Sigandur Chowdeshwari Temple

Sigandur is a very beautiful and small town positioned in the Taluka District of Karnataka state, and the local people of this district call it "Sigandooru." The city is most popular for the Sigandur Chowdeshwari Temple, where tourists from PAN India can be seen, and it is dedicated to the Goddess Chowdeshwari. This temple is a must-visit place for many visitors from all over the world, and it is positioned on the banks of the Sharavati River. The Goddess of the Sigandur Chowdeshwari Temple, Shri Chowdeshwari Devi, is an ethereal being who protects her devotees from losing items to thievery and punishes thieves for stealing items from the devotees. The Holy Sharavati River encircles this Sigandur village, which is surrounded from three sides by the Linganamakki dam and lush greens.

During the temple's annual festival, which is held in January, it is very normal for the visitors and devotees to practice the common holy ritual in which they have to bathe in the sacred river Sharavati. No other kshetras (regions or areas) in the whole of Karnataka offer this form of worship, and this makes Sigandur Village one of its kind. It is believed that the "Board of Shri Deviya Rakshane Ide," which is a very significant and sacred item, once placed in the home, will provide the pure protection of Goddess Chowdeshwari Devi to gardens, lands, buildings, and objects as well as the people themselves. In this article, a brief overview of the history of the Sigandur Chowdeshwari Temple is provided, along with details of rituals, timings, the best time to visit, and the annual fair held inside the temple.

Sigandur Chowdeshwari Temple: History

There is a 300-year-old tale about the origin and formation of the Sigandur Chowdeshwari Temple, and according to this tale, it is believed that the origin and culture of this sacred temple are unique in its untainted and honorable simplicity. The tradition of this temple is one that perfectly combines human reverence and divinity, which is very similar to all cultural beliefs of India that make the Indian practice of god and goddess worship so unique and special in itself. According to the tale behind the origin of this temple, there was a man named Sheshappa who one day went into the forest for the purpose of Hunt, but he ended up being lost within the forest, and therefore, he decided that he would take rest beneath a tree.

While Sheshappa was resting under the tree, he fell asleep, and the forest, in which he was lost, was positioned at the banks of Sharavati River. While sleeping, he dreamt that the 'Mother' (locally referred to as the Goddess Chowdeshwari) came to him and instructed him to build a temple for her where he was sleeping. After waking up from his sleep, he went to 'Duggajja,' who was a Brahmin, and told him about his dream, and after that, they together built the temple, which is now popularly known as the Chowdeshwari temple. After the construction of the temple was completed, Duggajja became the chief priest, and Sheshappa became the managing trustee of the temple.

Sigandur Chowdeshwari Temple: Worship of the Goddess

Most of the visitors and tourists came to this temple to pray for the blessings of the Mother Goddess Sigandur Chowdeshwari because it is believed that the Goddess will protect her devotees and disciples from thieves. There is one more popular belief about the Goddess; according to this belief, the stealers that cause loss and pain to the worshippers will have to face appropriate consequences from the Mother Goddess, and they have to return the belongings to their original owner. To keeps the stealers and thieves away from their home or workplace, many devotees or worshippers of the Mother Goddess keep the board known as "Shri Deviya Rakshane Ide" as a form of the Devi, in their homes or near their land. This board or form of Mother Goddess is believed to protect lands, gardens, and items as well. Many devotees of the Mother Goddess, who have had their lost items returned to the exact place from where it was taken, are believed to have successfully received blessings from the Goddess. This is the main reason that many people in this area prefer not to trust the Government and Governmental law and to pray to the Mother Goddess to protect their rights.

Sigandur Chowdeshwari Temple: Annual Fair

The annual fair of the Sigandur Chowdeshwari Temple, which is held annually on the 14th and 15th of January, is popularly attended by thousands of visitors from all over India every year, and it is dedicated to the Mother Goddess Sigandur Chowdeshwari. The annual fair time of the temple, which is celebrated on Makar Sankranti every year, is considered to be a very auspicious and renowned time for gaining protection and blessings of the Devi for your family, yourself as well as for your belongings and lands by praying to the Mother Goddess.

As a method of communication and prayer to the Mother Goddess, it is a very standard practice among the devotees to bathe in the banking Sharavati River. It is believed that the Goddess, who is also known as "Sigandureshwari" popularly by her devotees, will solve the issues of all those who offer her all their trust and devotion, and she is also listening to every prayer made in her name.

Sigandur Chowdeshwari Temple: Best Time to Visit

According to the worshippers and devotees of Mother Goddess, every time throughout the year is the perfect time to visit the temple as Mother Goddess always blesses their worshippers. But, visiting this place for the purpose of tourism, there is a certain time when tourists can visit this temple to make their journey more memorable and joyful. To celebrate the annual fair or festival of the Sigandur Chowdeshwari Temple, the time of January to March is considered the best time to visit this temple, and this time is also perfect for all visitors to escape the heat and subsequent monsoon.

Sigandur Chowdeshwari Temple: How to Reach the Temple

There are multiple ways to reach the temple, and even, there are many services run by the worshippers of Mother Goddess to help the visitors to reach the temple. Visitors or tourists have to travel across the River Sharavathi to get to the Sigandur Chowdeshwari Temple, and one can get across this river through a regular service (by a launch). The charge of the service to get across the river by a launch is only INR 1 per head, and to reach Sigandur, tourists also have the option to take buses and even private cars (taxi services) on the launch. There are many jeeps available for the visitors that will take tourists to the temple when the river is crossed, and the cost of these jeep services is only INR 20 per head.

Sigandur Chowdeshwari Temple: Timings of the Temple

The timings of the temple are not very strict for performing the rituals inside the temple, and visitors can enjoy the perks of these flexible timings of the temple. Still, there is a specific time fixed for offering Poojas and Abhishekams to Mother Goddess, and one can also join the Aartis and Poojas in the temple during this time. The Poojas and Aarti are offered both in the morning and evening time, and therefore, those who miss the morning Aarti time can attend evening Aarti or vice-versa. Following are the indicative timings for Aarti, Poojas, and performing rituals in the Sigandur Chowdeshwari Temple:

Morning Timings: 8:00 AM, 9:15 AM, 10:15 AM, 11:30 AM
Afternoon Timings: 1:30 PM, 2:45 PM
Evening Timings: 4:00 PM, 4:40 PM, 5:30 PM

Sigandur Chowdeshwari Temple: Nearby Places to Visit

This temple in itself is a perfect place for tourists where they can feel their trip is completed after visiting it. But, there are many other small tourist spots nearby the temple, which is considered the cherry on the cake, and tourists only have to make a day from their trip to visit all these tourist spots. Following is the list of all such tourist attractions nearby the Sigandur Chowdeshwari Temple that one can visit to make their trip more meaningful and joyful: