Sodhe / Sonda - History, Timings & Entry Fee

At a distance of 20 km from Sirsi, Sonda, also called Sodhe, Sodha, or Swadi is a village near Sirsi in the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka in India. It is one of the popular places of pilgrimage in Uttara Kannada, and among the must-visit places in Sirsi.

Situated at an altitude of 2000 m, Sonda kingdom was established by Arasappa Nayaka, a Jain chieftain in 1555. It was ruled by Sonda Nayakas for more than two hundred years (1555-1763). Arasappa Nayaka was the vassal of the Vijayanagara Dynasty till the fall of the Vijayanagara Kingdom to Bahamanis in 1565. He continued as the subordinate ruler of Adil Shah till his death in 1598. Shivaji, the Maratha Emperor conquered Sonda in 1674 and gave it back to Sonda's ruler, Sadashiva Nayaka. Hyder Ali, the Sultan of Mysore attacked Sonda in 1763 and destroyed it. The last chief of Sonda, Immodi Sadashivaraya escaped to Portuguese Goa. Now, the fort of Sonda is in ruins and covered with overgrowth of shrubs.

Sodhe is the headquarters of the Sodhe Matha, also known as Sri Vadiraja Matha, one of the Ashta mathas established by Sri Madhvacharya, the famous Dvaita philosopher. The matha at Sodhe village was set up by Sri Vadiraja to spread the Dvaita philosophy of Sri Madhvacharya. The main deities worshipped at the Sodhe matha are Lord Bhuvaraha, Lord Hayagriva, and Sri Bhuta Raja. Besides the Vadiraja Mutt, two other mutts are also located here, the Akalank Mutt and the Swarnavalli Mutt. There is also a Jain Basadi here, and a temple dedicated to Lord Venkataramana.

Timings: 6 AM - 6 PM

Entry: Free