The grandeur of Kolar's temples

There are several heritage temples in places like Belur, Halebidu, Talakadu, Shravanabelagola and Melukote which are visited by many tourists throughout the year. Other places like Kolar also have similar temples but are less visited. So, we planned a day out to explore some of these lesser-known temples in Kolar.

Once we reached Kolar, we decided to first visit Kolaramma Temple. The temple was built during the time of the Cholas and is said to be over a thousand years old. Unlike other old temples, we noticed that this temple was missing its gopura. Inside the temple, a simple but tall dwajasthambha has been installed in front of the garbhagriha. As we walked through the temple, we admired the work of the skilled architects and builders who constructed the temple using big stone slabs. Then, we went near the sanctum sanctorum and offered our prayers to the very well-decorated Goddess Kolaramma, the presiding deity of the temple. Beside this deity, we saw another idol called Chelamma or the scorpion goddess.

From there, we proceeded to see another temple called Someshwara Temple. The tall and magnificent rajgopura of the temple has several eye-catching statuettes of gods and goddesses on all sides. There is also a pushkarani located adjacent to the temple. Then, we stepped into the prakara of the temple and noticed that the outer walls of the temple are full of winsome statuettes and ornate carvings. Due to the ravages of weather, some of the carvings and statuettes are now damaged. Thereafter, we went inside the temple and we were amazed to see the big stone pillars, beams and ceilings. Inside the garbhagriha, there is a decorated Shivalinga. In front of it, there is a beautiful statue of Nandi. While doing pradakshina, we saw the exquisite vimana, which had several stunning statuettes. There is also an attractive kalyanamantapa, which has delicate and intricate sculptures, carvings and statuettes inside and outside it.

After this, we visited two more temples ­— one that is dedicated to Gangamma and another that is dedicated to Annapoorneshwari. These temples are located on the banks of a tank that is now dried up. We were told that while these temples were built many years ago, they were recently renovated by philanthropists.

In the afternoon, we went to Antaragange hill which is located about three km away from Kolar. Here, we visited the Kashi Vishweshwara Swamy Temple. After climbing the hill for a few minutes, we reached the temple that is located on top of the hillock. We offered our obeisance to the presiding deity, Kashi Vishweshwara.

Coming out of the temple, we got down in the pushkarani that is adjacent to the temple and went to see a perennial spring that comes from the mouth of basava (a stone bull). This is why the hillock is called Antaragange (Ganges from deep). Many people were drinking this fresh water by standing inside a small mantapa. It is believed that the water comes from Kashi, and the place is also called Dakshina Kashi. People of all age groups enjoy visiting this place due to the unique flowing of water.

From Antaragange, we headed back to Bengaluru with a lot of satisfaction and great delight. With so many beautiful temples located in the district, taking a trip to Kolar is worth it as one gets to engage with the temples’ rich history and enjoy their magnificent architecture.