St Anthonys Shrine where devotion finds a place in the green enclaves of our coastal land. Kerekatte is one such spot. It is a remote village just at the intersection of Hosangady and Siddapura road. From Kundapura it is 35 kms on the way to Hulikal-Ghat and Shimoga. The Brahmavar- Barkur route via Halady also leads there.

Just before taking up the steep heights of Balebare Ghats the road passes through Kerekatte. As we pass by that way, suddenly we find an imposing statue of St Anthony facing a small shrine on the left side. The story goes back to the beginning of Christian presence in this region. Some 400 years ago, Christianity from Goa began to spread in Coastal Konkan region

It is said that more than 300 years ago in this remote village of Kerekatte, a farmer, while ploughing his field found a small wooden statue of St Anthony. Though he and the local people were non-Christians, they began to venerate this statue. St. Joseph Vaz visited this place in 1684 and placed the statue in a new thatched hut, for public veneration. Thus started the devotion to St Anthony in Kerekatte.

Many people, especially commuters, cart and vehicle drivers began to visit the shrine to pray and to pay their tribute to St Anthony. The quiet revolution that started almost three centuries ago, continues even now with steady flow of devotees.

In the last 50 years, there has been much increase in the number of devotees visiting Kerekatte.

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