Vasanthapura Temple ( E)

In the year 2011, I happened to visit a unique temple in Vasanthapura (Behind Kanakapura Road) in Bangalore. The name of the temple is Lord Vasanthapura Vallabaraya which is 1000 years old and constructed during the Chola period. The original name of the temple was ‘Poonila Vasantha Nayagi Sametha Vasantha Vallabaraya Swami temple’. There is a small Hanuman temple opposite to this temple which has also been reportedly constructed during the same period when this temple was established. In between these two temples another temple for Goddess Mariamman in the name of Kathayani devi (a village deity) also exist. By the side of this Vallabaraya Swami temple another temple for Lord Shiva in the name of Lord Bhavani Shankar has also been constructed.

Two stories related to the history of the of Lord Shiva is told. The Maratha warrior and Emperor Shivaji used to visit temples in south. Once he visited Goddess Kaligambal temple in Chennai and when he came to the present temple site in Bangalore (Vasantha Vallabaraya) he reportedly stayed in the surrounding forest area for some time and during the stay he constructed the Lord Shiva’s temple here enshrining Goddess Parvathi and Goddess Bhavani who was also the same Goddess Bhavani who was his tutelary deity. 

Who is Lord Vasantha Vallabaraya? He is none else, but the same God Sri Venkateswara of Tirupathi temple. After he got married in Tirupathi, Lord Srinivasa (Lord Venkateswara) visited the present temple site to perform pubertal celebration connected with the marriage and the temple subsequently came up in the same place where the function was held. When the Lord came here for the pubertal function, it was a dense forest area then. What is the story behind behind the temple ?

Once Sage Mandavya desired to visit Lord Vishnu and came to the south. Since sage Mandavya had left his place without informing anyone where he was proceeding, worried disciples were searching for him in different places. Ultimately they traced him in the forest near the present temple site and sought to know from Sage Mandavya the reason for his search of Lord Vishnu.

Sage Mandavya told them that once when he went to Badrinath from Varanasi where he was staying, he had the darshan of Lord Vishnu who initiated Beejakshara Mantra to him. Therefore the Sage desired to have the darshan of Lord Vishnu once again and came to Tirupathi and he learnt that the Lord had come to the present forest near the temple site for his pubertal function. Prior to reaching Bangalore (then the name was not Bangalore and it was an unknown forest area) Sage Mandavya stayed in Melkote for some time. When the sage was in tapas in the forest, Lord Vishnu appeared in his dream and informed him that he has manifested in a hilly terrain in a particular place, which is the present temple site (the sage was informed of the specific place where the lord manifested) and therefore the sage may come there and worship him. Therefore to get the darshan of Lord Vishnu, sage Mandavya reached the place which was a dense forest then and managed to find the idol of the Lord, enshrined it on the ground and worshipped him in the name of Lord Vallabaraya Swami. He saw several sages and saints sitting along with Rishies staying in the same forest area meditating.

Lord Vishnu manifested before Sage Mandavya and assured him that he would henceforth continue to stay there even after the pubertal celebration and bless people as he was doing in Tirupathi. He will thereafter be known as Vasantha Vallabaraya Swami. Since divine forces like Lord Hanuman, Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi too came there to attend to the function, they too stayed in and around the same place in separate temples. It is stated that there were five temple water tanks in the name of Vasantha Theertham, Sankara Theertham, and Deva Theertham. The names of other two are unknown. But none of the water tanks are visible now. Hearing the greatness of the site, the Chola rules of that area constructed a temple in Vasanthapura in the same small hilltop where the idol was found. 

The temple has quite a big front hall where Garudazhvar is seated facing Lord Venkatachalapathi who has manifested here in the name of Lord Vasantha Vallabaraya. As you enter the temple you can find the sanctum of Lord Hanuman standing over a Gold plate.

One can see Red shaped ball in his mouth. The glittering statue is so wonderful in appearance that one will be compelled to glue themselves there for some time to enjoy the beauty of the Lord.

You have to walk 50 to 60 feet from there to reach the main sanctum which is divided into two blocks. In one of the two sanctums a six feet high Lord Srinivasa is seen standing with Goddess Sree Devi and Goddess Bhoodevi displaying Abay mudran. In the second sanctum Goddess Padmavathi is seated in the name of Vasantha Nayaki. Devotees claim that Lord Srinivasa appearing along with his consorts and Padmavathi Thayar in separate sanctum in a temple is rare sight to see.