Rajarajeswari Temple Polali
According to the myothology, When evil forces gained strength and got the upper hand and embodied themselves as demons and began to destroy the Dharma Setu (Bridge of Dharma). Rajas and Tamas were the most superior evil qualities in them. They tortured the people in innumerable ways. At that time, Shri Bhuvaneshwari, a divine mother assumed divine forms with the names Kumari, Tripura, Kali and Durga and established the age old Dharma by destroying the wicked and protecting the good. After coronation She was called Shri Rajarajeshwari.
After the untimely death of his wife Sati Lord Rudra renounced all activities and started severe penance. Seeing this, Kama-the God of Love shot Rudra with his darts of love. Rudra in rage opened his third eye and burnt Kama into ashes.
After many years Lord Ganesha made a human form with that ash and placed it before Rudra. Lord Rudra looked at it with compassion and an inert image became a living being. Nandikeshwara initiated him with the holy Rudramanthra. The ash born being, repeated the mantra with implicit faith and incessantly prayed Lord Shiva (Rudra). Lord Shiva became highly pleased with him and blessed him with many boons.
This ash born being became famous, known as Bhandasura. Shrukracharya, the preceptor of demons took him to Shonithapura and there he was crowned as the king of asuras (demons). Shukracharya initiated Bhandasura with many mantras of mysterious power. As advised by Shukracharya, Bhandasura engaged himself in severe penance, got many boons and became very powerful. Gods of heaven and Thrimurthis built a mahamantapa and a chariot for Shri Bhuvaneshwari with the help of Vishwakarma. Brahma and other Gods assembled in the Mahamantapa and with just a look at Goddess Shri Mahadevi, the things they desired got fulfilled. Goddess boarded her Shri Chakra ornamented with navaparvas. Shri Devi with her large army and assistants advanced in no time and arrived at Shonithapura of Bhandasura and encamped there.
The temple has been described in the ancient inscriptions, including the Markandeya Purana, Ashoka inscriptions and travel accounts of ancient travellers. Based on one of the inscripitions , the temple was bulit in the 18th century with the clay idol. The temple was built by king Suratha and that the king offered his own crown, studded with precious jewels. The king having lost most of his kingdom in a war and being betrayed by his own ministers, it is believed that he has taken refuge under a sage named Sumedha in forests located around what is the location of the temple now.
The clay idol of the main deity in the temple is historically believed to be up to 5000 years old. The king himself is reported to have carved the clay idol of Shri Rajarajeshwari and offered penance to the deity in return for his kingdom. The remaining inscriptions, which are available today were obtained in kariyangala village, Ammunje and in the temple itself and is now under custody of the Karnataka Government.
The region surrounding the temple was ruled by many dynasties including Kadamba, Chalukya, Alupa, Rashtrakoota, Hoisala, Vijayanagara, Ikkeri, Mysore etc. Most of these dynasties spent a lot of resources on this temple and donated agricultural lands for the benefit of the temple. Kings from the Alupa dynasty, which ruled the region around 710 AD to 720 AD were particularly noted to have contributed to the development of the temple and to have encouraged the worship of Shri Rajarajeshwari in the region. In later years, Queen Chennammaji of Keladi is reported to have visited the temple and gifted the temple with a grand chariot.
As per records of the Abdul Razzak in 1448, the temple was initially built from molten brass. The temple had four platforms. An image of the deity, 5 to 6 feet in height, with red rubies for eyes were present on the highest of the platforms. Shri Rajarajeshwari is a stucco image of the deity with a height of 10 feet. The clay used for making the idol was specially prepared with herbal mixtures for added strength.
The temple also has smaller idols for other deities including Subramanya, Bhadhrakali, Mahaganapathi and Saraswathi. During a religious event named Lepashta Gandha, the idols are coated with a special soil mixture with eight medicinal properties once every 12 years. The soil used for coating was prepared hundreds of years ago and not prepared freshly on each occasion. The roof of Mukhamandapa, a section of the temple has many Gods and Goddesses exquisitely carved in wood. The roofs of other sections of the temple like the Dhwajastambha, the Garbagriha and the pillar of lights are covered in copper plates.
The Polali Chendu festival, also known as the football festival, is a widely popular football game which is conducted for a period of five days during the annual temple festival, seven days before avabritha. The football, which is a leather ball, is made by a cobbler family in Mijar.
The members of the oil miller family of 'Kadapu Karia' bring the leather ball from Mijar. On their way back they come to the house of Malali Ballal. They first place the ball in the cow dung, in the washed front yard of the house and inform them the date of the football festival.
In the evening members of the Gutthu families occupy their seats on both sides of the front gopuram. The members of the oil miller family then place the ball and a palm leaf umbrella in the gopuram. Then the person authorized to throw the ball arrives there wearing his headgear. He then offers prayers to the deity in the presence of the members of the Gutthu.
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