Trip to Omkar Ashram at Omkar Hill
Journey time: By bus 60 – 90 minutes and by private vehicle around an hour.
How to reach there: From KR Market near Tippu’s fort bus# 225, #227. The stop name is Srinivasapura and the identification is JSS institute of Technical Education. Now you just have to climb the Omkara hill.
From Majestic bus# 225C goes till BEML 5th stage. From there take a right turn – now you can walk taking the Uttarahalli – Kengeri main road for a kilometer and half or you may hire a auto till JSS college.
Buses are also available from Banashankari, Kengeri (bus# 222D), Marathalli.
Route: Mysore road – Raja Rajeshwari temple gate – BEML 5th stage – Uttarahalli/Kengeri main road – Srinivasapura – JSS college
Where to eat: No food is available. However, you can get soft drinks, fruti and appy juce.
Where to stay: The ashram seems to have a residential building but I am not sure if they allow to stay.
Languages Spoken: Kannada, Hindi, English
Omkar ashram or omkara ashram is founded by Sri Sri Shivapuri Mahaswamiji in 1992. The hill rises more than 2500 feet and is a adobe of peace. One can spend time being just with oneself and cool breezes passing by. The place also offers an awesome bird’s view of the southern part of Bangalore. At the very entrance you will find a new temple complex is being built in both north indian and dravidian style. On the right hand side looks the ashram caretakers residential building. Once you move in and take the steps on the left hand side, you will find a huge clock manufactured by HMT. The fact files says:
The biggest clock in the world, even bigger than Big Ben in London, UK.
The clock weighs around 500 kg.
The hour stick weighs around 50 kg, minute 40 kg and second 25 kg.
etc
Every completion of an hour it makes the sound AUM equal to the number of time in the clock. Example, if it is 10 am it will say AUM 10 times. I head a 100 ft by 100 ft structure of the letters AUM will be installed on Omkar hills so that it can see from anywhere in Bangalore. Amaizing! Besides the clock on the left is the Dhyana mandir (prayer hall) of guruji of the ashram. Now again climb few more steps to get on to the highest point on the hill. From here one can get an awesome view and gives ample opportunity for photography. Here a big Banyan tree is surrounded by 8 statues or symbols representing Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Jainism, Dwaita, Vishishtadwaita, Adwaita and Sikhism. Next you will find a marble plated room which will be typically closed. However, you can sit here to take lung full of cool breaths to think about yourself, be at peace, meditate or just let your mind run wild. The gentle breeze of wind and the surrounding will simply make you feel happy. This is one of the lesser known spot to vist in Bangalore. But it is worth visiting.
View from Omkar Hill
Official website: http://omkarhills.org/
Note: Sri Sri Shivapuri Mahaswamiji passed away last year in July 2007 at the age of 69. (info: Deccan Herald)
Another temple seen from Omkar hill
One Comment
Comments are closed.