BALAKRISHNA OF UDIPI

During the heyday of its glory, it was deemed as the foremost centre of pilgrimage. With the bounteous patronage by the renowned kings, it flourished as a centre of Vedantic philosophy and produced many philosophical works.This archamurthi of Anantheswara was variously called as Anantapadmanabha and Anantasayana, and they refer to Lord Vishnu since Anantha is one of the attributes of Lord Vishnu. It was called by the name of Anantheswara due to the fact of Lord Vishnu's enshrining in Sivalinga. This too has interesting back ground. According to the belief current here that the venerable father of Madvacharya worshipped the Sivalinga seeing in him Lord Vishnu and addressed it as Bhujangasayana. He did penance and availed the darsan of Lord Vishnu seated on the sesha in his dream; soon after the birth of son, he installed the idol of Ananthapadmanabha here to commemorate the vision of Lord Vishnu he was blessed with in his dream. It can be adduced that worshipping of Siva and Vishnu in one and the same image was in practice here since the ancient times.

[ Back ] [ Up ] [ Next ]