Bengaluru, Karnataka, the Garden City is famous for it's the old monuments, temples, warriors and Kings. Many temples here are very old yet they haven't lost their charm. There is a halo of peace and serenity that surrounds the temples of Karnataka. Intricate sculpture marks the rock-cut temples and ancient temple complexes in Karnataka. Surprisingly, these temples have survived the rigours of time

Bull Temple

One of the oldest temples in Bengaluru, situated in Basavanagudi and dedicated to Nandi, the mount of lord Shiva. This 4.5 meters tall and six meters long monolithic bull is supposed to be older than the temple housing it. It is believed that the source of the river Vishva Bharti originates at the feet of the statue. The Bull Temple is famous for the myth it carries and an awesome monolithic deity of Nandi, the celestial bull, carved out in the typical Dravidian style of architecture.
MYTH
A Bull started grazing on the well-grown crop enraging a farmer who hit the bull with a club. The bull sat stunned and was suddenly transformed into a stone. The shocked farmers then decided to build a temple for the bull to atone for what they had done, but were shocked to see that the bull was growing taller! The worried farmer then prayed to Lord Shiva who advised him to retrieve a trident buried a few feet away from the bull and place the trident on the forehead of the stone statue to stop it from growing.
The temple was built by Kempe Gowda in the 16th century. The image has been carved out of single granite rock. The original colour of Nandi bull was grey which has now turned black due to the application of coconut oil by the devotees. The statue of the bull has been carved out of a The single rock statue attracts devotees from far and near
In November or December of every year, when the groundnuts have been harvested, Kadalekayi Parishe (The Groundnut fair)is held near the temple. The first groundnuts are offered by the farmers to the sacred bull. Dodda Ganapati, a manificent image of the Lord, is enshrined adjacent to the Bull temple.

Dodda Ganesha Temple

Dodda Ganesha Temple was built by Kempegowda I, the founder of Bengaluru,. The temple is located on the Bull Temple Road. The story behind the construction of the Dodda Ganesha temple is interesting. One day Kempegowda by chance stumbled on several large boulders and rocks. One of them had a figure of Ganesha etched on its body.
He ordered his sculptors to carve out a Ganesha idol out of the stone. A beautiful stone idol of Ganesha from a single rock was built. The idol of Ganesha is monolithic and huge, 16 feet wide and 18 feet high. Lord Ganesha of Dodda Ganesha Temple is also known as Satya Ganapathi and Shakthi Ganapathi.
Various people come to Dodda Ganesha Temple for blessings of Lord Ganesha. Lord Ganesha is decorated very uniquely. The butter coating decoration which is done using around 100 kgs of butter is the most popular one. The ritual of the decoration starts in the evening and is completed by the morning. Along with butter the idol is decorated with other items to make the Lord look gorgeous. Flowers, colored buttons, lace and other items are used to deck up the idol.
Occasionally, the idol of Lord Ganesha in Dodda Ganesha Temple is decorated with turmeric, kumkum(where a minimum of 50 kgs of each powder is used), vegetables and fruits.
Another old custom, which continues till date, is the offering of hundreds of coconuts by the weaving community from the Old City area. They make a vow and tie a coconut to their looms. Later, along with that, they break a hundred and one or more coconuts at the temple.There is a belief that the idol is growing on its right side. If one looks keenly, it appears that the idol is wider on its right. It is said that the gap between the wall and the idol was about a foot a few decades back, and has reduced to only a few inches now.

GAVI GANGADESHVARA TEMPLE
An unusual cave temple was built by Kempe gowda, founder of Bengaluru,.. This temple, located near Basavanagudi is well known for its architecture & a rare phenomenon . It has been designed in such a manner that, on the festival of Sankranti, a local festival, the rays of the sun pass between the horns of the Nandi placed outside the temple, illuminating the image of Lord Shiva. This rare phenomenon occurs generally on14 / 15 January every year. It attracts large number of devotees. The precision of the event shows advancement in the technical and scientific knowledge of our ancestors. The architect of this temple combines 'Vastukala' with astronomy which gifts the world an amazing phenomenon.
The temple is natural monolith carved cave temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. There are two famous shrines dedicated to Lord Gangadeshwara and Goddess Honnadevi i.e. Lord Shiva and Parvati. The temple has 33 idols

Banashankari Temple
The Banashankari temple of Bengaluru,dates back to the year 1915. It was founded by Somanna Shetty, a devotee of Banashankari Amma. He brought a deity of Amma from Badami, in Bijapur district, and installed it inside the temple. Situated on the Kanakapura Road, the temple now comes under the management and control of the Endowment Department of the Government of Karnataka. Given below is more information on the Banashankari Temple of Bengaluru.

The uniqueness of Sri Banashankari Amma Temple is that the deity, Banashankari Amma is worshipped in Rahukala, an inauspicious time according to Hindu belief. The area, Banashankari is named after the goddess. Situated on the busy Kanakapura Road, it is one of the most popular temples of Bengaluru,. Devotees believe that by worshipping the goddess Banashankari Amma in Rahukala one's hardships and poverty will be removed. Considering the large number of devotees who come to the temple, the Government of Karnataka has taken it into the purview of the Endowment Department. Though the temple is opened to devotees everyday, Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays are special days when thousands of devotees throng to the temple from dawn to dusk to offer special Pujas. The goddess is worshipped with deeparaadhane by lighting multiple oil lamps in half cut lemon peels with the pulp removed.
Three cultural ceremonies are held at the Banashankari temple of Bengaluru,, every year. The first ceremony, commemorating the birth anniversary of Banashankari Amma, is held on 13th September. The second one is held as a celebration of the Dussehra festival, in October-November. The third, and the last, ceremony is held in the last week of December or the first week of January, to mark the anniversary of the temple

RAGI GUDDA TEMPLE

The Ragigudda Anjaneya temple is a temple dedicated to Hanuman and located in the Jayanagar suburb of Bangalore. This temple has grown from a small idol on a hilltop, about 30 years ago, to a very large tourist attraction. It also has a Shiva linga and the Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, Hanuman shrine in the same presinct. The temple is located off the ring road between BTM layout and Jayanagar after the Jayadeva circle flyover. The temple is situated on a hillock (accessible by stairs and a lift). There is a smaller temple dedicated to Ganesh, Surya and Rajarajeshwari at the base of the hillock.

SOMASHESVARA TEMPLE

One of the ancient temples in Bangalore with a rich architecture, still reminds us of the glories of the Chola Kingdom. The shimmering Rajagopuram (tower) and Dhwajastambha (massive pillar) in front of the temple gives a serene welcome to devotees and tourists. The temple is located at Ulsoor, one of the older areas of the city. Though the magnificent temple was built by the Kings of the Chola dynasty, the impressive Rajagopuram and the compound of the temple was built by Kempegowda, the founder of Bangalore. Now the temple is under the purview of Endowment Department of the Karnataka Government.
The main deity being worshipped at the temple is Lord Shiva. The temple houses other deities of Kamakshamma, Arunachaleswara, Bhimeswara, Nanjundeswara and Panchalingeswara. "The speciality here is that two other deities of Trimurthies -Brahma and Vishnu are also being worshipped. Within the precincts of the temple there is ample greenery and the temple authorities have taken care to maintain it well.
On the eve of Shivarathri festival, in the month of February, the temple wears a festive look. The devotees crowd here to have a darshan of Lord Shiva, the main deity and the Pancha Lingeswaras .The temple celebrates Brahmotsava on the full moon day and Kamakshamma Pallaki Utsava festivals in the month of April. The deity of the temple, Goddess Kamakshamma, is taken in a procession in a Pallaki (palanquin) around the temple. On the day of Karthika Poornima and Ugadi, special rituals like Panchanga Sravanam and pujas are held here. Poojas are performed everyday both in the morning and evening.
The main temple's architecture is intricate, with multiple pillars and scriptures inscribed on the walls. Strike these pillars and you will be in for a pleasant surprise. "If you touch any of the pillars when here is pin drop silence, you will hear a sound similar to that of a guitar

Bangalore's Karaga Festival

The unique Karaga festival held annually is a procession that meanders through the heart of old Bangalore city, carrying the special jasmine decked earthen pot, visiting many temples on the way and returning back to the Dharmaraya temple before sunrise. Karaga means jasmine-decked earthen pot (that is, Kalasa which means Crown). Devotees believe that the holy pot stands for Draupadi, who is considered an incarnation of Adi-Shakti. Different communities of Vanhikula Kshatriyas worship Draupadi as their sacred deity. This centuries old tradition is one of the important events in the city's religious calendar and is revived year after year by the Tigalas or the Vanhikula Kshatriyas in the City.

Karaga begins when there are nine days left for poornima in the month of April. The Karaga bearer and the Veera kumaras who participate, maintain purity on all these days. It starts with the hoisting of the sacred flag (Dwajaarohan) in front of the Dharmaraya temple followed by Deepaarathi Utsav, Hasi Karaga, Pongalu Seve, Hoovina-Karaga, Vasanthostava, and Gaavu Seve. On the sixth day Draupadi is worshipped by the Tigalas. Later, around midnight, the sacred pot is installed under a red umbrella at the nearby Sampangi tank. Devotees believe that an object of infinite power lies hidden in the bed of this tank.

The religious volunteers called Veerakumaras sit around guarding the pots, which is surrounded by swords. On the seventh day this "Hasi" Karaga is
brought and placed at the temple. On the final day in the evening, religious celebrations systematically take place at Dharmaraya temple. Finally, on the full moon night, during the Chaitra Poornima (normally every April, chaitra) of the Hindu calendar, the Hoovina Karaga, cone shaped pot (Kalasa), decorated with Jasmine garlands which completely cover the upper half of the priest's face.

The priest who carries the Karaga comes dancing out of the temple at around 12:30 am, surrounded by hundreds of sword-wielding Veerakumaras chanting 'Govinda Govinda'.The Karaga carrying pujari must be married. He ties his wife's 'Mangalasutra' before performing the rituals. His wife remains at home and is not allowed to see her husband till he completes the religious formalities and returns to the main temple. He wears black bangles. Draped in a yellow sari and a long sleeved blouse, he is treated like a woman to symbolize Draupadi. The person carrying the Karaga should be alert, as he has to balance the holy pot on his head. It is believed that if the holy pot falls off the head of the priest who is carrying the Karaga, his head is chopped off. But till today this mishap has not happened. In one hand he carries the sacred stick and in the other a dagger. Nobody is allowed to touch him. After undergoing the rituals, the Veerakumaras bow down before the Karaga.. Dharmaraya Swamy Temple is an imposing piece of architecture situated at Thigalarapet. Lord Krishna, the Pandava rulers and Draupadi are worshipped at the temple. There is a small temple for Draupadi close to the Dharmaraya temple. The Karaga procession also visits the tomb of Muslim saint Hazrat Tawakkal Mastan Shah Suharwardi, popularly known as the "Tawakkal Mastan Saab Dargah" This attractive green shrine draws many pilgrims, both Muslim and others. Sufism and the Bhakti movement have brought conflicting groups closer. Both Sufis and Saints preached universal brotherhood. So this is the only Karaga festival in Bangalore which truly represents the composite Indian culture and helps in encouraging communal harmony

Ramakrishna Math

Citizens of Bangalore who met Swami Vivekananda in 1905 set up a Vedanta Society. Swami Ramakrishnananda, a disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, established a permanent centre for the Ramakrishna order in the Basavanagudi area. The Math was completed in 1909. The Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi stayed here for nine days in 1911. The activities of the Math include daily worship of Sri Ramakrishna, bhajans, religious discourses and publication of religious books.

The Shiva Temple

This majestic 65 foot open-air idol of Lord Shiva is located on Air Port Road, behind the famous Kemp Fort. Shiva is portrayed in the posture of Padmasan with the replica of the holy Ganga flowing from his topknot.
Behind the idol is the holy cave.The Cave Yatra is traditionally called the ' Amarnath Yatra'. Within the cave are twelve beautifully decorated Jyotir Lingas. There is the reverberation of "Om Namah Shivaya" mantra within the cave. The cave yatra is open to the public from 9 am to 9 pm. It attracts a large number of devotees, especially during festivals like Shivaratri, when four to five lakh devotees come here in a day. Puja services are offered free of charge for everyone.
There is a wishing pool. The priest of the temple says, "Devotees can get their wishes fulfilled by lighting a candle, dropping a coin in the pool and by chanting ' Om Namah Shivaya' seven times."
Ravi Melwani, a well-known business personality and owner of Kemp Fort, who is also a staunch devotee of Shiva, was instrumental in the construction of this idol and temple.
Another 80 feet open- air –idol is coming up in DHARMA GIRI MANJUNATH TEMPLE PREMISES in Banshankari II stage.

ISKCON

Sri Radha Krishna temple and cultural complex is set on a seven-acre hillock. ISKCON’s global project to commemorate the birth centennial of its founder Sri Prabhupada, is built in the Neo-Classical style, combined with traditional elements of temple architecture and high-tech utilities. Ornamental arches and illuminated water cascades lead to an elaborately decorated Rajagopuram.There is a unique open air amphitheatre for concerts and festivals.The four temple ‘gopurams’ are connected by a stunning glazed glass canopy which forms the main ‘Hari Naam Kirtan’ - a hall of 10,000 square feet. The hall has wonderful ceiling paintings. There are also Vedic museums and exhibit areas, a lecture hall with multiple language translation system and landscaped gardens. The main attraction is ISKCON Vedic Theatre, where a multimedia Vedic film is shown

St. Mary's Basilic

A small chapel was the original structure built by Abbe Dubois, French missionary. The present structure was built in 1875-1882. The interior is splendid with stained-glass windows, multiple columns with rich Corinthian capital supporting stately arches.In September each year, lakhs of devotees, dressed in saffron, gather here to celebrate St Mary’s Feast.

Infant Jesus Church

The Church has a long history of sacrifice and devotion from the time it was first conceived by Fr Paul Kinatukara in the sixties. In April 1970, the foundation was laid by Rev.Dr.Lourduswamy, the then Archbishop of Bangalore, with absolutely nothing to get started.It was Fr. L. Peter who set out on a daunting mission to establish the church on a firm footing. Persisting faith and courage prevailed and finally the present church was opened in the year 1979, despite gruelling obstacles. The most noticeable feature of the church is the secular nature of the devotees.

Jamia Masjid

The most impressive mosque in Bengaluru is Jamia Masjid, situated near City Market. It dazzles in the sun with its exterior of pristine white marble from Rajasthan. Rayyaz Asifuddin from Hyderabad designed it and the foundation stone was laid by Sir Mirza Ismail (Dewan of Mysore) in 1940. Its balconies are exquisitely fashioned with jali work.
It is a five-storeyed structure, which can
accommodate up to 10,000 worshippers. The atmosphere inside the mosque is cool, serene and airy, with an ablution pool in the centre.