Kotilingeshwara
Encyclopedia
Kotilingeshwara is the presiding deity
of the temple
of the same name in the village
of Kammasandra in India
. Kammasandra is a small village situated in Kolar
district of Karnataka
state. It is about five kilometers from Kolar Gold Fields
and about 6 Kilometers from Aalamaram
. This place has the distinction of having the biggest Shivalinga in the world. Over 2 Lakh divotees visit the temple on Maha Shivratri every year.
and accompanying it is a 35 ft (10.7 m) tall Basava
, surrounded by lakhs of small shivalingas spread over an area of 15 acres (60,702.9 m²). So far, around 86 lakh shivalingas have been installed. The entire project involves the installation of one crore shivalingas of various sizes, hence the name ‘Kotilingeshwara’.
The temple boasts of having the largest Linga in Asia which stands 108 feet (32.9 m) tall. In front of this huge Linga there is a huge Nandi (Animal mount of Lord Shiva) which is 35 feet (10.7 m) tall. The Nandi is installed over a platform which is 60 feet (18.3 m) in length, 40 feet (12.2 m) in width and 4 feet (1.2 m) in height.
There are eleven small temples of various deities constructed within the premises of the Lord Kotilingeshwara temple. The first to be constructed is the Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu and Lord Maheshwara temple, followed by the main deity temple Lord Kotilingeshwara. The sequence of the other temples are Lord Venkataramani Swamy Temple, Goddess Annapoorneshwari Temple, Lord Panduranga Swamy Temple, Lord Panchamukha Ganapathy temple, Lord Rama, Lakshmana and Sita Temple, Lord Anjaneya Temple, Goddess Kannika Parameshwari Temple and finally Goddess Karumaari Amma Temple.
Inside the Goddess Kannika Parameswari temple, a Shiva Linga called "Shiva Panchayathi" is installed. The idols of Lord Ganesha, Lord Kumaraswamy, Goddess Parvati and Nandi are arranged around the Linga, Giving an essence that all these Gods are offering their prayers to the Linga. A water tank is set up close to the Linga. The water is used by the devotees to offer their prayers by performing Abhisheka to the Linga with utmost devotion and faith.
There are millions of Lingas being installed surrounding the temple by the pilgrims since 1980 spread over an area of 13 acres (52,609.2 m²). There are more than 8.6 million Lingas installed as of 2008. The lingas installed vary between 1 foot (0.3048 m) and 3 foot (0.9144 m) tall.The temple was started with the intent of installing 1 crore lingas, hence the name "Kotilingeshwara". Koti means crore (10 million).
The temple has two NagaLinga Flower Trees or Cannon Ball Flower Trees. The unmarried women pray with devotion and faith to Lord Lingeswara wishing for a happy married life and tie a yellow thread around the Tree. One can see yellow threads covering the entire Tree.
The Karnataka government has declared this temple as a tourist spot so that devotees and pilgrims from all over the world can witness the 108 feet (32.9 m)-tall Linga and 35 tall Feet Nandi.
Similarly in Kali Yuga, in order to instill the culture of divinity, peace and prosperity Lord Kotilingeshwara temple was constructed over 13 acres (52,609.2 m²) of land in Kammasandra. The first Linga was installed in the year 1980 on October 10. Later the Sanctum for the main deity was constructed. From then on many more Lingas are being installed surrounding the temple.still date 90 lakhs lingas are the there in the temple
Deity
A deity is a recognized preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by believers....
of the temple
Temple
A temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur. It has the same root as the word "template," a plan in preparation of the building that was marked out...
of the same name in the village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
of Kammasandra in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Kammasandra is a small village situated in Kolar
Kolar
Kolara is a city in the South Indian state of Karnataka. It is the headquarters of Kolar District. It is known for being one of the gold mining sites in India....
district of Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
state. It is about five kilometers from Kolar Gold Fields
Kolar Gold Fields
Kolar Gold Fields is a town in Bangarpet Taluk, in the Kolar District of Karnataka state, India. It includes the township of the same name, viz. KGF, where reside mainly the families of the employees of BGML. To the east of KGF is a ridge of hills of which Dod Betta hill, 3195 feet above sea...
and about 6 Kilometers from Aalamaram
Aalamaram
Aalamaram is located in the Gold city of Kolar Gold Fields. It is known for business establishment in the Kolar Gold Fields. The surrounding residential places include Palar Nagar, Bharath Nagar, HP Nagar, Hanumantha Nagar,MV Nagar, Officer's Quarters....
. This place has the distinction of having the biggest Shivalinga in the world. Over 2 Lakh divotees visit the temple on Maha Shivratri every year.
Significance
The main attraction of this peaceful retreat, which is surrounded by plush greenery, is a huge Shivalinga. Measuring 108 ft (32.9 m), this shivalinga is tallest of its kind in the worldWorld
World is a common name for the whole of human civilization, specifically human experience, history, or the human condition in general, worldwide, i.e. anywhere on Earth....
and accompanying it is a 35 ft (10.7 m) tall Basava
Basava
Basava was a philosopher and a social reformer. He is also called Vishwa Guru and Bhakti-Bhandari. His teachings and preachings which are universal, go beyond all boundaries of belief systems...
, surrounded by lakhs of small shivalingas spread over an area of 15 acres (60,702.9 m²). So far, around 86 lakh shivalingas have been installed. The entire project involves the installation of one crore shivalingas of various sizes, hence the name ‘Kotilingeshwara’.
About the temple
The Lord Kotilingeshwara Temple is situated in Kammasandra Village in Kolar district, Karnataka State, India. The temple is about 6 km from Kolar Gold Fields also known as KGF. The main deity of this temple is Lord Kotilingeshwara. This Temple was constructed by Swamy Sambha Shiva Murthy which is open to public from early morning till 9.30 p.m.The temple boasts of having the largest Linga in Asia which stands 108 feet (32.9 m) tall. In front of this huge Linga there is a huge Nandi (Animal mount of Lord Shiva) which is 35 feet (10.7 m) tall. The Nandi is installed over a platform which is 60 feet (18.3 m) in length, 40 feet (12.2 m) in width and 4 feet (1.2 m) in height.
There are eleven small temples of various deities constructed within the premises of the Lord Kotilingeshwara temple. The first to be constructed is the Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu and Lord Maheshwara temple, followed by the main deity temple Lord Kotilingeshwara. The sequence of the other temples are Lord Venkataramani Swamy Temple, Goddess Annapoorneshwari Temple, Lord Panduranga Swamy Temple, Lord Panchamukha Ganapathy temple, Lord Rama, Lakshmana and Sita Temple, Lord Anjaneya Temple, Goddess Kannika Parameshwari Temple and finally Goddess Karumaari Amma Temple.
Inside the Goddess Kannika Parameswari temple, a Shiva Linga called "Shiva Panchayathi" is installed. The idols of Lord Ganesha, Lord Kumaraswamy, Goddess Parvati and Nandi are arranged around the Linga, Giving an essence that all these Gods are offering their prayers to the Linga. A water tank is set up close to the Linga. The water is used by the devotees to offer their prayers by performing Abhisheka to the Linga with utmost devotion and faith.
There are millions of Lingas being installed surrounding the temple by the pilgrims since 1980 spread over an area of 13 acres (52,609.2 m²). There are more than 8.6 million Lingas installed as of 2008. The lingas installed vary between 1 foot (0.3048 m) and 3 foot (0.9144 m) tall.The temple was started with the intent of installing 1 crore lingas, hence the name "Kotilingeshwara". Koti means crore (10 million).
The temple has two NagaLinga Flower Trees or Cannon Ball Flower Trees. The unmarried women pray with devotion and faith to Lord Lingeswara wishing for a happy married life and tie a yellow thread around the Tree. One can see yellow threads covering the entire Tree.
The Karnataka government has declared this temple as a tourist spot so that devotees and pilgrims from all over the world can witness the 108 feet (32.9 m)-tall Linga and 35 tall Feet Nandi.
History of the Temple
In Threta Yuga, Ramayana one of the greatest ancient Sanskrit epics, depicts the battle between Lord Sri Rama (Incarnation of Lord Vishnu in Threta Yuga) and Demon King Ravana. It was a very long and deadly battle that took many lives away. While Lord Rama triumphed in his battle against evil, as a noble gesture of providing salvation to those who perished, He travelled to Rameswaram from Dhanuskodi and installed a Linga in the banks of the River. He offered prayers to the Linga and prayed for all the people who lost their lives in the battle.Similarly in Kali Yuga, in order to instill the culture of divinity, peace and prosperity Lord Kotilingeshwara temple was constructed over 13 acres (52,609.2 m²) of land in Kammasandra. The first Linga was installed in the year 1980 on October 10. Later the Sanctum for the main deity was constructed. From then on many more Lingas are being installed surrounding the temple.still date 90 lakhs lingas are the there in the temple