Kempfort Shiva - Bengaluru

Published in "Discover India"


Kempfort Shiva … A Sculptural Marvel



Getting There: 3 – 5 km from Bangalore Airport, between the Airport and the famed Manipal Hospital complex, about 12 km from Bangalore City Railway Station. The temple is bang on the Airport Road, at the back side of one of the city’s renowned shopping malls, the Kempfort and is easily visible from the main road. Public buses ply every few minutes from various parts of the city to Kempfort. Autos and city taxis are available in plenty to commute to any corner of Bangalore.

Set against the backdrop of ‘Mount Kailash’ with the picturesque ‘Manasagangotri’ flowing from his matted locks, Lord Shiva beckons hundreds of thousands of passersby to his abode behind the Kempfort shopping centre on the bustling Airport Road in Bangalore. The temple dedicated to Shiva is a sculptural marvel that has proved to be a huge crowd puller to the mall and the temple itself which was constructed in 1995.

Here Lord Shiva, seated in Padmasana or lotus posture, the meditative pose, is gigantic at a height of 65 feet, resplendent in white marble. Bejeweled with serpents coiled round his neck and arms, a trio of Rudraksh malas hanging low up to his navel, waist draped in tiger skin, the trident and dhol held aloft in his rear hands, forehead beaming with a trio of horizontal vibhuthi strokes, Lord Shiva at Kempfort is a picture of total serenity.

The statue, a brilliant piece of work, carved to perfection, keeping every minute detail and feature in mind, from the Lord’s eyes to the waves of his tresses, the grooves of the beads on the Rudraksh mala and folds of the tiger skin, has been sculpted by K. Kashinath who was presented with the State-level Jakanacharya award in July 2005. The raised hoods of the snakes coiling his neck and arms add further to the realistic touch given by the artiste to his work.

The ice-capped Kailash mountains made from styrofoam and other white material, along with the pond, symbolic of Manasagangotri complete the picture-perfect scene at Kempfort. But this is not all. Sculpted equally splendidly is the 32 feet tall statue of Lord Ganesha to the right of Shiva, perched atop. On a first floor level, at the entrance to the temple which is on an open area. As one climbs a small flight of steps to reach Ganesha, one is struck by the yellow-thread-ridden balustrade in front of his statue. Well, these have been tied by devotees seeking grace and wish-fulfillment from the Lord. “It’s all a matter of faith – we tie these threads here, praying to Ganesha to grant us our cherished desires and he does heed our sincere prayers,” say a lot of worshippers who visit the temple quite regularly.

The cave on which ‘Mount Kailash’ is erected is another masterpiece and a must-visit region in the temple complex. The cave is replete with the 12 jyotirlingas and technology has been made use of to add a dash of realism and beauty to the creations. One gets to see Lord Shiva blessing his devotees, the Somnath Linga open and close its eyes to the sound of bells near it; the Bhimashankar Linga has the rocks cracking up around it and the dead cow is given life at the Tryambakeshwar Linga. “A thing of beauty is a joy for ever” and this is so true of the ice-moulded Kedarnath Linga which remains in this carved icy state throughout the year.

If spectators throng the mall to view the temple for its breath-taking architecture, many of them turn zealous devotees, attributing great healing and wish-fulfilling powers to the Lord here. The belief is that if one chants Om Namah Shiva seven times, makes a wish and throws a coin into the Manasagangotri, the pond in front of the giant Shiva statue, is bound to be blessed with the wish. Alternatively, those suffering from ill health, may buy a paap nashi diya (sin-destroying-lamp) and set it afloat in the pond or perform the Mrityunjaya havan or drop wooden sticks, ghee (clarified butter) and grass into the fire after circumambulating the temple complex thrice. Devotees staunchly believe that their health and other problems, mental stress and emotional upsets definitely dissipate when they perform these simple acts at the temple.

Another unique aspect of the temple is that unlike in other temples where priests are required to perform abhishekas to the Lord on behalf of the devotees, here, the devotees themselves may perform these. The abhisheka may be performed using vibhuti, milk, turmeric powder, vermilion powder, sandal powder, water, coconut water and the leaf of the bilva tree.

While entrance to the temple complex is free, there is a nominal fee of Rs.10 to enter the cave of Jyotirlangas. The fee so collected is used by the temple trust Humanitarian Hands to undertake various charity works including running homes, a hospital and a mobile clinic for the poor and destitute, free of cost. Besides, some of the stalls leading to the main temple complex are manned by a few physically challenged individuals who are employed by the temple.


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