KUNTIKANAMATA

SHRI SHANKARANARAYANA TEMPLE

HISTORY OF KUNTIKANAMATA

Around 500 years ago a Royal family of Ballals lived in a beautiful region of KUNTIKANA (Kuntal-a type of plant, Kana-Forest) in a place called Manjakottage.This Region was a fertile plateau surrounded by  river Varada, paddy fields, coconut, areca-nut and banana plantations, with an eye-catching view of hills and mountains .
               As days passed  the Royal family faced many problems due to witchcraft andby  enemies.They started searching for a person who was capable of helping them to defend against these problems. They finally found a good-natured , humble young priest by name ShankaraNarayana Sharma, a Kumbhakonam (madras region) educated, living in place called Ananthashayana .ShankaraNarayana was worshiping  Matha Sri Annapoorneshwari, and was an expert in the fields of Veda, Shastras, mantras and tantrums. He helped The  Royal family to sort out   their problems. The Royal family was  so happy and impressed by  him that they not only handed over a piece of land around the region  but  also requested him to settle in Kuntikanamata with his family.Shankaranarayana Sharma happily argeed and along with his brother Gangadhara Sharma settled in Kuntikanamata.They use to teach Veda and mantras to the local people.
                 After a period of time with the motivation from Godly affairs (daiva prerana)  Shankaranarayana Sharma  went to Kolyur  Sri Shankara Narayana temple and performed a penance (tapasya). Lord Sri Shankara Narayana was very  pleased by his  penance and agreed to come and settle in Kuntikanamata. Hence  Shankaranarayan Sharma went back to Kuntikanamata and  built a temple , placed an idol and then invited god.
                After few years when the Royal family were departing from Manjakottage they handed over  Daivas (God) they were worshiping in  the custody of Shankaranarayana  Sharma to continue worshiping. This is how in Kuntikanamata temple Lord Shankaranarayana, Sri Annapoorneshwari, Poomani, Kinnimani, Dhoomavathi, Raktheshwari being worshiped.
              Even today Kuntikanamata family is living near to the temple in Taravadu (House of origin of a family) and looking after the developments with the help of Gramastharu (Villagers).Family members are living all over the world but still they  keep coming to temple and help in religious and developmental activities.
            Daily poojas are performed thirce a day .Special poojas are also being performed during Navaratri, Sankramana, Dhanurmasa, mandalapooja, daiva kola, Dharmanema, annual festival. Apart from these  there are  homa, Havana, yaga, tambala perfprmed periodically.
            Whenever Sri Jagadguru Sri Shankaracharya of Ramachandrapuramata  visit's  Kumble region , he stay's in Kuntikanamata which has been  a practise over  centuries.
Now our present guru Sri Jagadguru Shankaracharya Sri Raghaveshwara Bharathi Swamiji is directing the temple developments.