  Shivaganga is a large hill 60 kilometeres from Bangalore. It's called the four-faced hill and it's supposed to resemble a Nandi (Bull) from the east, a Ganesha (Elephant headed God) from the west, a linga (a half oval symbol with a similar meaning as the Chinese Yin Yang symbol) from the south and a cobra from the north.
One who sees all four symbols will have a wish come true. There are two temples as you go up the hill, Honnadevi Temple and Gavi Gangadhareshwara Cave Temple. The Cave Temple is a good hike up and behind the alter there is a narrow passage way that you climb up into where there is a hole in the rock.
You reach down into the hole and if you touch and are able to drink the water, it is a blessing from Ganesha and it means you are a good, worthy person and you will have good luck. Shivaganga is a pilgrimage center with people coming from all over to visit and hopefully, to see the 4 faces and drink the water of the Cave temple. I arrived in Shivaganga with Ravi Shankar in the early afternoon. I had heard about the four faces but I didn't know the history of the temples. With Ravi, I can never tell if we are really understanding each other. He can speak some english and I can always understand what he is saying but a lot of times I think he's guessing at my meaning.
"Ravi, we need a house for the family that looks to the mountain. " "Yes, families live here. " "I mean for the movie. " "I have done lots of movies here. This location. " "For our movie. We need a house that the faces the mountain. " "Yes, for our movie. " "The boy looks to the mountain and tries to see the four-faces.
" "Our boy? In movie? This is in script? " "Yes. " "Ah, this is very good! " There are a lot of stairs leading up to the first temple and Ravi asks me if I want to go up. I wasn't sure if he didn't want to climb the stairs or if he thought I wouldn't. "Oh yeah", I said and up we went. We got to the Temple, took our shoes off and went in. Ravi talked to the keeper of the temple, a man in his fifties who is wearing what looks like, not to be disrespectful, a cloth diaper.
He has various painted strips and marks on his body, a red dot on his forehead and is wearing a necklace of small white flowers. I'm not sure if he is really considered a spiritual leader or just someone who presides over the temple and the prayers. He invites us into the sacred part of the temple and as we walk through there are varies small rooms off to the sides, all but one of which are not big enough to go into but only big enough for a statue of Ganesha or Shiva.
Ravi walks up to each one and does a a small ritual, turns his hands back and forth in front of his face, touches his head and chest and mouths something. Apparently, this is a 1900 year old Temple. I'm pretty sure that's what Ravi said. Either that or its from 1900 and that doesn't make sense! We get to the bigger room and look through the doorway. There is a kind of ramp up to a Ganesha which is decorated in fresh flowers and has all kinds of things around it.
Ravi and the man talk again and they talk a little about me and the film as I make out the words "film", "english" and "america". He and I smile at each other while they are talking and, just like everyone else I have encountered so far, is happy to have me there and is very warm and inviting. He brings a tray over that has a goblet that has fire coming out of it and Ravi and I put our hands in the firs and then over our faces.
Then, he puts a small amout of milk (when I did this at the Bull Temple is Bangalore, it was water), which we drink. Probably not the smartest idea for me to be drinking strange milk but there I am doing it hoping that Ganesha will protect me from explosive diarrhea.
We leave the Temple and I give a 20 rupee note to a woman who gently begging with her two kids. She is so happy and motions that it will go to feed them. It's less than fifty cents to me and its a good amout of money to her. Its starting to drizzle rain and as we go up there are stairways made from someone carving into the rockface. Along the way there are a few little shelters with people selling drinks and snacks. Everyone smiles as we go by. There are oxen, lots of goats and monkeys. Every so often, Ravi makes sure that I want to continue up to the cave Temple which, of course, I do. We get there right before it really starts to rain and three monkeys and two twin wolf like dogs are standing guard along with a young guy who looks like Kobe Bryant.
The temple is very small and as you go in there are stairs leading up to a shrine of Ganesha. Same as most of the one's I have seen, you look through a doorway and there is a kind of ramp leading up to a decorated Genesha. Ravi, does his ritual and then we go to the right where there is a small passage way that you have to duck and climp up to. As you turn the corner, there is a leg sizzed hole in the rock. We look at it and go through to the other side and back around and out. I knew nothing abut the hole or touching the water but when we got out, a 69 year old man who had traveled 500 kilometers on his pilgrimage, asked me if I touched the water.
I didn't understand but Ravi translated. Ravi told him that we didn't even try and he increduously sent us back in. Ravi, went and I wasn't sure why he was going or what was going on and he motioned for me to go, go! We went back in and Ravi reach down shoulder length into the hole and pulled out some water which he drank.
Then I did the same. Still not realizing the significance, we went back out. When the man, his friend and Kobe heard that we had gotten the water, they were very happy. We were blessed. They said that one person can reach in and get nothing and another right after might touch and drink the water. Its up to Ganesha whether you are a good person and if you are worthy. There were times when no one touched the water for 35 years and another time for 50 years.
I was going to be very successful they said. After the rain stopped, on the way down the hill, Ravi said, "It's all real. God decides if you get the water. This is very good for the production. " "Yeah", I said, thinking to myself about how seriously he and the others took this and that it was all sweet and harmless enough. No reason to reveal myself as a non-believer and whatever gives you hope is fine with me. The fact that they believed it and that it was an amazing experience was good enough for me.
News of our triumph travelled back to Shandilya Creations and everyone was impressed and happy that this had happened. Me too. I'll always have the story to tell. 
