Spot the Kerala influence and Kodagu women in Bhagmandala: 14 Apr 2010

It was 9 am by the time we finished our bath and breakfast of fresh vegetable sandwiches with wonderful cups of tea that too in coffee land.

I took a glance at my itinerary one time it said 40 mins for Bhagmandala from Madikeri. It actually took us a little more than a hour as the road was under construction in some parts.

We knew very little about Bhagmandala so was quite surprised to find the temple of the residing diety was in Kerala style. Covered platforms for resting and performing pooja are built along the compound walls. The roofs characteristically low. I was reminded of the small Ayyapa temple we have in Nerul. I love every thing even distantly Kerala.

 

 

Just in front of the temple is the Treveni sangam of the holy rivers Kaveri, Kannike and Sujyoti which is as mythical as the Saraswati. We had a wash in the clean waters where there was no crowd before we went into the temple.

The Bhagamandaleshwar temple is home to Shiva as it is obvious from its name. We spent about 1/2 hr there and then proceeded to Talacauvery. In the picture above you see Kodagu women with their ulta sarees. There is an interesting story of why the saree is wrapped this way by the Kodagu women. It is believed that the River Cauvery had become violent and washed away everything in Kodagu region causing heavy losses of life and wealth. In the floods the women's sarees were swirled from the front by the force of the washout and the pleats were turned around. To appease the violent Cauvery and restore the normalcy, Kodagu women promised to wear the saree as a mark of  submission to the power of the holy river. Ever since they drape the saree with the pleat at the back and the free end of the pallu falls over the right shoulder.

Here you see a priest making a garland woven with bettlenut palm ribs and flowers that caught our eye.

You are following me to Talacauvery right? See you there...