About Sri Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple :
Sri Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple was cut out of a rock somewhere around the ninth century. It was later renovated by Kempe Gowda, the founder of Bangalore. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, this temple is situated in the Gavipuram-Guttahalli, about 3 km from the City Market. Shri Gavi Gangadhareswara Temple of Bangalore houses a unique image of Agni, the God of Fire, probably the only one of its type in the entire South India. To the left of the main entrance, is a splendid image of Shakti Ganapathi, with 12 hands. There are four monolith pillars in the courtyard, which represent Damaru, Thrishula and two fans. A natural monolith rock formation, the Sri Gavi Gangadhareswara Temple of Bangalore is visited by thousands of devotees every year, in the month of January. They come to Bangalore on the sacred day of Makar Sankranti to witness a unique phenomenon. On this day, for one hour, the sunrays fall on the Siva Linga, after passing through the two horns of the image of Nandi Bull, the vehicle of Lord Shiva. The architects of Sri Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple deliberately planned it in such a way that on Makar Sankranti, the sun’s rays always pass through Nandi’s horns, while lighting up the Shiva Lingam. This unique phenomenon can be witnessed only for one hour i.e., between 17.00 hrs and 18.00 hrs on this particular day.
General Information about Sri Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple :
Location: Bangalore
State: Karnataka
Capital: Bangalore
Language: Kannada, Malayalam, English
Temperature: Max 30˚C, Min 21˚C (summer), Max 21˚C, Min 11˚C (winter)
Best Season: November to April
How to Reach Sri Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple :
By Air:
Bangalore International Airport is 40 km away from the heart of the city, Majestic. It costs about Rs 300 by auto rickshaw and Rs 600 by taxi. Pre paid taxi facilities are available in Airport. Bangalore airport is well connected to almost all airports in India. International flights to major foreign cities are also operated from Bangalore. Regular flights operate from Bangalore to prominent Indian cities. The airport houses booking offices of international airlines and there are direct international flights to Sharjah, Muscat and Singapore.
By Rail:
Bangalore Majestic, Bangalore Cantonment (8 km to Majestic) and Yeshwanthpur (10 km away from Majestic) are the three main stations in Bangalore. Bangalore Majestic is connected to all major cities in India. Bangalore is well connected to the rest of the country both by meter gauge and broad gauge rail services. It is an important railway station on the southern railway network.
By Road:
KSRTC buses connect all cities in the state to Bangalore. Many super deluxe bus services are available from Bangalore to Hyderabad, Cochin, Trivandrum, Chennai, Mumbai, Goa and Mysore. National Highways NH 4, NH 7, and NH 48 connect Bangalore to some of India’s major cities. The Kempegowda Bus Stand is the Central Bus Stand, with buses plying all over Karnataka and other states. Various State Transport Corporations and private bus operators conduct interstate bus services to Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra, Pondicherry and Goa.
Bangalore to Be Renamed As Bengaluru:
Bangalore, according to state historians, got its name from Bendakalooru (the town of boiled beans) after a king strayed into the area during a hunting trip in the late 14th century. A woman offered him a meal of boiled beans which the king enjoyed so much that he named the town after the dish. Bengaluru is a transliteration of the original spelling, according to state historians.