Maruti Mandira, an island of peace and calm, is located next to Chord Road in West Bangalore,
Bangalore District of
Karnataka. This holy place is called as Koti Bande or Monkey’s Rock by the locals. The presiding deity of the temple is
Lord Hanuman, also called Maruti, the valiant messenger of
Lord Ram. There is an interesting story behind the origin of the temple and the deity.
Long ago, this place then called Vijayanagar, was covered by lush green forest, surrounded by Hosahalli, Tammenahalli, Dasarahalli and other villages. Amidst the forest was a huge rock where a monkey had made its home. Much to the wonder of the villagers, the monkey was quite harmless and the villagers sensed something special about the rock. After many years, the authorities cleared the forest and wanted to clear the rock as a part of urbanization. The authorities found it impossible to remove the rock and the people realizing the divine qualities began worshipping the rock.
Oil paintings of Lord Hanuman and Lord Ganesh were done on the rock by Basanna Shilpi, a national award winning sculptor from Mysore. The temple has a garden with plants for each of the planets in the solar system. Ram Navami and Hanuman Jayanti, the annual festivals of the temple, are celebrated with great color and fervor by the devotees.
Bangalore International Airport serves this area. Bangalore Cantonment is the nearest major railway station.
