Saavira Kambada Basadi - Moodabidri

The town gets its name from the combination of two Kannada words Mooda (East) and Bidiri (bamboo). Because of the luxuriant growth of bamboos in the region, the town got its name. It is situated at a beautiful spot in the midst of hills. Moodabidri witnessed an unprecedented growth as a center of Jain religion, culture, art and architecture during the 14th to 16th centuries. The town has a wonderful connection with the number 18. It houses 18 Hindu temples, 18 roads that connect the different villages to it, surrounded with 18 lakes, and also the home to 18 Jain Basadis (temples).

The town is well known as the Thousand pillared temple (Saavira Kambada Basadi) as it has large numbers and varieties of pillars. It is also known as Chandranath basadi since it honours Chandranath, whose 8 foot idol is worshipped in the shrine. It was built in 1430 by a local Chieftain Devaraya Wodeyar and is also considered the most ornate of the Jain temples of this region. It took 31 years to complete the construction. An equivalent amount of 9 crores was spent in the construction of the fascinating temple. Although the temple complex features three separate stories, devotees are only allowed on the upper floors once in a year.

The Guru Basadi, also called the Siddhanta Mandira, is an important temple that houses treasured manuscripts inscribed on palm leaves. They were believed to be from the 12th Century. The temple also has over 52 idols for worship. The Ammanavara Basadi (Hire Bisadi) dedicated to Shantinatha has statues of Goddess Saraswati and Padmavati, along with the 24 Tirthankaras. Apart from the Jain temples, there are other Hindu temples belonging to the 7th century here. Though significant among the Jains, these monuments are equally impressive among the history lovers.