Expansion of Bangalore

Bangalore, founded by Sri Kempe Gowda, was a well-planned city with many tanks for uninterrupted water supply. All artisans were accommodated within the city and were allotted a particular location within the planned fortified city. These locations were known as ‘Pete’, and many of the locations in the original Bangalore are even today known by their old names, like Cottonpete, Balepete, etc.

When the British came to Bangalore they developed the area presently known as Cantonment. But with the population expanding, both these areas were outgrown and the need for finding new extensions was felt. Sprawling new extensions were planned and executed. The first such extension was Chamarajpet, laid out in 1892. Then Malleswaram, Basavanagudi, Visveswarapuram, Seshadripuram, Shankarpuram, etc., were developed as extensions during the first two decades of the twentieth century.

Malleswaram

Malleswaram is a part of the beautiful city of ‘Bangalore’. The genesis of the name Malleswaram is from Kadu Malleswara Temple [Kadu in Kannada means forest]. In the mid-17th century, the swayamboo Lingam was identified on the hilltop in the once-forest area by the then-ruler Venkoji (Ekoji). Venkoji - Chatrapati Sivaji’s stepbrother - was on a visit to this place.

At that time, this was part of the territory he ruled. Venkoji consecrated the deity, built a temple for it, and named it Sri Mallekarjuna Swamy. In later years, the people called the deity ‘Sri Kadu Malleswara’. Kadu Mallikarjunaswamy temple, located in Malleswaram, is one of the oldest temples in the city. The temple was built on top of a hillock and had its main entrance on the East, on Temple Road. A flight of 40 steps leads to the temple.

My memory of Malleswaram

We lived here in this wonderful place in the early fifties with our parents. Initially, we stayed in Temple Road and then moved to West Park Street. At that time, Temple Road extended between Eighth Cross and Kadu Mallikarjunaswamy temple. Now, the road extends beyond the temple and up to the 16th cross. Further, presently we have more than one temple road – 2,3,4,5, etc., due to the rapid growth of the locality.

The broad majestically laid-out steps that lead to the main entrance of the temple from Temple Road were a wonderful sight during my days at Malleswaram. Me and friends used to go to Sankey Tank to swim and bathe during the daytime by scaling over and climbing down the hillock housing the temple. Many peepal trees covered the entire area keeping it cool. Many Sardarjis with a long beard were living nearby and were carpenters by profession. They worked on long logs etc., under those cool tree shades.

A well-planned area with grids of roads called main roads covering South to North and crossroads running from East to West constitute Malleswaram. The present Public Library at Sampige Road used to be a vegetable market then. Between East Park Street and West Park Street extending from Eighth Cross up to Eleventh Cross there were many Temples and a playground [presently it is a well-maintained park]. My activity in the evening hours was confined to playing in the playground and going to these temples.

[See also:      1.‘Vayusutha ya Namo Namaha’           2.‘Sri Raghavendra Mutt Malleswaram’ ].

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 there in front of the house. Next, I went to see the house on West Park Road and found nothing had changed except that a first floor had been built in the front portion of the house. Earlier we came to the open terrace of this house from our first-floor portion and watched the activities around Malleswaram Post Office [this was housed opposite Krishnan temple where a big school has come up] and Sri Krishnar kovil.

The post office opposite this temple has been shifted to East Park Road, opposite Ganesha temple. There used to be two post boxes—one for locals and another for the rest of India. Postcards were the main means of communication in those days. I remember visiting this post office the very next day of its inauguration along with my mother and next-door aunt.

Sri Venugopala Swamy Temple -
Sri Hanuman sannidhi

Sri Venugopala Swamy temple we used to visit during Margazi month in the morning hours for ‘Thirupavai’ and also for hot ‘Milagu Pongal’ those days. The temple has not changed much except that it is more colorful these days. This time around when I visited Sri Venugopala Swamy Temple which is more popular as ‘Krishnar Kovil’, I noticed that new gopurams – other than the main one - have come up on the other three sides also. The architecture of these gopurams resembles the famous Vijayanagar architecture of Hampi. Instead of granite stonework, it is cement-finished [see Kanchipuram Sanjeevirayan temple]. Adjacent to Sri Hanuman sannidhi, sannidhis for Sri Kodhandaramar and Sri Sudharshana Alwar have come up.

I used to see Sri Hanuman sannidhi from my house at West Park Road itself, although only the backside of the sannidhi was visible. The mere thought of Sri Hanuman inside the sannidhi would inspire me. Since the compound wall has been raised and more trees have been grown now, one may not be able to see the vimanam of Sri Anjaneya from West Park Street. A new entrance to the temple has been made from West Park Street.

Note on Sri Anjaneya,
from the official web site of this temple:

i. Sri Venugopala Krishnaswamy is the the main deity – Moolavaru. The lovely divine idol with flute held in both palms was being worshiped in Tirukadalur popularly known as Rajarajendra Chaturvedi MangaLa in Tamilnadu and was receiving aaradhane since 997 AD (the year of consecration).

ii. Sri Veera Anjaneyaswamy Murthy: This idol was brought from a small shrine in Narayana Katte (Sanyasi Katte) since the shrine had gone into ruins there. This deity was worshiped for over two hundred years before the Murthy was relocated to the Krishnan temple premises.

iii. The inauguration of the building of the main shrine, consecration mahotsava of the divine murthys (Divya murthys), and the consecration of Sri Veera Anjaneya Swamy in a separate sannidhi were performed on 22nd August 1902. It is worth noting that on the very same day, Maharaja Nalvadi Sri Krishnaraja Wodeyar of Mysore was also crowned.

Sri Anjaneya Swamy

This time when I visited the temple Sri Anjaneya Swamy was in ‘rajatha kavacham’ and half the portion of the deity had been covered with his dothi/veshti. Sri Anjaneya Swamy’s eyes were decorated with American stone studded eyes matching the ‘rajatha kavacham’. The main vigraham was fully covered with these decorations. The description given below is from my memory and I had improvised the same as a sketch and presented it here.

Sri Hanuman of this temple is seen facing east and walking towards the northern side. The deity may be around three feet tall. Lord’s right hand is raised giving blessings by way of showing ‘abaya mudra’. In His left hand, He is holding the ‘sowgandhika’ flower. The flower which is in full bloom is seen above His left shoulder. He is wearing ornaments that adorn His bosom. Lord’s tail is raised and passes behind His head. A small bell adorns the curved end of the tail.

His glowing eyes are looking straight at the devotee which is very attractive and captivating. This ‘kadaksham’ of the Lord is bound to enslave the devotee.

 

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

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Ed [June 2014]
Updates: [Jan 2025]

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