Big Banyan Tree

The wonderland Big Banyan Tree is one of the least heard locations of Bangalore.  It is a perfect places to visit near Bangalore. The Big Banyan Tree is the English name to the Kannada word Dodda Aalada Mara. The place, at the small village of Kethohalli, almost 25 kilometers away from Bangalore off to the Mysore road.

It is a gigantic banyan tree of 400 years old. The tree covers a circumference of 250 meters, spread across 3 acres of land.  The tree has thousands of aerial roots. These roots succumbed due to natural disease for 10 – 15 years and thus now it looks like many diverse trees.  The area is well maintained with pathways and dustbins.

This is a beautiful gateway from Bangalore. The prevailing greens and fauna inside is a wonderful view to observe. You’ll notice less people all around the place. The chirping of the birds, the swan sailing in the pond and the lake, together makes the place magnificent.

Simply put together, this destination is a unique and refreshing zone where you will find yourself driving into the green and exploring the amazing shades of hue of nature. The roots of the tree have many stories to tell. They multiple and forms more number of trees which have filled the place in the best way. It is the home for animals like birds, monkeys, squirrels and many more.
 
You will witness the several types of birds like the Doves, Pirnia, Drongo and Hoppe found here, moving on their own. You can spend hours without any interruption of your busy life. The canopy of the Big Banyan Tree is constantly widening year after year and has witnessed the development of the place from decades. It is a better place to plan a picnic on the winter days.

There is a small temple which is solely dedicated to Lord Shiva. The tree is a spirit of true Hindus gods; the stem as Vishnu, roots as Brahma and branches as Shiva.

Big Banyan Tree haunting stories

It is a very common belief from the ancient time that witches, evil spirits, all find their home under the shelter of a Banyan Tree. The elaborated roots have spread to a large area. The commoners here do not move around the premises of the tree, once it is dark.

They even have claimed that some have witnessed an anonymous person standing under the tree wearing white clothes. During the dusk and the night hours, it is advised not to be in this area.
 
Places near Big Banyan tree

The popular nearby places to Big Banyan Tree are listed below;

The Lord Munishwara Temple is located inside the complex tree. The shrine was made 2000 years back when the tree once collapsed due to the main trunk.

Another famous spot is Mukti Naga Temple; it is around 3 kilometers from the Big Banyan Tree location. It has the largest monolithic Lord Naaga stature. Houses here have the largest stature around 16 feet tall. The interesting myth is if you take 9 rounds of the temple, then your deep wish will be full-filled in 90 days of time span.

A scenic dam namely, Manchanabele Reservoir is a lovely club to visit while you are driving back from the Bangalore Mysore highway.

The popular Vishnu temple, Ranganathaswamy temple of the south India is found in the nearby location.
 
A popular temple from 12th century AD, Melkote temple is an exquisite destination to explore while you are on a trip to Big Banyan Tree.

Big Banyan Tree is a perfect One day trip from Bangalore. Big Banyan tree is a perfect spot for the botany students who are reaching on this subject. Its nearby locations can be quickly explored while coming back from the trip.