Shree Panchalingeshwara Temple

The name of the Panchalingeshwara temple has been mentioned in many ancient books and scriptures. It is a very popular temple in the Vittla region. The temple is prominently situated off the Bangalore-Hosur highway. It gained a lot of popularity when the Chola dynasty ruled the place and is a rare structure that depicts creativity and magnificence. This beautiful temple has rare architectural beauty and magnificence. It consists of a three tiered roof and the shape is like that of a back of an elephant. The Hoysala style is clearly reflected in the temple architecture and the credit for sculpting this goes to Ruvari Mallitamma. The Gopuras of the temple vary in their design, size and shape. The Vamadeva, Thatpurusha, Aghora, Sadyojatha and Ishana are the five Lingas present in the temple. Lord Shiva is the embodiment of all these pancha (five) features. Historians have researched and found out that the credit of creating the temple goes to the Pandavas. The Hegde dynasty worships the Panchalingeshwara and it is supposed to be the Kuladeva (chief deity) of the Hegdes. The temple dates back to as early as 7-8 A.D. and it is presumed that it has undergone many levels of renovation, without making any major changes to the architectural heritage and beauty.