Nelamangala, located in the northern part of Bangalore, is an ideal place to spend a holiday. The place is perfectly soaked in the natural beauty of the marvellous temples, lending a tinge of spirituality. The city falls under rural Karnataka and is located at the junction of two highways, NH48 (Bangalore-Mangalore) and NH4 (Mumbai-Chennai).
The place is popular for its temple festivals, magnificent architecture, and celebrations that will sweep you off your feet. The grandeur of the celebrations in the place brings out the city’s vibe. The people mainly speak Kannada here.
Nelamangala has three hoblies, namely Tyamagondlu, Kasaba, and Sompura, each with a grama panchayat. The major revenue comes from land, silk clothing manufacturing, Agarbathi making, and handicrafts.
History of Nelamangala
In 1464 AD, Nelamangala was the head office of Sime of the Vijayanagara feudatory. Then it was called Nelvamangala. The Sime was headed by Junjanayaka. In some traditional aspects, Nelamangala was also called as Bhumadana. Around 11689 AD, with the arrival of the Mughals, Nelamangala was ceded by the Mysore Rajas to them. Nelamangala was adorned with many temples of Basveshwara, Anjaneya, Rudra-deva, Veeranjaneya, Ganesha, Basavanna etc.
Major Attractions in and around Nelamangala
The town is an abode of temples; one can catch a glimpse of the marvellous architectural splendour of its temples. Besides temples, there are many other profound places to visit in Nelamangala.
Binnamangala
Binnamangala has a splendid park in the Vishwa Shanti Ashram, idyllic for spiritual bliss and a peaceful environment. The park is an ideal place to spend a day amid nature. The park contains statues of Panduranga, Vinayaka temple, Astalakshmi temple, Geeta Mandir, a magnificent statue of Vishwaroopa Vijaya Vital etc. The park is an ideal place to gather spiritual blessings.
Udhbhava Ganesha Temple
The Udhbhava Ganesha temple festival is popular and draws larger attention from the crowd. The celebration takes place once a year and is one of the major festivals near Nelamangala. The major landmark of the area is the many giant trees older than 50 years, planted on either side of the road by Late Ragi Siddaramaiha Shetty, a businessman.
Adepete
The commercial location in Nelamangala is Adepete. The busiest part of the city, the marketplaces is always the vibrant spot of the city with people coming for buying and selling, making a chaotic location. Adepete is home to the oldest Shiva temple here. The Mahalingeshwara temple, located near the pristine Nelamangala pond, is yet another auspicious place to visit. The temples here depict the Architecture of the Chola Empire.
Basavanahalli
Located around 2km from Nelamangala is the historical place of Basavanahalli. The place got its name from a temple dedicated to Garuda and Lord Shri Laxmi Venkataramana Swamy. In the Puranas, the place Basavanalli was called Koundinyashrama. The major temple of devotion here is Shree Vynatheyar (Garuda) and Shree Laxmivenkataraman Swamy temple, which was believed to be built by King Janamejaya and later renovated by the great king of Vijayanagara.
The temple has Vijayanagara architecture. The major attraction is the idol of Sri Venkataraman Swamy, which is in a rare standing position. Another major attraction of the shrine is the Garuda, whom thousands of people come to worship. People believe that naga dosha can be removed with the blessings of Garuda. There are two ponds near the temples, called Shakapushkarani and Mukhamantapa, which are also considered sacred.
T.Beguru
T. Beguru is also one of the famous places to visit in Nelamangala. An ancient temple of Shree Ranganatha Swamy is located here; it collapsed and was later rebuilt.
Rudradeva Temple
Built in the traditional Mysore style of architecture, the temple contains two cells with Veerabhadra and one with Shivalinga. The temple contains a four-pillared Mantapa with an adhesive tower called the Vasantha Mantapa.
Monsoon season is the best time to visit Nelamangala, as the place is drenched in rain and the beauty is impeccable. July is a good time to visit the place. Take light clothes and an umbrella for the visit during the rainy season. The temperature would be close to 37 degrees.
How to Reach Nelamangala
By Air
Bangalore airport is the nearest airport to the town. The airport is well connected with national and international destinations. Tourist can take buses (KSRTC) or hire a cab to reach Nelamangala (49 km). Mysore airport is 165.7 km far.
By Road
Nelamangala is well connected by road; hence buses can be taken from any place to reach the town.
By Rail
The nearest railway station is Chik Banvar (25 km) or Dodbele (14 km), from where buses or cabs can be hired to reach here.