Subramanya Temple, Ghati – Legends

Subramanya Temple, Ghati – Legends

Swayambu Subramanya and Lakshmi Narasimha:

As per legend, a betel leaf trader used to take rest in this place during his business trips. He used to take his bath in Kumara Theertha and have his food on the bank of the pond. After his food, he used to rest on an idol under a tree. He used to hear a mysterious voice informing that he was resting on someone. One day, Lord appeared in his dream and informed that he would meet a learned scholar tomorrow. Lord further instructed him along with the scholar, the trader should go and meet the king and inform about my presence to the king.

He woke up next day morning and found the brahmin scholar. He informed about his dream to him. They together went to Sandur to inform the king. They met and informed about the dream to him and requested the King to accompany them to this place and build the temple. The King thought that this was too small a task for him to leave all royal duties and travel to a place so far. However, he promised them enough monetary and other supports would be provided to carry out the task. The trader and the brahmin declined the offer and left the palace immediately.

They started their journey back to Ghati. They were so tired due to their arduous journey and decided to stay in a brahmin house for the night and resume their journey the next day. The same night Lord appears in the dream of the king in ferocious form and cursed him that the entire kingdom would undergo tremendous hardships for dishonoring the instructions. The king immediately woke up and beg pardon for his mistake. He sent his guards early next day morning in search of the trader and the brahmin. The royal family accompanied them to Ghati.

They reached the place in the noon and started searching for the idol. They were not able to find the idol. The cooks were making a stove for cooking for the royals and the search party. The cooks brought two big and two small rocks to create a stove. They lit fire to the stove and kept the vessel on the stove with ingredients for the food to be cooked. After some time, when they opened the lid to check whether the food is ready, they found that the food cooked appeared bloodied. Frightened seeing the bloodied food, they immediately rushed to the king and informed him about the food.

Then, they noticed the place where the stove was set up and found openings of an anthill. They also noticed a cow in the evening came to this place and automatically released its milk from the udder into the anthill. The same night, Lord appeared in the dream of the king and instructed him to remove the anthill which would reveal the presence of the Lord along with Lakshmi Narasimha. The next day morning, they discovered Lord Subramanya along with Lakshmi Narayana in the form of an idol. The king gifted lands and wealth for the maintenance of the temple and appointed the Brahmin as the main priest of the temple. Till this date, the main priest is form the same family.

Ghati:

As per legend, Lord Subramanya performed penance in the guise of a serpent inside the caves in the mountain ranges of this area before going to kill the demon Tarakasura. Ghata means pot in Sanskrit. The hood of the serpent resembles like a pot. As Lord Subramanya lived here in the form of Ghata Sarpa, the place came to be called as Ghati. It is also said that ghat means mountain range in Hindi and this temple is situated in the mountain ranges. The place came to be called as Ghati.

Subramanya invoked the protection of Lakshmi Narasimha here:

As per legend, Lord Subramanya invoked the protection of Lord Lakshmi Narasimha here for the serpentine clan from the onslaught of Garuda.

Annihilation of Ghatikasura:

As per legend, it is believed that Lord Subramanya annihilated the Ghatikasura here.