Antharagange

About:

Antharagange hill, considered to be the hidden treasure of natural resources, is situated near Kolar, the land of gold. The hill is just a stone's throw away from Kolar and any season is just fine to visit the place.

Antharagange, enriched with Shola forests, has been attracting tourists from various parts of the country, throughout the year. The region, covered by seven to eight huge hills, is also known for its rich wildlife and biodiversity.

Reaching this place is in fact a real good physical exercise as one has to climb thousands of steps. The Kashi Vishweshwara temple, situated on top of the hill, attracts a good number of devotees. Water flowing out of the mouth of a small basava (bull) statue installed beside the temple is considered as the 'prasadam' of Lord Shiva. This water flows into a pond beside the temple.

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History of Antharagange Temples:

Historically The Banas and the Gangas ruled this region until the 9th and the centuries respectively. The Cholas took over this region around 1000 CE, and later on the Hoysalas and the Vijayanagara rulers ruled this area. They were followed by the Deccan rulers of Bijapur and then the Mysore Wodeyars.
This region is home to legends from the Ramayana and Mahabharata.

Antharagange beTTa - An ancient Shiva temple is built around Antharagange (water that flows from mountain under heavy rocks, it is visible in only two places in the hill). The hill range is known as shataShrunga parvatha shrENi, since there are 100 peaks of this hill range. To reach Antharagange temple and water body, we need to hike up about 150 steps, and If we trek up the hill, further from the temple, we will get to 7 villages, ancient and beautiful.

We hiked to find about three villages, one of which was tEru haLLi, where an ancient temple, of Gangadhareshwara was an amazing site; I was not expecting all these, since I never had a chance before to go up the hill, after Antharagange. The temple, in ruins today, was a surprise and prize find for me, for the reasons that I dint know there existed a history for this hilly area.

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There is a small cave, where it is said that seethe gave birth to lava and kusha, after finding out that it was an ashram, inhabited by none other than the Brahmarshi, Vaalmiki. The cave, which has a very small entrance, is as mysterious and real as the story is. Newly married ladies get a handful of mud from this cave, which is considered as sacred, and drink with milk every morning for a week, and get healthy babies, as the locals describe!

kudure kallu :There is another place, which is called kudure kallu, where it is said that lava-kusha trapped the horse of Sree Rama, stopping the unprecedented march of the royal horse for the great ashwamedha yaaga of Sree Rama.

Kurudumale temple: an extraordinary Ganesha temple, about which I have talked time and again, also was put on the itinerary at the last moment that made our journey back to Bangalore inevitably a night ride.

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For many people, selling Antharagange water has become a small time business enterprise. Everyday they collect hundreds of litres of water in plastic cans and sell the same down the hill.
"Water is a natural resource and nobody can claim its ownership. Sadly, in Antharagange, people are cashing in on others' beliefs," rues Irappa Kambali, a writer and an environmentalist who has been visiting the place for the past 15 years.

Another problem the hill is confronted with is from the tourists who visit the place. Lack of civic sense in tourists has spoilt the beauty of the place, for strewn everywhere on the hill are plastic bags and liquor bottles.
It is high time the authorities concerned took appropriate measures to conserve the beauty of the hill in all its glory.

Help Line/Phone Number:

Tourism Information Counter
Bangalore Airport: +91-80-5268012.
Railway Station: +91-80-2870068
Govt. of India Tourist Office: KSFC Building,48,Church Street. Tel: +91-80-558517.

Conducted Tours Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation organizes a half-day Bangalore Sightseeing Tour. For details please call the
KSTDC Head Office-Tel: +91-80-2212901/2212902/2275883/2275869.
Fax: +91-80-2238016

Antharagange Temples Nearest Attraction