Ghatti Subramanya Temple

So one day my dad consulted the family astrologer , who is some 85+ years now . He did prasanam and after checking horoscope told him that i should perform a puja for sarpa dhosha !! So i was told that i should do the sarpa dosha puja . I tried googling to study about sarpa dhosha . Well , i stopped googling further coz i decided not to complicate my life further with those info and just do what i was told . Sometimes life is easy , if we just listen and not question , isnt it ? heehee

Then arised a question , where do i do this puja ? Obviously the puja has to be done in temple where naga aspect is involved. The astrologer mentioned a temple in kerala which is famous for it . My friend suggested Kalakasti . I wanted to narrow down a temple which will be at short distance from bangalore. I googled again and the result threw two results : Kukke Subramania temple and Ghatti Subramania temple. Kukke Subramania temple is the famous of the both . I also got an extra titbit that will interest cricket fans especially Tendulkar fans , Tendulkar had done a puja there .

Well back to my temple journey , Kukke Subramania temple is near mangalore , so its again far from  bangalore. So i narrowed down the search to Ghatti Subramania temple . It was 60 kms away from bangalore . So i thought it should be the right choice . And my inner voice also said yes , freeze it !!

So we decided to go to Ghatti Subramania temple . I thought we will go the most public mode – The bus. I gathered info that there are regular bus from Bangalore to Ghatti . There are buses at 8 , 9 and 11 in the morning from Magestic bus stand. I decided we will take the early bus so that we reach earlier and back earlier . So got up at morning 5 , took bath and packed food and in ” pious mood ”  went to majestic ! The name is Magestic , but nothing magestic about the busstand. I heard there are plans to totally revamp the busstand , Bangalore’s central bus stand . 48 floor complex that shall host inter state , intra state and Metro railway station and with integrated parking lots and bus bays and office complex . The plan is grand and majestic . I hope it comes out of drawing room to reality soon . We reached majestic at 7 and the bus just reached the bay , by the time we got in it was almost full but luckily we managed to get seated ! ( Travel tip : Be always before time for bus / train etc while travelling ) Being Sunday , there were rush . The bus started and it was a smooth journey . Being sunday , we escaped the famously infamous bangalore traffic . The road was good till dodaballapur . From then it climbs up the mountain area . The last stretch of some 5 kms or so is in poor shape . In 1 and 45 we reached Ghatti Temple . The hilly area houses the temple and few localites houses in the surrounding area. As soon as you step down from temple , you are thronged by vendors selling the puja items . Being sunday , it was crowded too . We had a look around and was whisked away by a vendor from the rest of the vendors . He seemed friendly and he took to his shop. We enquired about the temple and sarpa puja . He said the sarpa puja has to be done not in the main temple . He showed an adjacent path and said there is Naga temple there and that is where they do that puja and then we have to proceed to the main temple . He made an exhaustive list of the puja items. Ok i didnt blame coz he made life easier . He said there will be a pujari you can tell him for Sarpa Dosha and he will perform it . It will take one hour . I took out the purse for the puja items . He said you finish the puja and then pay the money ! Good ! Anyways no one can escape from this small hillock top heehee and no one cheats on puja issues.

We took the puja basket and went to the Naga temple . The pujari was performing the puja for another family. He asked to us to wait for a while . Then our turn came . The puja was quiet good . We were asked to perform puja along with him and he guided us . ( One thing i like is performing puja being part of it , rather than the pujari doing everything on his own and making us meer onlooker ) So religiously we did it . Chanted the mantras and did the various rituals of the Puja. It took some one hour . The puja was performed in a satisfied manner .

After paying the dakshana for pujari ( he doesnt demand and was glad to accept whatever one offers ) , we went back to the puja item vendor , he gave as another basket for archana inside the main temple . And again said will collect the money together after completion. We went inside the main temple . It was crowded , followed the lines and went inside . There was no idol of God . There was a natural formation which is the presiding deity there . East side is subramania and the west side of the formation is Narasimha , We can see the Narasimha through the mirror they have placed over the sanctum sanctorum. We had quick darshan . Came out side . The abhishekam was going on . Had a look at it . Sat for a while in the temple premise and said a little prayer and came out of temple . Paid the puja item vendor. Had tender coconuts to quench the thirst . They said the free temple lunch is at 12 : 45 . And it was 10:45 when we came out of temple . I decided not to wait for lunch but head back home instead. So we boareded the bus back to bangalore . It started bit late arnd 11:45 and headed back to majestic bus stand . In 1 and half hour , we reached back Majestic Bus stand , Bangalore.

Ok , now about my take on Pujas . Await my topic on it . What is my opinion on Pujas. Is it mere rituals or anything more to it . Will write a complete topic on it soon .

May the Supreme God bless you all .