Kurudumale and Kotilingeshwara – Must visits in Kolar

On a fine cool weekend morning, we along with eight of Thilak’s friends got ready for a bike ride to Kurudumale and Kotilingeshwara of Kolar from Bengaluru. We started early in the morning at 6.30 AM. All of us met near Whitefield and started the ride towards Kolar at around 7.30 AM.

Date: 20-Nov-16

Kurudumale is located in Mulbagal town of Kolar district and is known for Ganesha temple. More than the destination, the ride mattered the most for all of us.

Ganesha Temple

Riding on the wide beautiful Kolar highway (Bengaluru-Tirupathi highway) on a cold morning is a bliss. There was very less traffic on the road and we got to see many super bikes. To our pleasant surprise, we bumped into a beautiful green Lamborghini as well in a cafe coffee day enroute. This highway has become heaven for over speeding super bike owners as it is close to Bengaluru and is very well maintained. So, be cautious while riding vehicle in this route. At around 8.45 AM, we stopped at Vasudev Adiga’s hotel for breakfast. Outside the hotel, we saw a huge number of super bikes with their owners showing off their proud moments. Earlier, this was the only hotel available on this highway, but now many restaurants have opened. Still, Adiga’s attracts more crowd because of its popularity. Just opposite to it, you can find Maiya’s restaurant as well.

After having a tasty breakfast at the hotel, we left at around 10 AM and proceeded towards Mulbagal. Near Mulbagal, we took a left deviation to reach Kurudumale. This road is a two-lane single road and goes through small villages and agricultural lands. Our first destination was Ganesha temple which is located at a distance of 11 km from Mulbagal (around 105 km from Bengaluru). The temple was not that big and was not very crowded when we visited. However, this Ganesha temple is believed to be very powerful and the devotees of this temple start their new job/work only after taking blessings of the God here. The Ganesha idol in the temple is 13.5 ft tall and is bigger than the Dodda Ganesha idol of Basavanagudi in Bengaluru. After exploring the temple premises for some time, we headed towards the Someshwara temple which is at a walkable distance from the Ganesha temple.

Ganesha idol in Someshwara Temple

Someshwara temple is dedicated to lord Shiva and is built during Chola period. As soon as you enter the temple premises, you will notice the beautiful Ganesha idol at the entrance. We were amazed to know the fact that this temple is built without any foundation. It is believed that half of the temple was carved by Jakanachari and the other half by his son Dankanachari. The part built by Dankanachari has carvings and sculptures which are more intricate than the other half. These carvings added more beauty to this temple. As it was very hot, we relaxed for some time in the temple and left at around 12.30 PM and headed towards Sri Anjaneya Swamy Temple in Mulbagal town which is about 10 km from Kurudumale. Unfortunately, the temple was closed when we reached and we had to return.

Carvings in Someshwara Temple

Our next destination for the day was Kotilingeshwara Temple. But, before that, we had to have our lunch. We chose to have food at Woody’s restaurant on Bengaluru-Tirupathi highway. By the time, we finished our lunch, it became 3.30 PM and Kotilingeshwara temple was around 30 km away. We followed google maps and continued our ride towards Kotilingeshwara via Bethamangala. The road was well maintained except in few places which made us reach the destination at around 4.15 PM.

Kotilingeshwara Temple

We spent a lot of time in Kotilingeshwara temple as the temple complex is very big and decided to leave from there when it started to become dark. You can read our post on Kotilingeshwara here.

We took Banagarapet > Kolar road and travelled via Bengaluru-Tirupathi highway to reach Bengaluru at 9.30 PM.

Below is the video log of our ride to this amazing temple. Please watch, provide your valuable feedback, and subscribe to our YouTube channel Steps Together.

• Route Travelled: Onward: BTM Layout > Silk Board > Whitefield > Hoskote > Kolar > Mulbagal > Kurudumale
  Return: Kurudumale > Mulbgal> Bethamangala > Kotilingeshwara > Bagarupet > Kolar (via NH4) > Hoskote > Whitefield > Silkboard > BTM Layout
• Total distance (To & Fro): 295 km
• Mileage (Bike): 38.4 km/l
• Fuel expense: 551 Rs
• Total expense (for 10 people): 4601 Rs
• Photos: KurudumaleAlbum and KotilingeshwaraAlbum

Route Map: