Malleswaram,Bangalore

We lived here in this wonderful place in the early fifties along with our parents. Initially, we stayed in Temple Street and then moved to West Park Street. Temple Street which runs between the eighth cross and Kadu Mallikarjuna Swamy temple gets its name since it starts from the Mallikarjuna Swamy temple. Although many internet sites suggest that this temple is in Sampige road the fact is it is in temple road. The main entrance to this temple is from Temple Street only. In the recent past Temple Street one, two, etc has come up due to the expansion of the locality. The entire locality gets the name “Malleswaram” from this Kadu Mallikarjuna Swamy temple which was constructed during the 17th Century.

As the name of the temple suggests [“kadu” in the Kannada language means forest] this entire place must have been a forest from the time Venkoji, the step brother of Chatrapati Sivaji consecrated Sri Mallikarjuna Swamy here. Sri Kempe Gowda developed Bangalore city which was originally confined to localities known more popularly as ‘Pete’. [ie. in and around the present City market/Majestic area]. A plague epidemic had hit Bangalore [confined to ‘Pete’ then] during the nineteenth century. The then Maharaja planned the expansion of Bangalore by developing areas like Malleswaram, Basavangudi, etc. With Tata Institute [Indian Institute of Science] at one end Malleswaram locality became quite an attractive place for people to move in.

My days of Malleswaram

A well-planned area with grids of roads called main roads running south to north and crossroads running from east to west constitute Malleswaram. Activity in the Main Roads after Margosa Road used to be negligible. With trees on both sides of the roads, it used to be a pleasure to walk on these roads. I still remember going from Temple Street to Malleswaram Railway Station as a child to watch the running train. Since the railway station was at a slightly lower level than the road, we would watch the moving train’s top from the road. We have to wait for quite some time to get to see the train since we will be going there in the early evenings which is not the time that trains will pass through Malleswaram station. We will just be playing around the place till the train comes. The station master who will be sitting alone in the station will chat with us and would be kind enough to offer us water from the pot kept in his room.

The present Local Library at Sampige Road, as well as the Post office at East Park Road, used to be a vegetable market those days. The present vegetable market was a part of a playground where my elder brother and his friends used to play cricket.] The area between East Park Road and West Park Road, from the eighth cross up to the eleventh cross was earmarked for temples besides a playground. [Presently this playground area is a well-maintained park]. My activity in the evening hours was confined to playing in this playground and going to the nearby temples. [See also ‘Vayusutha ya Namo Namaha’].

My Evening activity

Those days, when we were just six to eight years old, we were given the freedom of going out alone and playing in the playground – at a distance from our house - without any escort –quite unlike these days. As a boy of six years old, I used to come to the playground adjacent to the Ganesa Temple on the hillock. Playing till dusk and visiting one or two nearby temples before returning home was routine. Anjaneya temple in Sri Raghavendra Mutt, Anjaneya Devasthanam in Sri Venugopala Swamy temple, and the Ganesa temple are the places we [because there will be at least one friend with me] normally visit. The forms of the deities of these temples are virtually enshrined in my heart and mind. Recollecting those forms even now gives me the serenity of thoughts as also the courage to face challenges in my life.

Revisit to Malleswaram

After a long time, I visited Malleswaram recently. At first, I went to see the house where we lived and found that nothing had changed in the house except that a big building had come up in the open ground which was then there in front of the house. Next, I went to see the house in West Park Road and found nothing had changed except that a first floor had been built in the front house.

I visited Sri Ganesa Temple first then Sri Raghavendra Mutt Anjaneya temple next and then Sri Venugopala Swamy temple.

Sri Raghavendra Mutt and Anjaneya Swamy Temple

This time around when I visited Sri Raghavendra Mutt I noticed many things had changed – more buildings had come up within the compound with a lot of activity. I would like to record some of the things which I had missed noticing in the Sri Anjaneya Swamy temple which I used to visit during my childhood. Firstly the temple of Sri Anjaneya Swami [1900] is older than Sri Raghavendra Mutt [1944-45] here.

Sri Anjaneya Swamy Temple

Sri Anjaneya Swamy temple is in the Nirruti corner [south-western quarter] of this complex and the temple is north-facing. Worshipping the Lord in this position will save the devotee from death, destruction, and dissolution.

‘Predishtapana’ of Sri Anjaneya Swamy had been performed during Shalivahana samvasaram 1832, which corresponds to 1900 AD. There is a stone inscription declaring this on the temple premises. The temple had been constructed on land measuring 180 feet by 147 feet, donated by the then Municipality free of cost vide G.O. dated 2nd April 1909. There is a slab in the front of the temple which gives this detail.

The temple has a Dwaja stamba. Walk past the concourse after Dwaja stamba, the main temple of the Lord Sri Anjaneya Swamy is there. The temple consists of a Garbhagraham and a five feet path around circumambulation. Devotees can have the darshan of Sri Anjaneya Swami as they walk along from the Dwaja stamba. The Predishtapana of the Lord is done at a particular height so that the devotees can have a clear darshan of the Lord even from a distance.

Sri Anjaneya Swamy

Lord Sri Anjaneya Swamy of Malleswaram, at Sri Raghavendra Mutt premises, is about four feet tall and made of hard granite stone. He is in a walking posture and the carving is of ‘ardha shila’ type. Lord is walking westward with His left lotus foot adorning nupur and thandai in the front. His right lotus foot is seen slightly raised from the ground. His left-hand adorning bracelet is seen resting on the left hip and in his hand, he is holding the stem of the sowgandika flower. The flower which is in full blossom is seen above His left shoulder. He is wearing ornaments that adore His bosom. With His raised other hand He showers blessings on His devotees. The tail of the Lord rises above His head with a curved end which is adorned with a small beautiful bell. Lord is wearing ear-studs and His kesam is neatly tied. A small crown adorns His head. His eyes are glowing and emitting karuna on the devotee. With such bright glowing eyes Lord of the kshetra is a figure to be meditated upon.

 

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SRI HANUMAN THINKS DIFFERENTLY, THINKS FAST
THINKS AHEAD AND ACTS FOR SURE

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Ed [March 2014]
Updates: [Jan 2025]

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