Spirituality

Channapatna temple

Channapatna: Where man’s best friend is worshipped

Dogs are the universal symbol of unconditional love, protection, loyalty, and fidelity. Since dawn, dogs have been a vital part of man’s evolution. In return, humanity has given a significant place to the dogs in the culture. Dogs have been worshipped in every ancient culture, including Egypt, Sumerian, Norse, Greek, and Indus Valley civilizations.

In India, the dog is the vehicle of Lord Bhairava, one of the most fierce forms of Lord Shiva. Like Lord Bhairava is known as Kshetrapal, or the protector of the sacred land, his vehicle dog is the protector of the villages. That is why you will see stray dogs roaming around on the streets of Indian villages, unharmed and unbothered. Today, in the blog series of mysterious temples of India, we will visit a temple located in the town of Channapatna, where two dogs are worshipped.

The beginning

The town of Channapatna is about 60 km from Bengaluru. This town is well known for wooden toys across India. Besides Chennapatana, there is a small village named Valagerehalli Agrahara. You will find this unique temple dedicated to dogs.

The year was 2010. A wealthy businessman named Ramesh donated money to the village to construct the temple dedicated to the Gram-Devata (village deity) Goddess Kempamma. As the temple construction began, two stray dogs came from nowhere and started staying in the temple compound. After a few days, villagers were used to the dogs.

The temple was erected in no time, but those two dogs disappeared suddenly within a few days. They were gone as mysteriously as they had arrived. Apart from a few children and the temple priest, no one missed them. A few days later, the Mother Goddess Kempamma appeared in the villagers’ dreams and ordered them to build a temple for these two dogs close to her temple.

As per the order of the Grama-Devata, a small shrine was built for the two dogs. Here, you will see a small shrine built with marble and two dogs standing beside each other. Villagers believe that the spirits of these two dogs do watch over the village, shielding them from the negativity.

Every day, garlands and flowers are offered to both the canines. An oil lamp is ignited in front of the dogs, and coconuts, flowers, and bananas are presented as a form of Prasadam. Three times a week, Puja is performed in the evening. A massive festival is held once a year, honouring and celebrating the Divine Mother and her guard dogs.      

Canines in ancient civilization:

-In Hindu civilization, Lord Dattatreya is accompanied by four dogs, representing the wisdom of the four Vedas.  

-In Aztec civilization, Xolotl was a god of lightning and fire, depicted as a dog-headed man and known as a soul guide for the dead.  

-In ancient Egypt, Wepwawet was the god known as the Opener of the ways. He had a human body with the head of a dog, and he used to guide the deceased souls through the dangerous paths of the underworld.

 -In Irish culture, Morrigan was the shapeshifter Goddess of conflict and wars. She took a wolf form to fight the legendary battle with hero Cuchulain. 

 -In Japanese culture, Kitsune are the foxes with nine tails who possess superior intelligence, long life, and magical powers. They appear in various Japanese folklores as beneficent (Zenko) and malevolent (Yako).

 -In Greek culture, God Hades guards the gates of the underworld. He has a mighty three-headed hound named Kerberos, who helps him keep the hell’s ghosts behind the doors.

 -In the Viking civilization, Fenrir was a monstrous wolf. He was the son of Giantess Angerboda and the trickster god Loki. During Ragnarok, he is destined to fight all-father Odin.

 -Anubis was a well-known God in ancient Egyptian culture. Also known as Anpu, he was the protector of graves and cemeteries.     

Numerous studies show an invisible contact between a human being and their dog. Dogs are the animals with the purest souls. They are highly intuitive beings, and with their free-spirited energy, they bring purity to our hearts. We can learn about life, grace, loss, loyalty, and unconditional love from them.

People suffering from autism, anxiety, epilepsy, and medical recovery are helped significantly by the therapy and service dogs. They have a magical ability to absorb their owner’s negative emotions like envy, hate, anger, etc. It’s said that dogs have the sun’s energy, and when a kid longs for a puppy, it’s a sign of hidden creativity in them, demanding an outlet. If an adult dreams about dogs, it’s said that life requires diversity from them. No wonder we humans have given such an important place to these animals in our hearts and even in the temples. So, next time you visit the state of Karnataka, please do not forget to visit this unique temple dedicated to the dogs.

We hope you enjoyed reading about the amazing dog temple of Channapatna. Please subscribe to our mailing list to stay connected and receive information about spirituality. In case of any queries, please write to us at info@chamundaswamiji.com. You can check out our YouTube channel Chamunda Swamiji where you can learn Tantra, Mantra, Yantra, and Meditation from His Holiness Shri Chamunda Swamiji.