Mahabaleshwar Temple, Gokarna – History

Mahabaleshwar Temple, Gokarna – History

A sect of Brahmins fled from the Gomantak to escape forcible conversions by the Portuguese and British and settled in and around Gokarna in the 15^th century. It was part of the Sodhe and Vijayanagar kingdoms. When the Konkan region — including Goa — was occupied by the Portuguese, it became part of their rule. A few temples were destroyed by the Portuguese in 1714, rebuilt in the 18^th century, and under the supervision of Guru H. H. Shrimad Anandashram Swamiji in 1928. The temple's first construction was by the king Mayurasharma of the Kadamba dynasty (reign 345 CE – 365 CE).

Again, legend holds that Mayurasharma wished to learn of the Vedic rites and the Ashwamedha Yagna (ritual of horse sacrifice). He travelled to Kanchipuram, a major religious learning centre, but there, he was insulted by a horseman guard. He was angered and swore to defeat the ruling Pallava dynasty. Following his defeat of the Pallavas, the king asked some priests to perform a daily yajna to maintain his suzerainty over the region.

Mayurasharma's son, King Kangavarma brought Brahmin families from different lineages to maintain administration at the temple. The classical Sanskrit writer, Kalidasa mentions the "Lord of Gokarna" in his 4^th century work, Raghuvamsha. The Gokarna temple is recorded as one of the Paadal Petra Sthalams in the 7^th century Thevaram canon of devotional poetry.

The temple is a large complex of shrines and much of it belongs to the later Vijayanagara period (1336–1646 CE). A Vijayanagara emperor once visited the temple and weighed himself in gold. During the 17^th century reign of Queen Chennammaji and her son, Soma Sekharanayaka of Keladi, Visvesvaraya of Halasunadu-Kundapura built the Chandrasala and Nandi pavilions. In 1665, the warrior king, Shivaji (1630 CE - 1680 CE) worshipped at the Mahabaleshwar temple after disbanding his army in Gokarna. In 1676, Fryer, an English traveler, visited Gokarna during the Maha Shivaratri festival and wrote in detail about it at the temple.