Hulimavu Ramalingeshwara cave Temple, Karnataka

Address

Hulimavu Ramalingeshwara cave Temple, Karnataka
Bannerghatta Road, Hulimavu
Karnataka

Moolavar

Lord Shiva

Amman

Parvati

Introduction

The Hulimave cave temple, also known as the Hulimavu Shiva Cave Temple or Ramalingeshwara Cave Temple, is located in Hulimavu, Bannerghatta Road, Karnataka, very close to the BGS National Public School. The Cave Temple is administered by the Sri Bala Gangadaraswami Mutt. It is stated that a saint Sri Ramanand Swamiji did tapas in the cave for many years and his samadhi is also found inside.

Puranic Significance

There are three main deities consecrated inside. A Shiva Lingam occupies the center, on one side there is a Devi idol and on the other side, an idol of Ganesha has been consecrated. On the other side of the cave, a very old dhyana mantap is also found. The cave has been declared as a 2000 year old single rock cave. The temple is placed within the natural cave inside the rocks.

Visitors are encouraged to learn about and go around to each of the deities inside the cave. For unknown reasons such temples have not gained publicity even though those who know the temple visit it very often.

Special Features

Entrance to the temple is small but quite picturesque: Pathway is flanked on either side with recent colourful paintings of scenes from the epic Ramayana, leading to a narrow sculpted tower painted white. Interior of the temple is carved in an ancient rock structure. The temple has two shrines, one of Lord Shiva and another shrine for Sri Rama with Sita Devi, Sri Lakshman and Sri Hanuman. There are also other beautifully carved idols: Ganesha idol between the 2 shrines, Shiva Parvati towards the left end and Sri Rajarajeswari at the right end. Just beside the shrines is the Jeeva Samadhi of Rishi Ramanand Swamiji. To the right side of the shrines, is a Dhyana Mantap (Meditation Hall), with a capacity for 100 people. Height of the hall varies due to the natural rock ceiling – 6ft at one end to 4ft at the other end. Some parts of the temple are so low that one may have to crawl. Outside the temple, at a higher level are a Naga shrine and a Mantap, with Rishi Ramanandji’s shrine and Navagrahas. There is a belief that the cave has a passage leading to Chamundi hills, and entry to the passage is blocked.