The Kote Venkateshwara Swamy Temple, dedicated to Balaji or Venkateswara (a form of Bhagavan Vishnu), is located on K. R. Road in Bengaluru South, Karnataka. The history of this shrine is associated with the Wodeyar family, Tipu Sultan, and Hyder Ali. The temple is also famous for a unique Kurma Avatar temple.
Kote Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple History
Kote Sri Prasanna Venkateswara Swamy Temple is an ancient temple that reflects the glorious past of the old Mysore region and reveals the historical events that took place during that time. This temple houses the idol of Sri Prasanna Venkataramana Swamy, which is about 4 feet tall and made of Salagrama sila (sacred stones with striations and holes from Gandaki River in Nepal). The idol was installed in the 15th century by Sri Chikkadevaraja Wodeyar, the then ruler of the Mysore kingdom.
During the reign of his son, Sri Kanteerava Narasaraja Wodeyar, four villages were donated permanently to ensure the uninterrupted daily worship of Sri Prasanna Venkataramana Swamy, who was consecrated by his father within the Bangalore Fort. This information is inscribed on a stone inscription found at the entrance of Kothanur village in Bangalore.
Garuda Stambha Saving Tipu Sultan
Earlier, in front of the temple, there was a vast open ground where British soldiers used to conduct drills and training. Later, at the rear of the temple, a summer palace was constructed by Sri Hyder Ali Khan and Sri Tipu Sultan.
In 1791, during the Mysore War, under the orders of Lord Cornwallis, then Governor-General of India, a cannonball was fired from the drill ground towards Tipu’s palace. However, instead of hitting the palace, the cannonball struck the Garuda pillar in front of the temple and caused a crack in the stone pillar. As this incident saved both Tipu Sultan’s life and the palace, the temple became a sacred site for Hyder Ali Khan and Tipu Sultan.
K R Road Kote Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple Festivals Rituals
Performing Abhishekam (ritual bathing of the deity) and offering Tulsi (holy basil) at this temple is believed to grant all kinds of spiritual benefits. Conducting a Kalyanotsavam (divine wedding ceremony) here is said to quickly remove obstacles related to marriage.
Offering well-grown Tulsi in the temple is especially auspicious. Major festivals such as Vaikuntha Ekadashi, Brahma Rathotsava, and Shravana Saturdays are celebrated with devotion and draw many devotees.
The temple also houses Naga deities.
Unique Kurma Avatar Temple
Kurma Deva (the tortoise incarnation of Lord Vishnu) on the upper part of the shrine is unique and considered highly auspicious. Chanting prayers while seated beneath the Kurma idol is believed to remove sins such as matru hatya dosha (sin of killing a mother), stri hatya dosha (sin of killing a woman), and curses resulting from such acts.
While performing japa (chanting of mantras), women should sit facing north with their heads below the idol, and men should sit with the back of their heads below the idol, aligned in the same manner. This practice is believed to bring spiritual liberation from sins and curses.