Tirtha Atlas

The sacred geography of the Indic world — every site mapped, dated, storied, and cited.

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Early medieval · Hindu · India

Nageshvara Temple, Begur

Begur, Bengaluru, Karnataka · 12.8767°, 77.6267°

Shiva as Nageshvara (locally Naganatheshvara)Western Ganga
Sacred since
843 CE
first attestation / structure
Standing structure
9th–10th c. (Western Ganga)
Western Ganga

History & significance

A temple complex on the southern edge of Bengaluru whose two principal shrines were raised under the Western Ganga kings Nitimarga I and Ereyappa Nitimarga II, with later additions in Chola, Hoysala and Vijayanagara idiom. An Old Kannada inscription of about 890 found here carries the earliest known mention of the name Bengaluru.

Sthala katha — the legend

Ravana is said to have worshipped Nageshvara here on his way back to Lanka after losing the atma linga at Gokarna.

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Related sites

Gommateshwara (Bahubali), Shravanabelagola
Shravanabelagola · India
consecrated 981 CE
Panchakuta Basadi
Kambadahalli · India
10th c. (Western Ganga)
Arakeshvara Temple, Hole Alur
Hole Alur, Chamarajanagar district · India
c. 949 (Western Ganga)

Sources

coordinates: wikipedia-2026-08-27 · sources retrieved 2026-08-26 · dynasty page: Western Ganga