Moodabidri is only of the few Jain sites in South India.  The main attractions here are the Jain Basadis or temples.

Where is Moodabidri

Moodabidri (also known as Mudbidri ,Moodbiri)  is a quiet little town in the Mangalore district of Karnataka State. It is 37 Kms from Mangalore. It is situated on the newly constructed National Highway NH 13 on Mangalore-Karkala road. 

How to reach here

By train
The nearest railway station is Mangalore, which in turn are connected to all major railway stations. Nearest airport is Mangalore Airport situated 24 kms from Moodabidri.

By Bus
There is frequent bus service from Mangalore, Karkala (50 kms), Udupi other neighbouring towns. Karkala is 18 Kms away from Moodabidri on the way to Udupi which is 60 Kms from Moodabidri. Moodabidri can also be reached from Dharmasthala (50Kms) and Bantwal (35Kms). 

Getting Around

Most of the important tourist locations are within the walking distance from the town center. Taxis are also available either in Moodabidri or in the neighboring towns to visit most of the tourist locations. 

Tourist attractions in Moodabidri 

Jain Basadis at Moodabidri

Moodabidri has 18 Jain basadis, although Jains themselves are a minority in Dakshina Kannada district. The most famous among them is the 1000 pillared Chandranatha Basadi popularly known as "Savirakambha Basadi".

The uniqueness is that no two pillars are identical. Figures of giraffes and Chinese dragons have been carved on sections of the temple indicating the trade with Africa and China by the Jain Merchants of the time. The temple is also called Hosa Basadi.

Three mantapas lead to the main sanctuary. These mantapas have a series of sloping tiered roofs, adapted to the heavy monsoon rainfall of the region. The main entrance, which faces east, opens into a superb monolithic pillar (Manastambha) in front of the main doorway.

The temple has a valuable collection of metal, carved images of Jain Thirthankara. The columns in Moodabidri are extraordinary typical of the Chalukyan architecture. The 2 meter high panchaloha (an alloy of 5 metals) image of Chandranatha stands out among images.

Once a year a grand Jain festival is celebrated where in thousands of Jains take part with a lot of fervor. The Jain Monastery near the main temple entrance has a library with rare manuscripts. The 17th century Chowta Palace, which is still occupied by descendants of the royal family, is also worth visiting for its beautifully carved wooden pillars, ceilings and screen.

The other prominent basadis are Guru Basadi, Tribhuvana Tilaka Chudamani Basadi, Leppada Basadi and Ammanavara Basadi. Almost all are situated in and around Basadi road. A few other important Basadis and sites include:

• Guru Basadi is one of the earliest of the Jain monuments. A beautiful stone idol of Parshwanatha, about 3.5 meters tall, is installed in the sanctum sanctorum of this basadi. Here the rare palm leaf manuscripts of 12th century A.D. known as ‘Dhavala Texts’ are preserved.
• Tribhuvana Tilaka Chudamani Basadi is the largest and the most elaborate of the Jain temples of this region. The common people also call this temple as Thousand Pillared Temple (Savira Kambada Basadi).

  This is a large granite temple built in 1430 A.D. The 2.5 meters tall bronze image of Lord Chandranatha Swami in this basadi is considered to be very sacred. The temple is famous for the open pillared hall in front with carvings typical of Vijayanagar style. A 15-meter tall single stone pillar called Manastambha stands in front of the basadi.

• Chowta Palace in Moodabidri was the seat of the Chowtas, a Jain royal family, who were originally from Puthige, about 5 km from here. They moved their capital to Moodabidri in the 17th century. The Chowta Palace is known for its beautifully carved wooden pillars and ceilings.
• You can have the rare privilege of visiting Jain Nishidis, unique burial sites of Jain Swamijis close to the sites of the monuments.
• On the Naravi Road you can visit large granite monolith's called Konaje Kallu.These twin peaks of Konaje was once popularly called as the Ass's ears by British sailors.

  This is an excellent location for a short hike passing through a forest containing many wild life and birds. And the caves half way up rock have given shelter to some ascetics who live there and have built a small shrine.

• In that area can also be seen some pre-historic stone age structures (dolmen), indicating long colonization of this area by man.
• Some of the oldest Hindu temples include, the temple at Kanthavara on the outskirts of Moodabidri (7th Century A.D.) and the Gowri temple in the heart of Moodabidri (9th Century A.D)

Useful Links

Moodabidri.com gives you information on Moodabidri, Sights to see, Things to do, Accomodations and more. 

Go back to Places to see around Mangalore or See Tourist attractions in Mangaluru City