Bangara Tirupati temple

    This was  a place which had  never  bragged about  its mythology,  a story which dated back to the times of Bhrigu rishi ,who was one of the seven sages created by Bramha  .A little more about Bhrigu rishi......he was a contemporary of Manu ,(according to hindu belief ,Manu was the father of mankind) and is believed to have penned the Bhrigu Samhita  (a classic on astrology).Apart from a few more temples spread all over India ,which are dedicated to the sage ,the Bangara Tirupati temple is another such temple which bears a mythological connection with the sage.
         The story goes like this ..that Bhrigu rishi was once into deep meditation  at this place when Lord Vishnu is believed to have blessed him through   the six openings in the window of the temple ,the openings which symbolise the six human behaviours of kama krodha ,moha,  matsara and mada .So till this day devotees who visit this place seek blessings of the lord through the six openings in the temple window,signifying that when they come to the Lord, they leave behind all the worldly behaviours. For those who know nothing of this story,the temple is just another abode of Lord Venkateshwara,nestled on a hilltop in the Kolar district of Karnataka ...and this in no way lessens their adoration for the place .

                         The roads reaching this place were surely very lonely-which made me think once that the temple will be a desolated one.There was hardly a soul to ask directions to this temple,but when I reached there I was proved wrong.Perhaps it was the popularity of the temple that people from far off places had collected here.

These are the pictures of the entrance of the temple i.e the main gopuram.

There were plenty of shops at the entrance of the temple.Enough parking space and  wash rooms were also provided

The pushkarni as you enter the gopuram...we were not fortunate enough to get water in it which makes it more aesthetically appealing .The temple has been designed in close resemblance to the Venkateshwara temple in Tirupati.

This is the view of the gopuram from the temple end

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 Few more steps and we are at the shrine of Lord Venkateshwara where the lord can be seen through a small window in the shrine.

A beautiful view of the temple complex can be seen from the top

The way down from the temple and the astrologers who kept my daughters amused

A very picturesque flight of stairs go up to the goddess Padmavati temple.This is in a direction opposite to the main sanctum.The picture below shows the same.

A lady selling knick knacks in the temple compound

The Bangara Tirupati temple is a peaceful place easily accessible from Bangalore. It is located in the village named Guttahalli in the Kolar district of Karnataka.If you are still wondering from where this place has derived its name....bangar in the local language means gold ...the place being in Kolar ,which was known for its gold mines..A spiritual retreat about 100 kilometres from Bangalore along the Old Madras road and can be coupled with a visit to the Kotilingeshwara temple about 7 kilometres from here.If you are visiting this place ,do carry your own food as there are no eateries as such along the way.
     This was a place little heard of, a journey that was never planned and yet a weekend that did not fail to please us to the brim