TravelingBeats

Location: Hassan district is located in the heart of the Malnad region and shares the boundary with Kodagu district on the south, Mysore on south east, Manday district on east, Tumkur on north east, Mangalore on west and Chikmagalur on north west.

District Headquater: Hassan

Distance: Hassan town is around 180 km from Bangalore

Journey time: Around 4 and half hours by bus and 5 hrs by train.

How to reach there: One can reach there by KSRTC bus or train from Bangalore, Mysore or Mangalore.

Route: Bangalore – Kunigal – Hassan

Where to stay: Hotel Amblee Palika, Hotel Hassan Ashok, Hotel Suvarna Arcade

Where to eat: Shantala Restaurant, Sathyaprakash Lodge, Malanika Restaurant, Hotel Amblee Palika

Language spoken: Kannada. English and Hindi is understood.

The history of Hassan prominently features the rule of Hoysala kings who ruled in this part of the world in betweeon 1000 – 1334 AD from Belur and Halebidu and Ganga Dynasty of Talkad (350 – 999 CE). After the decline of the Hoysalas, the Vijaynagar empire rules this place and then by the Mysore Wodeyars kings. During ancient time Hassan was said to be part of the great Murayan empire. The Master Control Facility of the Indian Space Research Organization is located here.

What to see:

1. Belur: Belur is famous for the Chennakeshava temple built by Hoysala king Vishnuvardhana. It located around 38 km from Hassan town and other spots like Veeranarayana temple may be visited. Here you can stay at the Karnataka state government run Hotel Mayura Velapuri.

2. Halebidu: Halebidu is famous for the Hoysaleshwara temple. It is located 27 km from Hassan town. At Halebidu you can stay at Tourist Cottages of Tourism Department.

3. Shravanabelagola: Shravanabelagola is important religious center of jains. One has to climb around 600 steps to reach the hill top where a huge monolithic statue of Gomteshwara or Lord Bahubali is located. This is the largest monolithic statue in the world. Also, you can find various stautes of jain thirthankaras. Mahamastakabhisheka is a grand festival here, which takes place every 12 years.

4. Bisle reserve forest or Bisle ghat: This area is famous for trekking.

5. Sakleshpur: Sakleshapur is a small town and is a mini hill station. It can be a weekend escape from the cities like Bangalore, Mangalore or Mysore. It is also know for coffee and spice cultivation.

6. Gorur Dam: Gorur dam is made by embanking river Hemavathi. It located around 12 km from Hassan town on the way Arakalagud. The back water of Gorur dam is also known Hemavathi Reservoir. Here can also visit the temple of Yoganarasimha.

7. Manjrabad Kote or fort: Manjrabad fort is locared on the top of Adanigudda, 6kms from Sakleshpura on the road to Mangalore. Its purpose is not to enclose any town but is to serve as a point of political strategy in the form of a protection and control point on the enemies to the rulers. In order to subdue or attack the enemies who would infiltrate from Madikeri and Mangalore sides. Tippu sultan developed this fort around 1782 AD as a watch tower rather then a full fledged defense point.

Hassan district is full of Hoysala architecture scattered all over the country side. This may never come to the notice of the typical tourist. Some of the are as follows:

Hulikere (ornate stepped tank or Kalyani)
Pushpagiri (Mallikarjuna, Bhairava temples)
Doddagaddavalli (Lakshmidevi temple)
Koravangala (Govindeshwara, Nakeshwara and Bucheshwara temples)
Kondajji (Vishnu temple)
Adagur (Lakshminarayana temple)
Chatachatahalli (Chatteshwara temple)
Javagal (Narasimha temple)
Haranahalli (Keshava and Someshwara temples)
Arasikere (Ishwara temple)
Hullekere (Channakeshava temple)
Shantigrama (YogaNarasimha and Channakeshavaswamy temple)
Nuggehalli (Lakshminarasimha and Sadashiva temple)
Sakleshpura (Sakaleswara temple)
Manjarabad (fort and dungeons)
Ramnathapura (Rameshwara temple)and Pattabi Rama ,Subramanyeshwara
Gorur (Yoganarasimha temple, Paravasudeva temple and Dam over river)
Basadihalli (Adinatha Basadi, Parshwanath Basadi and Saantinatha Basadi)
Malekal Tirupathi (Venkata Ramanna and Govidaraja temple)
Shantigrama (Yoganarsimha, Dharmeshwara and Keshava temples)
Anekere (Chennakaesava temple)
Mallarajapatna (Lakshmaneshwara temple)
Mavathanahalli (Mahalingeshwara temple)
Anathi (Lakshminarayana temple)
Hebbalalu (Singeshwara temple)
Jinanathapura (Shantinatha basadi)
Ambuga (Prasanna Chennakeshava temple)
Heragu (Kirthinarayana temple)
Mosale (Nageshwara and Channakeshava temples)
Mavinakere (Ranganathaswamy temple)
Holenarasipura (Narasimha temple)
Honnavara (Keshava temple)
Ruined Keshava Temple Honnavara,HassanHirekadalur (keshava temple)
Ruined Keshava Temple Hirekadalur,HassanHalmidi (Inscription)

Location: Tumkur district is located on the eastern side of Karnataka. It shares boundary with Ananthapura District of Andhra Pradesh on southeast, Chitradurga, Hassan and Chikkamagalur on west and northeast, Mandya district on south.

Distance: 70 km from Bangalore

Journey time: 1 and half hour

Route: Bangalore – Dobbespet – Tumkur

How to reach there: You can reach by KSRTC buses from Bangalore, train or your own vehicle.

Where to stay:

1. Hotel Sri Nanjundeswara
B.H. Road, Tumkur – 572 101
(half km from Tumkur railway station and bus stand),

2. Dwaraka Hotel
MG road, Tumkur

3. Woodlands Hotel

Where to eat: You can eat at the above hotels, local eateries or highway dhabas.

language spoken: Kannada. English and Hindi is understood.

Tumkur is one of the district of the Indian state of Karnataka. Recently, the name has been rechristened to Tumakuru but still popularly known as Tumkur.

What to see:

1. Siddaganga Mutt (temple): Sri Siddaganga Mutt is a famous spirutual center in South India. It does a lot of social work like providing free education etc. It was founded by Sree Gosala Siddeshwara Swamiji in 15th century A.D. The Mutt established Sree Siddaganga Education Society in 1962 & runs more than 130 educational institutions. Located 63 Km from Bangalore around a beautiful landscape. The mutt is surrounded by many hills like Ramagiri(or Ramalinga) Hills, Siddaganga Hills etc. One can find caves in these hills containing Shiva lingas.

Website: http://www.siddagangamutt.org/

Bird’s eye view of Siddaganga Mutt

2. Namadha Chilume: Namadha Chilume is a small streak of water flowing out of a rock. Legend has that during the exile of Ram and Sita, Sita was thristy. So to quench her thrist, Ram shot a arrow on a rock from which water came out. No one knows the source of the water till date. It is located in dense forest. Apart from this one can enjoy the green forest, deer safari and stay at the traveller’s banglow available there. It is located around 8 km from Tumkur. That is it comes before Tumkur on the way from Bangalore.

3. Devarayana Durga: Devarayana Durga is a small hill station near Tumkur located amidst dense forest. The rocky stone boulder filled hills rising more than 3000 ft are dotted with several temples. This includes the famous Yoganarasimha and Bhoganarasimha temple. This hills has two source of water call Mangali and Jaya which join together at the foothill at Irukasandra to form the Jayamangali river. These hills are also said to be the source of river Shimsa. One can stay at the traveler’s banglow available there.

It is around 65 km from Bangalore and 25 km from Dobbespet.

Route: Bangalore – Dobbespet – take right for Devarayana Durga – take left for Shivagange betta

Bangalore – Kyatsandra – Railway crossing – Siddaganga Mutt – Namada Chilume – Hanuman Temple – Devarayanadurga (this route is shorter)

4. Goravanahalli MahaLakshmi Temple: Goravanahalli MahaLakshmi Temple is located in Goravanahalli, Koratagere taluk of Tumkur district near to Devarayanadurga. It is one of the most famous temple in Karnataka.

5. Kaidhala Chenna keshava temple: This temple is located on South Kunigal road around 6 km from Tumkur.

6. Kote Anjeneya Swami Statue: It is a huge Hanuman statue built near the Panchamukha and Anjaneya temple.

7. Ammani Kere: It is a huge lake and popular picnic spot.

Around Tumkur:

Madhugiri: Madhugiri is a monolith hill and is one of the highest in Tumkur. Around Mudhugiri there are many hills – Chennarayana Durga, Devarayana Durga, Siddara Betta to name a few. It is located around 40 km from Tumkur. You can see a fort on top of the hill. Around 20 km from here is the maidanahalli blackbuck sanctuary. There is no loding facility there, so if you would like to stay there you need to take permission from the forest authority.

Route:

1. Tumkur – deviation – Siddara Betta and Chennarayana Durga en route Madhugiri.

2. Tumkur – other deviation will take you directly to Madhugiri via Koratagere.

2. Shivagange: Shivagange is popular religious place and it derives its name from the spring which is considered as Ganga. It is around a 2 km trek to the top of the hill. On top you will find a few temples and a Nandi staute. It located around 8 km from Dobbaspet and 50 km from Bangalore.

3. Siddalingeshwara Temple

4. Chennabasaweshwara Temple Gubbi: Chennabasaweshwara Temple is located at a small village called Gibbi and nearby is the Gubbi Kere (lake).

5. Marconahalli: Has a Reservoir built across Shimsha river. Boating is available here.

6. Sinhadham: This is a Lion Safari Park located on Shimoga-Sagar Road.