CHITRAMOOLA CAVE

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

There is a sacred but otherwise unspecified cave called Chitramoola (note 1) associated with the Hindu saint Shankaracharya somewhere on Kodachadri mountain (–>Kodachadri Caves). ETYMOLOGY: The Hindi (Sanskrit) -chitra- has been translated as spotted, speckled.SITUATION: The peak of Kodachadri (note 2), towering above a hilly area where the districts of Shimoga and Udupi meet, is accessible by walking about 13 km (6.7 km in a direct line due east) from Kollur (note 3), a town approximately 120 km along the road (linear 95 km south-east) from Gokarn (Gokarna N14°33': E74°19') or about 80 km south-east of Kumta (N14°25': E74°24'). CULTURAL HISTORY: A trail from Kollur leads to the towering Kodachadri peak where a temple complex and a monument called Sarvagnya Peeta, the seat where Shankaracharya attained divine knowledge, is located. Also found here is a cave called Chitramoola, where Shankaracharya is said to have sat in penance (note 4).There is a sacred but otherwise unspecified cave called Chitramoola (note 1) associated with the Hindu saint Shankaracharya somewhere on Kodachadri mountain (–>Kodachadri Caves). ETYMOLOGY: The Hindi (Sanskrit) -chitra- has been translated as spotted, speckled.SITUATION: The peak of Kodachadri (note 2), towering above a hilly area where the districts of Shimoga and Udupi meet, is accessible by walking about 13 km (6.7 km in a direct line due east) from Kollur (note 3), a town approximately 120 km along the road (linear 95 km south-east) from Gokarn (Gokarna N14°33': E74°19') or about 80 km south-east of Kumta (N14°25': E74°24'). CULTURAL HISTORY: A trail from Kollur leads to the towering Kodachadri peak where a temple complex and a monument called Sarvagnya Peeta, the seat where Shankaracharya attained divine knowledge, is located. Also found here is a cave called Chitramoola, where Shankaracharya is said to have sat in penance (note 4).