Doddikatta

Doddikatta is a village near Bajpe in the Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka, India. It is about 19 km (12 mi) away from Mangalore and is considered a holy shrine for Hindus. The main deity at the temple is Swambhoolingeshwara or Lord Shiva himself.

The holy temple is situated in the valley amidst panoramic scenes and greenery. Thousands of devotees visit Doddikatta every day to seek blessings from Lord Shiva. Also, a lot of devotees from all around the world visit this divine shrine to worship holy lord Shiva on the auspicious day of Shivaratri.

Regular Pooja’s are conducted thrice a day in the temple and special pooja’s like Rudrabhisheka are conducted periodically. Major Festivals, like Mahashivaratri, are celebrated by a large number of devotees with much gaiety and religious activities. The kshetra is unique for housing 32 Kuladevatas and the ever-growing Linga which has grown for years with no carving or sculpting. In the interpretations of some priests, the thin vertical dividing line denotes Shiva and Parvati together.