3 DAY TRIP FROM BANGALORE | BEST OF CHIKMAGALUR

At a distance of 0.5 KM from Belur Bus Station, Sri Chennakesava Temple (also known as Vijayanarayana temple) built in 1117 AD is the main attraction of Belur. The temple is very famous for extensive carvings, stone sculptures, art work and its unique architecture. The temple is listed as UNESCO World heritage Site.

Dedicated to Lord Vishnu, the temple was built by King Vishnuvardhana of Hoysala Dynasty. A six feet tall idol of Lord Vishnu is placed in the temple. This temple was built in Hoysala style of architecture with main shrines being built on a star shaped platform. The temple has one hundred feet high magnificent gateway tower.

The raw material used in the construction of the temple was gray-green chlorite. The main temple is surrounded by the Kappe Chennigaraya Temple and two more shrines. The outer walls of the temple have 645 unique elephant carvings. It took about 103 years to complete the temple construction.

Timings .....

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 10 km from Chikmagalur & 50 km from Kemmanagundi, Hirekolale Lake is a beautiful manmade lake amidst beauty and surrounded by high mountains. The famous hills of Mullayanagiri can be viewed from here. This lake was built to supply water to Chikmagalur town and irrigation of lands in surrounding villages. Hirekolale Lake is one of the top places to visit in Chikmagalur.

This place can be easily accessed from the town of Chikmagalur. It can be visited throughout the year. There is no boating facility at the lake.

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 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 located in Chikmagalur district is the highest peak in Karnataka with an altitude of 1950 meters. Regarded as the highest peak between Himalayas and Nilgiris, Mullayanagiri is one of the best treks in Karnataka and among the top trekking places to visit in Chikmagalur. It is also one of the top attractions you must include in Chikmagalur Packages.

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, the location offers an opportunity to engage in activities like mountain biking, trekking and road biking. Being the highest peak in Karnataka, it offers some very .....

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 (also known as Dattagiri & Chandra Drona Parvatha) is a mountain in the Baba Budan range in Chikmagalur District of Karnataka. At an altitude of 1895 m, this 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. It is also one of the prime place to visit during Chikmagalur Trip.

Baba Budangiri 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 in 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 .....

At a distance of 5 km from Sakharayapatna, 63 km from Chikmagalur and 25 km from Chikmagalur, Ayyanakere Lake is an ancient lake situated at the eastern base of Baba Budan Range hills. This is the biggest lake in the Chikmagalur district and the second largest lake in Karnataka. Ayyanakere is also called as Dodda Magoda Kere and it is surrounded by beautiful hills. It is one of the prime places to visit in Chikmagalur.

This lake believed to have been constructed by Rukmangada Raya, a ruler of Sakharayapatna. It was renovated in 1156 AD during Hoysala's rule. The sprawling lake was built to supply water for was agriculture. It supplies water for irrigating 21,560 hectares of land in the region.

Ayyanakere Lake is surrounded by mountains on three sides. There is a beautiful mountain called Shakunagiri. The 4,600 ft conical shaped Shakunagiri forms .....

At a distance of 82 km from Kemmangundi, 64 km from Chikmagalur, 27 km from Belur & 12 km from Halebid, Belavadi is a village situated in Chikmagalur District and is famous for Sri Veera Narayana Temple built in Hoysala architectural style. The place is described as Ekachakranagara of Mahabharata and is said to be the place where Pandava prince Bheema killed the demon Bakasura and protected the village and its people.

The Veera Narayana temple was built in 13th century by the Hoysala King Veera Bhallala II. This temple is dedicated to Load Vishnu in three different forms. While Belur and Halebid are famous for their intricate sculpture, this temple is one of the best examples of Hoysala architecture. The west side of the temple consists of a square garbhagriha, a sukanasi, Ranga mandapa and square maha mantapa. The whole structure has been constructed on a raised platform. The entire .....

At a distance of 17 km from Belur, 34 km from Chikmagalur, 32 km from Hassan, 148 km from Mysore & 211 km from Bangalore, Halebidu is located in Hassan District of Karnataka State. Halebidu (or Halebid) is famous for the beautiful Hoysala Temples of Hoysaleswara and Kedareswara built in 1121 AD. It is one of the three Hoysala temples nominated for UNESCO World Heritage Sites, other two being the Belur temple & Somnathpur temple). The Hoysala temples are known for minute & intricate carvings and sculptures with metal like polishing. Halebidu is among the most popular tourist places in Karnataka.

Halebidu was the glorified royal capital of the Hoysala kingdom in 12th Century. Halebidu, which was previously called Dorasamudra or Dwarasamudra, .....