Know your neighbourhood - 8: Kadugodi, Whitefield & Varthur

Overview: Kadugodi, now at the heart of construction activities, was once an agrahara during the Cholas, and was known as Kadamangalam. In the 1342 CE Hoysala inscriptions found at Pattandur, this place is called as Kadugodi Sthala. In the heart of the village is the ancient Kashi Vishwanatha temple, and the deity is mentioned as Bangishwaram or Vangishwaram Udaiyar. Several inscriptions have been found in the temple, one of which speaks of a grant from Kulothunga Chola in 1150 CE.  In those days, this temple used to be on the banks of the river Dakshina Pinakini, which was active until as late as 1940s, and the British also built a bridge in Kadugodi over Dakshin Pinakini, and is still named as the British Bridge. Another ancient temple in Kadugodi is the Anjaneya temple, built in 1407 CE by Mallisetti. Kadugodi is also popular for Sathya Sai Baba’s ashram, established in 1960 by Sathya Sai Baba of Puttaparthi. It was the place where the Baba used to spend his summer months every year giving blessings to the devotees.

Kahi Vishwanatha temple, Kadugodi

British Bridge, Kadugodi
Old course of the river Dakshina Pinakini near Kadugodi

Sathya Sai Baba Ashrama, Kadugodi

Whitefield Railway Station, Kadugodi

Anjaneya temple, Kadugodi

Old village street, Kadugodi
Today’s Whitefield is known mostly for the global MNCs, Malls and traffic jams.But this place holds a very interesting history. In 1882, the Maharaja of Mysore, Chamaraja Wodeyar granted 4000 acres of land to the Anglo-Indian community which developed into a self sustaining village in the outskirts of Bangalore. Winston Churchill is known to have spent some days at Waverly Inn in the late 1800s. The town of Whitefield was built around the concept of concentric circles around a play area which still exits today. David Emmanuel Starkenburgh White was behind the design and development of the layout here, so the area was named after him. The initial layout settlement was planned in a very unique manner, introducing the concept of inner and outer circles. Winston Churchill once lived in a bungalow named ‘Waverly Inn’ in Whitefield. The entire village could be seen from the top of Kaolin hill having the Lady of Lourdes church at the base. This hill has seen the dramatic change of Whitefield skyline over the years.
Kaolin Hill, Whitefield

Waverley Inn, Whitefield (Where Churchill used to stay)

Outer Circle, Whitefield
Whitefield Memorial Church was built in 1886 by funds raised by Eurasian community on the three acre land gifted by the Maharaja of Mysore to build an inter-denominational church. The Whitefield railway station is on the Bangalore-Salem line so transportation to Madras was not difficult. Bullock carts used to ferry people from the railway station to Whitefield. Varthur is a south-eastern suburb of Bangalore, which is adjacent to Whitefield. The huge Varthur Lake absorbs all of Bangalore sewage via Bellandur Lake. There is a very ancient temple near the lake. Special celebrations and Dharmarayaswamy car festival is held annually.

Whitefield Memorial Church
Varthur, on the southern end of Whitefield, was also one agrahara found by Ganga Erayapparasa. As recorded by inscription in the lake bed by one Bana Anniga of Morasunadu, Varthur Lake dates back to the Ganga era. Special celebrations and Dharmarayaswamy car festival is held annually in Varthur. In the outskirts of Varthur in the area of Sorahunase, there is an ancient Someshwara temple, with a beautiful Kalyani, which is now renovated. There are some Hero Stones outside the temple. Around 3 kms from Varthur is the village of Gunjur, which is recorded as Kunjiyur in Hoysala inscriptions. Gunjur was also one agrahara and has an ancient Someshwara temple, now completely in ruins.

Varthur Lake

Dharmarayaswamy temple, Varthur
Someshwara Temple, Sorahunase

Ruins of Someshwara temple, Gunjur

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