Religious Tours of Bangalore

Bangalore is the capital of Karnataka. Tourists from all over the world visit this city for various reasons. Some tourists visit Bangalore as a part of their Karnataka travel, some visit to view the historic monuments, while some exclusively come for the religious tours of Bangalore. Bangalore has a large number of temples dedicated to Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva.

The temples in Bangalore are opulently decorated with cravings and sculptures. Most of the temples have a Dravidian architecture. These temples are the proofs of India's rich culture, heritage and history. Hence, tourists should visit most of the temples in this city during their religious tours of Bangalore.

On your religious tours of Bangalore, you have to visit the ISKCON Temple. This temple is situated on a seven-acre hill known as the 'Hare Krishna Hill'. The temple is dedicated to the Lord Krishna. The imposing granite steps take you to the main temple, while passing through three captivating shrines housing brass idols of Krishna. It is one of the 40 ISKCON temples in India. The temple is sprawled across a vast area, where besides the idol of Krishna, massive pillars, the living quarters, yoga centers, dance studios, restaurants, laser shows, gift shops and class rooms add up to the grand feeling. The architecture of this temple is neo-classical. It assimilates the conventional elements of a temple with all the hi-tech amenities.

The Bull Temple or the Nandi Temple attracts many tourists who come for religious tours of Bangalore. The 4.5m tall and 6m long idol of Nandi the bull- the carrier of Lord Shiva- is the most alluring feature of this temple. This temple dates back to the 16th century and hence is one of the oldest temples in Bangalore.

The Banashankari Temple is worth visiting during your religious tours of Bangalore. Somanna Shetty, a devotee of Banashankari Amma, built this temple in the 1915. The unique feature of this temple is that its deity is worshiped during the Rahukala. According to the Hindus, the Rahukala is the most inauspicious time of the day. This temple is seen bustling with devotes on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

The Venkataramanswamy Temple is about 300 year old. Maharaja Chikka Devaray Wodiyar built this temple. This temple is the classic example of the Dravidian architecture. The beautifully craved pillars and the lion sculptures are the striking features of this temple.

A temple dedicated to Lord Krishna and Dharmraja is another temple worth looking. Dharmraja Swami was a heroic icon in the epic Mahabharata. This temple is worth visiting during the Karaga festival. The festival is celebrated with great solemnity, which makes the atmosphere cheerful.

The Someshwara Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. This temple is one of the architectural masterpieces of the Chola dynasty. According to tourists, this is the most beautiful temple in Bangalore. The striking feature of this temple is the Rajgopuram or the temple tower. A huge pillar is placed in front of the temple, which is known as the Dwajastambha. Idols of Lord Vishnu and Brahma are also worshipped in this temple. Besides these temples, tourists can visit other religious monuments like the huge Shiva statue, during their religious tours of Bangalore. This statue is situated within the city limits. The statue illustrates Lord Shiva, sitting in the lotus position and is 65 feet tall. Tourists can visit this statue after the sun is set, when it is illuminated. This is a mesmerizing sight.

Last Updated On: 2011/07/11