 Kollur Mookambika temple has been attracting pilgrims from all over India in large numbers. A village situated in Kundapur Taluk of Karnataka, about 140 KMs from Mangalore, Kollur is surrounded by thickly wooded hills and has a natural formation resembling the Sri Chakra. It is said that this temple was constructed around 2000 years back.
Tradition has it that this is one of the seven shrines created by Parashurama, the axe wielding sage. It is significant to note that of these seven Kollur is the only shrine devoted to Devi, while all the six others are devoted to Lord Shiva, Vinayaka and Muruga.
The temple is situated in the banks of the river, Sauparnika. It is believed that it is in the banks of this river that Suparna, a vulture - Garuda - performed penance and attained salvation and hence the name Sauparnika. Kola Maharishi, a sage was performing austerities in Aranyapuram, in the banks of Sauparnika. The place was known as Kolapuram, after him. He found a
swayambu lingam and was offering ablutions and was worshipping it regularly.
Now, there was an ogre who lived in the place, called Kamsasuran. He was performing penance for being invested with the boon of immortality. The celestials were afraid that if this boon was granted to him, he would become uncontrollable and his misdeeds could not be stopped by anyone. They then prayed to Devi that such a boon should not be granted to him. Devi, along with Veerabadra, Ganapathi and Lord Shiva, rendered him dumb so that the boon could not be asked for at all.
Mooka is Sanskrit for a dumb person. It was thus that Kamsasuran became Mookasuran.
Devi then slayed Mookasura with her Chakra - the divine disc - on the midnight of
Jyeshta Sukla Ashtami. Because she slayed Mookasura, she is known as Mookambika. Her divine energy then became one with the
swayambu lingam worshipped by Kola Maharishi. The Lingam is the main deity in the temple, and is known as
Jyothirlingam. This Joythirlingam is in front of the idol of Mookambika. A golden line divides the Lingam into two unequal parts. The golden line could be seen only when the light from the sun is reflected and pointed at the lingam.
The left part of the Lingam is larger than the right part. The comparatively smaller right half is said to represent the Trinity, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva as the conscious static principles.
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The left portion, which is larger, represents the consorts of the Trinity,
Saraswathi, Lakshmi and Parvathi, the creative energy. According to the tradition, Lords Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva and their consorts
Saraswathi, Lakshmi and Parvathi emerged out of it.
Adi Sankara installed the image of Mookambika, made of metal, behind the Lingam. Devi is seen with three eyes and four arms, with the divine disc and conch in her hands. The roof of the temple is made of copper and is gold crested. Adi Sankara is said to have composed his
Soundharya Lahari when he was here.
There are the Veerabadra and Gopalakrishna
sannadhis on the northeast and on the southeast, there is the sannadhi for Subramanya. The
sannadhis of Panchamuka Ganapathi, Nanjundeswara and Partheswara are situated on the west and there is a
sannadhi for Hanuman on the northwest. The
gnana peetam on which Adi Sankara used to sit in meditation is found inside the sanctum sanctorum. The
sukla theertham, agni theertham and
govindha theertham surround the temple.
Decoration is the only rite that is performed to the idol of Mookambika. All the other rituals like
abhisheka and aradana are performed only to the Lingam. The
theertham for abisheka is brought from the Sauparnika river.
 The sanctum sanctorum is opened at 5.30 a.m. All the regular rites would be completed by 9.00 a.m. and
prasada with sandalwood paste,
theertham and flowers would be distributed. The after-noon puja (or the
uchchi kala puja) would be started by 11.30 a.m. and would end by 1.00 p.m. The temple is opened again at 3.00 p.m. The
deepa-aradana is performed at 7.00 p.m. with
naivedhya. In addition to this, another rite known as
Seeveli is performed during the evening puja. The priest - archaka - carries the
utsava moorthi is carried on his head and goes around the
prakara thrice. This rite is known as
Seeveli.
Navarathri is celebrated in a very grand manner in Kollur. There are special decorations and puja on all the nine days. Besides this, the nine days in the month of
Panguni are celebrated, with flag hoisting on Panguni Uthram.
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