Sight Seeing in Various South Indian Cities - Bangalore

Someshwara Temple - Relics of a glorious past: Someshwara 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," said a member of the temple committee, K Nagaraj. "It is one of the biggest temples in Bangalore," he added. 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 there is pin drop silence, you will hear a sound similar to that of a guitar," Nagaraj said. According to Nagaraj, the temple has an annual income of Rs 4.50 lakhs. He was of the opinion that the state government should take more interest in the temple so that it attracts a greater number of visitors than it is doing at present.

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.