The Shivoham Shiva Temple, situated at Old Airport Road, Bangalore, India was built in 1995. It features a Shiva statue that is tall idol. It is a famous Shiva Temple dedicated to the Hindu deity Lord Shiva and a popular spiritual destination. It is estimated that over 500,000 devotees and visitors come to this temple every year. On the occasion of Maha Shivaratri, between 100,000 and 150,000 devotees visit the temple every year. In the first six months of 2018, the temple has already been visited by 275,909 people.
History
The Shivoham Shiva Temple was formerly known as the Shiv Mandir. It is said to be built in 1995 after the founder of the temple had a vision of a temple where a gigantic statue of Lord Shiva would stand tall as a towering symbol of hope, spreading faith for generations to come. The idol of Lord Shiva was created by the sculptor Kashinath. It is also believed to have been built without using a blueprint or plan or a measuring tape. The temple was consecrated by Sri Shankaracharya of Sringeri on 26 February 1995. The Shivoham Shiva Temple was renamed from its former name Shiv Mandir in 2016 when the focus of the temple shifted to help people attain Moksha by understanding the principles in ancient vedic texts.
Inside the Temple
Linga at the entrance
The entrance to the Shivoham Shiva Temple has a 25-feet-tall Shiva Linga. It's the biggest Shiva Linga Gate in Bengaluru city.
Lord Shiva statue
The statue of Lord Shiva, depicts the Holy river of Ganges flowing out of his matted locks. The statue is seated in a meditative posture with his Damaru and Trishula as mentioned in the Shiva Purana.
Besides the 65-feet-tall statue of Lord Shiva, a 32-feet-tall statue of Lord Ganesha was also later built, then unveiled on 1 March 2003 by Dada J.P. Vaswani. Lord Ganesha is referred to as "Vighnaharan Ganpati " or "the remover of obstacles" in Hinduism. At the temple, devotees can tie saffron-colored holy threads in front of Lord Ganesha with faith and the belief that He will resolve all their problems.
Healing stones
The Healing Stones are at the sanctuary facing Lord Shiva's idol. Devotees touch or embrace these healing stones with faith and experience miracles in their life.
Activities
The Shiva pilgrimages, Amarnath Paanch Dhaam Yatra, and Barah Jyotirling Yatra that are often taken by the believers have been recreated at the temple for those who wish unable to travel to the distant location with adverse climate. The Amarnath Paanch Dhaam Yatra at the temple takes the devotees through a man-made cave on a stony, uneven terrain reminiscent of the mountains and mountainous regions, where the five holy Dhams are located: Haridwar, Rishikesh, Badrinath, Kedarnath and Amarnath. A replica of the ice linga at Amarnath can also be seen here. The 12 Jyothirlinga – Somnath, Mallikarjun, Mahakaleswar, Omkareshwar, Kedarnath. Bhimashankar, Vishwanath Temple. Trimbakeshwar, Baidyanath, Nageshwar, Rameshwaram, Grishneshwar have also been recreated in an artificial cave at the temple.
Maha Shivaratri at the temple
Maha Shivaratri is celebrated as a day of gratitude to Lord Shiva. Maha Shivaratri celebrations at the temple include day and night festivities. Live bhajans and spiritual events, like Shiv Antakshari and Jagraan, are organised. People come from across the country and the world to be at the Shivoham Shiva Temple on this sacred day.A laser projected light and sound show is organised every year during the Maha Shivaratri to help seekers understand the various aspects of spirituality.
A.i.R Humanitarian Homes
The temple supports the homeless by sharing its proceeds with the A.i.R Humanitarian Homes present in three locations in Bangalore and caters up to 600 residents overall.
