Kumara Swamy Devasthana, Bangalore

Kumara Swamy Devasthana, is a Hindu temple located in Hanumanthnagar, in the city of Bangalore, Karnataka, southern India. It is dedicated to Lord Kumara Swamy, also known as Lord Subrahmanya or Murugan.

Lord Subrahmanya

There is a saying in Tamil: "there is no God greater than Lord Subrahmanya". Lord Subrahmanya is also known as Skanda, Swaminatha, Guha or Kumara, and was born from the third eye, the "ajna chakra", between the eyes of Lord Shiva. He is said to be the Parabrahman, the supreme God, or the one truth, of whom all the other Gods are different forms. It is also believed that Lord Shiva, who would remain alone at the end of the Maha Pralaya, would himself merge with Lord Subrahmanya, who is the ultimate truth. Lord Subrahmanya is worshipped for the begetting of children, success in war or employment, marriage, and, by being one with him, for knowledge of the ultimate truth.

The temple

The temple is located on top of a gentle hill, with walkways and stairs leading to the summit. The temple at the top of the hill is dedicated to Lord Kumara Swamy. Special prayers are performed during "Subbaraya (Subramanya) Shasti". At Kumara Swamy temple, the priests are of Telugu origin.

Pancha-Mukhi Ganesha temple

At the foot of the hill is Pancha-Mukhi Ganesha temple. This modern temple has an idol of Lord Ganesha with 5 heads, hence the name Pancha-Muki Ganesha. Special poojas (prayers) are performed on Sankastha Chaturdesi, and temple is crowded on this day. Worship of Lord Ganesha is done according to the ancient Gaanapatyaa method. This temple is one of the few temples in Bangalore to follow this method of worship. On the opposite side of the temple, the sanctum for Navaraghas are located.

Other features

Next to the Lord Kumara Swamy temple there is another small granite hill. On top of this, there is a large water tank built by BWSSB. It supplies potable water to the adjoining areas. On a clear day, wide views of Bangalore are available from the top of the hill.

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