SHIRALI - SRI MAHA GANAPATHY DEVALAYA

Sri PeteVinayaka Santha Durga temple is the original name of this much popular Maha Ganapathy Mahamaya temple at Shirali that has a bizarre background. Its antiquity dates back to sixteenth century, and Goa was its earliest home. These two were adored with infinite devotion by Saraswat Brahmins there, and these two deities acquired high reputation and holy shrine as the sure refuge of true devotees. The pious priests desiring to be free from Portuguese discretion due to racial prejudices emigrated to Bhatkal and Mangalore from Naveli and Golthi, the primary places of Vinayaka and Mother Santha Durga.  

While leaving for safety in 1540 to far off places they devoutly removed certain parts of the icons and carried with them.  On settling in these places and finding congenial atmosphere to carrying on uninterrupted devotional activities, they built modest sized shrines and installing new idols adorned them with the holy objects which they carried with them at the time of migration. The worshipful icons, perhaps, due to engrafting of certain sacrosanct parts of the original icons started raining boons on the adorers munificently. The beneficiaries deemed it fit to build imposing buildings and worship with elaborate prayer services of both daily and occasional types. 

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