Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple – Bangalore
Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple, also known as Gavipuram Cave Temple, is a historic Hindu temple located in Bangalore, Karnataka state, India. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and it is one of the most unique and popular temples in karnataka. It is special for its cave-style architecture and mysterious mythological significance.
History and legend of Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple
The Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple bangalore illustrates the golden history of ancient India. The temple is believed to have been carved out of a rock where the 9th Saint Gautama took refuge in this cave to perform penance. Later in the 16th century Kempegowda rebuilt this temple. He was the founder of Bangalore and after his release from prison he restored the shrine to show his gratitude to Lord Shiva; Kempegowda was imprisoned by the Ramarayas for five years. Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple is considered miraculous, it is believed that a devotee who has darshan of Agni in the temple will be cured of all eyesight problems. Another legend related to the temple is that there are two paths through the sanctum sanctorum. One tunnel extends to the city of Varanasi, while the other is directed towards the Gangadhareshwara temple on Sivaganga Hill, about 10 km from the Gavi Gangadhareshwara temple. It is said that Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple was formerly known as Gautama Kshetra and the saint did penance here.
Architectural feature of Gavi Gangadhareshwara temple
The Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple is built in Dravidian style rock-cut architecture. It is a cave temple with some structures on top of these caves. The Gavipuram Cave temple is fenced on four sides with stone walls. It is rectangular in shape, this cave temple has two arched entrances at the front and back. 2 gopurams (minars) are built on the top of this cave, where the main deities are located. On the outer surface of this temple, 3 unique monolithic artefacts have been found. These are the Trident, Damaru and the Sun/Moon disc, which are the objects of Shiva’s possession. Inside the cave is a black stone sculpture of the main deity in the form of a linga (symbol of fertility) and a small Nandi is placed directly opposite this linga.
sun rays falling on shiva linga in gavi gangadhareshwara temple:
The peculiarity of this complex is that it is constructed in such a way that the sunlight on a winter supplication day shines directly into the lingam through a stone-carved window. It is the celestial constant seen in the temple structure carved in the 16th century AD. Here the caves are circled around the main deity and there are many sculptures of deities on these caves. Agni Dev Shilpi is a back piece found in the Dravidian region. It is an amazing sculptor with 2 heads and 3 legs. Another amazing sculptor seen here is Ganesha; This is his best known possession having 6 arms on each side. There are also two secret passages and a minor passage towards the north to reach its nearby Shiva temple.
Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple Timings
Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple opening timings are 06:00 am to 12.30 pm. Again, devotees can visit the temple from 05:00 pm to 08:00 pm.
Temple timings might be changed on festivals and special days.
Best Time to visit Gavi Gangadhareshwara temple Bangalore
Devotees can visit this temple throughout the year. But if you want to experience the wonder of sunlight, January (usually 14th) on the day of Makar Sankranti is the best time to visit the temple.
Festivals at Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple
Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple is famous for its festivals which reflect the true colors of South Indian culture and traditions.
gavi gangadhareshwara sankranthi sun rays
- Makar Sankranti Festival: Celebrated in the month of January, this festival is celebrated in the presence of thousands of devotees. Crowds throng there to witness the spectacular phenomenon at dusk of letting the sun’s rays pass through the horns of Nandi’s stone idol and fall directly on the Shivling inside the temple. This phenomenon takes place between 05:00 to 06:00 pm.
- Shivaratri Festival: This is another important festival associated with the temple. Thousands of pilgrims line up in front of the temple to bathe Lord Shiva with milk during the four phases of the day. This festival is held in the month of February or March every year.
How to Reach
By Train : Bangalore Railway Station is the Nearest Railway station to the Gavi Gangadhareshwara temple. Distance from Bangalore Railway Station to Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple is about 4 km.
By Bus : The nearest bus stand is Mysore Road Satellite Bus Station, which is 3.2 km from Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple.
By Air : The nearest airport to Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple is Bangalore International Airport. The temple is located at a distance of 38 km from Bangalore Airport. There are regular flights to Bangalore Airport from all metro cities in India.
Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple Distance
- The distance between Bangalore Airport to Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple is 38.2 km.
- The distance between Yeshwantpur Railway Station to Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple is 11.4 km.
- The distance between Bannerghatta to Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple is 29.4 km
- The distance between Majestic to Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple is 3.7 km
- The distance from BTM to Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple is 8.5 km.
- Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple to Bull Temple distance – 4 min (1.2 km) via 5th Main Rd and 9th Cross Rd
Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple Address
5th Main Rd, Gavipuram Extension,
Kempegowda Nagar, Bengaluru,
Karnataka – 560019, India
Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple Photos:
