Bangalore temples

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Bangalore has number of temples for those who have religious bent of mind. Some of these temples are very old and equally beautiful.

Venkataramanaswamy Temple

This temple is located adjoining to Tipu's summer palace. This 300-year old temple was, built by Maharajah Chikka Devaraya Wodiyar. It displays some of the best features of Dravidian temple art. The ornate stone pillars, supported by splendid lion brackets, still bear the imprint of the cannon balls, which ruined portions of the temple during the Third Mysore War (1790-1792). After the fall of Tipu in 1799, the Wodiyar dynasty restored the temple to its original grandeur. Maharajah Chikka Krishna Devaraya is said to have performed his thanksgiving puja at this temple before holding at Tipu's Palace in 1811.

Bull Temple

The Bull or Nandi temple is one of the oldest temple of Bangalore.It was built by Kempegowda in the Dravidian style. The temple has a giant bull 4.6 meters tall carved out of a single rock. The Bull temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva's vahana(vehicle). The statue of Nandi is flanked at the back with statues of God Surya and Goddess Chandra on their chariots drawn by the horses. The bull has a small iron plate on its head to prevent it, as tradition says, from growing. It is a sculptural masterpiece. Weekends see musicians performing at the temple with devotees praying in large numbers. In Kannada, Basava means bull that gives the name Basavanagudi to the locality.

ISKCON Temple

Located on the Hare Krishna Hill in Jaynagar, this temple was built at a cost of around 10 million dollars. There is a main temple hall that houses the altars of Lords Sri Radha Krishna-Chandra, Sri Krishna Balarama and Sri Nitai Gouranga. One can also see the golden chandelier that is shaped like an inverted lotus flower. It has the world's tallest gold plated Dwarjastambha (Flag post) 56 ft in height and the highest gold plated Kalash shikara at 28 ft .

It has already become one of the most popular and sought after destinations in this region. The beautiful temple building and surroundings, the gorgeous deities of the Lord, and the pure spiritual atmosphere make the pilgrimage a lasting memory.

Whitefield

This ashram is founded by Sri Satya Sai Baba.It lies 16 kms from Bangalore.Its peaceful and serene environment attract devotees from all over the world.

Sri Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple

This unusual temple is natural monolith carved cave temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. On the 14 / 15 January every year a ray of light passes precisely through the horns of the Nandi bull and illuminates the deity inside. This unique phenomenon occurs every year on the Makar Sankranti day and attracts large number of devotees. The precision of the event displays the advanced technical and scientific knowledge of those who built the temple. The architecture of this temple combines 'Vastukala' with astronomy.

Shiva Statue

This 65-foot high statue depicts Lord Shiva seated in Lotus position with a backdrop of Mount Kailash with the river Ganga flowing from his matted locks. The statue is lit at night and looks really majestic.

Lord Someshwara Temple

This temple is also dedicated to lord Shiva. Kempegowda also built it at Ulsoor.

Dharmaraja Temple

The temple, housing two exceptionally fine images, one of Sri Dharmaraja Swami, the hero of the epic Mahabharata, and the other of Lord Krishna, is best known for its association with Bangalore's colourful Karaga festival. The Karaga, a symbol of Draupadi, is kept in the Dharmaraja temple. On the day of the festival, usually falling in March/April, it is carried in a procession, which starts at 02:00 hrs and returns 06:00 hrs after covering a distance of 20-25 kms. Only members of the Thegala community of gardeners may carry the deity on their shoulder. Interestingly, a visit to the dargha of the Sufi Saint Tawakkal mastan is a 'must' for this Hindu-oriented procession, which attracts people of all ages and religions by its earthy exuberance and hypnotic music.

Kanyakaparameshwari Temple (Kumara Park)

The Temple has a fascinating feature - Marble Mandira highlighting murals of holy places and Darpana Mandira (Mirror Mandir) depicting Bhagawada Gita , Rishis and Vasavi history.
 

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