Guddattu Mahaganapathi Temple

This small but 800 years old Guddattu Vinayaka temple is about 10 km off NH-66 (formerly NH-17) and about 90 km away from Mangalore town. Located right below a giant granite rock that looks like a sleeping elephant, the main idol of Lord Vinayaka is believed to have emerged itself and not manually installed.

Guddattu Vinayaka Temple is popular for a service called ‘Ayarkoda’ (Thousand Pot ritual). A ritual that involves draining the Garbha Gruha, then pouring (Abhisheka) thousand of pots of water from the holy temple well on to the idol, till water over flows from the Garba Gruha located inside the cave. This ritual is believed to bring good luck to devotees. So popular and demanding is the service that the temple calendar is full for next few years. While most of the rocks in surrounding village are quarried, thanks to the temple, nearby rocks are intact. Other popular rituals are Ganahoma, Panchakajjaya, Mudiakki kadabu and so on. Public transportation to this temple is relatively poor but a few buses and autos are available. Moreover, you can reach this destination in private vehicles.