Kabbinale Shri Gopala Krishna Temple

Shri Gopala Krishna Temple is an ancient Hindu shrine located at Kabbinale village near Agumbe in Karnataka.Located at a hilltop the temple is accessible only on foot and is open throughout the year.

Gopala Krishna Temple is a 14th-century temple of the Hoysala Period dedicated to Lord Krishna. Known for its beautiful sculptures, this unique temple was built under the guidance of renowned architect Muniyangala Krishna Prasad that represents the Hoysala art and architecture. The inner sanctum is covered with an additional external hall which is quite typical in Tulunadu style. There are 108 steps leading from the basement to the Garbha Gruha that symbolizes 108 names of Lord Krishna chanted through Sri Krishna Ashtotthara.

History

Few hundred years back, Kabbinale Village, didn’t have any temple, and the village elders thought of building a temple for Lord Krishna. Now as the families had migrated from a place called Sulkod or Suligod near Kollur, after some family feud, so the male members, of the migrated families had a plan, they raided their old village temple at Sulikod/Suligod, and brought the same Idol of Lord Sri Gopalkrishna to Kabbinale, in the night and when the villagers of Sulkod/Suligod, came to know of this it was already morning.

They came to Kabbinale in search of the Idol, there was a big fight among each other, but the people of Sulkod/Suligod, could never find the idol, and the settleres of Kabbinale always maintained that they had not stolen the idol. The Idol was kept hidden inside a Pond, as nobody could find it.

The idol remained there for several years, and then it was removed from the pond and installed in the temple. During all this tussel for the Idol, the Flute of the Idol broke, therefore even today one can find a silver flute in the Black Granite Idol, of Lord Sri Gopalkrishna.