Shivagange – History

Shivagange or Shivaganga is a pilgrimage center located in Karnataka. The height of the Shivagange hill is about 1368 meters. The hill is located on Bangalore – Tumkur road at a distance of 54 kms from Bangalore and about 8 kms from Tumkur. The place is called Shivagange because the hill is shaped like a Shivaling and there is a spring called Ganga. On the top of the hill is a statue of Nandi carved in a narrow space. There are several temples and springs on the way to the top. This place is also known as ‘Dakshin Kashi’.

Good for Weekend Trekking

Since the place is close to Bangalore, it is ideal for trekking near Bangalore and also one of the top 10 trekking destinations in Karnataka. 

This place is also famous for trekking. The path is well marked with steps carved on rocks or formed using stones and rocks. In places where it is steep, there are railings provided.

Getting to Shivagange.

 By Air :-

 The nearest airport would be Bangalore International Airport which is 53 kms from Shivagange.

 By Train:-

The nearest train station is Dobbospet situated at a distance of 1o kms from Shivagange But the best plan would be to reach Bengaluru by train and thereafter take the road route.

By Road:-

Shivagange is 6 km off the main road, i.e. Bangalore – Tumkur (NH4) highway. Take a left turn near Dabaaspet. The highway is good, once you take the left turn, though, the road is fine, but narrow for two way traffic. KSRTC buses connect Shivagange with Dabbesspet.

Weather in Shivagange:

Weather in Shivagange is similar to that of Bangalore and winter months would be nice to go on one-day trekking from Bangalore.

 Temples/ places in Shivagange hill:

• Gangadhareshwara Temple: The temple is inside a cave which is a natural formation. The ritual here is to offer ghee to God and when the priest rubs it on the Shivalinga, it turns into butter, which is opposite to what happens naturally. The place brings back the memories of Hoysala Dynasty. Queen Shantaladevi, the wife of King Vishnuvardhana, committed suicide here and there is a place called Shantala Drop.
• Honnadevi Temple: Honnadevi temple is also situated inside a cave
• Sharadhambe temple
• Basavanna / Nandi statue
• Agasthya Theertha
• Kanva Theertha
• Kapila Theertha
• Patala Gange
• Olakal Theertha

 Opening times:

Open from 6 am to 6:30 pm everyday.

Images of Shivaganga

A One day Itinerary from Bengaluru to Shivagange

• We started at around 6:30 from Bangalore and we came back by 3 pm. We had two breaks during the journey one for the breakfast and another for lunch. So planning a day trip is very much possible and feasible.
• We traveled with kids, the youngest being 5 and the oldest was 18, everyone enjoyed the trek. The kids actually trekked all the way up without complaining. Ideal for family picnics and trek.
• There were two decent restaurants on the highway, one of them is Kamat, so food is not a problem.
• Do not carry any kind of food in hand while roaming around in Shivaganga because there are lots of monkeys, and they snatch everything, including bottled water, juice tetra packs, and any kind of food from our bags. There are stretches without monkeys though. Snacks are available on the top of the hill also.
• Though the weather is pleasant, going early in the morning is preferable when the rocks are still cool and there is less crowd.
• Please avoid using plastics and if you have anything to dispose please bring it down the hill and dispose of the garbage responsibly as we did not see too many dustbins on the hill.
• Typical of any tourist spots, there are plenty of small shops around if you are interested in shopping.

Shivagange temple is a good choice to enjoy the Temple and Trek during weekends with family as it caters to the need of all age groups.

The legend says that there is a secret tunnel which connects Shivagange to Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple in Bengaluru. The kings and the royal staff were using this passage to travel to and fro.

The temple conducts the marriage of Gangadhareshwara and Honnadevi on the Sankranthi Festival day (January 14th or 15th every year). There is a belief that Ganga or holy water comes from the top of the hill on this day and this water is used for the auspicious rituals.