Vitla

Vitla also Vittal is a town in Bantwal taluk of Dakshina Kannada district, India, around 18 km from Bantwal in Bantwal Taluk. It is also 14 km from Puttur and 40 km from Mangalore. Vitla was an assembly constituency of Karnataka Legislative Assembly, but discontinued from 2008 elections. Agriculture is the main occupation of people in and around Vitla town. Arecanut, cocoa, pepper, Cashew and coconut are grown here. There is a regional station of Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI) which conducts research on areca nuts, an important commercial crop in the area. It also researches cocoa growing, including its production, protection and increasing drought resistance. Formerly ruled by the Vittala Arasas or kings belonging to the Domba Heggade dynasty, the head of the dynasty, even today, plays a dominant role in the religious ceremonies of 16 temples. One can see the palace in the outskirts of Vittla. Standing in the middle of the vast greenery, it houses members of the dynasty. The town is known for the Panchaligeshwara Temple. Vitla is surrounded by a dense forest called Kalenjimale. It is believed that Bakasura lived in this forest during the Mahabharata period. A cave still exists in the forest which is supposed to have been the demon's resting ground. Vitla town is placed on a junction of four roads connecting Puttur, Kasaragod, Mangalore and Salethur.…

Vitla also Vittal is a town in Bantwal taluk of Dakshina Kannada district, India, around 18 km from Bantwal in Bantwal Taluk. It is also 14 km from Puttur and 40 km from Mangalore. Vitla was an assembly constituency of Karnataka Legislative Assembly, but discontinued from 2008 elections. Agriculture is the main occupation of people in and around Vitla town. Arecanut, cocoa, pepper, Cashew and coconut are grown here. There is a regional station of Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI) which conducts research on areca nuts, an important commercial crop in the area. It also researches cocoa growing, including its production, protection and increasing drought resistance. Formerly ruled by the Vittala Arasas or kings belonging to the Domba Heggade dynasty, the head of the dynasty, even today, plays a dominant role in the religious ceremonies of 16 temples. One can see the palace in the outskirts of Vittla. Standing in the middle of the vast greenery, it houses members of the dynasty. The town is known for the Panchaligeshwara Temple. Vitla is surrounded by a dense forest called Kalenjimale. It is believed that Bakasura lived in this forest during the Mahabharata period. A cave still exists in the forest which is supposed to have been the demon's resting ground. Vitla town is placed on a junction of four roads connecting Puttur, Kasaragod, Mangalore and Salethur. Alike educational institutions is situated six kilometers from the city. The institution is one of the oldest in India. Puttaparthi Sai Baba voluntary super specialty hospital is also located in Alike.

Agriculture

Agriculture plays a major role in the life and economy of Vitla, the prominent crops grown here are Arecanut, Paddy, cocoa, Cashew, Coconut, pepper & Rubber. It is normal to see cattle in most of the houses who grow crops. Cow, goats, rooster & hens are domesticated. Even though cock fighting is prohibited, during certain ceremony in the temple, it is allowed under prior permission. Abundant water from rain & ground, fertile soil & climate is responsible for agriculture to thrive here.

Panchalingeshwara temple

Vitla is known for its Panchalingeshwara temple. Hidden from the public glare so far, the temple had a limited patronage from both the government and the devotees, but its glorious past relates to the Mahabharata. It is said the five Shiva Lingams at the temple were consecrated by the Pandavas. The undated shilashasanas (rock inscriptions) found on the premises of the temple bear testimony to this. An inscription of 1894 speaks about the pension paid to the hereditary trustees belonging to "Doddamarasugalu" by the government. The Pancha Lingams are different in size resembling the Pandavas' physic. The three-storey temple is similar in structure to those built in Madhur (Ganapathy), Adoor, Kavu and Kaniyaru. They all belonged to the Mayippady royal family of Kumble (which is now in Kasaragod district of Kerala). The sthalapurana says that it belonged to the time of the Pandavas or even earlier as the Pandavas had only performed "prathisthe" of the Pancha Lingams during their "Agnatavasa". To support the sthalapurana, the geographical features mentioned in the "Upa Katha" of "Bakasura Vadhe" in the Aranya Kanda of the Mahabharata can be seen on the periphery of the temple. The "Gami" where Bakasura lived is on a hillock close to the town. People still visit the place where Bhima vanquished Bakasura. There are three other places, Netthare Kere (puddle of blood), "Chipparu" where Bakasura's head was found and "Kayyaru" where the hands of the demon were found.

Kotikere

Kotikere is swimming pool, which was built and used by the royal family of Vitla which is now used by the public. Swimming training and competitions are conducted here. The spring water from the quarry and other sources fill the pool and water overflows most of the time, thus the pool is maintained clean naturally.

Vitla Palace

The palace was built in 1800 to replace the previous palace that was burnt down. It contains 30 rooms an houses around 60 people who are descendants of the Heggade dynasty of Vitla. It contains storage rooms for areca nuts and rice. It also has an ornamental lampstand, containing an inscription detailing the rituals that are to be performed in Diwali, the inscription is in the Kodava language, written in the Tigalari script. The palace today is in a state of decay, requiring considerable renovation if this heritage building is not to be lost.

Text derived from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1373652115 under CC BY-SA 4.0; modifications have been made.