As you walk down from the Ravalnath Temple towards the main road, from the highway leading to the Main Temple, you will reach the beautiful new structure of Poorva Santheri Temple Constructed in AD2002.

It is conjectured that Shanteri is the short form of Shanta Maheshwari, a saumya bhava of Parvati. Some believe that she is called Poorva Shanteri as she is installed in the east of Shri Mahamaya. There is another school of thought that this Temple existed even before our people brought Shri Lakshminarayana et al, from Nagve. It may be noted that the Patta of the land of the Temple complex is in the name of Bhagavati and Shanteri! Hence the second belief.

She comes to the main temple during the Navaratra festival in the month of Ashwin and returns on the Thrayodasi day.

Pooja is performed in this Temple by Gurav.

An interesting fact about this temple is that women are not allowed to visit this temple. Even though  prayer is offered during the VadhuVara Bheti, it is sans the Bride. Similarly During the Maghanes the Wife of the Yajaman does not accompany him to this temple.

The present structure was built in Ad 2002. Those who have seen the old structure will remember that as a low structure which has to be accessed through a small opening in which one can proceed only by bending. The reason for such an access is not known.

However, the legend is that during a fight between two Kulas over property, one of the party decided to invite the other to dinner and poison them. The daughter-in- law of the house, who belonged to the rival family learnt about this plot and tried to go to her parent’s house to warn them. When her absence was noticed in her in-law’s place search parties were sent to bring her back. Ankola was a place covered by dense forest in those days. She was caught at the spot where the Poorva Santheri Temple is located now, and was killed. Therefore, no woman is allowed inside this Temple. (This was the explanation given by late Shrimud Dwarkanath Theerth Swamiji to the ladies of Pangal Nayak family in reply to a question by them.) Incidentally a similar tale in a different context is narrated by Shri V N Kudva in his book Dakshinatya Saraswats.