Halasuru Someshwara Temple

The Halasuru (Ulsoor) Someshwara Temple is the oldest temple in Bengaluru, a Shiva shrine with Chola-era origins that was greatly expanded in the 16th century under the Vijayanagara-era chief Kempe Gowda. It stands in the Ulsoor neighbourhood near the lake of the same name.

Halasuru Someshwara Temple, Central Bengaluru
Practical guide

Plan Halasuru Someshwara Temple

Who's going?Tailor Halasuru Someshwara Temple to your trip
Before you go to Halasuru Someshwara Temple

Check entry arrangements. Ask temple staff about visitor entry, dress requirements and access to the inner shrine before you travel, especially if you are visiting as a non-Hindu.

Dress respectfully and follow the institution’s admission and photography rules.

Typetemple
Nearest baseCentral Bengaluru
DistrictBengaluru Urban
Best timeOctober to February
Time needed30 to 45 minutes
EntryFree
Places to visit24Listed businesses49

The temple is admired for its Vijayanagara-style architecture — an ornate gopuram, a 48-pillared outer mantapa, a kalyana mantapa and finely carved Yali (mythical-beast) pillars and sculpted panels — and remains an active place of worship.

What to expect

Highlights

  • Vijayanagara-era gopuram, pillared mantapas and carved Yali pillars.
  • The city’s oldest temple, with Chola-era roots.
  • A living Shiva shrine near Ulsoor Lake.
Getting there

How to visit

  • In Ulsoor near the lake; Halasuru and Trinity metro stations (Purple Line), autos and buses are close.
  • Remove footwear and dress modestly; pair it with a walk at Ulsoor Lake nearby.

Distance by road

  • Mysuru145 km
  • Chennai350 km
  • Hyderabad570 km
  • Mangaluru350 km
  • Coimbatore365 km

Road km to Bengaluru Urban; ghat roads and traffic vary — allow extra.

Timing

Best time

October to February; mornings and evenings are calmest. Maha Shivaratri is the main festival.

Weather in Halasuru Someshwara TempleSeasonal guide

Live forecast loads in your browser.

Today at Halasuru Someshwara Temple
Sunrise6:10 am
Sunset6:00 pm
Golden hour best light5:00 pm–6:00 pm
Blue hour after sunset6:00 pm–6:25 pm
Sun sets toward compass bearingW · 261°
Moon tonight🌒 Waxing crescent · 31%

Sun and moon are calculated for this location and shown in IST. Photography windows are the hour around sunrise and sunset; the sunset bearing is degrees clockwise from true north. Moon phase is accurate to about half a day.

Visitor notes

  • Free entry; a functioning temple — follow dress and footwear customs and ask before photographing the shrine.
Stay · eat · do · rent · see · shop

Stays, food & things to do near Halasuru Someshwara Temple

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1 place to stay near Halasuru Someshwara Temple

Hotel
Dass Suites
4.9 km · 7 min drive

Hotel on Vasvani Layout, Challaghatta Road, Next to Embassy Golf Link Business Park, Behind Hilton Hotel, Domlur in Central Bengaluru.

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Ranked

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Nearest to Halasuru Someshwara Temple, on foot

Walking routes start at Halasuru Someshwara Temple. Check the route and access before setting out, especially where a road, gate or waterway separates the stops.

Across the whole of Central Bengaluru

Ranked guides

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heritageUlsoor Lake

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One of the largest and oldest lakes in the city, in the Ulsoor (Halasuru) neighbourhood near MG Road, dotted with small islands and offering boating, a lakeside promenade and a Ganesha temple on its bank.

museumVisvesvaraya Industrial & Technological Museum

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museumHAL Aerospace Museum

India's first aerospace museum, opened in 2001 by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited near the old HAL airport, displaying vintage fighter aircraft, helicopters, aero-engines, a flight simulator and the story of Indian aviation.

museumJawaharlal Nehru Planetarium

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The Bengaluru branch of the National Gallery of Modern Art, in the restored early-20th-century Manikyavelu Mansion on Palace Road, with a permanent collection of modern Indian art and rotating exhibitions in landscaped grounds.

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churchSt. Mark's Cathedral

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Before you go

Halasuru Someshwara Temple — at a glance

Timings~6:00 AM - 12:00 PM, 5:00 - 8:30 PM (approx)
Best timeOctober to February; mornings and evenings

Entry: Free

Getting here

How to reach Halasuru Someshwara Temple

Ulsoor; Halasuru / Trinity metro (Purple Line)

Getting back

If you are travelling by bus or ferry, check the return service with the operator before setting out. Leave time to reach the stop or jetty after your visit.

Ask at the bus stand for the time of the last service back, not the next one. If you miss it, an auto or app cab is the fallback — agree the fare before you get in.

Getting around Halasuru Someshwara Temple

If you need step-free access, contact the site before travelling. Ask about a level entrance, steps along the route, the nearest drop-off point, seating and accessible toilets.

If you need help at Halasuru Someshwara Temple
112All emergencies (police · fire · medical)The single number to call in any emergency (ERSS).

Emergency numbers are verified against official government and state tourism sources. 112 works anywhere in India.

Nearby

What’s near Halasuru Someshwara Temple

heritageUlsoor Lake

One of the largest and oldest lakes in the city, in the Ulsoor (Halasuru) neighbourhood near MG Road, dotted with small islands and offering boating, a lakeside promenade and a Ganesha temple on its bank.

2.1 km · 25 min walk
churchSt. Mary's Basilica

The oldest church in Bengaluru and one of the few minor basilicas in India, a Gothic-style Catholic church in Shivajinagar with stained glass and a tall spire, famed for the September St Mary’s Feast procession that draws huge crowds.

2.4 km · 30 min walk · straight line
churchSt. Mark's Cathedral

A British-era Anglican cathedral of 1808 on MG Road, in a neo-classical style modelled on St Paul’s Cathedral in London, with a domed sanctuary, stained glass and a quiet churchyard in the heart of the city.

2.6 km · ~6 min by auto · straight line
heritageCommercial Street

A century-old shopping street in the Shivajinagar / Tasker Town area, one of Bengaluru’s oldest and busiest retail districts, packed with clothing, footwear, jewellery and street-food stalls.

2.9 km · 4 min drive
mosqueJumma Masjid

One of the largest and oldest mosques of the Bengaluru Cantonment, in the Shivajinagar / Tasker Town area near Commercial Street, with a colonnaded prayer hall and slender minarets.

3.2 km · 5 min drive
museumJawaharlal Nehru Planetarium

A sky-theatre and science centre at the High Grounds run by the Bangalore Association for Science Education, with domed astronomy shows, a science park of interactive exhibits and a public telescope programme.

4.6 km · 8 min drive
museumGovernment Museum, Bengaluru

One of the oldest museums in India, established in 1865 on Kasturba Road beside Cubbon Park, with archaeology, coins, sculpture and inscriptions, sharing its compound with the Venkatappa Art Gallery and the technology museum.

4.8 km · 8 min drive
heritageVidhana Soudha

Karnataka's monumental granite state legislature building, completed in 1956 in a Neo-Dravidian style; floodlit on Sunday evenings and viewed from outside.

4.8 km · 7 min drive
museumVisvesvaraya Industrial & Technological Museum

A hands-on science and technology museum on Kasturba Road beside Cubbon Park, opened in 1965 in memory of engineer-statesman Sir M. Visvesvaraya, with interactive galleries on engines, electronics and space and a full-scale Wright Flyer replica.

4.9 km · 9 min drive
museumNational Gallery of Modern Art

The Bengaluru branch of the National Gallery of Modern Art, in the restored early-20th-century Manikyavelu Mansion on Palace Road, with a permanent collection of modern Indian art and rotating exhibitions in landscaped grounds.

5.5 km · 10 min drive
heritageCubbon Park

A 300-acre landscaped green lung in the city centre, laid out in 1870, ringed by the red-brick Attara Kacheri (High Court), State Central Library and Government Museum.

5.8 km · 10 min drive
heritageBangalore Palace

A Tudor-revival palace built in 1878 by the Wodeyar royal family, with fortified towers, arches and interiors of Wodeyar-era portraits and furniture.

7.6 km · 13 min drive

All 24 places to visit in Central Bengaluru →

Walking and driving times are real routed distances, except the few marked “straight line”, which are direct-line estimates and will read short.Routing: © openrouteservice.org by HeiGIT | Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors

On the map

Where Halasuru Someshwara Temple is

Good to know

Halasuru Someshwara Temple — frequently asked

When is the best time to visit Halasuru Someshwara Temple?

October to February; mornings and evenings are calmest. Maha Shivaratri is the main festival.

What are the entry fee and timings at Halasuru Someshwara Temple?

Entry: Free. Timings: ~6:00 AM - 12:00 PM, 5:00 - 8:30 PM (approx).

How do I reach Halasuru Someshwara Temple?

In Ulsoor near the lake; Halasuru and Trinity metro stations (Purple Line), autos and buses are close. Remove footwear and dress modestly; pair it with a walk at Ulsoor Lake nearby.

How much time do I need for Halasuru Someshwara Temple?

30 to 45 minutes.

What else is near Halasuru Someshwara Temple?

Nearby you can pair Ulsoor Lake (2.1 km), St. Mary's Basilica (2.4 km), St. Mark's Cathedral (2.6 km), Commercial Street (2.9 km).

Read before you go

Halasuru Someshwara Temple guides, stories & itineraries

We have not published a story about Halasuru Someshwara Temple itself yet. These cover Central Bengaluru and the wider district, with separate journeys between stops.

Around Central Bengaluru

These guides explore Central Bengaluru and the surrounding area. Choose a visit that fits your interests, allowing separately for travel between stops.

Karnataka-wide guides & itineraries

Route-level itineraries and practical guides for the rest of Karnataka.

See all 11 Bengaluru Urban guides & stories →

Image credits

Photographs: Udayakumar.p04, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0), Varsh aiish (CC BY-SA 4.0). Wikimedia Commons.