Celebrating Gudiya Sambhrama: Do You Know Your Temples?

As Bengaluru celebrates its very own temple festival, the Gudiya Sambhrama 2016, here is a quiz for you to test how well do you know the temples of the city and of India at large.

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1. This religious location may have taken its name from the ancient Dravidian term ‘Kuruvai’ which means ‘sea’, since it was quite close to the coast. Over time, Brahmins came to settle here and the name changed to how we know it today. Which place, also called the ‘Dwarka of the South’, which has the fourth biggest turnout of devotees per day in India?

2. This Bangalore temple has many curiosities. One is a rare two-headed and three-legged figure of Agni, the fire god, and another is a dark tunnel which finally exits at the banks of Kempegowda’s Kempambudhi tank a few hundred meters away. Which is this temple that sees thousands thronging it on Makara Sankranti every year?

3. One among the twelve Jyotirlingas, it has been a pilgrimage centre since ancient times. The Moon God is said to have worshipped the Shiva lingam here. This is the reason why this Shiva temple is popularly known after the Moon God. Which temple in Gujarat is being referred to?

4. Kedarnath is a Hindu holy town located in the Himalayas. About 3584m above sea level and flanked by breathtaking snow-capped peaks, it hosts one of the holiest of all Hindu temples. Kedarnath is located near the banks of which river whose name translates to the “calm and unhurried one”?

5. Also known as ‘Bhoologa Vaikundam’ or ‘Vaikunta on Earth’, it lies on an islet formed by the rivers— the Cauvery and the Coleroon. Which is this temple that to most Vaishnavites is the holiest of their shrines?

6. Two popular legends relate the story behind this temple. One states that the founder of Bangalore, Kempe Gowda, was resting under a tree and God came to him in his dreams and instructed him to create a temple. Another legend places another ruler, Jayappa Gowda, in a similar tale. Which temple, supposedly the oldest in Bangalore, was built as a result of these subconscious visions?

7. The most elaborate and sacred Yatra procedure prescribed by the Puranas is the Pancha Krosha Yatra. The Yatra involves Tirtha Snana in several Ghats, and the worship of Sri Dhundhi Vinayaka and which other deity?

8. Located close to a lake, and built with a distinct red pinnacle with the motif of a swan decorating the main gate, the temple at Pushkar is one of the very few existing temples dedicated to which Hindu god?

9. This temple town in eastern India also hosts an annual dance festival during December, where various classical dances such as Odissi and Kathak are performed. Which town, that also hosts a sand art festival at the nearby Chandrabhaga beach?

10. On the last days of the month of Kaarthigai, a groundnut fair known as ‘Kadalekaayi Parishe’ is held near this temple. Which is this temple in Bangalore, located next to Bugle Rock?

(Credits: Nexus Consulting)

Answers on next page

1. Guruvayur
2. Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple
3. Somnath
4. Mandakini
5. Srirangam
6. Ulsoor Someshwara Temple
7. Kashi Vishvanatha Temple
8. Brahma
9. Konark
10. Bull Temple