Dedicated to Lord Ganesha, this unique temple is a one-of-a-kind natural wonder that has a mythological legend associated with it. The idol here has neither been installed nor sculpted but is believed to have self manifested in the rock centuries ago. The huge rock is, in fact, the abode of the lord and devotees are shown a glimpse of the deity through a small opening from outside. Peering through the dark rock, one can see Lord Ganapati in the sitting posture with His trunk, eyes and legs made visible by the natural light emitted by the oil lamps. Legend has it that Lord Ganesha has been placed here by his father Lord Shiva himself when the former consumed excessive honey which created a burning sensation in his body. Shiva instructed his son to stay in the waters adjacent to the rock after which Lord Ganesha made His abode in the pool here.
The ‘Aayira Koda Abhisheka’ or the Vedic ritual of bathing the idol with one thousand pots of water every day from the nearby well is the special pooja conducted only here. Followed by an elaborate set of prayers and rituals, after which Lord Ganesha is immersed in neck-deep water. The aim behind doing this daily is to alleviate the pain of the god with the help of the cooling effect of the water.
About 95 km from Mangalore, the temple is located in Shiriyara after Brahmavar town in Udupi district. You need to visit the temple at around 11:30 am as the deity is shown once the daily rituals and pooja are completed. En route, you can also visit the ancient twin temples of Barkur. Though there is no activity here, the archaeological significance of the structures makes it worth a visit.