Another late post! Even though more than a year has passed after this trip, the experience still stays afresh in mind. Hassan, the place from where the Hoysala Empire ruled most of southern India, is not like your usual getaway places. A lot of temples to different deities are scattered across the place that will take you back to the skills of architects and make you wonder about the amount of hard work that has gone behind each of the structures built here. If the ancient architectures and sculptures is something that will make you go wow, this place is a must-visit for you! Read on to get some motivation on how to spend your time here.
Perfect for a weekend getaway from Bangalore, Hassan and its surroundings give one both amazing views and many architectural marvels. The place has a lot of stories behind each idol and temples. The two-day plan was to cover as much monuments and temples as we could. We wanted our freedom to stop as we please, re-route if required and hence ended up with the obvious choice of self-drive rental from Bangalore.
With a long place list in our hand, the trip started early at 5 AM. It took close to 3hrs to reach our first destination; Sravanabelagola, some 150KMs from our origin.
Sravanabelangola is famous for its importance in Jainism. The city rests in between two hills, Chandragiri and Vindhyagiri. There are numerous sacred places spread over two hills and in the village at the foothill. we arrived a little after the sunrise and we were welcomed by a seemingly never-ending flight of stairs carved on the Vindhyagiri hill. That is some climbing for someone whose only daily activity between waking up and sleeping is to sit in front of a computer. The steps take you to the summit, where a 58 feet tall monolithic statue of Gommateshwara (Bahubali in Jainism) is located. A grand ceremony happens here once every 12 years when the statue is anointed with Water, Turmeric, Rice flour, Sugar cane juice, Sandalwood paste, saffron, and gold and silver flowers. Many inscriptions can be found throughout the monuments in ancient Kannada which dates back to 1000 ADs.
Spend some time here, enjoy the panoramic view from here of the boulder-filled hills around, and enjoy some breakfast from one of the numerous small hotels at the foothill. We spent some more time exploring the Chandragiri hills and the several Basadis on the hill. Yes, Basadi is the name given to a Jain shrine or temple in Karnataka which would seem synonymous to the Sanskrit word Vasati.
Our next stop was Bucheshwara Temple inside the small village called Koravangala. This temple, currently protected and maintained by The Archeological Survey of India as a monument of national importance, is a small yet elegant sample of 12th century Hoysala architecture. The temple complex is made of two towers facing each other with the smaller shrine housing an idol of Bhairava and the other shrine for Lord Surya (Sun God). The two Shrines are connected by a closed mandapa and an open mandapa. Guides are available here on request to explain all the carvings and the two temple ruins nearby. Though small, it took more than an hour for the entire explaining to be over. The temple complex is so good for relaxing especially when you are drained by a typical summer day in Hassan. Drop me a message in case you need contact details of the guide who helped us at Koravangala. The place is a bit hidden. But Google can help you get there.
Next up was Lakshmi Narasimha and Sadashivaswamy temple at Nuggehalli. History says the temple was partly done by the Hoysala Empire and completed by the Vijaya Nagara Empire. This is a good example of richly decorated Hoysala temple built in the 3 tower style. As in any other Hoysala construction, the stone artists have left no stones on the walls or the roof untouched. As soon as you enter the temple complex you are greeted with numerous stone carvings. One can only imagine the time and handwork gone behind sculpting these marvellous Structures.
“Every sunset brings the promise of a new dawn.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Time has flown and we have done enough wandering for the day. Its time to conclude it with a beautiful sunset. And when you are around these areas, Shettihalli Church is your goto location for a scenic sunset and is a must-visit place for several reasons. Shettihalli Rosary Church is built in the 1860s by the French missionaries. The church, built in the Gothic architecture was abandoned some 100 years after it was built when the Hemavati Reservoir was Constructed. This place is also known as the floating church because it's submerged in water in the monsoons. We visited this place in March and we were able to reach near the ruins. With obvious signs of ageing, the church still retains its Outline structure as a whole. The last stretch to reach this place is a bit off-road. So hold tight onto your wheels.
After witnessing an amazing sunset we headed towards the town of Hassan in search of our night stay. Rest is much needed before new dawn, for the list has more unchecked places than the checked ones.
Stay Tuned...
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