Shivagange is a mountain peak with a height of and

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

pilgrimage center located near

Dobbaspet Dobbaspet (officially, Somapura) also known as Dabaspete, is a village located in Nelamangala Taluka of Bangalore Rural District in the Indias state of Karnataka. As per census survey of India 2011, location code number allotted to Sompura is 6 ...

, in

Bengaluru Rural district Bengaluru Rural district is one of the 31 districts in Karnataka, India. It was formed in 1986, when Bangalore District was divided into Bangalore Rural and Bangalore Urban. Presently in Bangalore Rural district, Bengaluru North District ther ...

India. It is from the town of

Tumakuru Tumkur, officially Tumakuru, is a city and headquarters of Tumakuru district in the Karnataka state of India. Tumkur is known for Siddaganga Matha. Tumkur hosts India's first mega food park, a project of the ministry of food processing. The Indi ...

and from

Bengaluru Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore (List of renamed places in India#Karnataka, its official name until 1 November 2014), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the southern States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kar ...

. , The sacred mountain is shaped as a

shivalinga A lingam ( , lit. "sign, symbol or mark"), sometimes referred to as linga or Shiva linga, is an abstract or aniconic representation of the Hindu god Shiva in Shaivism. The word ''lingam'' is found in the Upanishads and epic literature, wher ...

and a spring flows near locally called "Ganga", thereby giving the place its name. It is also known as ''Dakshina Kashi'' (

Kashi Kashi or Kaashi most commonly refers to: * Varanasi (historically known as "Kashi"), a holy city in India Kashi may also refer to: Places **Kingdom of Kashi, an ancient kingdom in the same place, one of the sixteen Mahajanapadas **Kashi Vishwana ...

of the South) and has various temples such as Gangadhareshwara temple, Sri Honnammadevi Temple, Olakal Teertha, Nandi Statue, Patalagang Sharadambe temple and several theerthas such as Agasthya theertha, Kanva theertha, Kapila theertha, Pathala Gange Sri Honnammadevi Temple is inside the cave. Sri Gavi Gangadhare Temple is also inside the cave. Gavi means Cave, Gangadhareshwara means Parameshwara having Gange on the top. Every January, on the day of Sankranthi festival, the marriage function of Sri Gangadhareshwara and Sri Honnammadevi (Parvathi) is conducted. At that time it is claimed Ganga holy water comes from the rock at the top of hill and that holy water is used to solemnise the dhare ritual of the marriage function.

History

Sivaganga is a sacred hill with a height of 4,559 feet above the level of the sea. Its outline appears from the east as a bull, from the west as a Ganesha, from the north as a serpent, and from the south as a linga. The number of steps leading to the top is said to equal the number of yojanas to Benares(Varanasi).Hence this is called Dakshina Kashi. An ascent to the top is considered as a pilgrimage to the holy city. The puranas give it the name of Kakudgiri. It is mentioned by its present name in the 12th century as one of the distant points to which the Lingayat faith established by Basava, the minister of Bijjala, king of Kalyana. During the reign of

Hoysala The Hoysala Kingdom was a kingdom originating from the Indian subcontinent that ruled most of what is now Karnataka, India, Karnataka, parts of Tamilnadu and South-Western Telangana between the 11th and the 14th centuries Common Era, CE. The c ...

kings, the queen Shanthala, wife of Vishnuvardhana, who committed suicide from this hill as she did not give birth to a son. The hill was fortified during the 16th century by Shivappa Nayaka. These fortifications currently lie in ruins. The founder of Bengaluru, Magadi Kempegowda, also made improvements to the fortifications and kept a portion of his treasure within it. A month-long cattle fair is held during ''Sankranthi'' month (around January) every year, which is a market place for bullocks.

Beliefs surrounding the Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple in Bengaluru

Followers believe an interesting miracle happens when abhisheka is performed on Shivalinga with ghee, the ghee turning to butter. It is claimed by the devotees/believers that this ghee has medicinal powers and can cure many ailments. According to legend there exists a secret tunnel that extends from the sanctum sanctorum (Garba Griha) of this temple to the Gavi Gangadhareshwara temple in Bengaluru, around away.

River Kumudvathi

River Kumudvathi has its origin in the Shivagange hills and it is a tributary of river

Arkavati The Arkavati is an important mountain river in Karnataka, India, originating at Nandi Hills of Chikkaballapura district. It is a tributary of the Kaveri, which it joins at 34 km south of Kanakapura, Ramanagara District called Sangam ...

. The Kumudvathi river flows across 278 villages covering encompassing major part of Nelamangala Taluk, Bengaluru Rural District and parts of Magadi Taluk,

Ramanagra district Bengaluru South ( Ramanagara ) District is one of the 31 districts of Karnataka state in southern India. Ramanagara City is the administrative headquarters of this district. The district is part of Bangalore Division. History Ramanagara distr ...

. Due to various factors like deforestation, unsustainable extraction of ground water, soil erosion, encroachments and eucalyptus plantations the river has dwindled in size. This has resulting in serious water crisis for drinking and agriculture in all the villages under the river basin. However, projects and efforts are underway to revive the river.

Trekking

The area is a popular site for

rock climbing Rock climbing is a climbing sports discipline that involves ascending climbing routes, routes consisting of natural rock in an outdoor environment, or on artificial resin climbing walls in a mostly indoor environment. Routes are documented in c ...

in the

Karnataka Karnataka ( ) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed as Mysore State on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, States Re ...

state. The entire trail to the peak is well marked and the presence of human-made steps (often carved into the rocky landscape, but sometimes made from rocks) makes the trail suitable for beginners. There are frequent rest opportunities with stalls serving food and drinks. The trekking path to reach summit from foothills is of in a pre-defined path. The trail becomes steep and narrow near the summit of the mountain - safety rails are provided in such areas. Monkeys are the main fauna inhabiting the hill.

Protected monument

The temple shrine is a protected monument under the Karnataka Ancient and Historical Monuments and archaeological sites and remains act 1962. File:Shivaganga.JPG, A temple on top File:Shivagange Basavanna.JPG , Basavanna File:Shivagange Olakal Theertha 1.JPG , Olakal Theertha File:Yali pillars in porch entrance to Gangadhareshwara temple at Shivagange.jpg , Architecture File:Shivagange Shiva Parvathi.JPG , Shiva Parvathi File:Shivagange Architecture 1.JPG , Architecture File:Shivagange Veerabhadra Swamy.JPG , Veerabhadra Swamy File:Shivagange Basavanna 1.JPG , Basavanna File:Shivagange Olakal Theertha.JPG , Olakal Theertha

References

External links

*{{YouTube, zn-mQ3Kfwh0, Shivagange - Department of Tourism Video Mountains of Karnataka Tourism in Karnataka Hindu pilgrimage sites in India Hindu temples in Tumakuru district Geography of Tumakuru district