Police
The Kadri Manjunatha Temple in Mangaluru is dedicated to:
Answer (Detailed Solution Below)View answer ▾Hide ▴
Answer: Option C — Lord Shiva
Detailed Solution
The Kadri Manjunatha Temple, on the Kadri hills in Mangaluru (Mangalore), Karnataka, is dedicated to Lord Shiva, worshipped as "Manjunatha".
About the Kadri Manjunatha Temple:
It is one of the oldest temples in Karnataka; it is believed to have been built around the 10th-11th centuries and converted into a stone temple in the 14th century.
An inscription states that the bronze image of "Lokeshvara" (Avalokiteshvara, a Buddhist bodhisattva) in the temple was installed in 968 CE by King Kundavarma of the Alupa dynasty. It is considered one of the finest bronze statues in India.
The temple has links with Buddhism and the "Nath" sect (Natha Pantha). Before it became a Shiva temple, it was a centre of Vajrayana Buddhism and later of the Nath yogis (followers of Matsyendranath and Gorakhnath).
The main idol is a Shiva lingam ("Manjunatha"); there are also bronze idols of Lord Brahma, Vishnu and other deities.
The temple complex has several water tanks fed by natural springs; behind the temple are the "Pandava caves", where the Pandavas are believed to have stayed during their exile.
About Mangaluru:
- It is the main port city of Karnataka, on the Arabian Sea coast, where the Netravati and Gurupura rivers meet.
- New Mangalore Port (Panambur) is a major port.
- It is named after the goddess "Mangaladevi", whose temple is in the city.
- It is known for its diverse culture: Tulu, Konkani, Kannada and Beary languages are spoken.
Other famous temples near Mangaluru and in coastal Karnataka:
- Kateel Durgaparameshwari Temple.
- Dharmasthala Manjunatha Temple (Dakshina Kannada): another famous Shiva (Manjunatha) temple, managed by a Jain family (the Heggades) and served by Vaishnava priests, a symbol of religious harmony.
- Udupi Sri Krishna Matha (Udupi): founded by the philosopher Madhvacharya in the 13th century; famous for the "Kanakana Kindi" window.
- Kukke Subramanya Temple and Gokarna Mahabaleshwar Temple.
- Murudeshwar Temple: has one of the tallest Shiva statues in the world.
- Coastal Karnataka is also known for the folk theatre "Yakshagana" and the spirit worship "Bhuta Kola".
Why not the other options?
- ✗Lord Vishnu is worshipped at many coastal temples, but Kadri's main deity is Shiva.
- ✗Lord Krishna is worshipped at the Udupi Krishna Matha.
- ✗Lord Ganesha is worshipped at temples such as Sharavu Mahaganapathi.
Quick tip
Remember: Kadri Manjunatha Temple = Lord Shiva, Mangaluru (Lokeshvara bronze of 968 CE by the Alupa king Kundavarma; Buddhist and Nath links; Pandava caves); Dharmasthala = also Manjunatha; Udupi = Krishna (Madhvacharya).
💬 Discussions on this question
Ask a doubt ›Still stuck on this question? Ask our faculty and fellow students — answers appear here.
Ask a doubtMore Monuments & Religious Places Questions
View all ›- Q1.The Somnath Jyotirlinga temple is located in which state?
- Q2.The Kamakhya Temple is located in:
- Q3.The brick temple of Bhitargaon, one of the oldest surviving brick temples of India, is situated in:
- Q4.The Mahabodhi Temple is situated at:
- Q5.The famous Brihadeeswara Temple, built by Rajaraja Chola I, is situated in:
More General Knowledge Questions
- Q1.The techniques of Rasa and Bhava used in Indian classical dance trace their origin to which ancient text?Indian Dance Forms
- Q2.Lavani, Powada, Koli, Waghya Murali and Dhangari Gaja are folk dances of which state?Indian Dance Forms
- Q3.The one-act play associated with the Sattriya tradition of Assam is called:Indian Dance Forms
- Q4.Which dance form of Goa is known as the 'Warrior Dance'?Indian Dance Forms
- Q5.Manipuri dance is based on the Rasleela themes of:Indian Dance Forms
Monuments & Religious Places — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Monuments & Religious Places, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers India's important monuments, temples, mosques, churches, gurudwaras and pilgrimage sites, who built them and when, their architectural styles, and India's UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Questions ask who built a monument, where it is located, or which dynasty or style it belongs to. For example, the Qutub Minar was begun by Qutbuddin Aibak, and the Sun Temple at Konark was built by the Eastern Ganga king Narasimhadeva I. Revise the UNESCO World Heritage Sites as a list, noting the most recent additions. Practise the monuments and religious places questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.