Sri. Santeri Temple, Hankon, Karwar

Location - http://wikimapia.org/403908/

Description -
KARWAR: Sateri Devi temple at Hankon, about 10 km from here on the Sadashivgad- Kadra state highway, has been attracting devotees not only from this part of the state, but from Goa and Maharashtra as well.
The most significant feature of the temple is that it is open only for a week in the Bhadrapada month. The festival is celebrated during this week. Legend has it that about 300 years ago, Sateri Devi took birth at Hankon in a human form. Having mystic powers, she was revered by the people. However, one day she disappeared by jumping into a well.
When the villagers prayed for her to resurface, Sateri Devi, who appeared in the dream of a devotee promised that she would give darshan only on two days in a year. When they asked her to stay for at least a week, she agreed.
Thus the festival is celebrated from the fourth day of Ganesh Chaturthi every year for one week. The festival is celebrated this year from September 18 to 24.
The temple is opened at midnight on the first day of the festival and closed at midnight on the seventh day.Every day more than 15,000 people visit the temple during this period.
Various programmes including bhajans, keertans and religious dicourses are arranged during the week.
The common belief is that the child-less are blessed with a child.The temple is managed by a village committee.According to Ullas Naik, a committee member, the temple was renovated two years ago with the offerings of the devotees.
The temple now has an imposing structure having a garbhagriha, an ardha mantapa and a mukha mantapa.
Though the temple is closed after the festival, priests perform pooja every day at the main entrance.