Beyond the Concrete Jungle: Discovering the 5 Spiritual Must-Visits in Bengaluru
Let’s start it with a simple prayer.
“Poojyaya Raghavendraya Sathya Dharma Vrathayacha, Bajatham Kalpa Vrikshaya Namatham Kamadhenave”
We, Bengalurueans, think we do not have good spiritual or historic places to visit within Bengaluru.
But the fact is WE HAVE.
I wanna introduce you to some historic holy places that are a must-visit in Bengaluru. In search of gold, we Bengalureans have forgotten that we have diamonds with us.
Big Bull Temple, Basavanagudi
This is in Basavanagudi. There is a huge bull statue, that is locally called “Nandi” which is Lord Shiva’s vahana. It is also famous for “Kadalekayi Parase” held in November every year.
There are two popular stories about this temple:
A long time ago, this place was named Sunkenahalli village, an unidentified bull. Kept coming to the farmlands and caused damage to the groundnut /peanut crops year after year. One day, a frustrated farmer struck the bull with a stick, and the bull mysteriously transformed into a statue. It is said that all the farmers together built this temple as a memorial. The folklore also says the rod which is on top of the Nandi’s head has been given by Shiva to stop the Nandi from growing bigger
It was built in 1537 by the ruler Kempe Gowda under the Vijayanagara Empire The idol/statue is black because the devotees continuously applied charcoal and oil to it.
Sri Rameshwara Swamy Temple, Bengaluru
It was built by the Mysore maharaja “Nalwadi Krishna Raja Vadeyar” as a gift on his 21st birthday. It is in the centre of Bangalore. The uniqueness of this temple is it features Navagrahas with their respective wives and another thing is the temple has two Garuda Gambas. It is a very peaceful place to sit and relax. where we can forget that we are in Bengaluru, the special thing is we can also see the ancient architectural pieces from the Sri Ramalingeswara temple. It is also the best practising place for Sangeeth Vidwans’.
Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/ui6RkH7yC5YmmcJz7
Ragigudda Sri Prasanna Anjaneya Temple, Bengaluru
This temple was built in 1969 but was registered in 1972. The widespread belief is that the chief deity of the temple is fully built with ragi millets and grains hence the name “Ragi Gudda”. It is also believed that the Trimurthis wanted to stay near the temple and turned themselves into stone near the temple premises. This place attracts a lot of visitors and is a very peaceful place.
Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/kECQbjdHfptPNU7K9
Dakshinamurthy Nandi Teertha Temple, Bengaluru
This is a mind-blowing premise with fresh aromatic fragrance from the leafy street to the temple and attracts nature lovers. The temple was supposedly buried underground and rediscovered in 1997. Water gushes out from Nandi’s mouth and the source of water has remained a mystery. The water falls onto the Shivalinga and mixes in the Kalyani. The Kalyani is full of fish and tortoises.
Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/4tLnBKXt2kk2LeXE9
Raja Rajeshwari Temple
It is believed to be a place where many saints prayed to the holy goddess for spiritual rebirth. It is also a place where sage Athreya and his wife Anasuya are supposed to have lived. The temple was built by Sri Tiruchi Mahaswamigal in the year 1960. Sri Tiruchi Mahaswamigal had a dream, in which he saw three goddesses and the mysterious voices directed him to build a temple for the goddess in South India. It is said that two eagles directed and pointed to the exact place to build the big temple. Raja Rajeswari temple is famous for Friday’s “Tarkari Alangara” (the goddess is decorated with vegetables). Navaratri and Durgastami festivals are celebrated with great aplomb here.
Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/EADJjLyRQEmqNzAs6
Ramaya Ramabadraya Ramachandraya Vedhase Raghunathaya nathaya Sitayah pataye Namah!!
Visit these holy places if you live in Bengaluru or are visiting Bengaluru, it is a welcome break from the hustle and bustle of the city and truly a spiritual experience.
