It’s always fun to share your expat home with good friends and this week I have a great friend in town and have had the pleasure to show her most of the ‘Bangalore Must Do’s’. However, a new one for me was the famous Snake Temple.
The temple doesn’t have any actual ‘live snakes’ much to Steph’s and my relief. The significance of the temple, which is actually not a temple, but a collection of snake idols is to assist with women’s infertility.
Friday is the preferred day to visit the temple for ladies to pray for help with their fertility. They will bring flowers, fruit and incense to leave for their chosen gods. There are also other idols at this temple, not just snakes, such as Ganesha, Shiva and Hanuman, all of which are heavily worshiped along with the snake idols.
Next to the temple is the Siddappa Hotel - not a hotel but a family run breakfast restaurant. However, the names ‘hotel’ and ‘restaurant’ do not describe this family’s home that they open each and every day to feed the locals, and the odd Australian!
They open around 7am and go through until 11am or when the food runs out. It’s about 250 rupees (about $5) for 3 people and we were so full when we left - fabulous value !! The food is all vegetarian and is a set menu of Idli, flavoured rice and sambar, and my favourite Masala Dosa, and it was all delicious.
Idli is a steamed fermented rice and lentil cake which is served with vegetable sambar and ghee. This is usually not a favourite of mine but this version was sensational !
The flavoured rice is steamed with spices such as cardamon, cinnamon and cumin to give a delicious fragrance and is served with the same sambar and a mild Indian curry.
The dosa is a fermented rice batter that is made in to pancake on one side to make it crispy and then served with masala potato in the middle. Delicious!!
Eating with your hands always feels strange but with no other option available, what can you do?!? The restaurant was very busy with a constant flow of visitors the whole time we were there. There are no tables - just small benches lining the hallways and rooms with a narrow walkway for the family to serve the food.
When you’re done, you make your way out the front to pay and wash your hands.
I have added this to my must visit spots in Bangalore.
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| Sari making - 90 year old machines |
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| chaos in the streets - recycling at it's very basic |
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| The snake idols |
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| dosa time |
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| Off to school with dad |
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| All the snake idols have been donated by worshipers wanting help with infertility |
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| Breakfast Indian Style |
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| Just a bit more ghee !! |
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