Matsyendra-nātha of Kadri Manjunath

Matsyendra-nātha of Kadri Manjunath

Tradition: Hindu / Nātha / Shaiva

The Place

• Location: Kadri (Mangalore), Dakshina Kannada (12.8975°N, 74.8442°E) Karnataka
• Historical: 9th–10th c. CE; temple 10th c. bronzes

Story

Matsyendra-nātha (9th–10th c. CE), also known as Mīna-nātha ("fish-lord"), was the guru of Gorakhnāth and founder of the Kaula stream of tantric yoga. Legend: he learned the tantric teachings by eavesdropping on Shiva teaching Parvati while hidden inside a fish. The Kadri Manjunātha temple at Mangalore is one of the principal Matsyendra sites in South India — still ruled by a succession of Nātha gurus who receive the title "rāja" from local communities. The bronze icons here include a rare 10th c. Matsyendra and his disciples.

Worship & Mantra

Oṁ Manju-nāthāya Namaḥ

Festival Cycle

• Laksha-dīpotsava (Kārtika (November), 1 day)

Why This Entry Matters

Every tradition in India — textual, oral, tribal, regional, syncretic — deserves first-person recognition. This entry honours Hindu on its own terms.