3 DAY TRIP FROM BANGALORE | CHIKMAGALUR WITH SHRAVANABELAGOLA

At a distance of 700m from Shravanabelagola Bus Station, Bhandara Basadi is the largest temple built in the center of Shravanabelagola town at a distance of about 300m from the entrance of the Vindhyagiri hill which houses the famous Bahubali Gomateshwara Temple. It is one of the popular sacred places to visit in Shravanabelagola.

Built in 1159 CE, this temple was erected by Bhandari Hullamayya, a general of Hoysala King Narasimha. The temple is a large structure measuring 155 ft x 232 ft. The temple exhibits great artistic skills of Hoysala rulers. The temple has a large manasthamba and an ornate mandapa in front of the entrance. The tower on entrance of the temple is small but nicely designed. The temple tower is erected on a pillared mandapa that houses few wooden carvings of a Jain Thirthankaras.

The main shrine is a rectangular structure with a 12 pillared sanctum, a rangamandapa and another mandapa called Saraswathi .....

At a distance of 1 km from Shravanabelagola Bus Station, Odegal Basadi also known as Vadegal Basti or Trikuta Alaya is a wonderful 14th-century basadi situated on Vindhyagiri hill on the way to Bahubali Gomateshwara Temple. It is one of the prime places to visit in Shravanabelagola.

The Odegal Basadi is named so because of the stone proportions placed against its basement. It is the only trikutachala in Shravanabelagola that can be visited as part of Shravanabelagola Tour Packages. The basadi is built on a highly elevated platform supported by huge blocks of stone pillars. It is impressive for the commanding position it occupies. The temple has a small Mukha mandapa followed by a large maha mandapa with circular pillars. The maha mandapa has three sanctums facing different directions with beautiful statues of Tirthankaras housed inside.

The .....

At a distance of 1 km from Shravanabelagola Bus Station, Tyagada Kamba is a 10th century Monilithic Gateway situated on Vindhyagiri hill between Bahubali Gomateshwara Temple and Tyagada Kamba.

The doorway has a large stone carving of Gajalakshmi panel above the door. Goddess Lakshmi seated on lotus flanked by two elephants with pots in their trunks. The panel has crocodile and lion images carved on the upper part. This is one of the finest and largest Gajalakshmi reliefs in the country. It is one of the best arts that exhibit the workmapship of Ganga period.

There are two cells built on both sides of the gateway which were built in 12th century by Bharatamayya, a general of Hoysala king Vishnuvardhana. These cells are dedicated to Bahubali and his brother Bharatha.

Beside Bharatha's cell, there is a huge rock with several carvings of Jain saints with their followers flanked across the rock in three levels. The .....

At a distance of 1 km from Shravanabelagola Bus Station, Bahubali Gomateshwara Temple is a monolithic statue situated in Shravanbelagola, Karnataka. It is the tallest monolithic stone statue in the world with a height of 58 feet, and among the must include places in Shravanabelagola Tour Packages.

The temple is built on top of a Vindhyagiri Hill at an altitude of 3347 feet. A flight of 620 steps provides access to this temple from the entrance near the pond. Gomateshwara Temple is among the prime places to visit in Shravanabelagola.

This image of Bahubali was created during the period of Chamundaraya, a minister of the Ganga King Rajamalla between 982 and 983 CE. The eyes of the statue are open as if viewing with work without any detachment. The statue has an anthill behind, representing Gomatha's long penance. Creeper emerges .....

At a distance of 1 km from Shravanabelagola Bus Station, Siddhara Basadi is a 14th century basadi situated just outside the main Bahubali Gomateshwara Temple on Vindhyagiri hill.

Dedicated to Sidda Bhagavan Thirthankara, the basadi has an attractive carved granite statue of Saint Sidda in sitting posture. The basadi has two wonderful pillars erected in 14th and 15th centuries with valuable inscriptions. These pillars are dedicated to the Jain saints Panditahradhya and Srtamuni. The text on one of the pillars was composed by a famous Kannada poet called Mangaraja.

The Wodeyar mandapa on the western side has inscriptions describing the donations made by the Mysore Maharajas to the temple in 17th and 18th centuries.

Few meters ahead of Siddara Basadi, Gullekayi Ajji Mandapa situated opposite to the entrance of Gomateswara Temple is a wonderful mandapa with a mansthamba erected in 12th century with inscriptions. The mandapa also has a beautiful carving of an old lady called .....

At a distance of 1 km from Shravanabelagola Bus Station, Tyagada Kamba is a wonderful 10th century monument situated on Vindhyagiri hill on the way to Bahubali Gomateshwara Temple, past Odegal Basadi.

Tyagada Kamba is a small, open pavilion with an elaborately carved stone pillar which is an unmatched artistic beauty. Built on an elevated platform, the pillar has elaborate carvings from bottom to top. It is believed that Chavundaraya, minister of Ganga Dynasty distributed gifts to needy people from this pavilion. This pillar brings out the best workmanship of Ganga rulers.

It is believed that the original inscription at bottom of the pillar was erased by Heggade Kanna in 1200 AD. He installed an image of Yaksha at the top of the pillar and added inscriptions on the pedestal. The upper mandapa of the pavilion was built using brick and mortar in 15th century.

At a distance of 1 km from Shravanabelagola Bus Station, Tyagada Kamba is a 17th century Jain basadi situated on Vindhyagiri hill near Tyagada Kamba on the right side while going to Bahubali Gomateshwara Temple.

The basadi is a small shrine with a small pillared madapa and sanctum with a small tower over the sanctum. Built on an elevated platform, the doorway of the main structure has is accompanied by dwarapalakas. The shrine is built against a large boulder which form southern wall of the basadi. The image of Chandraprabha, 8th Jain Thirthankara is carved on the boulder attached to the temple.

There is a large open hall with 24 pillars opposite to the basadi. Also, a large 30 feet manastambha is placed near the open hall. The basadi, hall and manasthambha are built by Chennanna, son of Puttaswamy Setti in 1667 AD.

This place offers panoramic view of the other side of Shravanabelagola town.

At a distance of 0.5 km from Shravanabelagola Bus Station & 1.5 km from Bahubali Gomateshwara Temple, Chamundaraya Basadi located on Chandragiri Hill is a wonderful structure dedicated to Lord Neminatha built in Jaina architecture of Dravidian style. It was built by Chamundaraya, the minister of Ganga king Marasimha II in 982 AD. The construction of this basadi was completed in 995 AD. It is one of the prime places to visit in Shravanabelagola, the holy site of Jain pilgrimage.

Chamundaraya Basadi is the most attractive and largest structure on Chandragiri hill. This structure resembles the Dravidian two-tier temple architecture introduced by Badami Chalukyas. The basadi is a rectangular structure facing east. The complex consists of a garbhagriha, a pradakshina path, open sukanasi, navaranga and a mukhamandapa. The garbhagriha houses the image of Lord Neminatha.

There is another small structure on the first level of Chamundaraya Basadi which can be accessed by a set of narrow .....

At a distance of 0.5 km from Shravanabelagola Bus Station & 1.5 km from Bahubali Gomateshwara Temple, Chandraprabha Basadi is located on Chandragiri Hill.

It consists of an open Garbagriha, a sukhanasi, a navaranga and a porch and enshrines a seated figure of Chandraprabha, the 8th tirthankara. In the sukhanasi are placed the images of Shyama and Jwalamalini, the yaksha and yakshi. The pedestal of Jwalamalini image shows a lion with two riders seated one behind the other.

The basadi is a brick structure raised over a stone base. It is said to have been constructed by the Ganga king Sivamara II.

At a distance of 0.5 km from Shravanabelagola Bus Station & 1.5 km from Bahubali Gomateshwara Temple, Kattale Basadi is situated to the left of Parswanatha Basadi on Chandragiri. It is the biggest of all the Basadis on Chandragiri hill.

This basadi is dedicated to Adinath, the first tirthankara. An image of the Goddess Padmavathi is also found in the verandah. It was constructed by Ganga Raja, the general of Vishnuvardhana. This structure was recently renovated by the Government of Karnataka.

The basadi has garbhagriha, pradakshinapatha, an open sukanasi, a navaranga of 16 pillars, a large rangpmandapa. The garbhagriha houses the seated image of Lord Adinatha. As per the inscriptions on the pedestal of this image, the temple was funded by Pochavve, the mother of Gangaraja.

At a distance of 0.5 Km from Shravanabelagola Bus Station & 1.5 km from Bahubali Gomateshwara Temple, Parshwanatha Basadi is located on Chandragiri Hill. The basadi contains a garbagriha, a sukhanasi, a navaranga and a porch. This is a beautiful structure with decorated outer walls. The doorways are lofty and the navaranga as well as the porch have verandhas at their sides. The pillars in the navaranga are of round Ganga type with bell, vase and wheel mouldings. The image of Parshwanatha is the tallest on the hill which is 18 feet in height.

The manastambha (pillar) in front of the Parshwanatha basadi has a pavilion on the top containing standing Jain figures facing four directions. This pillar is sculptured on all the four sides of the base and contains the figure of Padmavathi on the south, Yaksha on the east, seated Kushmandini on the north and a galloping horseman on the west. It was built by a Jain merchant Puttaiya between 1672 & 1704 AD.

At a distance of 3 km from Mullayanagiri and 19 km from Chikmagalur, Seethalayanagiri is a mountain peak located in Chikmagalur district of Karnataka. Situated at an altitude of 5000 feet, Seethalayanagiri is one of the top tourist places to visit in Chikmagalur.

Seethalayanagiri is situated on the way to Mullayanagiri from Chikmagalur. The drive up the winding roads of Chandradrona hill on the way to Seethalayanagiri is very scenic. One can get some mesmerizing views from the top of the peak which is easily walkable from the parking area. Several visitors park their vehicles at Seethalayanagiri and trek to Mullayanagiri which is about 3 km from here.

There is also a small quiet temple dedicated to Seethala Mallikarjuna Swamy. 'Seetha' means damp in Kannada. The Shivlinga is always surrounded by water. This is a pilgrimage center for the people living around this region. Apart from the temple, .....

At a distance of 20 km from Chikmagalur and 23 km from Baba Budangiri (by road), Mullayanagiri is a mountain peak located in Chikmagalur. With an altitude of 1950 m, it is the highest peak in Karnataka, and among the must include places in Chikmagalur Packages.
 
Regarded as the highest peak between the Himalayas and Nilgiris, Mullayanagiri is one of the best places for trekking in Karnataka. The peak gets its name from a small temple at the summit, which is dedicated to a Tapasvi Mullappa swamy, who is believed to have meditated at the cave near the summit. For adventure enthusiasts, it is one of the best places to visit in Chikmagalur as it offers an opportunity to engage in activities like mountain biking, trekking, and road biking.

Being the highest peak in Karnataka, .....

At a distance of 11 km from Baba Budangiri, 11 km from Mullayanagiri and 18 km from Chikmagalur, Kavikal Gandi, also known as Horse Shoe Viewpoint, is a popular viewpoint in Chikmagalur district of Karnataka.

Located on Mullayanagiri - Baba Budangiri road, Kavikal Gandi is a prominent hill viewpoint in Chikmagalur region. There is a check post on the road. The horse shoe viewpoint can be easily reached by climbing up about 50 steps from this check post.

There is a small idol of Hanuman at the foot of the hill. Atop the hill, someone has recently drawn a painting of Swami Vivekananda. This hill is always windy and pleasant. From the viewpoint one can get a breathtaking view of Chandra Drona mountain range.
Timings: 6 AM - 6 PM

At a distance of 12 km from Baba Budangiri and 23 km from Chikmagalur, Jhari Waterfalls, also known as Buttermilk Falls, is a beautiful waterfall situated near Attigundi in Chikmagalur district of Karnataka. This is one of the popular waterfalls in Chikmagalur and also one of the best Chikmagalur tourist places.

Jhari Falls, situated on the way to Baba Budangiri or Kemmangundi from Chikmagalur, is surrounded by dense forest and coffee plantations. This falls is created by the springs generated in the mountains. A pool is formed by the waterfall below which allows visitors swim and play in the water. This is a perfect retreat from the busy city life and it is one of the must visit tourist spots in Chikmagalur.

The Falls is located on a steep and rugged road down through private coffee plantations from the parking, which is about 4 km from the falls. Visitors cannot take their vehicles due to bad .....

At a distance of 29 km from Kemmanagundi & 36 km from Chikmagalur, Baba Budangiri is a mountain in the Baba Budan range in Chikmagalur. Also known as Dattagiri & Chandra Drona Parvatha, it is one of the prime place to include in your Chikmagalur Tour Packages.

At an altitude of 1895 m, Baba Budangiri is one of the top places for trekking in Karnataka and among the best places to visit as part of 2 day trip from Bangalore. The mountain is named after the Muslim saint, Baba Budan who used to reside here. Baba Budan was a 17th-century Sufi saint who came to India from Saudi to spread the message of Islam and peace. According to legend, he introduced coffee to India by bringing beans from the port of Mocha, Yemen in 1670 AD. This place is also important for Hindus as Dattatreya Peetha. A cave here is believed to .....

At a distance of 10 km from Chikmagalur & 50 km from Kemmanagundi, Hirekolale Lake is a beautiful manmade lake situated in Chikmagalur. It is one of the well-known tourist places in Chikmagalur.

Surrounded by high mountains, this beautiful lake is awe-striking for every spectator, and mustinclude places in Chikmagalur Tour Packages. This lake was built to supply water to Chikmagalur town and assist in the irrigation of lands in all the villages situated nearby.

The lake is encompassed by gorgeous surroundings and offers a serene retreat for people coming along with friends and family wishing to have a great time. It also offers the most fascinating views of the landscape during sunset and is a delight for photography lovers who are looking to add an idyllic sunset shot to their travel .....

At a distance of 5 Kms from Chikmagalur, 66 Kms from Kemmangundi, 81 Kms from Sringeri, the Kodanda Rama Temple located in Hiremagalur is an ancient temple build during Hoysala's period. It is one of the well known Chikmagalur places to visit.

Though the central structure of the temple is built in Hoysala style, the remaining portions were the additions of subsequent rulers including Vijayanagara's. The navagrahas were added in14th century & Mukhamantapa was added in 16th century. The images of Kodanda Rama, Sita & Lakshmana are worshipped at this temple.

According to the Sthalapurana, Rama along with Sita & Lakshmana gave darshana to Parashurama at this holy place.

Timings: 6 AM - 8 PM

At a distance of 2.5 km from Belur Bus Stand, Yagachi Dam is an earthen gravity dam situated near Belur in Hassan district of Karnataka. Famous for its water sports, the dam is one of the beautiful dams in Karnataka and also one of the popular places to visit in Belur.

The Yagachi Dam is built in 2001 across the River Yagachi, a tributary of River Kaveri. The length of the dam is 1280 m and the height is 26 meters. Situated at an altitude of 965 feet, the dam was constructed with the objective to harness water resource for the purpose of irrigation and to meet the demands for drinking water in Belur, Chikmagalur and Hassan districts.

The natural beauty of the landscape mesmerizes visitors. Tourists flock in large numbers to enjoy the beauty of the dam and the surrounding areas. The place is ideal to spend time away from the hustle and bustle of the city life. The cool breeze of the dam rejuvenates the mind and the body. Just sitting near the reservoir and watching the calm .....

At a distance of 0.5 km from Belur Bus Station, Sri Chennakesava Temple is an ancient temple situated at Belur, Karnataka. The temple is listed as a UNESCO World heritage Site and is one of the must-visit places as part of Belur Tour Packages.

Also referred to as Kesava or Vijayanarayana Temple of Belur, Chennakesava Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. The temple was commissioned by King Vishnuvardhana of the Hoysala dynasty in 1117 CE, on the banks of the Yagachi River in Belur, an early Hoysala Empire capital. The temple was built over three generations and took 103 years to complete. It was repeatedly damaged and plundered during wars, repeatedly rebuilt and repaired over its history.

Among the famous places to visit in Belur, the temple is very famous for extensive carvings, stone sculptures, artwork and its unique architecture. .....