When a Shiva temple sits on a perfect scenic spot its a jackpot! I hit such a place, recently. Its been a week now and the vibe still feels fresh in my mind. I was scouring Instagram to find a place i can visit in a day nearby Bangalore and i came across Kailasagiri. I went with my family, it took two cars to fit in ten of us and were following each other on live location sharing as we sped towards the hill.
Since it was January the climate was pleasant for the long drive although the sun warmed us a bit. As we moved away from the city, the tight pack of buildings faded leaving way to patches of trees and weeds here and there. We didn't find much hotels close by the hill and although we spotted a few they were all non-veg. Finally, we settled on a roadside veg restaurant. We filled our tummies before we could fill our minds with the divine presence.
We took the single mud road from the highway that led to the hill. What started as a thar road thinned down to a mud one with lots of potholes, we managed them all until we reached a steep slope. Just under an arch, we were supposed to climb it but our car didn't cooperate. My husband tried to climb it in second gear and the engine stopped. He tried and tried. Engine didn't start. Instead, every time it stopped we were slipping a bit backward. Thankfully my uncle came in, tried a few times on first gear. After a few failed tries, he managed to get the car up the slope.
From the car park the hill looked majestic making me nervous as well. Like microscopic dots we saw few people getting inside the cave. To just look at that point, the altitude is overwhelming and was doubtful about my own stamina to climb till then. Somehow, I brought the confidence and started walking.
Just like the steep slope where our car got stuck, we came across another one which we need to climb by foot. I wouldn't recommend walking in these tracks on rainy days. It could be slippery even with mild showers and get muddy during hot sunny days. We crossed it carefully and the ground widened to plains where we left our footwear before taking a flight of stairs. The view from the stairs was breath-taking. A few trees not just provided shade in the afternoon sun but also proved to be a lovely background for our pictures.
Another staircase took us right into the entrance of the cave. From there what unfolds in front of you is a huge hall built just by drilling into the hill. The interior of this wide hall looks cool and airy with its rustic charm. Lightings are placed in such a way to enhance the look and feel of this place. At one end there is a wall-carving portraying Girija Kalyanam and I saw most of them taking pictures with the sculpture.
On the other side, the cave's tunnel way leads us to the other deities. Worshipping one after the other I ended up with the main deity, Lord Shiva. Peaceful yet powerful the lingam sits at the center with each of its five faces shining in silver and garlands of Rudraksh covering it on all sides. I couldn't take my eyes off the sight with all the flowers decorated around him only adding to the beauty. Since it was not crowded, we took our time to slowly take in the vibe during the darshan. There is a prominent Nandi sitting in front of him. While everyone else were taking pictures even inside the sanctum sanctorum, I didn't dare to, and I didn't want to.
This place is best experienced by visiting it in person. No amount of pictures will provide the effect you experience when you are actually there.
Just next to Lord Shiva is the statue of Goddess Jagadamba. As we stepped out of the cave, I scanned the area around. It was only rocky hills here and there surrounded by trees and wild bushes. Due to monkey menace we didn't dare to buy anything to munch on. The rock temple is still under construction and I hope when I visit the next time, it would be so different.
On our way down the hill, we stopped by a lake adjacent to twin hills. A little trekking experience will help get you inside. We walked a bit on the narrow mound with lake on one side and a steep trench on the other.
Wild flowers greeted us as we enjoyed every bit of nature's raw charm. We spent a good amount of time taking pictures and having fun. Some places etch a special mark in our hearts and Kailasagiri is one of them.
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