Mulki Shree Venkataramana Temple, one of the oldest and most revered temple of Gowd Saraswath Brahmin community, is a rare confluence of deities which attracts many devout from across the globe to this small town on the west coast of India. The temple owes its Dharmic allegiance to Sri Kashi Mutt Samsthan, Varanasi.

The tradition of Darshan Seva of Sri Kaal Bhairav at Shree Venkataramana Temple Mulki has been going on uninterrupted from past several centuries and has brought the Temple immense fame and devotion among devotees. A person from Gujjadi Nayak family during his visit to Tirupati had the good fortune of receiving the Moola Mudra of Sri Kaal Bhairav through the Mahant of the Tirupati Temple by the divine grace of Lord Srinivasa. Lord Srinivasa asked Sri Kaal Bhairav to go to Volalanke and collect the offerings of the devotees who come there, to provide easy solutions to their problems and bless them. Thus Sri Kaal Bhairav who is originally from Varanasi and who had stayed at Tirupati after SetuSnana at Rameshwaram came to Moolikapura in the form of the Moola Mudra by the divine blessings of Lord Venkataramana of Tirupati.

 The Darshan Seva was specifically blessed by Srimad Madhavendra Thirtha Swamiji the 7th Pontiff of Sri Kashi Mutt Samsthan. There is a tradition that the new Darshana Patri receives the Moola Mudra through the Madthadipathi of Kashi Mutt Samsthan. The present day Darshan Patri, Sri Sathyanarayan Nayak was presented with the Moola Mudra in the divine hands of Srimad Samyameendra Theertha Swamiji, Mathadipathi, Sri Kashi Mutt Samsthan on Hevalambi Samvatsara Ashwija Bahula Padya (06-10-2017).

Lord Srinivasa of Tirupati is the Ishta Deva for the entire GSB Community. This special relationship got strengthened in the late 15th century when the community served the Lord under Shri VyasaTheertha, who was also the vidya guru of Srimad Vijayeendra Thirtha Swamiji. Shri Vyasa Theertha Swamiji along with Srimad Vijayeendra Theertha Swamiji had performed the pooja of Lord Shri Venkataramana at the sacred Tirumala Hills for 12 years from 1486 AD to 1498 AD.

Pleased with the devotion of these GSB families, Shri Vyasa Theertha Swamiji blessed them with an idol of Shri Venkataramana, which was then installed in PaduTirupati- Shree Venkataramana Temple Karkala. Due to certain circumstances in Karkala, the idol of Lord Venkataramana, subsequently got consecrated in Shri Venkataramana Temple Mulki.

Every Saturday as soon as the Sri KaalBhairav Deva Darshan starts, the devotees who wish to offer Kanike meant for Sri Venkataramana Tirupati are called forward to offer the same and the Kaal Bhairav blesses them with Prasad of the Lord. These offerings are maintained by the temple in a Tirupati Kanike Dabbi and accounted for separately. The offerings so collected is supposed to be offered to Tirupati by undertaking the Rama Dandu yatra. In this yatra the KaalBhairav Utsav Mudra is also taken out and the offerings are offered at Tirupati Temple through the DarshanSeva conducted there on the Seven Hills. There are records to show that Rama Dandu yatra from Sri Venkataramana Temple Mulki was conducted in the year 1820 and then again in the year 1850. However for different reasons the Rama Dandu yatra was not conducted after 1850 and subsequently presently the offerings are being collected by TTD officials from the Temple annually.

Now after 168 years it has been decided that the Rama Dandu Yatra needs to be undertaken during the month of Shravana of Vilambi Samvatsara (Septemeber 2018). As is the tradition the offerings collected in the Tirupati Kanike Dabbi will be taken to Tirupati along with the Saligrama, Hanuman idol and the Utsav Kaal Bhairav Mudra.

We are indeed fortunate enough that the Vilambi Naama Samvatsara Chaturmaasa Vrutha of Srimad Samyameendra Thirtha Swamiji is being organized in Tirumala. Along with the Darshan of Lord Srinivasa, we will also have the good fortune of seeking blessings from Swamiji at sacred Tirumala.