Kotilingeshwara Temple - A Day Trip from Bengaluru

Kotilingeshwara Temple is a beautiful place with an interesting history that was built in 1980. It is located in a village named Kammasandra of Kolar district. The temple is at a distance of around 100 km from Bengaluru. One must definitely consider this place if planning for a day trip near the city.

We would start the first day of the new year by visiting a temple nearby. But this time we thought of adding a drive to this tradition and making it slightly interesting by visiting Kotilingeshwara. Reaching Kolar from Bengaluru is a standard route. Google maps suggest the same thing, You essentially have to connect to NH75 and continue your way East towards Kolar. From Kolar, you can either follow SH 96 or go through Bangarapet to reach the temple. 

The temple has two parking, one in the open ground which is very big, and the other smaller one in shade. The way towards the entrance is from both the parking. There are many shops on this path from where you can buy offerings for the Deities. The entry ticket cost is 20INR, for a small child there is no ask. 

As the name says Kotilingeshwara were Koti means crore and ling refers to as shiv lingams. The temple complex supposedly has 10 million Shiva lingams spread beautifully around a towering central Shiva lingam. The lingam is about 108 ft tall and opposite to which is a big idol of Nandi. There are many interesting stories describing the importance of Nandi’s presence in front of the lingam.

Koltilingeshwara temple is designed in such a way that one has to go through the other 11 temples inside the premises to reach the big shiva lingam which is the center of attraction. Would advise you to carry money in small denominations so that you can donate at every point if you wish to. 

It is like a road to spirituality, where you seek the blessing of all the deities including Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh. The temple has a positive atmosphere and some great locations for those Instagram pictures. It is a very good experience to freely roam around the open area among countless Shiva lingam with the Gigantic structure visible from every corner. On your way back you can pick up some local souvenirs. There are many vendors for some quick munchies and refreshments as well. 

The holidays are weekends are usually busy. But the temple is so big that it can easily accommodate a larger number of devotees. The queue to the temple is generally smaller and moves faster. Maha Shivratri celebrations are grand and a huge amount of devotees visits the place to seek the blessings of Lord Shiva.