Bangalore isn't just a center of high-tech energy, but a place where spiritual leaders through the ages have tapped into a different sort of energy--a higher power, some might say.
For visitors, a half-day outing to one of the many temples in the area is a great way to recharge the mental batteries and experience the colorful wonder of India. Here, courtesy of Karnataka Tourism (www.karnatakatourism.org), are some of the must-sees:
Bull Temple
Built by Kempegowda, the founder of Bangalore, this temple sports a granite statue of Nandi--the bull that transported and protected the deity Shiva. This landmark is situated at bull temple road, Basavangudi.
Dodda Ganesha Temple
Just below the Bull Temple is the massive complex dedicated to Ganesha, sporting a statue of the elephant god that stands nearly 20 feet high.
Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple
Built during Kempegowda's reign, this unique cave temple contains a number of statues and passages. Every year during Makara Sankranthi observances the temple witnesses a strange phenomenon when a ray of light passes through the horns of the stone bull outside and illuminates the deity inside the cave.
Shiva Temple
Containing a 65-foot-high Shiva statue, an artificial pond resembling the Manasa Sarovar Lake (a real lake in Tibet thought to be the abode of Shiva), and caves with likenesses of the 12 forms of the Hindu god, this temple is a major attraction.
St. Patrick's Church
Built in 1844, this is one of the oldest churches in Bangalore. It's situated on Brigade Road.
