Chandragutti Renukamba temple near Sirsi

Chandragutti is a popular pilgrimage center in North Canara district. The Renukamba temple, located on a rock attracts a fair bit of devotees.

To reach the temple we have to climb about 250 odd steps. On the rock a small temple exists or Renukamba. Renuka was the daughter of the king of Chandragutti. Renuka was later married to sage Jamadagni, father of Parashurama. Legend has it that one day Jamadagni got extremely angry with Renuka for some reason and asked his son to kill her. Parashurama killed her but when Jamadagni asked what reward he wanted, Parashurama asked for her mother’s life- thus Renuka became alive again. The spot where Renukamba temple exists is said to be the spot where this incident happened.

We can also get a good view of the surroundings, you can try to walk around the rocks. Beware of monkey menace.

Puja timings are 9 AM till 2 PM and 4.30 PM to 6 PM. There will be few annual festivals in Chandragutti during which the crowd swells. Temple administration was setting up CCTV cameras during our visit and there were some banners announcing mega events in October second week,

During popular festivals, there is a provision to carry senior citizens uphill on a palanquin. Few shops sell puja items near the temple entrance. Didn’t find any good restaurants in Chandragutti.

Photography not allowed inside the temple, so I didn't click.

If you are visiting Sirsi, Banavasi, Soraba area and have a few hours to spare, you can consider visiting Chandragutti temple. Gudavi bird sanctuary is also about 12 kms away.

If you're looking for a stay Sirsi, Sagara or Jog Falls area will give you lots of stay options.

There seems to be a fort nearby- we didn’t know. You can try exploring.

Nearby: Banavasi * Sirsi * Nipli Husur waterfalls * Unchalli waterfalls *