The Big Shiva Temple in Bangalore

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How to reach there

The shiva statue is located in the old airport road of Bangalore. If you are going from MG Road side, you have go on the old airport road for about 4kms till you find a shopping complex called “Total Mall” (earlier called Kids Kemp). The Statue is located behind this building, slightly visible to outside. There is an entry at the side of the building, mentioned as “Pahadi Siva dhama Yatra”. You have to mark it from close or you may miss it.

About the temple

The interesting fact of the temple is that it is open in 365 days a year and 24 hours a day. This is something rare for any other temple in India.

Although people feel that the place has been commercialized by selling various types of tickets, you can also go free and have darshan without spending a single rupee. All the tickets are for extraneous activities and not necessary for any common devotee.

Special entry Tickets

There are various types of entries, free entry and special entry. Free entry may have a long queue (as below) and may take about an hour depending on the crowd. Special entry costs 50 rupees to bypass the queue. However, I mostly prefer free entry as it gives me more time to think about God and spend that money on buying other pooja tickets like milk abhishek etc.

The shops at both sides

While standing on a long queue you will come across about hundred shops on both of your side. Shops selling idols of God and other pooja/ religious items. The place may be slightly costlier than other places where they are available cheaper, but you will get a good variety of items here in this place.

Special Pooja tickets

After the queue you will find the ticket counter. This ticket counter is not for fast entry as you have already free entered through the queue. This counter sells ticket for various attractions like:

- Om namah Shivaya Yatra Rs 20/-

- Pahadi Shiva Dhama Yatra Rs 30/-

- Milk abhisek Rs 10/-

- 12 Jyotirling Yatra Rs 10/-

- Paap naash diya Rs 20/-

- Om namah shivaya wish coin Rs 20/-

- Havan Rs 20/-

- Navagraha Rs 10/-

- Vighna haran thread Rs 10/-

- Archana Rs 10/--

Thus total Rs160/- if you buy individual tickets. Alternatively you can buy a special ticket for Rs 100 which includes all the above in a package.

Photography inside the temple

Besides you have to buy camera tickets for Rs 25 and video camera tickets for Rs 100. Earlier till 2008 (?) photography was strictly not allowed. Some people were taking pictures very secretly through mobile cameras. Although I had great wishes to take pictures I never liked taking stealth pictures. But suddenly when I went after a gap that I found that cameras are allowed for a price. I also took a lot of pictures and videos of the beautiful place.

The big statue

After buying special pooja tickets (if you wish so) and camera tickets (again if you need) you are entering to the main compound. Here you can keep your shoes in the shoe stand for Rs 2/- and proceed inside.

Now you can see a giant statue of Ganesh and a giant statue of Shiva, both very beautiful and very attractive. You will soon forget the pain of coming so far to see the place. You will feel eager to go close to the statue and see the statue from different angles.

Most people first visit Ganesh statue then proceed to Shiva statue. You have to climb a few steps (about 30) to reach Ganesh statue and then climb down the same on the other side.

Pahadi Shiva dhama yatra

Pahadi shiva dhama yatra is a special place having Himalayan Shiva statues. As I mentioned earlier, if you have bought special tickets you can enter into this place. Apart from various Shiva Lingas you will find Amarnath, which is made of ice. You can touch the ice Linga and feel it in your hands.

Om namah sivaya yatra

If you have bought tickets for this, you will be given 108 coins. There will be 108 pots. You will chant om namah sivaya and put a coin in each of these pots. This is quite interesting and keeps you busy for atleast 5 minues.

The miracle spot

If you have bought tickets for Om namah Shivaya wish coin, you can wish something at this spot and drop the coin in the water. People believe that their wishes will be fulfilled.

Papa nashini diya

You may buy tickets for getting a candle from this counter and float the candle on the water in front of the statue.

Havan

This is a ticketed activity. You will be given a piece of wood and a small bowl of ghee for havan. You will go to the havan kunda (behind me in the picture below) and put the wood and ghee inside. There will always be fire inside the havan kunda to burn your offerings.

Navagraha

There is a navagraha temple inside the compound as ususal in any other temple in south India. You can have free darshan of Navagraha. But if you have bought a ticket then you will be given a deepa (candle) to pray the lords.

Coming out

Coming out of the temple is fairly simple. As the whole place is an open compound there is nothing much to confuse. You take the exit any time after having darshan. The entry and exit are two different routes. You will find a lot of shops on the exit route too. If you have failed to buy anything while entering, you can buy from here.

At the end

The place is very peaceful. You can sit here for long time. Especially in the evening it is very peaceful to sit here in the courtyard in front of the statue and stare at the statue. People staying close to this area come here regularly for a prayer to the Lord. As I stay far (about 15 kms) which takes one to two hours drive depending on traffic, I come about once in a year.

Shivaratri is a festival day and you have to stand on long queues. Avoid on Shivaratri if you are not a serious devotee. Once in Shivaratri (2006) I stood on the queue in the evening and had darshan of the lord at 2 O’clock after standing for about 8 hours. Reaching home was almost morning.

I have seen some other big Shiva statues, one in Haridwar, one in Gajnur (Karnataka), one in Murudeshwar (Karnataka). I guess Murudeshwar statue is the largest of all. Bangalore statue is probably more homely 😊 (because I stay in Bangalore!).

(View this article and other travel articles in travelindia.tk )

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Comments

[nishii]

Superb post.I liked your post.Thanks a lot,keep posting.utilize the Bus Ticket Booking service provided by the travel portals.

[Gururaj M]

Shivoham Shiva Temple
Very divine place to pray lord Shiva. Best time to visit around 7 to 8 pm. Entry to cave is optional and would be charged 150 pp which goes to the charity for treatment of poor patients. Visit:http://www.shivohamshivatemple.org/