Makara Sankranti at Sri Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple near Gavipuram-Guttahalli, Bangalore, Karnataka.
The Sun illuminates Shivalinga two times per year - from 13 to 16 January in late afternoons and from 26 November to 2 December.
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Sri Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple

The Sun God bath the Shiva Lingam before fading on the auspicious day of Makara Sankranti at Sri Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple near Gavipuram-Guttahalli, Bangalore, Karnataka on January 15, 2012. Thousands of devotees throng the centuries-old Gavi Gangadhareshwara temple to witness sun rays passing the bulls head between its horns and then to the Shiva Lingam.
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Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple or Gavipuram Cave Temple, an example of Indian rock-cut architecture, is located in Bengaluru in the state of Karnataka in India.

It is believed that the temple was cut out of a rock in the 9th century. It was used by the great sage Gowthama to perform penance. Later in the 16th century, Kempegowda I, the founder of Bangalore, revamped and extended the temple.

The temple is unique from all other temples of Karnataka due to the presence of two huge discs in the foreground of the shrine.


The Gavipuram Cave Temple is an architectural wonder in itself. The temple was cut out from a natural monolith rock. The inner sanctum of the temple is situated inside a cave carved out in the rock. The main attraction of the temple is the granite pillars situated in the forecourt of the temple. Two of the pillars support huge discs that represent the sun and the moon. The other two pillars have a trident (trishul) and a two-headed drum (damru), representing the two significant possessions of Lord Shiva.

The inner sanctum of the temple has a tall Shivalinga. Another major attraction of the temple is the presence of a rare idol of Agni, the God of fire. The figure has two heads, seven hands and three legs. It is perhaps the only temple in South India that has such an idol. The temple has a wonderful sculpture of Nandi (a bull), Shiva’s mount. A beautiful image of Shakti Ganapathi with 12 hands adorns the left side of the main entrance to the temple.

But the main architectural significance associated with the temple is the creation of the cave temple and the placement of the stone discs in such a manner that they allow the sun to illuminate the Shivalinga for just one hour every year on winter solstice.

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Built in a natural cave in Gavipuram, the temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and cut into a monolithic stone. The courtyard of the temple here contains several monolithic sculptures. The main attractions of Gavi Gangadhareshvara temple are two granite pillars that support the giant disk of the sun and moon, while the other two have a number of Nandi at the top.

On the occasion of Makar Sankranti, temple witnesses a unique phenomenon in the evening sunlight passes through an arc between the horns of Nandi and falls directly on the linga inside the cave and illuminating the interior idol. This phenomenon is a proof of the technical excellence of the ancient architects.[2]

Illumination of shrine by the Sun
Thousands of devotees come in middle January every year on Makar sankranti Day to this cave temple. This is a special day when the sunrays fall on the Sivalinga for one hour as it passes between the horns of the Nandi. Such was the knowledge of architecture and astronomy that the ancient sculptors could craft the horns of the stone bull outside the temple so that the sun's rays would pass through its horns and light up the deity Shiva Linga inside the cave.[3] Comparison of contemporary structures and earlier drawings by Thomas Daniell and William Daniell show that earlier the temple has less structures and the Sun illuminated the shrine in summer and winter solstice.[4] Also today the Sun illuminates Shivalinga two times per year - from 13 to 16 January in late afternoons and from 26 November to 2 December.
People believe that there is a tunnel from this temple to varanasi.
Gavipuram Extension, Hanumantha Nagar, Bangalore - 560019
Coordinates 12°56′53.5″N 77°33′46.8″E

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