A murti of Nandi, the divine bull of Shiva, carved from soap
stone is enough to make the journey to Turuvekere near Tumkur in Karnataka
worthy. The town also has the rare temple in which Shiva and Ganga
are worshipped together. Turuvekere is located around 128 km from Bangalore and houses the famous Gangadhareshwara Temple .
The Shivling worshipped in the temple is referred as
Gangadhareswara – it has matted locks of Shiva with Ganga .
Sun, mood and the 27 birth stars (Nakshatras) also adorn the Shivling. The
utsava murti of Shiva (the murti taken out for procession and rituals) has an
eye on the foot. Another highlight of the temple is the huge Nandi murti.
The temple complex also houses a shrine of Goddess Bhavani.
The temple also has a rare sculpture of Bedara Kannapa.
Huge bell made using soap stone is another attraction.
Another nearby temple is the Moole Shankareshwara Temple. It is located near a big lake. The
temple is built on a star-shaped platform. The temple tower is built in Bhumija
type found mainly in Maharashtra . The shrine
is dedicated to Shiva.