Attractions

• Low rock ceiling
• Deities
• Dhyana Mantap (Meditation Hall)
• Ramanand Swamiji's Jeeva Samadhi & shrine
• Navagrahas
• Naga shrine
• Temple tower
• Paintings at entrance

Ramalingeshwara Cave Temple

a.k.a Hulimavu Cave Temple is in Hulimavu, near Bannerghatta, Bengaluru. This is one of the two cave temples in Bengaluru, the other being Gavi Gangadareshwara temple. The Hulimavu Cave Temple is maintained by the Sri Sri Bala Gangadaraswami Mutt.

Structure of the Cave Temple

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 is 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.

History

The cave is 2000 years old according to Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). However, temple is said to be 400 or 500 years old. Hulimavu was previously known as Amrapura, (Amra or Amru translates to mango or sourness). Over years the name has evolved to its present name Hulimavu which means "sour mango" in Kannada. The then ruler of Saarakeya (17th century) is believed to have built the Kodandarama Swami Temple in Amrapura. The temple was then renovated in 1850 AD and idols of other deities installed.

Discovery

Mariappa Swamiji, a civil contractor, was attending to some repair work at the Sri Vishwanath temple in Nandi Hills. A sage in the hills who entrusted him with a strange task of identifying a similar sage meditating in a cave in Bengaluru.Mariappa Swamiji started Swami's search, and finally found Sri Ramanand Swamiji meditating in the Hulimavu cave. A temple was built inside the cave; Sri Ramanand Swamiji attained Jeeva Samadhi 12 years later and a Samadhi was built for him.

Annual Event

Sri Kodandarama Swami Bramhostava is celebrated every year.