India’s Asian Games gold medal in kabaddi has sparked celebrations not just among fans of the sport but also at a shrine in Karnataka, where devotees are now waiting for star raider Pawan Sehrawat to return and fulfil a vow he reportedly made before the tournament.
At the Sri Satyadevate Kallurti Shrine in Aladangady, in Dakshina Kannada’s Belthangady taluk, Sehrawat is expected to return in the coming weeks after India defeated Iran to win the gold medal.
Sehrawat’s connection with the shrine dates back around four months, when he visited the temple as a guest for an event. During the visit, he reportedly learnt about the shrine, the deity of Kallurti and the beliefs associated with the sacred site.
According to the shrine authorities, Sehrawat
offered prayers and made a vow that he would return if India won the Asian Games gold medal. With the Indian team now securing the top prize, the kabaddi star is expected to keep his promise.
Following India’s victory, Sehrawat reportedly sent a voice message to Shivaprasad Ajila, the managing trustee of the Sri Satyadevate Kallurti Shrine. In the message, he attributed the team’s success to the blessings of Kallurti and said he would visit the shrine within two to three weeks of returning to India.
The shrine is closely associated with the coastal Karnataka tradition of Daivaradhane, a form of spirit worship deeply rooted in the region’s cultural and religious traditions.
Local tradition traces the story of Kallurti and Kalkuda back nearly 800 years. According to the legend, the brother-sister duo possessed exceptional skills as sculptors. Folklore associates them with the carving of the Gommateshwara statue at Shravanabelagola and recounts the injustice they later suffered at the hands of local rulers.
They are subsequently believed to have acquired divine powers and came to be worshipped as spiritual forces associated with justice. Over generations, the worship of Kalkuda and Kallurti became an important part of the region’s Daivaradhane tradition.
The Aladangady shrine has also attracted prominent visitors over the years. Local accounts associate the shrine with former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, late Union minister Sushma Swaraj, former Karnataka chief minister B.S. Yediyurappa and several film personalities.
The shrine’s authorities say its tradition of vow-related Kolas has grown substantially over the years. In its early years, only around five or six such Kolas were conducted annually. Today, around 300 vow Kolas are reportedly held every year, while shrine authorities claim that more than 30,000 Kolas have been performed over the past decade.
Now, India’s kabaddi triumph has added another chapter to the shrine’s story.
For devotees in Aladangady, attention has shifted from the Asian Games court to the promised return of Sehrawat. If he follows through on his reported vow, the kabaddi star will soon make his way back to Kallurti to offer his prayers and fulfil the promise he made before India’s campaign.
