Dodda Ganesha Temple

The Dodda Ganesha Temple (Dodda Ganapathi) in Basavanagudi enshrines one of the largest Ganesha idols in the city — a figure about 5.5 m tall and 5 m wide carved from a single block of granite. It stands right beside the Bull Temple, and the two are almost always visited together.

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Practical guide

Plan Dodda Ganesha Temple

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Before you go to Dodda Ganesha 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 baseSouth Bengaluru

DistrictBengaluru Urban

Best timeOctober to February

Time needed20 to 30 minutes

EntryFree

Places to visit9 Listed businesses46

During festivals the idol is coated in butter in the striking benne alankara (butter decoration), later distributed to devotees; the temple is busiest around Ganesha Chaturthi.

The story

Basavanagudi’s colossal monolithic Ganesha shrine, immediately beside Bull Temple and Bugle Rock but deserving its own name, worship rhythm and photographic restraint.

The story of Dodda Ganesha Temple

Dodda Ganapathi Temple sits at the lower edge of the Bull Temple and Bugle Rock cluster. Karnataka Tourism’s Bengaluru map identifies the shrine separately and describes the Ganesha as a colossal monolith, 18 feet high and 16 feet wide.

The scale is best understood inside the compact shrine: the image dominates the sanctum rather than standing as a free outdoor sculpture. That difference is why an exterior photograph cannot promise a clear interior photograph or unrestricted camera use.

Living practice changes the way the image is seen. Festival decoration includes the well-known benne alankara, when butter is applied to the deity. This is ritual practice, not a permanent physical feature, and visitors should not expect it on an ordinary day.

The temple belongs to a larger Basavanagudi pilgrimage landscape. Bull Temple worship centres on Nandi, while this shrine centres on Ganesha; Bugle Rock is the adjoining civic and geological space. Calling all three “Bull Temple” erases what visitors actually encounter.

The nearby Kadalekayi Parishe links the precinct with Bengaluru’s groundnut-growing past. Karnataka Tourism frames the fair through the local tradition of farmers offering the first crop to Basavanna; it is living festival lore rather than a dated account of a supernatural event.

Legend & myth

Local fair tradition tells of a bull that damaged groundnut crops and was revealed as the stone Nandi, after which farmers offered their first harvest. The story belongs chiefly to neighbouring Bull Temple and the Kadalekayi Parishe, but the Ganesha shrine participates in the same festival precinct.

Read the full history of Dodda Ganesha Temple 85 more words

History

Karnataka Tourism’s official city map records Dodda Ganesha Temple as a separate shrine below Bull Temple.

The official map gives the monolithic image as 18 feet high and 16 feet wide.

The temple remains active worship space within the old Basavanagudi cluster.

Why visit

To experience a monumental sacred image within a compact living shrine.

To compare Ganesha worship here with Nandi worship next door without confusing the two temples.

To build a walkable Basavanagudi visit around temple, park and market rather than a hurried city drive.

What to expect

Highlights

The giant monolithic granite Ganesha idol.
The festival benne alankara (butter decoration).
Its pairing with the adjacent Bull Temple and Bugle Rock.

Getting there

How to visit

In Basavanagudi beside the Bull Temple; National College metro (Green Line), autos and buses are close.
Remove footwear and dress modestly; combine all three Basavanagudi sites in one visit.

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; Ganesha Chaturthi (Aug–Sep) is the peak but very crowded.

Weather in Dodda Ganesha TempleSeasonal guide

Live forecast loads in your browser.

Today at Dodda Ganesha 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 · 33%

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 living temple — follow dress and footwear customs.

Photos

Dodda Ganesha Temple in pictures

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Hotel

Shravanthi Sarovar Portico

8.2 km · 10 min drive

Hotel on 13th Cross Rd, Dollar Layout, 3rd Phase, J. P. Nagar in South Bengaluru.

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heritageLalbagh Botanical Garden

3.3 km · 6 min drive

A historic 240-acre botanical garden begun under Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan in the 1760s, famous for its Glass House, lake, ancient rock and the biannual flower shows.

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templeBull Temple

90 m · 1 min walk

The Dodda Basavana Gudi in Basavanagudi, a 16th-century Kempe Gowda-era temple housing a huge monolithic Nandi bull carved from a single granite boulder.

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heritageBugle Rock Park

450 m · 5 min walk

A shaded Basavanagudi park around an exposed granite outcrop, with a Kempe Gowda watchtower and a conspicuous flying-fox roost close to the Bull Temple.

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templeGavi Gangadhareshwara Temple

1.2 km · 14 min walk

A rock-cut cave temple in Gavipuram attributed to Kempe Gowda I in the 16th century, famous for a solar phenomenon on Makara Sankranti (mid-January) when the setting sun’s rays pass between the horns of a stone Nandi to light the Shiva linga inside.

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templeRagigudda Anjaneya Temple

6.8 km · 10 min drive

A popular Hanuman (Anjaneya) temple built on a granite hillock in Jayanagar, with a large monolithic Hanuman idol, Ganesha and Shiva shrines and steps up the rock; busiest on Saturdays and during Hanuma Jayanti.

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waterfallMuthyalamaduvu (Pearl Valley)

A seasonal waterfall and picnic valley near Anekal about 40 km south of the city, within Bengaluru Urban district’s Anekal range, where a stream drops through a rocky wooded gorge beside a small Shiva temple; fullest in and just after the monsoon.

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heritageBig Banyan Tree

The Dodda Alada Mara at Ramohalli about 28 km west of the city — a single roughly 400-year-old banyan whose aerial roots spread over nearly three acres so that it looks like a small forest; a shaded picnic and photography spot with a Muneshwara shrine.

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Before you go

Dodda Ganesha Temple — at a glance

TimingsThe state tourism map places the temple within the Bull Temple complex but does not give a current independent schedule. Confirm the split worship sessions at the entrance.

Best timeOctober to February; festival days are much busier.

Entry: Free general darshan; offerings and special services are separate.

Dress code: Dress modestly and remove footwear where directed.

Festivals: Ganesha Chaturthi brings special worship; the nearby Kadalekayi Parishe fills Bull Temple Road in the Karthika season.

Photography: Ask before photographing the sanctum, worship or identifiable devotees. Exterior photography does not establish interior permission.

Parking: Parking is limited around Bull Temple Road and becomes impractical during major events.

Getting here

How to reach Dodda Ganesha Temple

✈︎ By air Kempegowda International Airport is Bengaluru’s air gateway; continue by airport bus, metro connection or road transfer to Basavanagudi.
🚆︎ By train KSR Bengaluru City is the main railhead. Continue by the Green Line towards National College and complete the final section on foot, by bus or auto.
🚗︎ By road The temple stands on Bull Temple Road in Basavanagudi, immediately beside the Bull Temple and Bugle Rock Park cluster. Use the signed temple entrance and expect limited stopping space on busy worship days.
🚌︎ By bus BMTC serves Basavanagudi and Bull Temple Road. Use the live journey planner and allow for road closures during fairs.
⛴︎ By boat No boat component.

Getting around

Getting around Dodda Ganesha Temple

Dodda Ganapathi, Bull Temple and Bugle Rock Park are separate adjoining stops best linked on foot. Gandhi Bazaar is the natural continuation; use the metro or BMTC for longer city legs.

Online taxis: App cabs and autos operate in Bengaluru, but temple-road pickup can be slow or displaced during festivals. Choose a clear public-road pickup away from queues.

Open the temple cluster map ↗

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.

KSRTC— the Karnataka state bus operator; route and schedule enquiries.Online booking.
Indian Railways— live running and seat availability for the nearest railhead, named under “Getting here” above.

Ask at the jetty or 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.

Things to do

See the monumental Ganesha image during permitted darshan.
Notice the temple entrance and compact setting.
Walk separately to Bull Temple.
Continue through Bugle Rock Park.
Visit Gandhi Bazaar without blocking worship traffic.

Plan

Good to know

Choose a morning or evening worship session.
Carry minimal baggage.
Ask before photographing.
Use easy-to-remove footwear.
Avoid forcing all three stops through a festival crowd.

Facilities

On site

Footwear arrangements and basic worship facilities are present in the temple cluster; ask temple staff for the nearest accessible toilet.
Basavanagudi has plentiful food, pharmacies, banks and public transport nearby.

Stay safe

Safety

Barefoot stone may be hot or wet.
Keep doorways and worship queues clear.
Use public transport during the groundnut fair.

Getting around Dodda Ganesha TemplePartly wheelchair accessible

Terrain: Some steps
Steps: A short flight is visible at the principal entrance; no official step count was found.
From the entrance: The photographed principal entrance has steps and a handrail. A continuous ramped route to darshan is not documented.
Step-free access: The outer temple cluster is reachable by vehicle, but independent step-free access to the sanctum must be confirmed with temple staff.
Prams: Leave prams outside the worship queue unless staff direct otherwise.

Ask staff about the closest drop-off and any alternate entrance.Accessible toilet and wheelchair-loan information is not published.

Barefoot paving can be hot or wet.
Queues during festivals reduce manoeuvring space.

Checked 5 September 2026 against source 1 source 2. Conditions change and surfaces vary with weather — if step-free access is essential, confirm with the site before you travel.

If you need help at Dodda Ganesha Temple

112All emergencies (police · fire · medical)The single number to call in any emergency (ERSS).

100Police 101Fire 108Ambulance (emergency / EMS)1091Women’s helpline (distress)1098Child helpline 1363Tourist helpline (India, 24×7, multilingual)

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

Nearby

What’s near Dodda Ganesha Temple

templeBull Temple

The Dodda Basavana Gudi in Basavanagudi, a 16th-century Kempe Gowda-era temple housing a huge monolithic Nandi bull carved from a single granite boulder.

90 m · 1 min walk

Directions Open guide

heritageBugle Rock Park

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450 m · 5 min walk

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templeGavi Gangadhareshwara Temple

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museumNIMHANS Brain Museum

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3.3 km · ~8 min by auto · straight line

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heritageFreedom Park

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4.1 km · ~10 min by auto · straight line

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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.

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templeRagigudda Anjaneya Temple

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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 Dodda Ganesha Temple is

Good to know

Dodda Ganesha Temple — frequently asked

Is Dodda Ganapathi Temple inside Bull Temple?

It is immediately beside the Bull Temple complex but is a separately named and mapped Ganesha shrine.

How large is the image?

Karnataka Tourism’s Bengaluru map describes it as 18 feet high and 16 feet wide.

What is benne alankara?

A ritual decoration in which butter is applied to the Ganesha image. It is associated with special worship and is not a permanent display.

Is photography allowed?

Ask at the shrine. Public exterior photographs do not establish permission to photograph the sanctum, deity or worshippers.

What should be combined with the visit?

Bull Temple, Bugle Rock Park and Gandhi Bazaar are the natural nearby sequence.

When is the best time to visit Dodda Ganesha Temple?

October to February; Ganesha Chaturthi (Aug–Sep) is the peak but very crowded.

What are the entry fee and timings at Dodda Ganesha Temple?

Entry: Free general darshan; offerings and special services are separate. Timings: The state tourism map places the temple within the Bull Temple complex but does not give a current independent schedule. Confirm the split worship sessions at the entrance.

How do I reach Dodda Ganesha Temple?

In Basavanagudi beside the Bull Temple; National College metro (Green Line), autos and buses are close. Remove footwear and dress modestly; combine all three Basavanagudi sites in one visit.

How much time do I need for Dodda Ganesha Temple?

20 to 30 minutes.

What else is near Dodda Ganesha Temple?

Nearby you can pair Bull Temple (90 m), Bugle Rock Park (450 m), Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple (1.2 km), Tipu Sultan's Summer Palace (1.9 km).

Read before you go