Polali Rajarajeshwari Temple- Karnataka

Address

Polali, Bantwal, Dakshina Kannada District

Karnataka– 574 219.

Amman

Shri Raja Rajeshwari

Introduction

Polali Rajarajeshwari Temple is located in Polali, Dakshina Kannada district in Karnataka. The primary deity of the temple is Shri Raja Rajeshwari. The temple was constructed in the 8th century AD by King Suratha and has been developed by many dynasties which ruled over the region. The idol of Sri Rajarajeshwari, another form of the divine Goddess Sri Lalita Tripurasundari, is completely molded from clay with special medicinal properties. The temple portrays architecture with roofs adorned with wooden carvings of gods and copper plates.

Puranic Significance

The Polali Rajarajeshwari temple has been mentioned in many ancient inscriptions, including the Markandeya Purana, Ashoka inscriptions. The temple around the clay idol was built in the 8th century AD according to an inscription found in the area of the temple. It’s a widely held belief that King Suratha built the temple, and that the king offered his own crown, stuffed with precious jewels, to be placed on the deity’s head. The king, having lost most of his kingdom in a war and being deceived by his own ministers, is thought to have taken refuge under a sage called Sumedha in forests around what now is the temple’s site.

It is reported that the King himself carved Shri Rajarajeshwari’s clay idol and offered penance to the deity in return for his kingdom. Many ancient inscriptions alluding to the temple have been reported around the temple, but have been lost over time primarily because of the neglect of its keepers. The remaining inscriptions available today have been obtained in the village of Kariyangala, Ammunje and in the temple itself and are now under the custody of the government of Karnataka.

Several dynasties ruled the area surrounding the temple including Kadamba, Chalukya, Alupa, Rashtrakoota, Hoisala, Vijayanagara, Ikkeri, Mysore etc. Most of those dynasties spent a lot of capital on this temple and donated farmland for the temple’s benefit. Most of those dynasties spent a lot of money on this temple and donated farmland for the temple’s benefit.