Kudupu Sri Anantha Padmanabha temple

Sri Anantha Padmanabha temple is situated in Kudupu village, which is 10 Kms away from Mangalore City. This temple is dedicated to Lord Anantha Padmanabha (another form of Lord Vishnu) and famous for serpent worship. The annual festival Shashti falling in December is celebrated here. Nagarapanchami, another festival -  an offering of  milk to Lord Naga is also celebrated with great devotion.

Mythology (Story from Purana)

Once there was a Brahmin Vedic scholar called 'Kedar' who was a very orthodox, kind and a religious follower. As he did not have a child he was deeply worried. Thinking that the blessing of Saint is the ultimate resort for having a child he wandered everywhere searching for one such saint. Finally his search fructified when he contacted one such holy Saint called 'Shringa Muni' near a small river 'Bhadra Saraswathi Thirtha' in midst of a big forest. He prostrated before the saint and conveyed his apprehensions to him. On hearing this, the saint instructed him to stay there and start his penance propitiating Lord Subramanya who would fulfil his wishes. The saint also detailed him about the sanctity of that place and the river.

Kedar accepted the advise of the saint and stood there and started a rigorous penance regarding Lord Subramanya with great concentration of mind and devotion. In penance- he forgot all about his surroundings and himself. It continued for many years. His penance became so intense it created a sort of immense heat in the surrounding and it spread everywhere even up to heaven. Devatas, humans, animals found it very hard to sustain. Everybody began to worry about their future, Worried about his penance Devatas went to Satyaloka to see Lord Brahma and apprised him of the situation. Thinking  that only Lord Mahavishnu could address the problem, Lord Brahma accompanied by Devatas met him and explained him the situation. Hearing this Lord Mahavishnu said that Kedar is meditating for the blessings of  Lord Subramanya and only he could give remedy to this problem. Lord Mahavishnu promised Brahma and Devatas that he will meet Subramanya, and accordingly he met him and informed him  that Kedar is meditating upon him with a single desire of having a child, and  that could be fulfilled by him only. He also asked Lord Subramanya to appear before Kedar and bless him with a child. But Lord Subramanya told that there is no child in the fate of Kedar and he is eligible only for salvation. But on the request of Lord Mahavishnu, Subramanya appeared before Kedar and blessed him with children. Kedar is so happy and expecting a child he settled near that Bhadra Thirtha River itself duly meditating and worshiping Lord Subramanya. 

After a few days, Kedar’s wife saw a serpent laying eggs and thought even snakes had the good fortune of having children and worried too much about her fate compared to the serpent. A Year passed and Kedar's wife became pregnant and the couple were very happy expecting their child. But after nine months, to everybody's surprise Kedar's wife delivered three eggs which resembled serpent eggs. The Devatas thought these eggs were nothing but an incarnation of Lord Mahavishnu, Lord Mahashesha and Lord Subramanya and were very happy. 

But Kedar was not happy. He construed that even after rigorous penance if God blessed him with these eggs as children it was nothing but fate and was a result of his past actions. Then he heard a divine voice from ether saying that these eggs are nothing but an incarnation of Lord Mahavishnu, Lord Mahashesha and Lord Subramanya and was for the sake of betterment of the world. The voice also enlightened  him that he does not have further children and advised him to place the eggs secretly at the place where he had done his  penance towards Lord Subramanya. It blessed a place and River as a holy spot and ordained that whoever took bath in the river will be blessed with children and will be freed from all sickness and sin. A divine voice also advised him to stay in that holy place worshiping Lord Anantha Padmanabha (another name of Lord Mahavishnu) and blessed him with salvation at the end of his life. 

Hearing this voice Kedar became so happy and he kept those eggs in a basket weaved with forest creeps called Kudupu in local language and kept secretly in the place where he meditated upon Lord Subramanya. He spent his rest of life meditating upon Lord Anantha Padmanabha and attained salvation at the end of his life. Now in that place an anthill has grown and the place is well known as Shree Kshetra Kudupu. A small river called Bhadra Saraswathi Thirtha flows near the temple.

Legend regarding construction of the temple

Once a King named Shurasena did some wrong  and the sin caused by the act humiliated him very much and he lost his peace of mind. He asked different Vedic scholars, priests for the remedy of how to be rid of this sin. But Brahmin Vedic scholars told him to cut down his own hands, as the very cause of the sin were his hands and advised him to worship Lord Mahavishnu. The king accepted the advice and did accordingly. He made two golden arms and adorned it in place of his lost hands. But despite his atonement, he was worried about his lost hands. 

One day while he was a hunting animal in wild along with his army, he reached the holy and peaceful spot of Bhadra Saraswathi Thirtha. He was impressed by the peaceful atmosphere and surrounding of the Bhadra Thirtha. He was surprised on seeing the relics of the pooja done at the Thirtha. Meanwhile he remembered the advice given by the Brahmin Vedic Scholars about the worship to be made to Lord Mahavishnu. Then he settled there and started to worship Lord Mahavishnu. As he worshipped, Lord Mahavishnu appeared before him and inquired about his wants. King requested for restoration of his lost arms. By hearing this Lord Mahavishnu instructed him to build one temple within a day and his arms would be replaced as so0n as construction of temple is completed.

King Shurasena became very happy and become ready to construct a temple within a day. All the sculptors, architects began their construction work. The work even continued throughthe  night and as the dawn was approaching,  the temple was almost all in completed except the ornamental top portion of the sanctum. Early morning an ethereal divine voice came from the sky advising to stop the construction work as it was. The king looked at his shoulder and he had got his arms back.. The king settled there and spent the rest of his life ardently worshipping upon Lord Mahavishnu. To this day, the temple does not have 'Muguli' (ornamental top portion on the sanctum).