Kotilingeshwara Temple – Kolar

About

Kotilingeshwara Temple is a Shiva temple in Kammasandra village, Kolar district, Karnataka, close to the Kolar Gold Fields area. The temple was initiated and constructed by Swami Sambha Shiva Murthy in 1980. The first linga was installed that year, and devotees have installed many more lingas since then.

The presiding deity of the temple is Lord Shiva. The temple has one of the largest lingams in the world.

The main attraction of the temple is a huge linga measuring 108 ft (33 m) tall and 35 ft (11 m) tall Lord Nandi idol, surrounded by lakhs of small lingas spread over an area of 15 acres (61,000 m2). The Lord Nandi idol is installed over a platform that is 60 feet (18 m) in length, 40 feet (12 m) in width, and 4 feet (1.2 m) in height. There are eleven small temples constructed within the premises for various deities. A water tank is set up close to the Linga, used by the devotees to perform Abhisheka. The idols vary between 1 foot (0.30 m) and 3 feet (0.91 m) in height.

The Nandi stands beside the linga on a large platform. Within the premises of the temple, there are about eleven other temples for different deities. Apart from the main shrine of Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, and Lord Maheshwara, these include the Venkataramani Swamy Temple, Goddess Annapoorneshwari Temple, Lord Panduranga Swamy Temple, Lord Panchamukha Ganapathy temple, Lord Rama, Lakshmana and Sita Temple, Lord Anjaneya Temple, Goddess Kanyaka Parameshwari Temple, and Goddess Karumaari Amma Temple. A guest house, a marriage hall, a meditation hall and an exhibition centre are also attached to the temple.

What the Name Means

In Kannada, “Koti” means one crore (ten million) and “Lingeshwara” refers to Lord Shiva in the form of a linga, so the name means “the lord of one crore lingas”. The founder’s aim was to install one crore lingas at the site. That number has not been reached; the temple holds lakhs of lingas, and the exact count is not independently established. The temple is open to donations of lingas in various sizes, installed with the donor’s name on them.

Festivals

Many devotees visit every day, and Maha Shivaratri, observed in February or March, is the main festival. Crowds are much larger on that day, so ticket counters and rules can differ from a normal day.

Kotilingeshwara Temple Timings

All days of the week, 7:00 AM to 9:30 PM

Entry Fee: INR 20 per person

Camera Fee: INR 100 per camera

Parking Charges: INR 30

Linga Installation Fee: Starts from INR 6,000

Temple Phone Number:  8431319758

Timings are not confirmed on an official website; check with the temple before travelling.

Other sources give slightly different opening hours (roughly 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM) and describe the fees as approximate, so confirm them with the temple office before travelling.

How to Reach

By Air: Bengaluru Kempegouda International Airport – 100 KM

By Train: Koramandal railway station – 8 KM, Bangarpet – 15 km

By Road: Kammasandra Gram Panchayat bus-stop – 0.5 KM, Whitefield – 87 km

Address

Koti linga Temple Road, Ghattiragadahalli, Kolar District, Karnataka, 563121

Listen to Shiva Stotras

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Kotilingeshwara Temple Map