Sri Polali Rajarajeshwari Temple
An ancient Devi temple at Polali in Bantwal taluk, dedicated to Rajarajeshwari, whose clay image and annual football-based Polali Chendu festival make it one of Dakshina Kannada's most distinctive shrines.
Photos of Sri Polali Rajarajeshwari Temple
History & Significance
History & Origin
The temple is traditionally said to have been built in the 8th century CE by King Suratha and to have received patronage from successive dynasties including the Kadambas, Chalukyas, Alupas and the Vijayanagara empire.
Religious & Cultural Significance
Rajarajeshwari, worshipped as a form of Lalita Tripurasundari, is enshrined in an idol moulded from specially prepared clay, and the temple is locally linked to Ashokan-era inscriptions and accounts of early foreign travellers.
Architecture
The temple's roofs carry wood carvings of deities and are sheathed in copper plating, in the coastal Karnataka temple style typical of Tuluva Devi shrines.
Traditions
The idol reportedly undergoes a special clay-renewal ritual (Lepashta Gandha) roughly every twelve years, and the temple's month-long annual jatre features Polali Chendu, a traditional football contest between two local factions.
Temple Timings
- Morning
- 6:30 AM - 1:20 PM
- Evening
- 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Temple closed for maintenance 1:20 PM - 4:00 PM
Festivals & Events
- Polali Chendu (annual football festival)
- Annual Jatre (March-April car festival)
Location
- Address
- Polali, Bantwal Taluk, Dakshina Kannada, Karnataka 574219
- Area
- Polali, Kariyangala village
- City
- Polali
- Taluk
- Bantwal
- District
- Dakshina Kannada
- State
- Karnataka
- PIN Code
- 574219