BANDE MAHAKALI TEMPLE IN CHAMRAJPET BANGALORE

 BANDE MAHAKALI TEMPLE  is a higly popular and visited temple in the city of Bengaluru Bangalore and is a magic of the chieftain of Bangalore under the Vijayanagar kings  SHRI. KEMPEGOWDA whose touch of administrative class made many contributions to the city and the basic foundations of the city can be attributed to him.

KALI  is a highly worshipped Goddess in India and it is apt that people of vision envisaged such temples across the length and breadth of the country, Many such temples were refurbished and renovated by successive rulers. This temple is also result of such enterprise. BANDE in Kannada means rock. There are more than three major hard rock formations in the vicinity of this temple and this temple could have got its name from these rocks. Some say it is because of the word BANDI which means vehicle in Kannada and in yore it was a place flocked by travellers travelling to Mysore from places like Vellore where they took shelter in this place .However the rock theory has more credence. KEMPEGOWDA thought it prudent to use the hillock on which this temple is situated as a WATCH TOWER  considering large number of population flocked this area. Since there are many hillock in this area the entire place is safe from many incursions from inimical people because a watch over the township called GAVIPURAM where this temple is situated can be made on all sides. The word GAVI means cave in Kannada. This area must have had many caves that offered shelter to travellers who were guarded by sentry who used the watch-tower to pre-empt any aggression. Many of these caves must have been privately owned and rented for public use. Organised robbery was a common affair during these times and a place is vetted and authenticated for safety from marauders.

Water from all these hillocks empty into the Kempemanabudhi lake nearby which feeds the VRUSHABAVATHY RIVER downstream. The name of this lake must have been KEMPANNA BUDHI KERE which has morphed and changed with time. BUDHI is a respectful kannada word for a LAND LORD  ....KEMPANNA refers to SHRI KEMPEGOWDA. THIS PLACE IS NOTHING BUT THE CLASS OF  KEMPEGOWDA.

This is a highly thronged temple in the city. How to reach this place?This place is GAVIPURAM EXTENSION near Ramakrishna Math in CHAMRAJPET AREA. IT MUST BE THREE KILOMETERS FROM lalbagh metro station. MANY PEOPLE TAKE AUTO FROM THIS METRO STATION AND BACK.This place is also adjacent to Hanumanthanagar and Srinagar and also the BULL TEMPLE and BUGLE ROCK are not far away.

When you enter the temple premises to the left is an entry to the sanctum sanctorum.. If you walk straight on the hill you see the watch tower on the left side and the Kempabudhi kere can be seen ahead. Many rocks on this hillock are being eradicated through modern means to create space for people but the lake is clearly visible from this point and also the horizon of the city with tall structures.