After writing my last blog on Temples of India – En Route Bengaluru and Mysuru, I was inspired to write down about another similar travel of mine last time I visited Bengaluru. This place is a special place called Magadi, and there is a very ancient temple in this village dedicated to Lord Ranganatha.
Magadi village is about 40 Km away from Bengaluru and can be reached by road. It will take approximately 1.5 hours to complete the journey or may be even two hours depending on how the traffic is. The path to the village is green and very refreshing!
Magadi is a little town, not completely touched by the urbanization of Bengaluru. Kempe Gowda, the founder of Bengaluru was from this very sweet town. Home to the Mulakanaadu sect of Kannada-Telugu Brahmins, this town boasts of two wonderful temples dedicated to Lord Ranganatha and Lord Someshawara. Lord Ranganatha temple was built in the 12th century and expanded by King Krishna Deva Raya of Vijayanagara empire. I feel really blessed to have visited this ancient temple, which carries so much of history and tradition with it.
There are shrines inside the temple dedicated to Lord Ranganatha (main deity), Rama, Sita and Anjaneya, and also another popular deity called “Beleyuva” Ranganatha. “Beleyuva” Ranganatha is believed to fulfill the wishes of devotees. The flag post outside the temple boasts of inscriptions dating to the Vijayanagara Empire Period. There is a pristine lake adjacent to the temple.
Magadi Ranganatha Temple
Magadi Ranganatha Temple
Temple Gopuram view from below
Temple Gopuram view from terrace of the temple
Temple Gopuram closeup
Antique Table
When we exited the temple it was lunch time. We visited our family home for a wonderful traditional Kannada lunch. After a fulfilling lunch, we visited an ancient ancestral home situated in the village. Surrounded by tall and sturdy fig and mango trees, this ancestral home is reminiscent of the golden and olden times which were simple and warm. One area of the house, that I wanted to share on this blog is an old underground granary used for storing grains like rice, in order to protect from weather and rodents.
Underground Granary
After touring the ancestral home, we climbed a small hill called Lakshmi Narasimha “Betta”. Situated at the top of the hill is another small temple dedicated to Lord Lakshmi Narasimha. There is a great view of the entire town of Magadi from the hill. We spent some time taking in the scenery and the fresh air of the country side, before descending down into the town of Magadi. While exiting we also enjoyed refreshing jackfruit and mango sliced from street vendors which were just awesome!
Tips for Traveller:
- You can reach Magadi by road very comfortably from Bangalore. There are not many commercial hotels or restaurants here.
- There is another ancient temple called Someshwara temple which you can visit too.
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