Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple

Gavi Gangadhareshwara, also called the Gavipuram Cave Temple, is a Shiva temple in a natural cave at Gavipuram in Bengaluru. Tradition holds that the sages Gautama and Bharadwaja founded it in the Vedic period. Kempe Gowda I, founder of Bengaluru, renovated it in the 16th century, reportedly in thanks for his release after five years in prison under Rama Raya.

The forecourt has monolithic sculptures, among them two granite pillars carrying huge discs of the sun and moon, pillars topped by seated Nandi figures, and others standing for the damaru and trishul. Inside, an image of Agni with two heads, seven hands and three legs is believed to cure eye problems. The temple is famous for its sunlight: on Makar Sankranti evening light passes between the horns of a Nandi and falls on the linga for about an hour, and lakhs of devotees come to see it. The sun now lights the linga from 13 to 16 January and from 26 November to 2 December.