Moodabidri

Moodabidri is a small town in the southern state of Karnataka. Located about 37 km from the city of Mangalore, the town is also popularly known as Mudbidri, Moodbiri and Bedra.The town is known for being a centre of of Jainism in Southern part of India and is their sacred place. In fact, Moodabidri is widely identified as Jain Kashi. Located close to the Arabian Peninsula (west) shore of Karnataka, Moodabidri has a rich cultural and architectural history.

The history of the town dates back to as early as 13th century AD, mainly in terms of the Jain temples which emerged during this period. These grew during the 14th to 16th century. Currently, you can see the relics of around 18 Jain temples in the town which reminds visitors of the erstwhile era.

Several Jain temples, built in hard granite with carved pillars and other groups are all present in the town of Moodabidri. Chandranath Thousand Pillared Temple is the key draw of Moodabidri. Almost all temples are located around the road Basadi. The Tilaka Tribhuvana Chudamani Basadi is the most famous of the Jain temples here, and is known for its complex architecture. The varieties of the pillars in this Basadi lead ordinary people to identify this temple as Thousand Pillars temple. This is a huge granite building originally built in 1430 AD, which completed in three stages.

Some of the most important places of tourist interest in Moodabidri are the Guru Basadi, Chudamani Tilaka Tribhuvana Basadi and Ammanavara Basadi, which are all Jain monuments and temples. Basadi Guru is considered to be the primary of the Jain monuments. Lord Parshwanath on 23 Thirthankar of Jainism is the presiding deity of this temple. A beautiful stone idol Parshwanath, about 3.5 meters high, is place in the sanctuary of this Basadi.

Apart from the Jain temples, there are also the Gowri Temple and Hanuman Temple, which are important places of worship along with being tourist attractions. The town is also quite green and looks beautiful wih the many ponds around. In fact, there are 18 ponds surrounding Moodabidri.

Moodabidri is a small town in Mangalore district in southern India and is on the National Highway 13 on the Mangalore-Karkala road.  Nearest Railway station is Mangalore, which is 36 kms from Moodabidri. This is easily reachable and connects to all popular stations.  There are also regular buses from here to most important towns and cities in Karnataka.

The weather here is pleasant during the winters making it ideal for a visit during this season. Summers are hot and uncomfortable, while monsoons are quite wet and humid.