8 Famous & Must Visited Shiva Temples in Bangalore

Today, we share with you 8 Famous & Must Visited Shiva Temples in Bangalore.

Bangalore is the most preferred IT (Information Technology) destination in India. It’s known as India’s IT capital.

However, the city also boasts of more than 1000 temples and places of worship that have been constructed over the years by various ruling dynasties.

Bangalore is a fast-paced city and home to a rich multi-religious culture. It has some of the best temples in the country, which draw a huge number of visitors from all across the world. Here, we have listed the famous Shiva temples in Bangalore.

In fact, Lord Shiva is given the utmost prominence in this part of the world. He is regarded as the Adi Yogi, the first one to have walked this planet. Vedas describe him as Rudra. He is a mystic and the very embodiment of the Universe. He is a favorite God for many Hindus.

There are many temples of Lord Shiva in Bangalore. Some belong to the olden era, while others are modern-day temples.

So, if you are planning a temple tour in Bangalore, you should surely check out this list of Lord Shiva temples in Bangalore. These are the prominent Shiva temples for a religious tour around Bangalore. It is customary to visit Shiva temples on the Shivratri Festival.

You may like: Lord Shiva Aarti

Let us take a trip around these holy sites. Here’s a list of famous Shiva temples in Bangalore. We wish that you should visit these temples to seek the grace of Lord Shiva.

8 Famous Shiva Temples in Bangalore

Let’s get started:

1. Gavi Gangadhareshwara Shiva Temple

Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple is an excellent example of Indian rock-cut architecture in Bangalore. The temple is built inside a natural cave. This temple is also known by the name of Gavipuram Cave Temple. It is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The main deity inside is Lord Shiva, whose monolithic idol is worshipped.

The temple was built in the 16th Century AD by Kempe Gowda, who founded Bangalore.

According to legend, Kempe Gowda built this temple after he was released from prison after five years. He was thankful to Lord Shiva for granting him the freedom, and out of his faith and devotion to the Lord, he built the temple.

The temple has special astronomical significance. About an hour before sunset on the day of Makar Sankranti, the Sun’s rays happen to pass between the horns of Lord Shiva’s bull (Nandi) and bathe the main idol of the temple in light. It is the most spectacular scenery and is known as Surya Majjana or Sun Bath.

• Distance from City: 5 Km
• Main Deity: Lord Shiva
• Temple Timings: 06:00 AM – 08:00 PM
• Time Taken: 2 Hours
• Best Time to Visit: October to February
• Where: Gavipura, Kempe Gowda Nagar, Basavanagudi, Bangalore
• Nearest Railway Station -Bangalore CY Railway Station)
• Nearest Airport: Bangalore International Airport

2. Kempfort Shiva Temple

Kempfort Shiva Temple is one of the most important landmarks in Bangalore. This Shiva temple has been built recently in 1995 and attracts a lot of devotees. It has been regarded as one of the most beautiful temples of Lord Shiva in the world.

It is known for its 65-feet tall and mesmerizing Shiva statue that has been set amidst the backdrop of the Himalayas and the Lake of Mansarovar look-alikes that gives an alluring look to this temple.

There’s also a magical healing stone in the temple. People come here to touch this healing stone that is said to have been blessed with mystic curative powers.

The entrance of this Shiva temple has been marked with a 25 feet Shivalinga, which is regarded as a sacred form of the deity. The temple also sports a big Ganesha idol as well as models of other forms of Lord Shiva.

• Distance from City: 1 Km
• Main Deity: Lord Shiva
• Temple Timings: 07:00 am – 9:00 pm
• Best Time to Visit: Mondays as Shiva Aarti performed every two hours
• Time Taken: 1-2 Hours
• Where: Old Airport Road, Bangalore

3. Kadu Malleshwara Shiva Temple

Kadu Malleshwara Temple is regarded as one of the most beautiful temples of Lord Shiva in the city. It was built in the 17th Century AD by Venkoji, who was the brother of Maratha King Shivaji. This temple is also known as Mallikarjun Swamy Temple. The main deity in this temple is Lord Shiva, who is worshipped in the form of Mallikarjun.

The temple has two entrances, one letting you inside the outer sanctum, and the other one that has steps letting you to the outer sanctum of the temple. The temple sports a beautiful garden and has a peaceful ambiance. This legendary temple is surely an abode of peace and tranquility.

The Nandishwara Teertha is another major attraction in this Lord Shiva Temple. Here, water continuously flows from the mouth of the Nandi statue and falls on the Shiva Lingam. It is also believed that water is the source of River Vrishabhavathi.

• Distance from City: 1 Km
• Temple Timings are from 06:30 Am to 12:30 pm and 06:00 pm to 09:00 pm
• Main Deity: Lord Shiva
• Best Time to Visit: October to February
• Time Taken: 1-2 Hours
• Where: 2nd Temple Street, Kodandarampura, Malleshwara West, Bangalore
• Nearest Railway Station – Malleshwaram Railway Station
• Nearest Airport is Kempe Gowda International Airport

4. Halasuru Someshwara Shiva Temple

Halasuru Someshwara Temple has been regarded as one of the oldest temples in Bangalore. It was built during the Chola period. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. This temple had a major modification under the rule of Kempe Gowda-2. Its architecture, Gopuram, and the beautifully carved sculptures go on to provide beauty to this temple.

According to one of the popular legends, Kempe Gowda was hunting one day and went far away from his kingdom and fell asleep under a tree. He had a dream and saw that the local deity instructed him to build a temple in his honor. When we woke, he found out a treasure and completed the construction quickly.

• Where: Ulsoor Road, Bangalore
• Distance from City: 7.5 Km
• Temple Timings are from 6:00 am to 12:30 pm and 05:30 pm to 09:00 pm
• Main Deity: Lord Shiva
• Best Time to Visit: October to February
• Time Taken: 1 to 2 Hours
• Nearest Railway Station: Bangalore City Junction
• Airport: Bangalore International Airport

5. Dwadasha Jyotirlinga Temple

Dwadasha Jyotirlinga Temple is situated on the Omkar Hills at 2800 feet above sea level. It consists of 12 small Shiva temples. It replicates other Jyotirlinga Temples across India. The construction of this temple started in 2002. All the Lingas inside this temple are made from the stones taken from the Narmada River and are considered very auspicious.

• Distance from City: 103 Km
• Main Deity: Lord Shiva
• Temple Timings are from 7:00 am to 12:30 pm and 04:30 pm to 08:30 pm
• Best Time to Visit: October to February
• Where: Srinivasapura
• Nearest Railway Station: Bangalore City Junction
• Nearest Airport: Bangalore International Airport

6. Begur Nageshwara Temple

The Begur Nageshwara Temple was built during the rule of the Ganga Dynasty. However, later on, additions were made to this temple during the rule of the Chola Dynasty. This temple is located in Begur, which is a small town located at a distance of about 13 Km via Hosur Road.

There is a square sanctum that connects to Maha Mantapa and leads to an open hall. The architecture is simple yet elegant. It has white granite pillars. Lord Shiva is the main deity and is worshipped in the form of Lingam.

• Where: Begur Main Road, Bangalore
• Main Deity: Lord Shiva
• Best Time to Visit: October to February

7. Sri Dakshinamurthy Nandishwara Teertha Temple

It’s a small temple that’s located diagonally opposite to Kadu Malleshwara Temple in Malleshwaram. This temple is truly magical, which can make you go meditative as soon as you enter this temple. At the focal point, there’s the statue of Nandi, which is positioned in the South direction and gets the name as “Dakshina Nandi.”

The Shiva Lingam here is situated in the center. Water from Nandi’s mouth falls on it, and ultimately flows into a stepped tank in the middle of the temple, known as “Kalyani.” It has been estimated that this temple is about 400 years old.

However, it was recently discovered in 1997 AD during excavation work. BN Sundar Rao’s book, “Bengalurina Itihasa,” states that this temple was constructed by Rao Bahadur Yele Mallappa Shetty along with the Shiva Lingam and the Nandi.

• Main Deity: Lord Shiva
• Where: Kodandarampura, Malleshwara West, Bangalore
• Best Time to Visit: October to February

8. Kote Jalakanteshwara Shiva Temple

Kote Jalakanteshwara is a Chola Era temple which was renovated by Kempe Gowda. This temple has been dedicated to Lord Shiva and is located near Kalasipalya Bus Stand. It is one of the most popular Shiva temples in Bangalore and attracts thousands of devotees from all walks of life. The temple has three main sanctums that have been dedicated to Lord Shiva in the form of Parvathi, Kailashnathar, and Jalakanteshwara.

• Main Deity: Lord Shiva
• Where: Kalasipalya, Bangalore
• Best Time to Visit: October to February

So, this completes our list of famous Shiva temples in Bangalore. We hope that you found the post useful and interesting. Please share the post on popular social network channels. We welcome your comments and suggestions. Thanks for visiting!