History of shri Rajarajeshwari Temple – Polali

Introduction to the Shri Rajarajeshwari Temple

The Shri Rajarajeshwari Temple is located in Polali, Bantwal Taluk, Karnataka. It lies at the center of the city, which is surrounded by hillocks and croplands. The River Pahlguni flows from the southern part of the Shri Rajarajeshwari Temple. It changes its direction from the backside of the temple towards the western direction. Several ancient epigraphs and records mention the Shri Rajarajeshwari Temple. People across Karnataka worship Polali Devi or Shri Rajarajeshwari with much pomp and dedication over the ages.

Legend of the Shri Rajarajeshwari Temple

King Suratha, who ruled this region, had to fight the hunters, who defeated the king. During that time, his ministers took control of his treasury and military. The disillusioned king panicked for his life and fled to the forests. He took shelter in the hermitage of the sage Sumedha. While there, he met a merchant whose wife and children had driven him away after confiscating his wealth. The king took the merchant to the sage. The sage advised them to worship the Divine Mother for her blessings.

Accepting his advice, the king and the merchant built a hermitage. They created the Divine mother's idol using clay from the riverside and started worshipping her by chanting the Devi Suktha with great devotion. Gradually, their penance became severe, and they offered their flesh and blood to her. Finally, Devi was pleased and appeared before them and granted their wishes.

King Suratha went back to his kingdom and started ruling happily. The merchant received the Divine knowledge and started traveling to all the holy places and eventually attained salvation.

The Architecture of the Shri Rajarajeshwari Temple

The records of Abdul Razzak in 1448 suggest that the Shri Rajarajeshwari Temple was initially built from molten brass. It was recorded that the temple had four platforms.

Several dynasties ruled the area surrounding the Shri Rajarajeshwari Temple, including Kadamba, Alupa, Chalukya, Rashtrakoota, Hoisala, Ikkeri, Vijayanagara, Mysore etc. Most of them spent a significant capital on this temple and donated farmland.

The Shri Rajarajeshwari Temple houses Shri Rajarajeshwari as the primary deity. King Suratha built the temple in the 8th century AD, and it has been entirely renovated in 2019. The Shri Rajarajeshwari Temple portrays the South Indian architectural style. Its roofs are adorned with wooden carvings of deities and copper plates.

The idol of Shri Rajarajeshwari is made of clay with unique medicinal properties. The clay used for making the idol was specially prepared with herbal mixtures for added strength. She is 9 feet tall, wearing a precious gem-embedded crown. Ganesha and Bhadrakali idols are on either side. The Shri Rajarajeshwari Temple also has shrines for deities, including Subramanya, Bhadrakali, Maha Ganapati, and Saraswati.

The roof of Mukha Mandap has many deities exquisitely carved in wood. The roofs of Dhwaja Stambha, the Garbhagriha, and the light pillars are covered in copper plates.

Every 12 years, during a religious event called Lepashta Gandhathe, the idols are coated with a unique soil mixture with eight medicinal properties. The soil used for coating was prepared hundreds of years ago and is not freshly prepared for occasions.

Festivals in the Shri Rajarajeshwari Temple

Priests perform Flower Pooja and Karthika Pooja only during daily Poojas and not at other times.

Polali Chendu festival is the main festival in the Shri Rajarajeshwari Temple. People play football on this occasion to represent the fight between good and evil. The annual festival follows the Chendu festival in March, that lasts for one month. Visitors from across the world come to the temple for participation.

Kartika Bahula Padya, Laksha Deepotsav, the 4th day of Bhadrapada Shukla, Navratri, and Diwali are other festivals celebrated in the Shri Rajarajeshwari Temple.