Last three months, I have spent most of my time in Malleswaram, the temple district of Bangalore (now Bengaluru) where my son has sought temporary refuge to go to school.
You cannot escape the Gods in Malleshwaram, all the deities of the Hindu pantheon might not be represented in its many temples, but it manages to accommodate the more important ones, comfortably.
The closest, a few steps away, houses Lord Venkateshwara better known as Vishnu, the preserver in the Hindu holy trinity, as its main deity, the Navagrahas (nine planets who have priority rating in the pantheon of millions of gods) and then there is the friend of all middle-class Indians, the remover of obstacles, the omnipresent god of poets and thieves, Lord Ganesha aka Ganapati, the elephant headed one, my childhood favorite .
Not more than five minutes walk away on the 8th main, he sits again in middle of a cross-road under a Banyan tree. A quick trot of ten minutes away, he sits under a Peepal tree on the 13th cross street and the same distance away southbound he sits under an asbestos sheet outside Malleshwaram railway station.
Albeit here he shares his space with the favoured Anjaneya aka Hanuman, the monkey god and a number of other deities who have violated his floor-space-index over the years.
Footfalls through Lord Hanuman's doors peak on Saturdays, as he grants both physical and mental strength in good dollops to all visitors before retiring for Sunday. At least that is what my granny used to tell me.
The oldest temple in Malleswaram, is of course, the Kadu Malleshwara , yet another incarnation of Lord Shiva, that gives this quaint district its name. Built in 17th century by King Venkojirao Bhonsle of Tanjavur, this is a protected monument under the orders of Archaeological Survey of India (incidentally the only English sign at the temple).
Another old temple (over 100 years) is home to Lord Krishna, a popular avatar of Lord Vishnu and then there is the hugely popular Circle Maramma temple, not more than 30 minutes jog away. Maramma’s blessings are sought for all new vehicles, basically anything on wheels. So you will see bullock carts competing with rickshaws, bikes, cars and suv’s , all of whom are driven here directly from the dealers crowding the circle outside the temple. I haven’t figured out who came first, Maramma or Circle, but wheels are in plenty at her gates.
Then there is home of the great Indian scientist, CV Raman, the Noble laureate of the Raman Effect fame, god of all impressionable youngsters. And there is the Chowdiah memorial hall, built in a shape of a violin that hosts fabulous Carnatic and Indian classical music concerts that is entertainment for spiritual connoisseurs of all faiths.
But the one that impressed me the most is photographed above, I don’t know what names were given to him/her by those who invoked her/him in their minds, because they were not uttered.
The only manifestation of her/him is what you see in the picture.
But I won’t be surprised if I ever find out that the red kumkum, yellow haldi, green paan leaves, arecanuts, coconuts and the flowers, quickly brought together at the foundation of a 65 feet tall pole, erected for an almost futuristic wind turbine, was really the God of Tall Things.
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