Nellitheertha Cave Temple

Temple in India

Nellitheertha Cave Temple

Nellitheertha Cave Temple entrance

Religion
Affiliation| Hinduism
District| Nellitheertha
Deity| Lord Shiva
Location
Location| Nellitheertha
State| Karnataka
Country| India

Nellitheertha Cave Temple in Nellitheertha, Karnataka, India is dedicated to the Indian deity Sri Somanatheshwara, or Shiva. The temple dates back to at least 1487 CE.[1]

Lord Somanatha

To the right of the temple is a natural cave, about 200 metres (660 ft) long. Access is restricted, forcing visitors to crawl in on their knees. Inside, there is a lake and a Shiva Lingam.

## Origins

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It is believed that the cave in Nellitheertha was used by Sage Jabali to perform a penance to appease Goddess Durga Parameshwari. Goddess Durga appeared in front of Sage Jabali and assured him that she would kill the demon Arunasura. She later took the shape of a bumble bee and killed Arunasura on the banks of the river Nandini. At that place today is a beautiful temple of Goddess Durgaparameshwari and the place is very well known as Kateel.

The Cave at Nellitheertha.

Goddess Durga also assured Sage Jabali that Shiva, Vishnu and Durga herself would grace that region and that there would be temples to worship all three of them in the vicinity. One can find a Vishnu temple near Nellitheertha at a place called Kompadavu. Goddess Durga is worshipped in a place called Muchur, again near Nellitheertha. And Lord Shiva made Nellitheertha his abode.[2]

## Reaching Nellitheertha

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There are several routes to reach Nellitheertha.

* From Mangalore, take the route towards Moodabidri. Travel beyond Gurupura, Kaikamba and reach Yedapadavu. Here, take a deviation towards Mangalore. Nellitheertha is 8 km away from Yedapadavu.
* Reach Bajpe from Mangalore and take the route to Kathelsaar. Continue on the same road to reach Nellitheertha.
* Reach Kateel from Mangalore. Nellitheertha is about 5 km away from Kateel.
* While driving from Bangalore, one can take a deviation at B C Road and go through Polali and Kaikamba and reach Nellitheertha. This avoids having to travel through Mangalore.
* While driving from Bangalore, one can take a deviation at B C Road and go through Kuppepadavu, Yedapadavu and reach Nellitheertha. This also avoids having to travel through Mangalore.

## See also

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* Indian rock-cut architecture
* List of India cave temples

## References

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1. ^ Cave Temple Nellitheertha History
2. ^ Birth of Nellitheertha

## External links

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nellitheertha Cave Temple.

* Nellitheertha Somanatheshwara Cave Temple New webpage
* Nellitheertha Somanatheshwara Cave Temple main webpage
* Nellitheertha - A Hidden Jewel Waiting to be Discovered

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Holy temples of coastal Karnataka

* Udupi
* Mookambika
* Sringeri
* Dharmasthala Temple
* Kukke Subramanya
* Nellitheertha
* Kollur
* Kateel
* Kumbashi
* Gokarna
* Murdeshwar
* Padutirupathi
* Kodlamane Shree Vishnumurthy Temple

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Hindu temples in Karnataka

* Amrutesvara Temple, Amruthapura
* Ananthasayana temple
* Anekere
* Annapoorneshwari Temple
* Annigeri
* Antara Gange
* Avani, Kolar
* Badami Cave Temples
* Balligavi
* Banashankari Amma Temple
* Banashankari Temple, Amargol
* Banavasi
* Bankapura
* Begur, Bangalore
* Brahmeshvara Temple, Kikkeri
* Bucesvara Temple, Koravangala
* Bhoganidishvara, Chikkaballapur district
* Bhutanatha group
* Chamundeshwari Temple
* Chamundeswari Temple
* Chandramouleshwara Temple
* Chaudayyadanapura
* Cheluvanarayana Swamy Temple
* Chennakeshava Temple, Belur
* Chennakeshava Temple, Aralaguppe
* Chennakesava Temple, Somanathapura
* Chitrapur Math
* Chowdeshwari Temple
* Devarayana Durga
* Dharmaraya Swamy Temple
* Dharmasthala Temple
* Dodda Ganeshana Gudi
* Doddabasappa Temple Dambal
* Durga temple, Aihole
* Gadag-Betigeri
* Kalakaleshwara Temple Gajendragad
* Galaganatha
* Gaurishvara Temple, Yelandur
* Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple
* Godachi
* Gokarnanatheshwara Temple
* Halasi
* Halasuru Someshwara Temple
* Hangal
* Harihareshwara Temple
* Panchalingewara Temple Hooli
* Hoysaleswara Temple
* Hulimavu cave Temple
* Ganesha Temple, Idagunji
* Ikkeri
* Ishvara Temple, Arasikere
* Itagi Bhimambika
* Kadri Manjunath Temple
* Kaitabheshvara Temple, Kubatur
* Kalasa
* Kalghatgi
* Kalikamba Temple
* Kalleshvara Temple, Ambali
* Kalleshvara Temple, Aralaguppe
* Kalleshvara Temple, Bagali
* Kalleshwara Temple, Hire Hadagali
* Kamala Narayana Temple Belagavi
* Kanakagiri
* Karighatta temple
* Karikanamma
* Kasivisvesvara Temple, Lakkundi
* Kedareswara temple, Halebidu
* Kedareshvara Temple, Balligavi
* Keladi
* Keshava Temple
* Kodlamane Shree Vishnumurthy Temple
* Kodandarama Temple
* Koodli
* Kote Venkataramana Temple
* Kotilingeshwara
* Krauncha Giri
* Kudalasangama
* Kudroli Bhagavathi
* Kukke Subramanya Temple
* Kuknur
* Kumara Swamy Devasthana, Bangalore
* Kundgol
* Kurudumale
* Kuruvathi Basaveshwara temple
* Lad Khan Temple
* Lakkundi
* Lakshmeshwar
* Lakshmi Devi Temple, Doddagaddavalli
* Lakshmi Narasimha Temple, Bhadravati
* Lakshminarasimha Temple, Haranhalli
* Lakshminarasimha Temple, Javagal
* Lakshmi Narasimha Temple, Nuggehalli
* Lakshminarayana Temple, Hosaholalu
* Mahabaleshwar Temple, Gokarna
* Maha Ganapathi Mahammaya Temple
* Mahadeva Temple, Itagi
* Mahakuta group of temples
* Mallikarjuna Temple, Basaralu
* Mallikarjuna Temple, Kuruvatti
* Mandarthi
* Mangaladevi Temple
* Maranakatte
* Mariyamma Temple
* Melukote
* Mookambika Temple, Kollur
* Mudukuthore
* Mundkur Sri Durgaparameshwari Temple
* Murudeshwara
* Mylara Lingeshwara Temple
* Nandi Temple
* Nagamangala
* Nageshvara-Chennakeshava Temple complex, Mosale
* Navalinga Temple
* Narasimha Jhira Cave Temple, Bidar
* Nellitheertha Cave Temple
* Padutirupathi
* Panchalingeshwara temple, Govindanahalli
* Pattadakal
* Polali Rajarajeshwari Temple
* Ragigudda Anjaneya Temple
* Rameshvara Temple, Narasamangala
* Ranganathaswamy Temple, Bangalore
* Sadasiva Temple
* Saundatti
* Sharana Basaveshwara Temple
* Shree Vishnumurthy Temple
* Shri Vinayaka Shankaranarayana Durgamba Temple
* Sringeri
* Sringeri Sharadamba Temple
* Siddhesvara Temple Haveri
* Srikanteshwara Temple, Nanjangud
* Sirsangi Kalika Temple
* Kolar Someshwara Temple
* Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Shivanasamudra
* Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangapatna
* Sri Vinayaka Temple, Guddattu
* Sudi
* Talagunda
* Talakad
* Tamboor
* Temples in Tulunadu
* Temples of North Karnataka
* Thirunarayanapuram
* Timmalapura
* Trikuteshwara Temple Gadag
* Tripurantaka Temple
* Turuvekere
* Udupi Sri Krishna Matha
* Veera Narayana Temple, Belavadi
* Vijayanarayana Temple, Gundlupet
* Virupaksha Temple
* Western Chalukya temples
* Yediyur Siddhalingeshwara Swamy Temple
* Yelluru Shri Vishweshwara Temple

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