Kundapura

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Kundapura, the headquarter town of the Kundapura taluk is about 36 kilometres from Udupi, Karnataka, India. This name can be traced to the Kundeshvara temple built by Kundavarma in the vicinity of the Panchagangavalli river. Kundapur is also described as the 'town of the sun'. It has another old temple, that of Mahalingeshwara. It was the principal port of the Rajas of Baindoor who came to prominence after the decline of the Vijayanagara power. The Portuguese settled here in the 16th century and built a fort. A well-built redoubt constructed by Hyder Ali commands the entrance to the river. After the fall of Tipu Sultan in 1799, the town was taken over by the British. There was once a tank of fresh water near the town in which was bred a special type of fish said to have been exclusively reserved for Tipu Sultan.

The name may be derived from Kunda, meaning jasmine, owing to the abundance of jasmine-trees in the area. According to others, Kunda means 'pillar', and here refers to the traditional method of constructing houses.

[edit] Places of interest in Kundapura taluk

Sri Vinayaka (Ganesh) Temple at Anegudde, between Kota and Koteshwara towns. The area where the temple stands is called [[Kubhashi]]. Among the several temples in Kubhashi Anegudde, Sri Vinayaka Temple is the oldest, and it is also the most popular in this region.

It is considered as the creation of sage Parashurama. With the passage of time the area where the temple is situated has been called in different names. According to the legends, when drought hit this area sage Agastya came here to perform Yajna to please the rain god. During the yajna, the Asura Kumbha started bothering the sages. To rescue the sages Bhima killed the demon with the help of the sword gifted by lord Ganesha. It attracts several thousand visitors every day.

Holy Rosary Church - A centuries old church which has stood testmony to many interesting events.

Basrur - Many temples are located here on the southern banks of the river Varahi.

Uppinakudru : Uppinakudru or salt island is located at 6Km towards north of Kundapura which is a taluk headquarters in Udupi District (Karnataka , India) .

Hoovinakere - It is the birthplace of the philosopher Vadiraja, who preached Dvaita philosophy after Madhvacharya.

Koteshwara - The Koteshwara temple is a historical and religious centre.

Saligrama Village - A small village with a historic temple of Narasimha (Gurunarashima) and hanuman

Hattiangadi has another well-known temple of Lord Ganapatti (Ganesh), and many other ancient temples besides.

Kirimanjeshwara - Located about 22 km from Kundapur, it has the Kirimanjeshwara temple amidst beautiful surroundings. There is another old temple called the Agastyeshwara temple, named after Sage Agastya.

Shankaranarayana - Located about 32 km to the east of Kundapur, it is traditionally called Krodha Kshetra and is one of the seven places of pilgrimage in the region mentioned in the Skanda Purana.

Kollur is one of the Shakti Pithas established by Shankaracharya. Kodachadri hill at the backdrop is trekkers' paradise. Ottinene - This is a sunset point on the seashore. The Kshitija Nature Resort, a beach, and sunset point are the favourite spots with travellers here.

Kodi Beach This is a nice beach located about 4 km from Kundapur .The Kinara Restaurant is a nice place to spend the time , while enjoying the beauty of Arabian Sea