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{{short description|Hindu temple in Bangalore, India}}{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2019}}
{{Infobox Hindu temple
| name = Dharmaraya Swamy Temple
| image = Dharmaraya Swamy Temple Bangalore edit1.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Front view of the temple
| map_type = India Bengaluru
| map_caption = Location in Bangalore
| coordinates = {{coord|12.9654|N|77.5834|E|region:IN|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_footnotes=
| native_name =
| country = [[India]]
| state = [[Karnataka]]
| district = [[Bangalore Urban district]]
| location =
| elevation_m =
| deity = [[Pandava]]s
| festivals = [[Bangalore Karaga]]
| architecture = [[Hindu architecture|Hindu temple architecture]]
| temple_quantity =
| monument_quantity=
| inscriptions =
| established =
| website =
}}
[[File:Bengaluru-karaga-outside.jpg|thumb|upright|Exterior of the temple at night]]

[[Shri]] '''Dharmaraya Swamy Temple''' is one of the oldest and most famous [[Hindu temple]]s of the city of [[Bangalore]], in [[Karnataka]], [[India]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-04-13|title=Sri Dharmaraya Swamy Temple, Bangalore – A Temple For Pandavas|url=https://www.karnataka.com/bangalore/dharmaraya-swamy-temple-bangalore/|access-date=2021-11-21|website=Karnataka.com|language=en-US}}</ref>

==History==
The Dharmaraya Swamy Temple was built over eight hundred years ago by the [[Thigala]]s, one of the area's oldest social group, an [[Agriculture|agricultural]] community who tilled the soil and grew vegetables and flowers.<ref name=Shekhar>{{cite news |title=This 800-year-old temple in Bengaluru was built for Draupadi but named after Yudhishtira |author=Shekhar, Divya |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/this-800-year-old-temple-in-bengaluru-was-built-for-draupadi-but-named-after-yudhishtira/articleshow/52776146.cms |newspaper=The Economic Times |date=16 June 2016 |access-date=29 January 2020}}</ref>

==Temple Architecture==
The temple displays architectural features of buildings from the [[Western Ganga dynasty]], the [[Pallava dynasty]] and the [[Vijayanagara Empire]]. The temple may be more than 800 years old, the first buildings having been in existence before the current city of Bangalore was founded in 1530 by [[Kempe Gowda I]], when he built a [[Bangalore Fort|mud fort]] here.<ref name=Shekhar/> The temple is built in the [[Dravidian architecture|Dravidian]] style, with a [[gopuram]], an ornate monumental entrance tower. Deities worshipped here include [[Dharmaraya]], [[Krishna]], [[Arjuna]], [[Draupadi]],Nakula, Sahadeva and [[Bhima]]. The [[Karaga (festival)|Karaga festival]] is celebrated during the months of March and April.<ref>{{cite book|author=Biju Mathew|title=Pilgrimage to Temple Heritage|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nAt8AgAAQBAJ&pg=PA544 |year=2013 |publisher=Biju Mathew |isbn=978-81-921284-4-3 |page=544}}</ref>

== Karaga festival ==
The Karaga festival starts from the temple each year. This street procession is led by a priest, dressed as a woman, who carries the "karaga", an enormous clay pot on his head and dances through the streets of the old city, in a ritual dedicated to [[Draupadi]].The ritual is performed on the day of the full moon day. The ritual pot filled with water and adorned with decorations several feet high is carried by the priest, while dancers perform various acrobatic feats while following the procession accompanied by a number of musical instruments. The rituals have their origin in the [[Mahabharata]], particularly in the vastrakshepa (stripping) of Draupadi, the exile of the Pandavas and the death of Draupadi's sons at the hands of [[Ashwathama]]. After all these trials and tribulations, she emerged as a symbol of strong and ideal womanhood.<ref name="Ayyar1998">{{cite book|author=P. V. Jagadisa Ayyar |title=South Indian Customs |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NlCgAAAAMAAJ&q=karagam |date=1 April 1998 |publisher=Rupa & Company |isbn=978-81-7167-372-8}}</ref>

Gowdas, Ganacharyas, Chakridaararu are the ordained sects among the Vahnikula Kshatriyas to carry the tradition of conducting the Karaga. Chakridararu are those who perform the various pooja activities at the time of Karaga. These include the ''ghante poojaris'', who are the gurus and carry out the temple rituals, the family of the Karaga priest, the descendants from the clan of Potaraja, Banka Poojari (announcers of the Karaga) and Kolkararu (messengers). These five families have a Kula purohita (clan priest), who is a [[Brahmin]]. He performs rituals as per the shastras (sacred texts). All the rituals are steeped in secrecy. Overall management and supervision of the festivities is done by Ganacharyas. All these categories of functionaries are supervised by the Gowdas, who ensure smooth functioning.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|last=M R|first=Deepthi|url=http://www.bangaloremirror.com/index.aspx?page=article&sectid=10&contentid=200904212009042100394852e56efa0a&sectxslt=&pageno=1|title=Woman power at Karaga|date=April 21, 2009|work=Bangalore Mirror|access-date=15 February 2020|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723222653/http://www.bangaloremirror.com/index.aspx?page=article&sectid=10&contentid=200904212009042100394852e56efa0a&sectxslt=&pageno=1|archive-date=2011-07-23}}</ref>{{Failed verification|date=February 2020}}

On April 9, 2009, Shankar Narayan, as president of the Dharmaraya Swamy temple trust and Karaga festivities, became the first woman to lead the festival carrying the ritual pot.<ref name=":0" />

== Gallery ==
<gallery>
File:Bengaluru-karaga-outside.jpg|Dharmaraya Swami temple during festivals.
File:Pandavas with Krishna.jpg|Pandavas with Krishna in temple
File:Architectural Style.JPG|Architectural style of Dharmaraya Swami temple.
</gallery>
== See also ==

* '''Dodda Basavana Gudi''' (the '''Nandhi Temple''') is situated in Bull Temple Road, [[Basavanagudi]], area of South [[Bengaluru]], part of the largest city of the [[States of India|Indian state]] of [[Karnataka]].
*[[Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple]] also Gavipuram Cave Temple, an example of [[Indian rock-cut architecture]], is located in [[Bangalore]] in the state of [[Karnataka]] in [[India]].
*[[List of Chola temples in Bangalore]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{commons category}}
* [http://wikimapia.org/#lat=12.9654815&lon=77.5832283&z=18&l=0&m=s&v=2 Central Map of Temple from WikiMaps]

{{Hindu temples in Bangalore}}

[[Category:Hindu temples in Bangalore]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Bangalore]]

Dharmaraya Swamy Temple - Revision history

UpdateBot at 14:38, 20 June 2022