BANGALORE - KUMARASWAMY DEVALAYA

Among the many places of worship that emerged into lime light of public gaze and raised the spiritual eminence of Bangalore, the garden city of Karnataka, Sri Kumaraswamy Shaila located in the Hanumantha nagar deserves special mention and instant visitation. Here the much hallowed universal father Mrityunjayeswar is adored along with his two immensely popular sons - Ganapathi and Subrahmanya enshrined in two imposing, independent shrines, in addition to Mother Ganga and Gayatri. Despite the entire family is accommodated and worshipped here, Lord Subrahmanya is enjoying lion's share as evidenced by luring lakhs of devotees on the auspicious Adi Krithika day every year. It is estimated that more than two lakhs of Muruga bhaktas offer Kavadis on this holy day and make another Palani, the highly reputed Dandayudhapani temple of Tamil Nadu, the unique pilgrim centre of inter-continental fame. And so it is reverentially called Pon - Palani. Its sudden ingress and growth read like a phatansy and drives home the truth that God's will is inscrutable and it makes mole hills into mountains in a trice at the opportune moment.

According to the story current - one pious Subrahmanyopasaka called Vidhyanidhi Shivasankara Sasthri, a renowned Panchangakartha of Sringeri Mutt happened to stay one night by accident in this place then surrounded by ant-hills and thick bushes: Fortunately for the benefit of the devotional community, as it were, he realised through a dream that Lord Siva has been abiding in this place and would soon flourish into a great kshetra, if a temple is built. To realise his dream, he started the work with the installation of Ganapathy icon in the unique form of riding a Don at the foot of the hill. Later, several idols like, Ganga. 

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