Bangalore
over the past few years has grown to be a chaotic and confused city. Older
residents can give you just the account of how the city transformed from being
a gentle, peaceful place to what it is today. But even amidst such tumultuousness
there are places in the city that offer a calm and soothing environment for
dwellers. One such place is the island of the Bull Temple. Located in
Basavanagudi which literally means ‘Bull Temple’ this temple is one of the most
famous temples in the city installed by Kempegowda the First who is the founder
of Bangalore.
The
temple is built in the Vijayanagar style of architecture and is dedicated to
Nandi, Lord Shiva’s mount. The temple is famous for its larger than life statue
of a bull that measures almost 20ft in length and 15ft in height. The temple is
present on top of a mound just below the highest point known as the Bugle Rock.
There is a very famous tale behind the construction of this temple which dates
back to the early 16th century. Back then the present area of
Basavanagudi was a vast group of farmers who cultivated groundnuts. Most of
these farmers had a common problem which was a large bull pillaging all their
crops time after time. Kempegowda who was then the ruler of the city knew
straight away that this was no ordinary bull and ordered the construction of a
giant Nandi to pacify the raged bull. It is believed that the construction of
the temple appeased the bull and the farmers could cultivate groundnuts without
any further problems.
Ever
since, farmers around the temple first offer groundnuts to the Nandi as a sign
of gratefulness. This tradition continues even today as you can see several
farmers set up shops in front of the temple in an annual event called the
Kadalekai Parishe which means groundnut fair. This fair takes place in the
months of November and December which is the best time for anyone to visit this
temple.
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Below
the hillock is the Dodda Ganesha Temple which is also known for a large statue
of Ganesha. The Benne Alankara is the most celebrated event in this temple.
This extraordinary ritual involves the covering of the huge idol completely
with over 100kg of butter.
Plus the vantage point of the hill has is known as
the Bugle Rock which is a great place for tourists and visitors to spend
sometime and breathe some fresh air. The Bugle Rock too has a lot of history
associated with it as this is considered the place where the Mysore Army
finally recruited before attacking the British during the Third Mysore war.
The
place is well connected by buses and other public transport and it is just
about half an hour’s journey from the Kempegowda Bus and Railway station.
Tourists can also find a lot of comfortable accommodation options around this
historic temple. Lalit Ashok, ITC Windsor, The Chevron Orchards are all great
places for a brief stay in the city.
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