Based on the search queries that lead to hits to my pages, I am going to post (hopefully correct) answers to questions that people have about Sode.
Q) Distance from Bangalore
A) 430 kilometers. Mysore is roughly the same distance.
Q) Other nearby places
A) Hubli is 100 kms away. Sirsi is 20 kms.
Q) Facilities available at Sode
A) Rooms are available through the temple administration itself, though they get full during weekends. If rooms are unavailable, they provide safe lockers @ Rs 5/- per day!
Q) Rest rooms?
A) The rooms have attached rest rooms. The public rest rooms (which you have to depend on if you do not get a room) are average.
Q) Food?
A) The temple provides lunch and dinner. There is also a small inn nearby which provides good quality South Indian dishes.
Q) How do I get to Sode?
A) Sugama and VRL roadlines run daily buses to Sode from Bangalore. You need to book in advance though. The buses reach Sode around 7:30AM and leave around 8:30PM. The departure time is not set in stone. The buses wait till the Bhoota Raja Bali and dinner is complete. KSRTC buses are available from Sirsi to Bangalore, Mysore and Hubli.
Q) What about local transport?
A) There are buses to Sirsi every two hours. In between, there are private tempos running between Sirsi and Sode. The last bus to Sirsi is at 5:15PM so one needs to plan well if returning from Sirsi.
Q) How can I visit nearby places?
A) Lots of places such as the Tapovana, Sahasralinga, Vyasa Raja Matha, Venkataramana temple, etc are worth seeing. The best option is to enquire at the shops near the temple entrance. They will arrange for Jeeps at reasonable prices.
Q) Driving directions from Bangalore?
A) Bangalore – Tumkur – Chitradurga – Haveri – Sirsi. From Sirsi, take the Yellapur highway and you will find signboards pointing towards Sode.
Q) Any thing else?
A) You better carry and wear a dhoti when visiting the temple(s).
Filed under: Religion, Travel, dvaita, temples | Tagged: distance, facilities, questions, sode, Travel
Really good one. Glad to see such good info
Hi Hari,
How are you?
I am hoping to travel soon to do seva to Sri Vadirajaru. I live in CA, US. Do you have any contact details of the Sonda Sri Vadiraja Mutt? A phone number will be extremely helpful.
Thanks,
Chandrika.
Hi Hari,
How are you?
I am hoping to travel soon to do seva to Sri Vadirajaru. I live in CA, US. Do you have any contact details of the Sonda Sri Vadiraja Mutt? A phone number will be extremely helpful.
Thanks,
Chandrika
Namaskara Chandrika,
Number of the mutt is : 91-8384-279685.
91-8384 – 290960 is the number for booking the rooms. Ask for Sri Sudhindra.
HTH.
Regards, Hari
hi hari
when ever i login to google search to see some info abt the holy places i`ll find ur website.. hope u must hv travelled many places in karnataka.. wud u kindly through more light abt “sonda”. i wanted to visit this place shortly with family.. i ve 6 month old kid.. can i carry her to this place?
what is the procedure of seva at Vadiraja Swamy mutt at Sondhe, how ist the seva performed, will we have to stay there for 3 days or 4, what is the criteria to do the seva, how it is to be done, can u please brief me
Hi Hari
Your blog on Sonda is very useful, are there any other mode to get to Vadiraja mutt other than by Bus or Car from Bangalore? What abou taking a train to a nearby city? Thanks
Hi ,
This is for those all who want to do ishtartha siddhi seva at Sonda Vadiraja Math.
First important thing , Men should wear kacche panche and women should be in saree /girls in langa blouse mandatorily throughout the seva.
The seva procedure is as folllows:
1. Take a coconut ( preferably small in size , so that you can tie around your waist and it doesnt touch the ground when you bow down to do namaskara ) , a panche to tie the coconut and two pots to pour water while youbathe in Dhavala Ganaga. – All these are availbale at the stores in Sonda.
2. Get a seva ticket of Rs.25 in the seva office , they will provide you a chit which has the procedure and also a number sequence till 108 to track your pradashinas.
3. On the first day , you will have to do sankalpa – which usually is done at 5.30 am and 9.30 in morning. You have to take head bath in dhaval ganga and do dhval ganaga puja and tulsi puja(women) and do the sankalpa in wet clothes in the inside temple. The priest will take your coconut keep infront of vrindavana and give it to you. Once sankalpa is done , you will start your seva to be done as mentioned below.
4. Tie the cocnut in the panche and tie it around your waist with the cocnut on the right side.Take head bath again , if you can immerse in water then fine else you will have to use two pots each in one hand and pour water on head 7 times . Women have to apply haldi kumkum after this.Then do namaskar to prana devaru .Then start pradaskina: starting from prana devru , tulsi devi, gopalkrishna, santhana gopalkrishna, naga katte, vadiraja devaru, swapnakhyana temple, nagabana, nava vrindavana, papanashini, bhutarajaru , eeshwara, last temple when stone leans on it. THis 12 namaskara complete 1 pradaksina , every time you have to bow down and kneel ( women) or sashtang namaskara( men). The coconut should not touch ground throughout the seva.
2. Now you will have to again bathe in dhaval ganga ( pour water 7 times with pots or immerse in water ) , again apply kumkum haldi (women)and start pradakshina.
The process should be repeated till u complete 7 pradaksiinas of the outside premisis.
3. After 7 pradakshinas , you should again bathe in dhval ganaga and go to Rama Trivikrama temple and put 7 pradakshinas there .
Remember that every pradakshina should be followed by a namaskara bent on kneels / sashtang.
4. Then come back and tie the coconut in a safe place so that u can identify it the next day. Usually it is tied in the prana devaru temple premises.
5. Change your wet clothes and wear washed dry clothes and head towards moola vrindavana , inside temple to complete your 108 pradakshinas inside.
Here also you have to bow down 4 times once in each direction while doing pradakshina.
6. In case you are not able to complete 108 before lunch , you will have to again take head bath and wear new set of washed dry clothes and start again after a short break after your lunch.
7. So in total in a day you will be doing
7 + 108 pradakshinas = 115 pradakshinas
7*12 + 108 * 4 = 516 namaskaras ( bent on knees / sashtang ).
8. This comprises of 1 day . The seva need to be done 3 or 5 or 7 days .
9. If you do with full shraddha bhakti , God will surely give u a sign of your wish coming true before you leave Sonda.
10. Keep chanting ” Vadiraja Pahimam, Bhutaraja Rakshamam” during pradakshinas.
11. after the seva completion , krishnarpana is done.
On the 4th , 6th or 8th day the Krishnarpana need to be done. For this you take headbath in dhaval Ganga , wear washed dry clothes and untie your coconut( which you had tied last day) from the prana devaru temple premisis and take it to inside temple ( vrindavan ). The sankalpa is done at 5.30 am / 9.30 am in morning usually.
12. After the Krishnarpana , you take the cocunt to your home and prepare sweet from it and distribute and eat.
Remember : you have to be in sonda only throuout your seva completion ( 3/5/7 days and nights ) and not touch the coconut tied when you are not in wet clothes. ( except for last day- 4th/6th/8th day).
Please provide phone number of Kodimatta I am living in canada I would like to contact them Kindly help me out .
Regards
Yog