statuette was made and gifted to the Padi temple. This statuette had an inscription upon it to commemorate the event.

Temple entrance (P.C. Vishwanath 'Vinay' Balladichanda G.)

Later in 1835, the same Diwan Bopu got the Padi Igguthappa temple renovated and a golden kalasa (auspicious pot) placed above the garbha gudi sanctum.

Festivals

The main annual temple festival of Padi Igguthappa happens around the month of April during Minyaar, or the Kodava month of Pisces. Four other festivals are also observed in the temple. They are the Chingyaar festival, held on the tenth of the month of Leo, the Tholyaar festival, observed on the tenth of the Libra month, the Birchyaar Kalladcha festival, held during the Scorpio month, and the Kumbyaar Kalladcha festival, during the month of Aquarius. During the inauspicious month of Kakkada (Karkataka in Kannada) the month of the crab, certain pujas are not performed.

Temple (P.C. Vishwanath 'Vinay' Balladichanda G.)

The Birchyaar Kalladcha festival, held around November or December, is also called Puthari. The date of the Puthari festival is decided by the Kaniyas (astrologers), from the nearby Ammangeri village, who are associated with the Igguthappa temple. The festival begins in the temple and the rice crop is first offered here. Then the people of Kodagu celebrate the festival the next day onward. During this harvest festival, the people invoke Igguthappa, Mahadeva, and Baithurappa.

During the Kumbyaaar Kalaadcha festival, certain ceremonies such as the Ett Porata, Thulabara, special poojas, and sevas are performed. Ett Porata is a ceremony where decorated oxen from certain households are made to carry rice loads upon their backs. Thulabara is where a person's weight is weighed often in rice and offered to the temple. There is a large scale kept in the temple and used for this purpose.

How to get there

The Padi Igguthappa temple is accessible from the towns of Madikeri and Virajpet. From Madikeri one has to travel to Napoklu town. The Madikeri-Napoklu route is on a deviation to the left after Bettigeri on the Madikeri-Talakaveri route. From Napoklu one needs to go along the Field Marshal Cariappa road, turn left again (the road on the right goes towards Talakaveri) and go towards Kakkabe. This main road meets the Virajpet-Talakaveri road. Take this road to the left and reach the Kakkabe town market. From there the Padi Igguthappa temple road lies to the right.

Temple side view (P.C. Vishwanath 'Vinay' Balladichanda G.)

Another route exists, from Virajpet to Padi Igguthappa. On the way to Madikeri from Virajpet and at the Kadnur junction begins the Virajpet-Talakaveri road. One crosses Kadanga-Marur, Poddamani, Arpattu, and Cheyyandane along that road. At the Kakkabe town market and to the left begins the Padi Igguthappa temple road.

While traveling by car is the easiest mode of transport, there are regular buses, both government and private, during the day. Autos also ply the route to the temple from Napoklu and Kakkabe. The Igguthappa temple at Nelji is near Napoklu and Kakkabe. The Igguthappa temple at Peroor is near the Nelji-Bhagamandala road.

The Palur (Paloor) temple is also near Napoklu town. It is on the left from Karagunda bus stop on the Madikeri Talakaveri road. The Ponnangalatamme shrine is on the way to Padi Igguthappa and near Kakkabe town.

The temples eaves and roof over an etching (P.C. Vishwanath 'Vinay' Balladichanda G.)

References

1. Chinnappa, N. 2006 [1924]. Pattole Palame (Kannada) Madikeri: Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Akademi.
2. Chinnappa and Nanjamma, B. Pattole Palame (English) New Delhi: Rupa.
3. Kushalappa, M. 2013. The early Coorgs (English)
4. Rice, B L. 1878. Mysore and Coorg (English) Madras: Superintendent Press.
5. Shankaranarayana Bhat, Y K. 1999. Sri Igguthappa Mahime (Kannada) Bhagamandala: Sri Ramakrishna Prakashan.

Stone etching at the temple depicting the forest, the stream, the three temples (shown as hyperboles), the temple bells and the Igguthappa temple Deva Thakkas gathering at Malma. (P.C. Balladichanda 'Vinay' Vishwanath)