Kotilingeshwara
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Kotilingeshwara is the presiding deity of the temple of the same name in the village of Kammasandra in India. Kammasandra is a small village situated in Kolar district of Karnataka state. It is about five kilometers from Kolar Gold Fields. This place has the distinction of having the biggest Shivalinga in the world.
[edit] Significance
The main attraction of this peaceful retreat, which is surrounded by plush greenery, is a huge Shivalinga. Measuring 108 ft, this shivalinga is tallest of its kind in the world and accompanying it is a 35 ft tall Basava, surrounded by lakhs of small shivalingas spread over an area of 15 acres. So far, around 86 lakh shivalingas have been installed. The entire project involves the installation of one crore shivalingas of various sizes, hence the name ‘Kotilingeshwara’.
EXPERIENCES Not far from Bangalore is the beautiful Kammasandra, famous for its Kotilingeshwara temple. The main attraction of this peaceful retreat, which is surrounded by plush greenery, is a huge Shivalinga. Measuring 108 ft, this shivalinga is tallest of its kind in the world and accompanying it is a 35 ft tall Basava, surrounded by lakhs of small shivalingas spread over an area of 15 acres. So far, around 22 lakh shivalingas have been installed. The entire project involves the installation of one crore shivalingas of various sizes, hence the name ‘Kotilingeshwara’. Thousands of visitors visit this place throughout the year but especially during Shivarathri to have a glimpse of the magnificent structure. There is no hard and fast rule regarding the installation of a ‘linga’; anybody can get one of his/her choice installed in their name by making a donation of Rs 501 Rs. l001 Rs 1501 Rs. 2001 or Rs. 5001. The individual’s name will be carved at the pedestal. Installation is carried out on all days. One only needs to choose the ‘linga’ out of the thousands that are available ready for installation at the Ashram itself. The Ashram organises the necessary requisites to perform installation. Other major attractions here are ancient temples dedicated to Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara. At a distance of about 87 Kms, it takes about 2 1/2 hours to reach Kammasandra from Bangalore. An ideal place for a day’s excursion, a visit to Kotilingeshwara can be clubbed with a visit to a few other interesting places like Mulbagal, Avani Mutt, Kurudumale and Bangaru Tirupati. Recently, KSTDC has introduced a package tour during holidays covering all these places. The Ashram, under the able guidance of Swami Shri Sambashivamurthy, organises for free meals for all visitors. A huge hall has been built mainly to serve food to all the visitors. The Ashram also organises for mass marriages annually. One can visit this place any time during the year and at leisure since there are no long queues for ‘darshan’. For further information, contact the Swamiji directly on 08153-377530 or 08153-958153
[edit] External links
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