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'Kundapura' is a town in Udupi district in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is the headquarter of the Kundapura taluk and is about 36 kilometres from Udupi.

Contents

Name

History

Demographics

Places of interest in Kundapura taluk

Name

This name can be traced to the Kundeshvara temple built by Kundavarma in the vicinity of the Panchagangavalli river. Kundapur is also described as the 'town of the sun'. The name may be derived from ''Kunda'', meaning jasmine, owing to the abundance of jasmine-trees in the area. According to others, ''Kunda'' means 'pillar', and here refers to the traditional method of constructing houses.

History

It was the principal port of the Rajas of Baindoor who came to prominence after the decline of the Vijayanagara power. The Portuguese and German Missionaries settled here in the 16th century and built a fort. A well-built redoubt constructed by Hyder Ali commands the entrance to the river. After the fall of Tipu Sultan in 1799, the town was taken over by the British.

Demographics

As of 2001 India census^[1], Kundapura had a population of 28,595. Males constitute 49% of the population and females 51%. Kundapura has an average literacy rate of 79%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 84%, and female literacy is 74%. In Kundapura, 9% of the population is under 6 years of age.
The town cosists of Kannadigas, Konkanis (Hindus and Christians),Tuluvas and Jains.
The Goud Saraswat Brahmins who fled Goa during the forcible Christian conversion drive in the 16th Century arrived by Boat in Basrur and some settled in Kundapura.

Places of interest in Kundapura taluk

★ 'Sri Vinayaka' (Ganesh) Temple at Anegudde, between Kota and Koteshwar towns. The area where the temple stands is called Kumbhashi. Among the several temples in Kumbhashi Anegudde, Sri Vinayaka Temple is the oldest, and it is also the most popular in this region.

★ 'Mekekattu Nadhikeshwara' temple is also very beautiful. It is very near to Barkuru chowlikere temple. It is considered as the creation of sage Parashurama. With the passage of time the area where the temple is situated has been called in different names. According to the legends, when drought hit this area sage Agastya came here to perform Yajna to please the rain god. During the yajna, the Asura Kumbha started bothering the sages. To rescue the sages Bhima killed the demon with the help of the sword gifted by lord Ganesha. It attracts several thousand visitors every day.

★ 'Holy Rosary Church' - A centuries old church which has stood testmony to many interesting events.

★ 'Basrur' - Many temples are located here on the southern banks of the river Varahi.

★ 'Uppinakudru' - Uppinakudru or salt island is located at 6Km towards north of Kundapura which is a taluk headquarters in Udupi District (Karnataka , India) .

★ 'Hoovinakere' - It is the birthplace of the philosopher Vadiraja, who preached Dvaita philosophy after Madhvacharya.

★ 'Koteshwara' - The Koteshwara temple is a historical and religious centre.

★ 'Saligrama Village' - A small village with a historic temple of Narasimha(Gurunarasimha) and hanuman

★ 'Hattiangadi' has another well-known temple of Lord Ganapatti (Ganesh), and many other ancient temples besides.

★ 'Kirimanjeshwara' - Located about 22 km from Kundapur, it has the Kirimanjeshwara temple amidst beautiful surroundings. There is another old temple called the Agastyeshwara temple, named after Sage Agastya.

★ 'Shankaranarayana' - Located about 32 km to the east of Kundapur, it is traditionally called Krodha Kshetra and is one of the seven places of pilgrimage in the region mentioned in the Skanda Purana.

★ 'Trasi' - Located about 12 km to the North of Kundapur, Trasi has a beautiful 1 km long beach with Turtle Bay and Beach Resort.

★ 'Kollur' is one of the Shakti Pithas established by Shankaracharya. Kodachadri hill at the backdrop is trekkers' paradise. Ottinene - This is a sunset point on the seashore. The Kshitija Nature Resort, a beach, and sunset point are the favourite spots with travellers here.

★ 'Kodi Beach' This is a nice beach located about 4 km from Kundapur .The Kinara Restaurant is a nice place to spend the time , while enjoying the beauty of Arabian Sea