Charming Kudumalai
If you are in Bangalore, don't miss the magnificent Kudumalai temple, about 90 km from the City on the Old Madras Road, just 12 km before Mulbagal. The temple here has a huge Ganesha in the saligrama stone form, a fossil stone found in River Gandaki in Nepal.
The Ganesha is 14-ft tall with a width of seven feet and is magnificently set in a serene mountainous terrain in a village commonly called Kudumalai.
Three decades ago, the temple was known only to the very devoted and had not attracted the attention of the tourists or the State tourism board.
The picture has changed today, with daily pujas performed every day. The temple has been increasingly attracting pilgrims and tourists. Also, the roads leading to the temple have improved vastly. The term Kudumalai is derived from "Kudu" meaning "get together," a reference to the belief that the trinity of Gods assembled here to ask Ganesha to destroy an asura, (a demon) who was harassing the devas (gods).
Legend has it that after Ganesha destroyed the asura, the trinity installed a saligrama sculpture of Ganesha to express their appreciation. Legend also has it that the saligrama statue of Ganesha grew in form and stopped growing after Krishna Deva Raya of Vijayanagar kingdom built a temple around the statue. The Krishna Deva Raya stamp of architecture is there for all to see.
There are exquisite carvings of various gods in the temple including those of Rama, Krishna and Subrahmanya.
If you are in Bangalore, don't miss the magnificent Kudumalai temple, about 90 km from the City on the Old Madras Road, just 12 km before Mulbagal. The temple here has a huge Ganesha in the saligrama stone form, a fossil stone found in River Gandaki in Nepal.
The Ganesha is 14-ft tall with a width of seven feet and is magnificently set in a serene mountainous terrain in a village commonly called Kudumalai.
Three decades ago, the temple was known only to the very devoted and had not attracted the attention of the tourists or the State tourism board.
The picture has changed today, with daily pujas performed every day. The temple has been increasingly attracting pilgrims and tourists. Also, the roads leading to the temple have improved vastly. The term Kudumalai is derived from "Kudu" meaning "get together," a reference to the belief that the trinity of Gods assembled here to ask Ganesha to destroy an asura, (a demon) who was harassing the devas (gods).
Legend has it that after Ganesha destroyed the asura, the trinity installed a saligrama sculpture of Ganesha to express their appreciation. Legend also has it that the saligrama statue of Ganesha grew in form and stopped growing after Krishna Deva Raya of Vijayanagar kingdom built a temple around the statue. The Krishna Deva Raya stamp of architecture is there for all to see.
There are exquisite carvings of various gods in the temple including those of Rama, Krishna and Subrahmanya.