As soon as the name of Bengaluru comes, thoughts start coming to mind - big buildings, IT hubs, offices of big companies, shopping malls, cinema halls etc. Due to its IT hub, it is also called the Silicon Valley of the country. The congestion and traffic on the roads of Bengaluru city is also a different aspect of it in which many people look for peaceful places. In such a situation, today in this episode we have brought you information about some such temples of Bengaluru which provide peace and tranquility of mind. These temples display architectural beauty and magnificence. There is no dearth of temples in Bengaluru, so give yourself some rest from work and connect with spirituality by spending some time in these temples. Let us know about these temples...

Chokkanatha Swamy Temple
Built in the 10th century CE, the Chokkanathaswamy Temple is one of the oldest temples in Bangalore. It is located in Domlur and was built during the Chola reign as a devotion to Lord Vishnu. Here you can see some beautifully done inscriptions in Tamil and sculptures on the pillars depicting local dance forms and other local traditions. It also has images of deities carved from Shaligram stone which is found only in Nepal.

Venkataramanaswamy Temple
Venkataramana Swamy Temple, also known as Kote Venkataraman Temple, located on Krishnarajendra Road in Vasavanagudi, was built in 1689. Which makes it the oldest temple in Bengaluru. The Dravidian and Vijayanagara styles are visible in the architecture of the temple. This temple was built on the orders of Chikka Devaraja Wodeyar, the ruler of Mysore at that time. You can see the presiding idol of Lord Venkataraman in the main hall of the temple, apart from this, beautiful sculptures of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva are also installed on the walls of the temple. Many interesting carvings of humans and animals can be seen in this temple which is more than 300 years old. People come here not only to worship but also to see these beautiful carvings. There is a huge crowd of devotees here during Baikuntha Ekadashi, this festival is celebrated with great pomp.

ISKCON temple
The ISKCON temple located in Bengaluru is one of the largest ISKCON temples in the world. Here you will see very beautiful images of Lord Krishna and Radhaji. This temple was established in the year 1997 in Hare Krishna Hills. This temple is one of the major notable sites of Bengaluru. Apart from the temple, it also houses recitals, prayers, and chantings about the life of Lord Krishna, rooms for devotees to stay in, a museum, and a theatre.

Shivoham Shiva Temple
The most distinctive feature of this temple is the 65-foot-tall statue of Lord Shiva carved from white marble. This temple in Bengaluru was completed in 1995 and also includes a 32-foot-high Ganesh idol and a 25-foot-high Shiva Linga. This Shiva temple situated on Airport Road attracts a large number of people. This temple remains open 24 hours, you can visit this temple anytime.

Bull Temple
Bull Temple is also known as Dodda Basavana Gudi and Nandi Temple. It is one of the oldest and most distinctive temples in Bengaluru. It was built in 1537 by Kempe Goda, the founder of Bengaluru. This temple is dedicated to Nandi, the rider of Lord Shiva, and has great recognition in the Hindu community. It is believed that this temple was built to pacify the wild bulls that destroy the groundnut crops growing in the area. Inside the temple, there is a 4.5-meter-high and 6.5-meter-long statue of Nandi which is made of only one stone. Every year in the Kartik month of the Hindu calendar, the famous 'Kadalekai Parshi' (Peanut Festival) is celebrated in the temple in which thousands of devotees participate.

Kote Venkatraman Swamy Temple
Built by Chikka Deva Raja, the ruler of Mysore in the late 17th century, this temple has amazing Vijayanagara and Dravidian-style architecture. It is located at Basavanagudi next to the Summer Palace of Tipu Sultan. People come to this temple to worship its presiding deity Lord Venkateswara and admire its beautiful stone carvings.

Someshwar Temple
Built by the Chola dynasty and later renovated by the Vijayanagara Empire, Sri Someshwara Temple is one of the oldest temples in Bengaluru. It is more than 1200 years old and is located in Ulsoor, East Bengaluru. This famous temple in Bengaluru is considered an important architectural part of the state's heritage especially because of its unique carvings on the pillars.

Banashankari Temple
This temple was built in 1915 by Somana Shetty, an ardent devotee of Goddess Banashankari (also known as Amma), Banashankari Temple is one of the major temples in Bengaluru. The idol of Amma installed in the temple was brought by Somana Shetty herself from a place called Badami in Bijapur district. The most unique thing about this temple is that worship is done here during Rahukaal (some time of every day is called Rahukaal, but the time of Rahukaal is different every day), according to Hindu belief, Rahukaal is inauspicious. But here it is believed that by worshiping during this time all the difficulties of life go away. Apart from this, there is a huge crowd of devotees on Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday, these days are considered auspicious for worshiping Amma here. Devotees pray here by lighting an oil lamp in a lemon cut in half without pulp. Every year in December, a fair is organized here which is celebrated as the anniversary of the temple, during this time there is a huge crowd of devotees here.

Sri Shankhamukh Temple
This temple is magnificently decorated with six faces of Lord Shankhamukha. There is also a huge crystal dome above it, which shines extremely during the day, and even at night, you can see its glow with the help of LEDs. Statues of peacocks are installed at the main entrance of the temple, which is considered to be the main vehicle of Lord Shanmuga. You should visit this temple during Sun Ray Abhishek, at this time the view of this temple is worth seeing.

Dodda Ganesh Temple
One of the most popular temples in Bangalore and also a major landmark in the city. The temple was built by Kempegowda, who is known as the founder of Bangalore. It is said that Kempegowda once came upon a rock on which an image of Lord Ganesha was carved. He took it to his sculptors and asked them to carve a huge idol of Ganesha. The idol is 18 feet tall and 16 feet wide, making it one of the largest Ganesha idols in the country. Another attraction here is the different decorations on the idol done daily, such as the application of butter, also known as Bene Alankar.

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