Hasanamba Temple and Deepavali...

Am back from a week long vacation to native. Had a lot of travel plans this vacation, but due to a loss in the family, had to cut short my trip. One of my uncles passed away and we couldn't celebrate Deepavali this year, but here is a post on Hasanamba Temple, which is very much related to Deepavali. I have lots of memories associated with this temple. As kids, this was a place where we had lots of fun with cousins during summer vacation, our very favourite play ground.

Hassan, a disctrict in Karnataka, gets its name from the presiding diety, Goddess Hasanamba at Hasanamba temple. The temple premises has the main temple of goddess Hasanamba, Siddeshwara Swamy temple, and few small temples. Recently new temples have been built and the temple attracts lot of devotees due to publicity.  

Hasanamba Temple

 


The Goddess, Photo Credit Voice of Hassan

Built in 12th century, the main temple of goddess is open to public for a week, once a year during the lunar month of Ashwayuja maas(7th month of Hindu calendar), during Deepavali. While rest other temples in the premises are open throughout the year. The temple is opened on the first Thursday of the Ashwayuja month and closed on the next day of Deepavali. On Deepavali night, a grand procession moves through the main streets of the city and ends early morning at the temple. On the last day, whole of the jewellery offered to the goddess are wrapped in a cloth and a procession moves through the Raj Beedhi(main street) before the jewellery is handed over to district treasury office. Special worship is performed and the door is closed to be opened for the next year. 



Siddeshwara Swamy



Veerabhadra Swamy Temple



A recent temple of 101 Shiva Linga

Outside the temple premises is a big Peepal tree, where people worship throughout the year. This years special attraction was the sand model of Ganesha.

Photo credit Voice of Hassan

There are lot of stories and miracles associated with the temple.

Its said that, the Nandaa Deepa (a ghee lit lamp), burns through out the year, with the ghee never depleting. The anna naivedya(rice offering) offered at the time of closing the door stays warm and unspoiled when the door is open again, a year later. The bale kandu(banana stem) and flowers offered to the goddess remains fresh through out the year.

Years back five robbers tried to rob the jewels of the devi, were turned into stones, you can find these stones at Kallappana gudi.



Kallappana Gudi

There is another story of a lady, who visited the temple on the closing day of the temple and fell asleep in the temple. She wake up in the morning to find herself closed in the temple. She prey to goddess to take her out of the temple. Goddess, turn her into a frog and ask her to go out of a small hole at the back of the temple and turn back to human. Goddess ask her not to let anybody know about the miracle, and she would turn into a stone if she did so. Family members insist her to tell where she spent the whole night. With no other option, she tell about the way she was taken out by the goddess. Non of the family members believe her and ask her to leave the house. The lady come and sit in the temple and turn into a stone. Its said that the stone moves a paddy length every year and once the stone reaches the goddess, the earth comes to an end. The premisses has a well, its said that a ring dropped in this well reaches Devigere(a pond few meters away from the temple) a year after.

A visit to this temple is a must if you are planning a trip to Hassan during Deepavali.

PS: Thanks to Voice of Hassan, for lending their exclusive photographs to be used on my blog.