Goravanahalli, a small village in the Tumkur district of Karnataka, is home to a famous temple of Goddess Lakshmi, popularly known as the Goravanahalli Lakshmi temple. I had never heard of the temple before, but was intrigued by the many stories I had heard about it from my MIL’s friend.
The drive to the temple from our place was a bit bumpy, thanks to unpaved roads, but it was definitely an experience worth having, with beautiful rural sights all around. We drove through this….
…. and passed this….
…. and this….
… and this….
on the way to the temple. Beautiful, right?
The temple itself is small and unpretentious, but the thronging crowds told us a lot about the faith it has gathered from people far and wide. The temple was, apparently, constructed in the early 1900s by a Thotadappa, a villager in whose dream Goddess Lakshmi appeared, asking him to build a shrine for her. Thotadappa’s brother, Abbayya, was a poor villager, who accidentally found a statue of Goddess Lakshmi and began worshipping it regularly, which supposedly brought him wealth. The temple that exists today was built by Thotadappa after Abbayya’s death.
The temple fell into a state of neglect after 1910, when there was no one to tend to it and perform poojas. A villager called Kamalamma took charge of keeping the temple clean and performing poojas in 1925, but the temple again fell into disrepair after the lady left the place. Kamalamma returned to Goravanahalli in 1952, and again began her task of the upkeep of the temple. It was during her care of the temple that it became quite famous. Stories spread about the wishes of many villagers getting fulfilled on praying in the temple, and the temple’s fame spread far and wide.
There are a number of small stalls selling knick-knacks and offerings for the temple, glass bangles being prominent among them. It is believed that tying glass bangles on the small shrine outside the main temple and the trees around it makes one’s wishes come true. We saw a number of people doing the same.
The Goravanahalli Lakshmi temple is a neat and well-maintained place of worship, as yet untouched by commercialisation. The atmosphere is serene and spiritual, and one that induces peace.
I am glad we decided to visit the temple when we did, and thankful for getting the opportunity to visit.
Have you been to this place? How did you find it?
The Girl Next Door 
That was a beautiful account TG! I remember going to Shiva temple a few hours drive from Bangalore, the whole temple was full of Siva lingams all of which were built as offerings from devotees. There were about 1000 lingams, if I remember correctly. That’s the only temple I have been to in Karnataka.
It feels nice to read about temples which are maintained keeping its purity and serenity intact and without giving in to commercialization.
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@Deeps
Thank you so much, Deeps!
You are so right – I love visiting temples devoid of any commercialisation, which are neat and noise-free, serene and spiritual. There are many not-so-famous temples in India like that.
Wow, the Shiva temple that you mention sounds lovely. Could you please let me know which temple that was? Would love to visit some time. 🙂
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Loved it!
A SIL lives in Tumkur, the next time we make a road trip to her place I will plan to visit this temple. Thanks for sharing 🙂
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@Visha
You’re welcome! 🙂
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the place looks really scenic and serene ..loved the carrot pic a lot..
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@Ashreyamom
Thank you! 🙂
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I have never even heard about it …..but the temple looks beautiful and peaceful unlike other temples which are crowded and messy ….and yup the carrot pic is tempting 😉
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@Njoyeverymoment
Oh, yes. The temple is very peaceful and neat, though it tends to remain crowded often.
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Very nice post TGND! Brought me peace.. felt like I was travelling with you, reading this post 🙂
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@Greenboochi
Thank you, GB! 🙂 I am glad you liked the post.
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