Overview
Called the Jain Kashi of the South. A former Jain capital and centre of learning with eighteen basadis, dominated by the Saavira Kambada Basadi, the Thousand Pillar Basadi. Sect: Digambara.
History
Construction of the Saavira Kambada Basadi began in 1430 CE under the chieftain Devaraya Wodeyar and took thirty-one years, to about 1461 CE. The dates are precise and consistent across sources, though no dedicatory inscription text was quoted.
Spiritual Significance
Moodabidri was the seat of Jain culture and scholarship on the Karnataka coast in the fourteenth to sixteenth centuries. The Thousand Pillar Basadi, also called Tribhuvana Tilaka Chudamani, is a three-storey granite temple whose pillars are individually carved, no two alike.
Pilgrimage Information
Getting there and getting in. An active temple town; no climb. Jain temples of this rank commonly prohibit leather articles, restrict photography, and expect bathing before worship. Where this page does not state a restriction, it is because no source documented one for this particular site, not because none applies. Confirm on arrival.
Preservation
Protection status. No ASI or UNESCO listing could be confirmed.
Sources
- Saavira Kambada Basadi other
- Moodabidri other
About this page
Researched and written by YatraBeyond from published sources, and not yet confirmed by the temple. Facts here are cross-checked against at least two independent sources, never written from memory, and every source is listed above.
Last reviewed by us: 2026-09-17. Timings, entry rules and access can change without notice; treat anything time-sensitive as a starting point and confirm before you travel.
Do you represent this temple? Confirm or correct this page. Tell us which trust, committee or board you speak for and we will verify before changing anything.
Not from the temple, but spotted an error? Tell us and we will check it against the sources.