Kadri Temple in 1624 according to Pietro della Valle
Pietro Della Valle (Latin: Petrus a Valle; 2 April 1586–21 April 1652), also written Pietro della Valle, was an Italian composer, musicologist, and author who travelled throughout Asia during the Renaissance period. His travels took him to the Holy Land, the Middle East, Northern Africa, and as far as India.
Disclaimer: In my attempt to summarize Pietro Della Valle’s visit to Kadri Manjunatheshwara Temple and Jogi Mutt in 1624, there may be instances where I have unintentionally misquoted or misrepresented Pietro Della Valle’s words. I also changed some words like Gioghi to Jogi for better understanding.
On December tenth 1624, while I was still in Mangalor, I measured the height of the Sun in the sky and found that it was 35 degrees and 20 minutes below the highest point. During this time, the temperature in Mangalor was similar to Rome in June or the end of August.
Discovering the Temple’s Exquisite Beauty
On December eleventh, in the morning, I went about half a league from Mangalor to visit a Hermitage (Temple). The Archimandrita, The superior of a large monastery who is known as the King of the Jogi, lives and rules there. The Hermitage is situated on the side of a hill and includes a small area of land where the Jogis live, along with some houses of the local people and a few small villages under the Jogi King’s authority. The Hermitage itself is positioned on a hillside.
At the edge of the plain, where the hill starts to rise, there is a large cistern or lake. From there, if you climb the stairs facing north, you can enter a gate. This gate has a covered porch and is the first entrance into the entire area, which is surrounded by a wall and a ditch resembling a fort. Once you have entered through this gate, you can continue straight ahead on a beautiful wide path lined with various fruit trees. After that, you will come across another gate with stairs and a porch that is taller than the previous one. This opens into a square or great Court, in the middle whereof stands a Temple of indifferent greatness, and for Architecture like the other Temples of the Indian Gentiles.
The front of the temple faces east, where the hill goes higher, and the south side faces the gate that leads to the courtyard. Behind the temple, on the side of the courtyard, there is a kind of shed or covered structure with a chariot inside. This chariot is used to carry the idol during certain festivals. Additionally, there are a few small square chapels for other idols located in a couple of places along the side of the courtyard. On the north side of the courtyard, there is another gate opposite the first one. If you go out through that gate and climb some steps, you will come across a large cistern or lake. It is built with black stone and has stairs leading down to the water’s surface. In one section near the wall, the lake is divided into many smaller sections. This lake is used by the temple ministers to wash themselves and perform their ceremonies.
The temple’s gate faces eastward, where the hill starts to rise steeply. There are long and wide stairs made of black stone that lead from the front of the temple to the top of the hill. Once you reach the top, the area becomes flat and even. At the beginning of the stairs, there is a tall, straight, and round pillar made of brass. It is tied with small bands in several places. The pillar is approximately 60 palms tall and one and a half palms thick from bottom to top, with only a slight decrease in thickness. On this pillar, there are about seventeen round brass wheels with many spokes, resembling stars. These wheels are used to hold the lights during important festivals and are positioned about three palms apart from each other. At the top of the pillar, there is a large brass candlestick with five branches. The middle branch is the highest, while the other four branches are of equal height. The base of the pillar is square and has idols engraved on each side. The entire structure appears to be made from one piece, or at least gives that impression.
The inner part of the temple, where the idol is placed, is completely covered with brass. They told me that the walls of the entire enclosure, which are currently covered with leaves, were once covered with large brass plates. However, during the war of Mangalor, it is said that Venktappa Naika’s army (Independent Prince after fall of Vijayanagar) took away the brass plates when they plundered these lands. I am unsure if this is true or not. The walls of a smaller enclosure, where the temple is located according to their custom, are also surrounded on the outside by eleven wooden rails. These rails are spaced closely together, just a little more than the width of a hand, and they are used to hold lights during festivals. This creates a magnificent sight, making the temple appear as if it is engulfed in flames. This temple is dedicated to an idol called Manjunatha. Unfortunately, I do not know what form the idol takes because we were not allowed to enter and see it.
Towards Jogi Mutt
After visiting the temple, I climbed the hill using the stairs. As I walked further on the hilltop, I reached the dwellings of the Jogi and their king. The place is a flat area with many trees. There are large stone pavements raised slightly above the ground, providing a comfortable sitting place in the shade. I saw numerous small square chapels with various idols inside. Some areas had coverings overhead but were open around, meant for the Jogi to gather and enjoy themselves. Lastly, there is the king’s house, which is a low building. I couldn’t see much of it, but it appeared to be a small porch with walls painted in red and adorned with images of elephants and other animals. There was also a wooden structure resembling a raised bed covered with a cloth like a tent. They told me that it was the place where the king usually stays, and perhaps even sleeps. However, the king was not present at that moment as he had gone to a shed or cottage in a vast plain field to witness an event of which I was unaware.
The soil in the area is of very good quality and is well taken care of through cultivation. In places where the ground is not flat due to the steepness of the hill, there are beautiful trees planted, most of which bear fruits. I believe it was constructed during the prosperous period of the Kings of Banghel (Bangadi?), as it is located in their territory and they granted the place and its authority to the Jogis. Since the Jogis do not have wives, the control of this hermitage and the surrounding land is not passed down through family inheritance but rather through the selection of a successor.
I expected to find many Jogis here, similar to the abundance of members in our convents. However, I only saw one or two of them. They told me that the Jogis do not gather together but rather remain scattered, choosing to stay wherever they please within the temples or in various places as they wish. They are not obliged to obey their king like we are to our superiors, but they show him respect and honor. During specific important times, a large number of them come together at this place, and the king provides them with food during their stay. In the hermitage, there are many servants and laborers who work on the land to produce food for the king. They say that the possessions owned by the king, both within and outside the hermitage, yield him about five or six thousand Pagods annually. Most of this money is spent on feasts, while the rest is used for the king’s expenses and for the upkeep of the temple and the idols. They also mentioned that Venkatappa Naika has not yet demanded any taxes from the king, but there are concerns that he may do so in the future.
Conversation with Jogi’s King
Finally, I went to meet the King of the Giogki and found him engaged in his work, which seemed quite ordinary, like that of a peasant or villager. He was an old man with a long white beard, but he appeared strong and energetic. He had two gold-colored balls hanging from each ear, about the size of a musket bullet, although I’m not sure if they were filled or hollow. The holes in his ears were large and stretched due to the weight of the ornaments. On his head, he wore a small red cap. From his waist upwards, he was naked, except for a piece of cotton fabric with colorful diamond-shaped patterns draped across his shoulders. He had a relatively lighter complexion compared to other Indians and seemed to possess good judgment.
He told me that in the past, he used to have horses, elephants, palanchinos, and a great number of servants and power. However, Venktapa Naieka took everything away from him, leaving him with very little. He mentioned that in twenty days, there would be a grand festival in the area, and many Jogi from different places would come to attend. He thought it would be worth my while to see it. He also mentioned that there would be someone at the festival who could speak Arabic and Persian and was very knowledgeable.
I asked him to write down his name for me so that I could remember it since I came to visit him. He responded, as many people from the East often do in response to such requests, by asking, “What is the purpose of it?” In the end, he refused to give me his name. However, I realized that he was afraid that sharing his name might bring him some harm due to his ignorance and unwarranted fear. Nonetheless, as I was leaving, others informed me that his name was Batinato. They also mentioned that the hermitage and the surrounding areas were called Cadird (Kadri?).
After finishing my conversation with the King, I left and stopped at the foot of the hill, just outside the first gate of the hermitage, to have lunch and rest until the heat subsided. I stayed at the house, or cottage, of a peasant who lived in a small village nearby. The peasant’s wife kindly served us rice, curry, and fish, which they themselves also ate, as they belonged to a group allowed to consume such food. Once the heat had passed, I made my way back to Mangalor, taking my time and traveling peacefully. I arrived home well before nightfall.
References:
- The travels of Pietro della Valle in India — Volume II (Page no: 351)
- https://www.rarebooksocietyofindia.org/book_archive/196174216674_10151529149931675.pdf