[iVento]

SunShine at Belur...

Halebidu to Belur is a shart journey of about 18 KMs. But the roads are not in a good shape.

Belur is located on the banks of River Yagachi. It was the early capital of the Hoysala Empire. Belur is considered as the Banaras of South and is thus also known as Dakshina Varnasi. The temple complex has been proposed to be listed under the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.


Belur Town. Also in the picture is the Rajagopura, a magnificent gateway tower that is about 100 feet high.


Within the complex, the main temple of Chennakesava lies in the centre, facing east.


The Chennakeshava Temple is set within a large stone courtyard.


There are many subsidary shrines around the main temple.They conceived their shrines as star-shaped structures.


The Hoysala Crest. The design of the crest depicts Sala (the founder of the Hoysala dynasty), engaged in fierce struggle with a tiger.


The central four pillars before the inner sanctum surround a circular mandapa above which the ceiling is intricately carved. It was too dark to see. The authorities collected Rs.20/- as "camera charges" (promptly issued a receipt) to light up the ceiling with a big electric light.


"The lady with the parrot" a Madanika, an interesting sculpture inside the mantapa.





Fabulous, intricate carvings around the Sanctum Sanctorum.

Now enjoy some nice pictures...






The outer wall of the temple from bottom onwards has tiers of minute sculptures consisting of rows of elephants, lion faces, creepers, ornamental frieze, dancers in small niches, female sculptures in between the pillars, and episodes of Ramayana and Mahabharata. There are a total of 650 such elephant sculptures all around the temple base on the wall, each one said to be carved uniquely.








The Gravity Pillar or The lamp Post is 42 feet tall. The "foundation less" or "baseless" post is placed over a stone platform without any support. This tall monolithic granite column is symbolic of the excellence of architectural science possessed by the Vijaya Nagara reign architects. Even today this column, by its stature and stability, baffles the visitors from the world over. It is supposed to be standing on its own dead weight, therefore it is also called "The Gravity Pillar".


A closeup shot of the base of the gravity pillar. You can clearly see that the pillar is standing on its own. Tour guides will demonstrate how the stone pillar is seemingly floating above the rock base. To illustrate this marvel, paper is pulled between the two surfaces. And yes, it really does appear to be floating.












My daughter poses for the camera.




My daughter on a jumbo safari






A magnificent view of the temple & the gopura.


This tank is known as Vishnu Samudra.

Tips:


Parking along the boundary wall. Hey, can you spot an LTD sticker somewhere?

• A flying visit does not justify. Spend atleast 2-3 hours to enjoy this marvel.
• There is adequate parking around the temple. No parking fees.
• No camera charges or restrictions. Inside the main temple, they charge you Rs.20/- to light a flood light.
• Water, fruits, softdrinks available in plenty.
• Hire a guide for Rs.150-Rs.200/-
• There is nothing much to shop about here. You can buy bronze & stone statuettes, postcards & other books as souvenirs.

Next: Kalasa, Hornadu & Sringeri

To be Continued...

[iVento]

SunShine @ Kalaseshwara Temple, Kalasa

After being enchanted by the beautiful Hoysala architecture at Belur, we headed towards the temple town of Kalasa. Before reaching Kalasa, we took a deviation towards Mudigere town for our lunch. The ghat section starts after Mudigere and the next 90 KMs on this route you will not find any decent eateries.

After lunch at Mudigere, we started our ascend through the ghats. We were welcomed by the mind blowing beauty of Nature. But, after Kottigehara, the bad stretch commenced. The road was full of potholes & pits. On the positive side, the weather was really good. We pulled the windows down & enjoyed fresh air. The drive was through very scenic places. It was lush greenery all around, forests, mountains, valleys, plantations.. Wow!





The drive through the bad stretch was tedious. Finally we reached Kalasa by around 4:30 PM.

Kalasa means pot with sacred water, every temple should have a Kalasa placed on the top according to the Hindu believes. In the pilgrimage to the Western Ghats, the first place to visit is the Kalaseshwara temple in Kalasa followed by Horanadu and Sringeri. Kalasa is also called Dakshina Kashi.

When we reached there, the temple was not crowded. The calmness and serenity that we experienced in the environment there was great. We had a nice, peaceful darshan and spend some time inside the temple.






Of course, the day full of activities had made all of us tired. I hardly had any energy or mood to go around and take photographs. Had two cups of steaming tea from a roadside shop to rejuvenate myself. Trust me... it worked! Meanwhile, my wife & friends went for a shopping of spices. They bought some fresh cardamom, pepper, cloves, bay leaves, kokum, etc at cheaper rate.

We spent an hour & half at Kalasa. Then, started the final leg of the journey for the day, from Kalasa to Hornadu.

Tips

• Food: Not many options.
• Parking available outside the temple. No parking charges.
• Shopping: Tea, Coffee, Spices are plenty & cheap

[iVento]

Annapoorneshwari Temple, Hornadu

It was an 8 KM drive from Kalasa to Hornadu. The road was in "average" condition.

The Annapoorneshwari Temple is located at Horanadu, amidst the thick forests and valleys of the Western Ghats. It is situated on the banks of river Bhadra surrounded by the natural vegetation, forest, green lands, and natural beauty.


Sorry for the badly framed photo. Taken by my son. But this one clearly shows the condition of the road to Hornadu from Kalasa. I have given it an average mark because we had encountered worser roads during this "expedition".

We reached Horanadu at around 6:30 PM and our first priority was to find an accommodation and a safe parking space for our rides. Luckily we found both in no time.

We freshened up & went for the evening darshan. When you reach the temple, you are welcomed by the beautiful temple arc. The single image of the standing deity "Annapoorneshwari" is said to be made of gold. The idol is so beautiful that one will want to go back for one more darshan. Here, we could sit and have the darshan.

"Annapoorneshwari" means one who feeds everyone. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner is provided to every devotee.

After darshan, had dinner from the temple & retired to our rooms.

Trip Meter Readings

Bangalore - 0 KM Started at 6:00 AM
Halebidu - 218 KM
Belur - 236 KM
Mudigere - 274 KM
Kalasa - 333 KM
Hornadu - 341 KM Arrived at 6:30 PM


Day 2


Day break at Hornadu


Baktha Nivasa Lodge: run by the temple trust. The rooms are provided on the first come first serve basis at a reasonable rent of Rs.120/- per day. Rs.60/- per room is being collected as a refundable security deposit. No prior booking is taken. Rooms are very basic. Preference will be given to the families. If rooms are not available, devotees can keep their bags and luggage at luggage room and sleep at temple premises. Hot water is available in the rooms only for 30 minutes, between 5:30 AM & 6:00 AM


The Annapoorneshwari Temple Complex


Mahadwara (main door) of Annapoorneshwari Temple


The Annapoorneshwari Temple Complex. Towards the left of the photo, the first green building is the dining hall & the extreme left is the lodging facility.


Goddess Annapoorna is considered the Goddess of Food. The Temple provides devotees free breakfast, lunch and dinner and also tea and coffee irrespective of gender, caste or religion. Also you can donate any amount for the cause, depending on your ability.


The temple complex


My daughter in front of the the Temple


It was very cold outside when we came out of the logde at 6:00 AM for the darshan. This idea of writing the URL & handle suddenly struck my mind after seeing the frosted panes.

After the morning darshan, we had our breakfast from the temple. Then, packed our bags.

At 8:30 AM, we bid-adieu to Hornadu & started the last leg of our journey, to Sringeri.

Tips

• The route to the temple traverses ghats, dense forests and vegetation.
• It can get very cold specially in the winter. Carry sweater, blankets & monkey caps without fail.
• Every visitor to the temple, irrespective of their religion, language, caste, or creed, is provided with a three-course vegetarian meal (including a dessert made from Dhal or Lentils). Timings are displayed near the dining hall.
• Parking space available in front of the Baktha Nivasa lodge. No parking charges.
• First priority at Baktha Nivasa lodge is for families. In front of my eyes, they had rejected many accommodation requests by singles.
• There are private lodges also available around the temple.
• Water, food, fruits available near the temple. No need to carry.
• Camera can be taken to the temple premises. No photography allowed near sanctum sanctorum.
• Male visitors to the temple have to remove their shirts and banians and preferably cover their shoulders with a towel or a shawl, as a symbol of respect.

Bangalore to Horanadu Route Options:

1. Kunigal – Hassan – Belur – Mudigere – Kottigehara – Kalasa – Horanadu – 326 Kms
2. Kunigal – Hassan – Belur – Chikamagalur – Balehonur – Kalasa – Horanadu – 346 Kms

Source: Official Website

[iVento]

SunShine @ Sringeri

Hornadu to Sringeri is around 60 KM journey. We thought we can cover it in around one and half hour. Within minutes, we realized that we were totally wrong and it was turning out to be the most memorable drives.

First of all the roads were very narrow. At some places even two small cars could not pass through. The roads are in a very bad condition, full of potholes and loose gravel. Lots of sharp curves. And all these are in the middle of thick jungle.

It was a treacherous slow drive. At places we had to come down to second gear or first. We drove through dense forest, tea & coffee plantations and villages. The entire drive was mesmerizing. We came across a waterfall and stopped there for a small photo session.











SunShine in the backdrop of the waterfalls & dense forest. What a picturesque setting!

Sringeri

Sringeri is the sacred abode of Goddess Saraswathi. Sringeri Sharada Peetham was established by Sri Adi Shankaracharya. It is set against the backdrop of the beautiful Malnad hills, on the banks of the Tunga River.




Sringeri Town




The 127 feet Rajagopuram work in progress.


This board says it all.


Suspension Bridge across Tunga River.




A view of the depleted Tunga river.

The math at Sringeri is known as Sringeri Sharada Peetham. It is one of the four Hindu Advaita maths established by Jagadguru Adi Shankaracharya. It is also called to as Dakshinamnaya Sringeri Sharada peetam. The head of the Sringeri matha is called Jagadguru and also carries the Shankaracharya name as a title.


Sri Sharada Temple-The temple is dedicated to Goddess Sharadamba, the Goddess of learning and wisdom.


Sri Vidyashankara Temple-It is a unique monument built entirely of stone. The structure stands on a high plinth.




Proposed development works at Sri Adi Shankaracharya Hill, Sringeri

Tips

• Parking available outside the temple. No parking fees.
• Photography allowed in the campus but strictly prohibited inside the temples.
• Free lunch provided.

Sri Sharadamba Temple - Darshan Timings

Morning - 6:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Evening - 5:00 PM to 9.00 PM

Sri Vidyashankara Temple - Darshan Timings

Morning - 7:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Evening - 5:00 PM to 8:30 PM

[iVento]

Journey Back Home

We finished darshan at both temples by 12:30 PM. Had our lunch from the temple. Lunch was very simple yet very tasty.

We started our journey back home at 1:50 PM. This time we took the Chikkamagalur route. The condition of the road was good and we had a smooth drive.

We took a break at Chikkamagalur for about an hour and a half.

Soon we hit NH-48. Since then the drive was butter smooth.

Spent about an hour at Kamath Upachar for dinner.

Finally we reached back home at 11:30 PM with fresh memories of a picturesque journey.

End of trip.

Trip Meter Readings

Hornadu - 341 KM
Sringeri - 406 KM
Bangalore - 749 KM

Total KMs done: 749

[iVento]

If a Picture Says 1000 Words, Then Video Is… Priceless


Halebidu to Belur

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ELr2w5INa0

Mudigere to Kalasa (Good Stretch)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjVqJkbDZGY

Hornadu to Sringeri Drive

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsn2CJ9-K0Y

Hornadu to Sringeri Drive

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to Travelogues again. Thanks for updating!

[GrammarNazi]

Hey! Great trip! Amazing pics and description. I had been to Belur & Halebidu in November, amazing place! I was truly astounded! I can't believe that living in Bangalore, I'd not been there before. Really shameful such places aren't publicised by the government. Belur truly takes things to an absolutely different level. It's changed my perspective not only of Hinduism, but also of India as a 5000+ year old civilisation.

I managed to take a video of the guide explaining the carvings :

http://youtu.be/n-3wuzsNzJ8

When I went to Halebidu, parking was charged although just 20Rs. But they didn't take any camera charges from me at Belur. Also, it wasn't so crowded though it was a Sunday (I think)

Anyway, thanks for the info about the other places too - may plan to go next weekend.

[iVento]

Originally Posted by GrammarNazi

Hey! Great trip! Amazing pics and description. I had been to Belur & Halebidu in November, amazing place! I was truly astounded! I can't believe that living in Bangalore, I'd not been there before. Really shameful such places aren't publicised by the government. Belur truly takes things to an absolutely different level. It's changed my perspective not only of Hinduism, but also of India as a 5000+ year old civilisation.

Anyway, thanks for the info about the other places too - may plan to go next weekend.

Thanks GrammarNazi.

The authorities need to promote these places more aggressively. At the same time, they need to improve the roads & other facilities. Like I mentioned earlier, the roads (if you like to call them by that name) are in a pathetic condition. A stretch of 65 KM from Horanadu to Sringeri took us more than 3 hours

Best of luck for your drive.

[raghunandanj]

Great pictures !

Belur and Halebid are the two "known and commercially promoted" Hoysala gems of art. In addition, the surrounding areas have additional Hoysala treasures, which are no less extravagant and intricate than these two. They are :

1. Dudda, near Hassan
2. Koravangala, near Hassan
3. Mosale, near Holenarsipur
4. Amruthapura near Tarikere
5. Nuggehalli near Hassan
6. Doddagaddavalli near Belur
7. Javagal near Banavar
8. Belavadi near Banavar

Unfortunately, the state has done nothing to promote or develop these great places of Hoysala art.

[bsdbsd]

Originally Posted by iVento

Sri Vidyashankara Temple-It is a unique monument built entirely of stone. The structure stands on a high plinth.

The specialty of this temple is that - it does not cast shadows. I marvel at the amazing architecture skills of our ancestors.

[iVento]

Originally Posted by bsdbsd

The specialty of this temple is that - it does not cast shadows. I marvel at the amazing architecture skills of our ancestors.

Oh.. I did not know that nor I noticed it.
Thanks for sharing the info.

[LonelyPlanet]

Planning to do this trip on coming Saturday. Can you recommend
- Diesel option on the way (preferably COCO)
- Food options for breakfast and lunch.

[dmplog]

I plan to take route from Bangalore Airport to Sringeri via Belur (and/or Halebeedu). I can leave earliest at 9am from Bangalore Airport.
My question is - can I reach Sringeri by about 5-6pm after doing Belur (and/or Halebeedu) sightseeing?

[procrj]

Originally Posted by dmplog

I plan to take route from Bangalore Airport to Sringeri via Belur (and/or Halebeedu). I can leave earliest at 9am from Bangalore Airport.
My question is - can I reach Sringeri by about 5-6pm after doing Belur (and/or Halebeedu) sightseeing?

Here is how your timelines might look:
BIAL - Hebbal - Nelamangala: 90-120 min if you leave at 9 am depending on traffic
Nelamangala - Hassan:2 Hrs
Hassan - Belur: 30 min
Belur - Chikmagalur: 30 min
Chikmagalur - Aldur - Sringeri: 90 min if you know the roads or 2 hours of sedate driving

Hence BIAL - Sringeri would be about 7 hours of driving time. If you account for a couple of breaks, then would be about 8 hrs. Hence 5-6 pm @ Sringeri is possible without Belur. If you want to enjoy the beauty of Belur, you should budget for at-least 2 hours, which would mean you might end up driving the ghat section in twilight, which I wouldnt advise if its the first time. Added factor to consider is rains as it has been pouring the last few days in Sringeri.

Would suggest you continue discussion here:http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...status-14.html

Also check this thread for details on how you could bypass bangalore traffic:http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...galore-31.html