It was a road trip that was long due after the almost 2 year hiatus due to Covid and it had to be something that was relatively safe as in far from maddening crowds and which was refreshing enough to break out from the routine. And so being in Bangalore – a trip to Ghati Subramanya sounded apt on a Saturday morning with perfect weather meaning no sun no rain just cloudy with light cool breeze.

It was an around 7.30 am start – driving towards yelahanka via airport road enroute Doddaballapur which is where the Ghati Subramanya Temple is. Early start meant Breakfast stop was mandatory and Thanks to google and the good reviews, our stop over was at Sri Ganesh Grand which was almost 20 km from our final destination.

The place had both self-service and dine in option, we chose the latter with some time in our pocket for a relaxing breakfast. Idly, vada, dosa and Poori – mandatory must eats in any darshini and here was no exception. Took a while for the order to come to the table but it was worth it. Neat ambience and hygiene. Waiters wearing masks though some of it below the neck! Light idly’s, great sambar, crispy vada’s and excellent Poori’s. Oh and not to forget the good kick of coffee that was perfect for the road trip. Limited Parking is available outside the restaurant. Pricing is as expected. Service was good. Google Map Location here.

Post recharging after our sumptuous breakfast, we headed out towards the temple – weather still friendly. Roads are really good and gets narrower after we exit the highway compensated by beautiful greenery all around. It was the weekend and our idea of road trip wasn’t the only one and with Ghati Subramanya being a famous landmark, do expect a good number of people to turn up everyday which we realized as soon as we reached because there was no space for parking our car which eventually we did get one – Thanks to the owner of one of the shops in the vicinity selling Pooja items, he was assisting folks in finding a parking spot hoping that some of them would be his customers to purchase from his shop, with us being one of them and which we did!

The main gopuram stands tall and is grandeur. The entrance to the temple is free and there is also a special entrance of Rs.50 which is what we went with, considering the sheer number of vehicles parked outside. Thankfully it was not as crowded as expected, we were able to go in and out and have a good Darshan in about 20 mins time.

Some facts about the temple

• Temple is around 600 years old and about 60 Km from Bangalore City
• Main deity is Lord Karthikeya and is found together with Lord Narasimha. Carved in a single stone, idol of Karthikeya faces east and Lord Narasimha towards the west.
• A mirror is placed in the rear so devotees can get a chance to view both the idols.
• Major Festivals – Brahmarathotsava and Narasimha Jayanti

After a blissful darshan, prasada was provided and we spent some time soaking in the environment. Outside the temple, there are lot of shops selling from toys, pooja articles and spices, nuts and masala’s. We did a fair bit of shopping before we began our journey back. The scenes enroute were eye pleasing with fresh vegetables, cultivated farm lands, vessels for sale and of-course hidden gems like this Sai Baba Temple right in the middle of all the greenery. We pulled over and visited the temple for a peaceful darshan and a beautiful Sai Baba idol for a calming experience. Huge trees and puppies in the vicinity added to the moment. Here’s the Google Map Location – Shirdi Sai Baba Temple, Hadonahalli

Few more stop overs at scenic locations on the way before entering the familiar traffic scenes in the city limits and back home by lunch time. Great short trip and wonderful memories captured!