Aryakatyayini Sri Mahadevi Temple

There are few temples for the Maratha Kshatriya community men in Dakshina Kannada district. One of this is the Aryakatyayini Sri Mahadevi Temple located at Korakodu in Kasargod. The Dharekar family people who were residing at Bolar in Mangalore had for some reason shifted to Korakodu in Kasargod. In the year 1908, in the Devara Mane of the Dharekhar family, Bolara Puttojirao’s eldest son Sri Annoji Rao was possessed by the Devi. Late on Sri Puttoji Rao constructed a family temple on 25-02-1910. It was named as Marigudi and gradually became famous as “Arya Katyayini Sri Mahadevi Temple.” Bhadrakali and Durga are the presiding deities here. Bhairava and Pashanamurthis are also worshipped here. The temple founded by Sri Puttoji Rao Dharekar had Sri Annoji Rao, Sri Durgoji Rao and Sri Sanjeeva Rao as its Managing Trustees. Presently, Sri Purushottam Rao is the Managing Trustee and is in-charge of the temple administration. The temple which would be completing its hundredth year in 2010 will also be celebrating its centenary.

Shringeri Temple

The Jagadguru of Shringeri Mahasamsthan Sharada Peetha is himself the Jagadguru of the Maratha Kshatriyas. As disciples of Sri Shringeri Jagadguru, members of the community have been seeking the blessings of the Jagadguru by offering Paadakanike every year. The Marathi Kshatriyas who had their mother tongue as Marathi in the past, later on due to the continuous link with Kannadigas have begun speaking Kannada language and now have adopted Kannada itself as their mother tongue. At home along with Kannada they mix some Marathi words as well as the Halegannada words used by Havyaka Brahmins When they worked as labourers under Brahmins, their employers, referring to the Ji behind their name, termed them as Oji. (Just as we refer to others as Bhattare, Settare, Shenoygale and Rayare). Later when illiterate people wanted to know the name of their caste, what was told was Oji? However in Karkala, Mulki and Kalianpur, the Maratha Kshatriyas residing there, have still retained Marathi as their mother tongue.