Swatch Bharat Clean-up Drive

Team AYUDH under the leadership of Bri. Mangalamrta Chaitanya conducted an adventure Retreat at Kodachadri on 22nd, 23rd April 2017 under the head of "visits places of Heritage" by team AYUDH Prerna, AYUDH events and AYUDH Sanskriti.

The energetic team started the journey at 1 P.M on 22nd April from Mata Amritanandamayi Math, Mangaluru. The bus journey was filled with melodious bhajans, entertaining games and interactions. The closer we moved towards Kollur, the topography changed from the roadside buildings to greenscapes to lush green forest. The team crossed into the forest range as the bus Moved forward through the hair pin bends with the magnificent view of the valley at the side. The bus reached Kollur at about 6 p.m where the stay was arranged in PWD rest house near the temple.The temple is dedicated to Goddess Durga and has its origin dated back 1200 years. It is situated at the banks of the river Sowparnika. Mythology holds that at the place of the temple lived a demon named Kaumasura who unleashed terror upon the Gods by the special powers he obtained from the penance to Lord Shiva. While the gods were trying their best to stay away from him, good news came that the demon would face death. Learning of his impending doom, Kaumasura undertook severe penance. Lord Shiva appeared, asking the demon what boon he would like to be granted. Sensing that grave danger would come of the demon if his boon was granted, Saraswati, the goddess of speech took away his ability to speak. Kaumasura came to be known as Mookasura or the mute demon. . Thereafter, the Supreme Mother, Durga Devi, the Goddess of power, killed the demon with her Chakra on the Midnight of Shukla Ashtami. Since then, she came to be known as Mookambika. The place where Mookambika killed the demon came to be known as Marana Katte.
Before going into the temple the team was all set for doing some seva. A session of Amala Bharatha Campaign was conducted near the temple around the PWD guest house compound. Within an hour, considerable amount of plastic was collected and sent for recycling.After the seva session, the team went into the temple in the evening for a beautiful Darshan and later had Annadana prasadam from the Abode of Annapoorneshwari. We also learned the fact that this temple is kept open during lunar eclipse and Poojas performed where as other Hindu temples are closed during this time.There is another legend on Adi Shankaracharya related to this place. Adi Shankara, a revered spiritual leader from Kerala once offered intense worship to Saraswati - the Goddess of wisdom and learning. The Goddess appeared before Adi Shankara in response to his prayers. Shankaracharya told her the wish to have her come along with him to Kerala where no temple was dedicated to Her as yet. Goddess Saraswati agreed upon the condition that Shankaracharya must lead the way for Her to follow without doubting Her and not looking back even once to check if She was with him. Should he break the condition, She would stop and stay right where She was at the time. Shankaracharya agreed and they started walking down the Kodachadri hills with Shankaracharya leading the way and the Goddess’s anklets tinkling and letting him know that She was with him. After walking some distance the tinkling stopped all of a sudden. Shankaracharya waited for a few minutes then stole a quick look backwards and found the Goddess still behind him. In keeping with the condition the Goddess stopped right there. Shankaracharya however did not give up. He apologized profusely for breaking the condition and repeatedly begged and pleaded with the Goddess to go with him to Kerala. Impressed by his determination the Goddess finally agreed to be present at the Chottanikara temple in Kerala in the morning and return to Kollur Mookambika temple by midday.After Darshan the team had a small walk around the temple premises enjoying the divine ambience,after which the group went back to the PWD guest house to call off the day.At 6 A.M on 23rd April the team started from the temple towards the Kodachadri hills to start the adventurous trek. The 45 minutes bus journey was again filled with bhajans by Yashwin and team with everybody in high spirits and all enthusiastic for the trekking to begin. We began the trek from the base of the hills, where the bitumen road ended, the only way uphill was through the lush green woods. The forest was filled with a wide variety of birds including the endangered horn bill and other creatures. A couple of wild squirrels playfully welcomed us as soon as we began the trek. We formed teams and moved forward listening to the different song of birds, the chirping of crickets and sometimes the soft brushing sounds the cold wind made with the trees. The 5 kilometer long trek through the unpaved path led us to the spot of Moolasthana.It is believed that at the location of Moola Mookambika temple is where the Goddess had killed the demon Mookasura and we could see the 35 feet handle end of the metal Trident sticking out of the ground. The famous Iron Pillar in Delhi is less than 2000 years old whereas the Iron pillar at Kodachadri is more than 4000 years old and stands non rusted amidst the extreme monsoon condition of the region. Indian scientist from NITK Surathkal conducted a test on the spear and found out that it was made from traditional Indian metallurgical skills. Nobody knows the exact composition of the metal till date. This was yet another marvel of the ancient Indian knowledge and scientific technology in the field of metallurgy for us to witness. From the moolasthana a trek of 1.8 kilometre took us to the top of the hills where the Sarvanjana peetam or the Shankarapeetam is situated. Sarvanjanapeetam is a rock structure holding one Idol that of Adi Shankaracharya in black stone. It is at this place where Adi Shankaracharya meditated and received the ultimate knowledge and dissolved into the universe. The roof from the inside has various tantras and Chakras card and the whole structure resembles a Meru. The whole team relaxed at this place and had a soul rinsing satsang.Then the team proceeded for the very steep downhill treking of 1.5 kilometre to Chitramoola cave where Adi Shankaracharya is said to have meditated and Goddess Mookambika appeared in front of him. The place had a completely absorbing ambience. The AYUDH team after reaching the cave closed their eyes and emerging in deep meditation and had a blissful experience in the session lasting around 20 minutes followed by a group bhajan at that point. This was a very new and enriching experience for the whole group.Then we started moving back to the Moolasthana where Lunch was to be served. The team used this opportunity for some seva, as well. An ABC program on the go. We collected all the plastic covers of snacks, disposed water bottles and other plastic waste and brought it down to the Moolasthana where it was disposed in a hygienic way. After having lunch from the Moolasthana the team proceeded all the way downhill to the bottom most point where the bus awaited to take us back after the 16 kilometre trek!!It is so true to say that being with nature is a meditation in itself. The group could be with nature, experiencing being part of it. Satsang and bhajans brought in lightness to everyone's minds. The temples, sculptures, the mythological legends and stories behind the place, the heritage is a real eye-opener for the rich tradition we are born into. It is quite significant for each one of us to have some knowledge about it. This adventure retreat to Kodachadri has served each and every one of us in this manner.