Beautiful Venugopalaswamy temple at Devanahalli

The traveler was active; he went strenuously in search of people, of adventure, of experience. The tourist is passive; he expects interesting things to happen to him. He goes sight-seeing.

- Daniel J. Boorstin

Venugopalaswamy temple, Devanahalli

Devanahalli is a small town on the outskirts of Bangalore. The town shot into fame the day it was chosen for the construction of International Airport. Devanahalli also is a potential tourist and heritage hotspot.

There is lot of history associated with this place and there exists a beautiful Fort. There are many temples in the fort dedicated to Venugopalaswamy, Nanjundeshwara, Chandramauleshwara, Veerabhadraswamy, Ranganathaswamy etc., which belong to various era.

Temple entrance

The Venugopalaswamy temple is the oldest temple. It has a tall Rajagopura at the entrance and has a spacious inner Prakara with Garuda Stambha. At the entrance are placed two Vishnu statutes of Ganga times.

Devanahalli is also famous because Hyder Ali resided here and some people says his son Tipu Sultan ( The Tiger of Mysore ) was born here .

Temple Pillars

HISTORY:

Dancing Kinnera



Ranabera Gowda was the resident of Kanchi had came and settled in a village named Avathi near Benthakalur (modern day Bangalore). One day a Hailstorm and rain came and it washed away their settlement. Then they collected all the belongings whatever they could lay hand, and kept them under a tree, then one broom stick got struck in an ant hill and when they tried to pull it did not come , so they left it and slept under a tree. In night they got a dream that in the ant hill there are seven vessels of Gold and jewelry , then an idol of Venugopala Swamy and Thimarayana Swami are there and they should do the Prathistai of the same. The next day they dug out the Treasure and also the Idols of both the Perumal and did Prathistai of Thimarayana Swami in Gauthama Giri Beta and they came to Devanahalli as they wanted to build a Fort of their own and also do Prathistai of the Venugopala Swami. At that time one Pallegara named Deve Gowda who had a fort built in mud. They requested Deve Gowda that they want to build a Fort of Stone and also build temple for Venugopala , Deve Gowda told I will give the place for building both the Temple and Fort , but you should keep my name to the new place. So they Build the Temple, Fort and named the place as Devana Halli and the place is 500 years old.

TEMPLE TIMINGS:

• Morning 7.00 AM to 10.00 AM and
• Evening 6.00 PM to 8.00 PM.

Suneel Gudipati in front of Devanahalli fort

HOW TO REACH?

By Road:

• If you travel from Bangalore you get the Yelahanka Satellite Town. Proceed straight ahead for another 29 km to reach the outskirts of Devanahalli.
• Then you have to turn left at the entrance of the town and half-a-km from the entrance is Tipu's birth place and fort.

By Rail:

• Devanahalli Railway Station, also spelt Devanhalli Railway Station, falls on the Yelahanka-Chikballapur railway line. It is under the administrative control of the South Western Railways.
• Avatihalli Railway Station is 7 km away. Yelhanka Junction Railway Station is about 24 km from Devanahalli.

By Air:

• Bangalore International Airport is a short distance from Devanahalli.