Sri Kabbalamma Temple, Kabbalu

The Kabbalamma Temple is a Hindu shrine to the goddess Shakti. Village Kabbal is located in the Ramanagara district of Karnataka, India. The temple is a well-known temple dedicated to the most devoted goddess Shakti. In the district of Ramanagara, worshippers venerated the goddess Shakti as “Kabbalamma.” The Kabbalamma Temple is the sole religious structure within 28 kilometres.

About Kabbalu Kabbalamma Temple

Goddess Shakti, the God of the Sri Kabbalamma temple, takes the form of Goddess Kabbalamma. It is the only shrine in the area, with about 28 villages.

Once, Goddess Kabbalamma came to the village of Kabbalu looking for a place to live. Goddess Kabbalamma asked Basaveshwara for permission to live in the village, and he gave it to her. So, the offering is first given to Basaveshwara, the temple’s resident bull, and then to Goddess Kabbalamma.

Story of Kabbalamma

Kabbali was married to a poor farmer named Rangappanna. Even though they were poor, their love was very rich. Kabbali was very sad that she didn’t have any children. When she looked sad one day, her husband asked her, “What was wrong?” Kabbali says it had been a long time since she had seen her younger sister and her children. Kabbali loved Bisilamma, her younger sister, and her children a lot.

Rangappanna told her she could go to another village to see her sister and her children. Kabbali is very excited to see her sister, but she is also sad that they don’t have any money to buy anything and can’t see her without anything. After looking for it, she finds it at home. She gives it to her husband and tells him to bring a trolley full of things. He laughs and says, “How can I bring a trolley full of stuff for three Annas?” She asks her husband what he would do if she brought a cart full of things. He says he will accept the challenge and stand in front of her house as a Garudagamba (Stamba – pillar). Since this wasn’t a big deal, she goes to the “santre” (Market) and fills up a cart with things. She then runs happily to her husband to call him and show him that she has filled a cart with things. As he said he would, the husband says he will stand in front of her house like a pillar. Kabbali begs him not to do that because it is just for fun, but he doesn’t listen and says, “Tomorrow, people would talk about Kabbali’s husband who hadn’t kept the promise, and he wouldn’t like that.” So he turns himself into a column and stands in front of her house. Kabbali knows God wanted and planned for all of these things to happen.

After a few days, she gets some treats and sees her sister. At the same time, her sister Bisilamma will be sitting with her neighbour in the village next door. As soon as her neighbour sees Kabbali walking away, she carries her child back to her house and tells Bisilamma to hide her children from her sister, who would be jealous. Immediately, Bisilamma grabbed her playing kids and put each one under a bamboo basket, telling them to come out when she called. Kabbali sees Bisilamma bring her kids into the house by their hands. Kabbali goes to her sister’s house and asks her to call her kids.

Bisilamma says that her kids have left the house and are no longer there. Kabbali asked Bisilamma about her husband. She says that her husband had to go to the market for work, so she had to go with him. Kabbali asks her to show at least one of the children, but Bisilamma won’t budge.

Kabbali asks, “What was under that?” when she sees the basket turned on its side. Bisilamma says that all that was under the basket was stone. Kabbali gets very angry and says, “Let there be Stones under the basket.” The kids will turn into rocks as soon as she says it. Bisilamma runs up behind Kabbali, cries, and falls at her feet, begging for forgiveness. Kabbalah says, “At this point, nothing can be changed.”
Then, one son who had gotten away from all this trouble comes running to greet his mother (Big Aunty). Kabbali gives him a hug and a blessing, saying that he will be his mother’s only son from now on and that he will have to visit his doddamma (Big Aunty) Kabbalamma once a year to take part in a festival called “Sidi habba.”

As a sign of harake, people run over wood that has been burned and turned into coal as part of the Sidi Habba festival. This is done to scare away evil eyes and spirits.

She tells her sister, “From now on, I won’t take your place. You come to take the honour in my place.” So, there is a car festival once a year, and all the goddesses from the nearby villages come to take the honour from goddess Kabbalamma.

Temple Legend

The stories say that Goddess Kabbalamma was looking for a place to live at one time. She made it to the town of Kabbalu. Goddess Kabbalamma asked Basaveshwara for permission to live in the village, and he gave it to her. All the important first pujas are done first to Basaveswara and then to Goddess Kabbalamma.

Significance of Kabbalu Kabbalamma Temple

Sri Kabalamma is mostly worshipped to eliminate the evil eye of others who are jealous of a person’s success, etc. People here believe that praying to this goddess and giving gifts to this temple will keep all evil eyes away from its followers. But since people go there every day, these beliefs are true.

Here, many people follow the temple practice that lets a devotee sleep on the floor and lets the temple bulls walk without hurting the devotee. It is a prayer that devotees say on their own, and it is not required when gifts are given to this temple. The puja is done according to the temple’s rules, and the priests also do special pujas when devotees ask them to.

Temple Architecture

As you walk into the temple, the white obelisk building of the shrine’s high mandapa stands out against a rocky dome. There are walls and an arch on all sides of the temple. The gopuras and pillared mandapa are the most striking parts of this temple, built in a Dravidian style.

The main God is shown in a statue, which is the temple’s main shrine. One of the sculptures is a horse named Nandi, and the temple also has a small wooden chariot called a rath. There is a big area in front of the temple where events can be held. From the entrance to the mandapas, the temple is covered with intricate stone sculptures that show the many gods and stories from mythology.

Temple Festivals & Rituals

The Kabbalamma Jatre is the most important festival at the Shree Kabbalamma Temple. It is celebrated with a lot of fanfare by the many devotees, most of whom come from the nearby area. During this festival, the God is put on a chariot or rath and pulled through the village in a parade before being taken back home. They all want to be on the pulling team because they think it will benefit them.

This resident bull, also known as Basaveshwara, is also involved in an intriguing ceremony. A devotee who vows to make an offering to the bull must sleep on the ground and let the bull walk over them. Even young toddlers are required to lie down before the bull. In addition to tying bundles of cash notes to the bull’s horns as a part of the offerings or as a gesture of gratitude for their wishes being granted, devotees also tie bundles of currency notes to the bull’s horns.

Local Culture

Karnataka’s contribution to the culture of India as a whole is no less important than that of any other part of India. It has made important contributions to art, music, religion, and philosophy. Karnataka’s culture is so rich that it gives its existence a new taste.

Darshan Dresscode

Men must adhere to the clothing code of shirt and trousers, dhoti, or pyjamas with an overgarment. The preferred attire for ladies is a saree or half-saree with a blouse or churidar with pyjamas and an upper garment.

Temple Darshan Timings

The Sri Kabbalamma Temple is open from 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM.

• Morning: 6:00 AM to 10:00 AM
• Afternoon: 01:00 to 2:00 PM
• Evening: 4:00 PM to 8.00 PM

Shri Kabbalamma Temple Location Map