The Seven Sisters of Dakshina Kannada - Part 1
- Shashi
- Sep 21, 2025
- 3 min read
The Arrival of the Sapta Devis
The Sapta Durgas -born from Lord Vishnu’s divine contemplation.
A Cosmic beginning : The Birth of the Seven Sisters of Dakshina Kannada
This universe is a manifestation of the One Supreme Brahman. All that breathes and all that does not are a part of Him. Yet, since He cannot be everywhere, He manifested Mother Shakti for creation and nurturing. Alongside came Father, the masculine principle, and with it arose kama guna (desire), leading to jealousy (matsara), greed (moha), and the cycle of karma.
Confusion reigned, and thus came the need for a guide - God, followed by His helpers, the ganas, daityas, and other forces of creation and destruction. Across civilizations, these entities appeared in art, song, and story - sometimes grotesque, sometimes charming.
In Kerala and Tulunadu, these traditions survive through pardanas - oral ballads sung when the patri (a chosen person of the community) enacts the birth, purpose, and divine presence of a deity. Though the deity may disappear from mortal sight, they remain present in stones, groves, and shrines, blessing devotees during their annual festivals.
Daivas are manifestations (amshas) of Vishnu.
Ganas are amshas of Shiva.
Shakti manifests with Her yoginis.
The Birth of the Seven Sisters
The Sapta Devis (Seven Sisters) entered Tulunadu at a time of great upheaval. Lord Vishnu, while contemplating a solution, began to sweat. From seven divine drops were born the Sapta Durgas, with Mother Bhagavati as the eldest. Her mission was to destroy the asura Darigasura, a task she accomplished with the help of Mother Bapanadu.
The Sapta Devis incarnate to restore balance.
The Divine Voyage
The sisters, along with the daivas Panjurli and Guliga, prepared to descend to earth. Lord Vishnu gifted them a celestial sandalwood tree from Vaikunta, out of which they fashioned their boat. This sacred tree, smeared on Vishnu’s own forehead as sandal paste, is unique to Karnataka.
Their voyage was long and tiring. The eldest sister, Mother Bhagavati, asked Panjurli how far they were from shore. Panjurli reassured her, but land was nowhere in sight. Angered by his false reassurance, she lifted him and dropped him into the ocean. Cursed, Panjurli was condemned to swim forever in the waters.
The Sapta Devis’ divine voyage to Tulunadu.
Guliga and the other sisters pleaded for mercy, but a curse once given could not be withdrawn. Panjurli, grief-stricken, asked how he would survive. Mother blessed him: “You shall live as a household deity in Tulunadu, nourished by the devotion of families.” To this day, rituals to Panjurli, the celestial boar daiva, are performed in coastal homes.
Arrival at Sasithulu
Finally, the boat anchored on the beaches of Sashitulu, a place that still exists today. The sisters stepped onto land, resting beneath a grove of coconut trees. Mother Bhagavati, exhausted and thirsty, saw a man descending a tree with coconuts. She asked for one, and he gladly obliged, not realizing who she was.
But this act breached divine protocol. Her sisters declared that she could not continue with them. Accepting this, Mother Bhagavati chose to remain in Sashitulu, revealing her divine form to the man and blessing his tribe to continue her rituals.
Thus stands the Shree Bhagavati Temple of Sashitulu, where her presence is worshipped to this day.
The temple where Mother Bhagavati chose to remain.
Of Daivas and Guardians
Panjurli - the celestial boar, a daiva linked to Shiva, worshipped as a household protector.
Varahi - another boar form, but an avatar of Vishnu who carried the earth on her tusks.
Guliga - once a hunter cursed by Sage Uttank, transformed and sent back by Vishnu as Panjurli’s eternal companion.
To this day, pardanas keep these traditions alive. During annual festivals, the chosen patri transforms with sacred makeup, colors, and costumes, embodying the divine presence before devotees.
✨ Series Note
This is the first blog in my series on the Seven Sisters of Dakshina Kannada. Stay tuned as we explore the journeys of the other sisters and their sacred abodes across Tulunadu.
✨ About Shashi’s
Shashi’s was born from a simple idea - to share the authentic flavours of Mangalore with the world. What began as a personal passion to preserve traditions has now grown into an online store, bringing the coastal spirit, taste, and culture of Dakshina Kannada to homes everywhere.
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