Temples in Bangalore

Bangalore was a part of the Ganga Dynasty and was known as Benga-val-oru, the city of guards. Influenced by the reign of the Cholas, Hoysalas and the Wodeyars, ancient Bangalore developed into a city with temples and historical monuments. Typical of the Hoysala architecture and intricate carvings, Tempes in Bangalore too are famous tourist spots. Among the few temples in Bangalore, Gavi Gangadhareshvara Temple, Bull Temple and Iskcon Temple are some of the famous temples.

Kemoe Gowda in the 16th Century built the Gavi Gangadhareshvara temple inside a natural cave in Gavipuram. The temple has giant granite pillars, two of which support huge discs representing sun and moon while on the other two pillars is a Nandi, the statue of the bull. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and houses a rare idol of Agni, the God of Fire. Makar Sankranti is a special day when devotees flock to the temple to watch sunlight fall on the Shiva Linga inside the cave when it passes in between the horns of the bull, Nandi outside the temple.

The Bull Temple or Dodda Basavana Gudi located in South Bangaloreis a monolith bull statue measuring 4.5m height and 6.5m long. It is a typical Dravidian style temple in Bangalore built by Kempe Gowda. There is also a cult image of the elephant-headed Hindu deity Ganesha close by.

Iskcon Temple is one of the famous Temples in Bangalore. Dedicated to Sri Radha and Krishna, there are fascinating temples where both national and international devotees visit on a pilgrimage.