Sri Sigandur Chowdeshwari Temple

Sri Sigandur Chowdeshwari Temple

by Parwathi Hegde

Worshipping all-pervading divinity as “Mother” is a very ancient tradition in India.  That is the reason why we can find lots of temples of divine mother around India.  Mother is worshipped in different feminine forms such as Kali, Marikamba, Durga, Amba Bhavani, Rajarajeshwari, Mookambika, Annapoorneshwari, Sharadamba, Chowdeshwari, Mahalaxmi, etc and many more.  In many of the temples she does miracles by bestowing her devotees with unbelievable boons.  Sri Sigandur Chowdeshwari is one such temple where mother Chowdeshwari listens to the humble prayers of the devotees and showers them with blessings.

Sri Sigandhur Chowdeshwari Temple is situated in a small village called Sigandur 35 km away from “Sagar” town, Shimoga district in Karnataka State of India.  Mother goddess here is also called as “Sigandureshwari” because of the name of the place “Sigandur”.  This sacred place has around 300 years of history.  It is said that once upon a time a person called Sheshappa went for hunting in Jungles near Sigandur and lost inside the jungles.  When he was resting below a tree, mother came into his dream and asked him to build a temple for her.  He went and told his experience to a Brahmin “Duggajja” in his village.  Both of them finally built a temple and Duggajja became the priest of the temple andSheshappa became the Managing Trustee.

Lot of people with land dispute as well as people who lost their valuables reach Sigandur for solution.  According to some sources it is said that more than 20,000 such cases have been solved here.  People who want to safeguard their land from the thieves should get a board from the temple which says “Shri deviya rakshane ide (this means the land is safeguarded by the mother)” and keep this board near the land.

Sigandur is surrounded by the backwaters of Linganamakki reservoir turning this into an Island.  There are two barges which carry vehicles as well as people from one shore to other.  Every hour private busses are there from Sagar to Sigandur.   It takes around one and a half hour to reach Sigandur from Sagar.

Above is the picture of the Bhoota Sthana in Sigandur.  It is said that Sri Veerabhadra in this Bhootada katte is taking care of security of Sigandhur.

Distances to different places from Sigandur (in km):

• Sagar – 35
• Kollur – 58
• Hosanagar – 70
• Varadapura – 41
• Horanadu – 180
• Murdeshwara – 120
• Shringeri – 200
• Jog falls – 61
• Bhatkal – 90
• Shimoga – 105
• Sirsi – 155
• Bangalore – 421
• Udupi – 120
• Mysore – 434
• Kundapura – 82
• Dharmasthala – 220

Address:

Sri Chowdeshwari Temple – Sigandur

Kalasavalli, Post Tumari

Sagar Taluk, Shimoga District – Karnataka, India

Phone: 08186-245088 (Managing Trustee) , 08186-245114 (Pradhana Archakaru)

Timings:

Morning: 4:30 to 7:00 and 9:00 to 2:00

Evening: 4:00 to 7:00 (only darshan – no pooja)

How to reach:

By bus: Reach Sagar (Shimoga district, Karnataka).  From Sagar take a bus to Sigandur.