The church was abandoned then, upon the establishment of the Gorur Dam or the Hemavati Dam and Reservoir and was slowly forgotten thereafter. The Rosary Chapel, now a ruin, was once a proud gothic structure to look up to until 1960. In 1860, the French missionaries constructed this magnificent church, which is now popular amongst tourists as “The Floating Church” or “The Submerged Church”. Overview and History of Shettihalli Rosary Church: Nearest Railway Station: Mysuru Junction railway station has better connectivity than Hassan Railway Station. Picture Credit: Frame in Frame -Shettihalli Rosary Church, Hassan 10 / Bikashrd / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 This is an Indian Art forum in form of an open-air museum.Īpart from the temples, if you are an adrenaline junkie, Belur-Halebidu has water-sports at the Yagachi dam. This Halebidu temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and consists of a monolithic Krishnashila Shivalinga, carved from Blackstone. This Hindu temple at Halebidu, dating back to the 12th century, is mostly in ruins now. This big tank from the 13 th century is still providing ritual waters to the temples in Belur. This is a monolithic structure standing freely on a stone-made platform as an effect of gravity for centuries. tall granite pillar at Belur, also known to the locals as Kartika Deepotsava Sthamba or Mahasthamba, does not have a base. This is a temple with three shrines in Belur, dedicated to Lakshmi-Narayana. Historians say that this masterpiece took about 103 years to build.Ĥ2 Madanikas with their exquisite jewellery curvatures are situated on the corners of the Chennakeshava Temple. This 12th-century temple is the main attraction in Belur. Combining the twin towns there are more than 10 excellently carved temples based on the Dravidian Vesara architecture style.Ī few heritage temples and their speciality of this area.

Every piece of jewellery and sculptures of the temples are chiselled to perfection and detail.īelur and Halebidu are small towns located about 238 Km from Bengaluru, with Halebidu being a further 16 Km from Belur. These twin towns grew into one of the best examples of cultural heritage spanning over 3 Centuries, from 11th-14th century AD.Īll the temples and sculptures are carved out of Soapstone or Chloritic Schist. The twin towns of Belur and Halebidu are in the Hassan district on Yagachi river’s banks. History and overview of Belur and Halebidu: Guide Fees: Government appointed guide fees are between INR 125-INR 250, depending on the number of hours.

Inner Sanctum closed from 10 AM-11 AM, 1 PM-3 PM, and 5 PM-5.30 PM.

Nearest Railway Station: Hassan Railway Station Picture Credit: Rear view of Chennakesava Temple, Belur / Bikashrd / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 It is a festival where the head of the Bahubali statue is anointed with gallons of milk and a sandalwood paste mixture. This happens once in 12 years, around January / February, depending on the Luni-solar Jain Calendar. Talking about the best time to visit Gommateshwara temple, the Mahamastakabhisheka Festival, is a great time to visit. If you plan to visit Shravanabelagola we recommend that you visit anytime between October and March, while the weather is still pleasant. However, in this context, we also need to warn you that you will not want to climb these steps during the humid summers from April to June. To get to the temple’s entrance, pilgrims climb 600 steps every day. The temple is located at the peak of the Vindyagiri Hills. Gommateshwara Temple with its iconic statue of Bahubali stands as one of the largest Jain pilgrim spots of India. If you have never witnessed a 57 ft high marble statue, gear up because you are about to see the world’s tallest monolithic statue.Ĭan you believe this statue of Bahubali Bhagwan was carved from a single granite block, way back in 981 AD?

Nearest Airport: Kempegowda International Airport Nearest Railway Station: Shravanabelagola Railway Station Location: Hassan District, Karnataka, India

Picture Credit: Sharavanabelagola Bahubali Wideframe / Ananth H V / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 All you need to do is start your engine, and drive away. If you can spare a weekend, club two or more destinations, that are located close to each other. The list of architectural wonders from Bengaluru by road can be a big one. Starting from the tallest monolithic statue at Shravanabelagola to the floating pillars of Lepakshi, these 5 destinations are a short drive from Bengaluru and are sure to give you memories for a lifetime. Picture Credit: Mysore Palace / Deeptrivia / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0 No matter where you go in India there will be at least one ancient piece of art/architecture. India is the land of architectural wonders.

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