Karnataka Tourism Mumbai office Mr Shenoy told me that I must visit Hornadu and I thank him for it. There is a Adishakthyatmaka Annapoorneswari Temple there. I drove to Hornadu from
Mangalore thru the Kudremukh National Park, ghats and tea gardens/coffee estates of which u will see a number of pics. U see board outside temple.
Drove thru many many roads like this. In December it was so nice, in the monsoons must be heaven.
My driver Joy in the car as I clicked this one.
Clicked from the road, need I say more.
Driver Joy understood what I was looking to click and stopped for me to click this one.
Another view. As I drove to these areas was told that the Kudremukh Iron and Steel Plant was closeby. I wondered how on earth was the company allowed to make a steel plant in this
forest area / national park.
A floating bridge very close to the steel plant. Fortunately the plant has shut down now.
Drove thru many tea gardens like this one ie just off the road.
Another tea garden, background is a small hill. Also drove thru coffee plantations. We left Moodbidri about 3.45pm and reached Hornadu at about 7.30pm. Hornadu is situated in the Western
Ghats in the midst of thick forests and valleys.
An overview of the temple complex Hornadu. Green building extreme left is the temple guest house. The white wall that u see behind the trees on left of pic is the temple wall. The ancient temple
of Goddess Annapoorneshwari here has been restored and renamed as the Adi-Shaktyatmaka Shree Annapoorneshwari. The single image depicts the Goddess Annapoorneshwari standing on a peeta with Shanku, Chakra, Sri Chakra and Devi Gayathri in her four hands.
This is the entrance to the temple. There were so many devotees that day, got a room with great difficulty. Paid Rs 350/ for single bed bathroom unattached. Double bed with attached bath was
Rs 500/. As it gets closer to sleeping time rates go up. Someone who came at 9pm paid Rs 500/ for a room that I paid Rs 350/.
Entrance from the temple side clicked about 8.30pm. His Holiness Agasthya Maharishi did prathistapana of the great deity of Adishakthyathmaka Sri Annapoorneshwari several centuries back.
I did darshan in the evening and early morning when rush is less. After that had my meals in temple although per tradition u first eat and then do darshan.
A close up view of the mythical animal at temple gate. The name "Annapoorneshwari" means "Feeding one and all". The uniqueness of this temple is everybody who visit this temple are provided
with food (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner) and place to sleep in the temple premises. Shri Bheemeshwara Joshi is the present Dharmakartaru of Annapoorneshwari temple.
From the entrance u climb steps to reach this huge open area. In peak season parts of area are covered and people sleep there. In the centre is entrance to temple. Hornadu is 330 kms from
Bangalore, 75 kms from Sringeri and 100 kms from Chikmagulur.
A overview of the sanctum. Cameras not allowed any further. Big image is that of Adi Shakti. Three small images are that of Sridevi, Annapoorneshwari and right is Bhudevi. Dining hall is very
clean serving very good food. For pictures see Anna Kshetras section.
Early morning view in Hornadu. Lots of fog and very cold. Visit temple official web site click here. Some narrations taken from temple official site.
View from the car park. Whole area is very green. Temple is very very well managed. True sewa bhavana. Male visitors have to remove their shirts/banyan before entering the temple inner
sanctum.
From Hornadu drove a couple of hours to Belur - this is a coffee plantation. Driver told me that coffee requires low temperature so trees are grown around the coffee trees.
A close up view of coffee seeds.
Tea Gardens on the way to Hornadu. Loved my yatra there. Great drive thru tea gardens and coffee estates. Had very good darshan, thought I was in a hill station and lovely food served in the dining hall.''.