Ancient temples, monuments and lakes will add to the beauty of Greater Bangalore

Ancient temples, monuments and lakes will add to the beauty of Greater Bangalore

The Hindu

Nageshwara temple at Begur is believed to be the first place where an inscription records the name `Bengaluru'

Bangalore: When Greater Bangalore comes into being, it will be scattered with several historical monuments and ancient places of worship, including places almost lost in history and the urban sprawl.

The Nageshwara temple at Begur is believed to be the first place where an inscription records the name "Bengaluru". The engraved stone may date back to 890 A.D., some archaeologists say.

The now outer suburb of Yelahanka may actually be older than many parts of the city proper and can claim connection to Kempe Gowda, founder of Bangalore. Around Yelahanka are places of historical interest such as the well-known Venugopalaswamy temple built in the Vijayanagar architectural style. There is also a temple for the family deity of Kempe Gowda, Veerannaswamy, and nearby an Anjaneya temple.

If you go to Horalli, you can see the Varadaraja temple, perhaps, built in the 15th Century. For many in the city, Someswara temple means Ulsoor or Halasuru, but there is another near the Madiwala Lake that was built during the period of the Cholas. The grand temple has striking architectural features that need preservation.

Kengeri has a 15th century temple for Anjaneya on the Karadi Betta, a hillock and local landmark. The area is known for silk rearing.

The many water bodies, still intact, will add to the beauty of the enlarged city if they are preserved.

The Varthur Lake with a Shiva temple near it belongs to the Hoysala period and provided drinking water to the people living around it long before the Cauvery project was thought of. The Hessaraghatta Lake is another such water body.