At Gulur village, the God of auspicious beginnings Ganesha is celebrated in many ways.

It was a casual conversation with my mother who recalled a school trip to Gulur that actually piqued my interest. Soon enough we were on our way to Gulur in Tumkur district. A smooth journey the 75 odd kilometer trip was a breeze courtesy the well laid roads.

Driving through verdant greens, we arrived at the small temple (Google map was spot on with directions) and the first thing we noticed was a few workers giving final touches to a fairly large idol of Ganesha. When we quizzed them they told us that they built the idol close to 10 feet tall at the temple itself using the clay from a lake close by. The idol is worshipped for a month before being immersed in the lake.

The main idol of Ganesha is seen behind the large idol as well as a statue of Sage Agasthya. Legend has it that a poor brahmin boy lived here and faced several adversities. Then Lord Ganesha appeared in his dream and told him that if he prayed to him, he would find a way out of his hardship. The brahmin unaware of how to worship Ganesha met Sage Agasthya who had stopped at the village of Gulur during his travels from the North. Agasthya told the brahmin to collect clay from the lake nearby and make an idol of Lord Ganesha and do a strict puja continuously for 30 days and then the idol was immersed in the lake. After this, the brahmin found a solution to his troubles and continued to perform the puja every year. This is the same tradition that continues each year even to date. The puja starts on Balipadyami on Deepavali and continues for about a month.

Once done, do not forget to look around the quaint village and discover the many sights and sounds of nature.

Address: Gulur-Ganesha Temple, Gulur, Karnataka 572118.