Kurumgad Island

India / Karnataka / Karwar /
 temple, island, interesting place
Once a year there is a grand annual festival on this once inhabited island. People from Goa & Karnataka flock to this island once a year in January to offer prayers at the Lord Narasimha temple which opens only for 2 days a year during Pushya Poornima. It is believed that this half Lion & half human deity, reincarnation of Lord Vishnu in Hindu Mythology, swam accross the sea & made his way to this island tearing it apart & made it it's abode. The island has a sweet water pond despite the fact that it is located 3km away from Karwar town in the Arabian sea.
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   14°50'38"N   74°5'57"E

Comments

  • There are interesting stories to tell about the poojari who used to travel with god on this island every year to conduct the festival. It is said that he used to sit in a leaf of banana and used to sail to the island. It was said that he being so pure .. the leaf was not sinking and he used to make his way to this island. but on one such occasion while he was travelling due to some un holy act of his wife the banana leaf sunk and he drowned in the arabian sea. This island has a shape of tortoise "Kurma" and hense called Koorma Gad. It bears a very old fort which is said to be related to Shivaji or his sub rulers. There is no proper dock here for fishing boats and hense always people going to festiwal face difficulties to land on the beach but they forget all the dificulties and go again year after year
  • does anybody know the history of this temple?
  • Annual festival is on full moon day of pushya month (10th month as per hindu calender.)
  • Have heard stories from my grandmother as a child, belong to the same Poojari family and one of our ancestors had installed the deity at Kudumgad following his dreams .
This article was last modified 5 years ago