shettyhalli church
gorur dam
LORD GOMATESHWARA
DEVOTEES PERFORMING PRAYERSBELUR
HASSAN 190 kms from Bangalore is the District Headquarters of Hassan. This quiet and peaceful town is a convenient base to visit Sharavanabelagola, Belur and Halebid. Hassan offers a wide variety of accomodation. It is well connected by road and rail to Bangalore, Mysore and Mangalore.
BELUR:
This quaint hamlet - 38 kms from Hassan - is located on the banks of the river Yagachi. It was once capital of the Hoysala empire, today made unforgettable for its exquisite temples.
The Chennakeshava temple is one of the finest examples of Hoysala architecture. It took 103 years to complete this architectural marvel. The facade of the temple is filled with intricate sculptures and frescos, with no portion left blank.Elephants, episodes from the epics, sensuous dancers.. they are all there - awe-inspiring in their intricate workmanship.Hand-lathe-turned filigreed pillars support the temple. The Veeranarayana Temple and the smaller shrines are worth a visit.
Halebid is 27 kms north-west of Hassan and 17 kms east of Belur. The temples of Halebid - like those of Belur - bear mute testimony to the rich, cultural heritage of Karnataka. The Hoysaleswara Temple, dating back to the 21th century, is astounding for its wealth of sculpture details. The walls of the temple are covered with an endless variety of Gods and Goddesses, animals, birds and dancing girls. Yet no two facets of the temple are the same. This magnificent temple - guarded by a Nandi Bull - was never completed despite 86 years of labour. The Jain basdis nearby are equally rich in sculpture detail.
Located 51 kms south-east of Hassan, Shravanbelagola is one of the most important Jain pilgrim centres .The world's tallest monolithic statue27 m. high monolith of Lord Bahubali is situated here . Thousands of devotees congregate here to perform the Mahamastakabhisheka a spectacular ceremony held once in 12 years, when the 1000-year -old statue is anointed with milk, curds ,ghee, saffron, and gold coins. The next Mahamastakabhisheka will be held in 2017A.D. Shravanabelegola is 158 kms from Bangalore.
Channarayapatna, Ramanathpur, Gorur and Manjarabad are the other places of interest around Hassan.
Hassan is well-connected by road and rail to Bangalore, Mysore and Mangalore. Regular buses ply from Hassan to Belur, Halebid, Sravanabelagola and Arsikere. There direct buses from Sravanabelagola to Arsikere,Hassan,Mysore and Bangalore.
Accomodation At Hassan you can stay at any of the following hotels:
Hotel Amblee Palika. .
Hotel Hassan Ashok..B.M.Road.
Kotari Hotels. Station Road.
Hotel Suvarna Arcade, B.M.Road.
Accomodation At Hassan you can stay at any of the following hotels:
Hotel Amblee Palika. .
Hotel Hassan Ashok..B.M.Road.
Kotari Hotels. Station Road.
Hotel Suvarna Arcade, B.M.Road.
At Belur, Hotel Mayura Velapuri..
At Halebid, Tourist Cottages of tourism Department. .
ShoppingStone idols,sculptures and terra cotta items available here make good mementos. .
ShoppingStone idols,sculptures and terra cotta items available here make good mementos. .
Holy Rosary Church at Shettihalli, which is being submerged in the waters of the Hemavathy, is attracting tourists by the hordes. Many are flocking to the area to get a glimpse of the partially submerged church, which looks like a stranded ship. The ruins of this enormous church are completely visible only in summer.
Situated around 15 km from here on the Hassan-Shettihalli Road, the church is attracting those who visit Belur, Halebid and Shravanabelagola.
A mention of the name Shettyhalli gets people in the region nostalgic about the picturesque village. The sunflower and castor fields, and the Hemavathy flowing quietly by the side, completes the picture of a quaint village.
However, it was submerged during the construction of the Hemavathy Reservoir at Gorur, to irrigate land in Hassan, Tumkur and Mandya districts. Now the church stands in the middle of the river, as a reminder of a village that was lost.
According to villagers, French missionaries built the church in 1860 for wealthy British estate owners in Alur and Sakleshpur. The church was reportedly built with mortar and bricks and a mixture of jaggery and eggs.
Villagers say that this has given the edifice the strength to withstand the vagaries of nature. The church was used by Christians in Shettyhalli, Changaravalli, Madanakopplu, Doddkopplu and Gaddekopplu.
When the reservoir was built, the villagers were rehabilitated in Maria Nagar of Arkalgud, Alphonso Nagar of Channarayapatna and Joseph Nagar in Hassan taluk.
The church stands to this day as a tribute to the excellent craftsmanship of the masons of those days.
The tourists arriving in Hassan will be able to see only the tip of the spire, as the water-level has increased considerably this monsoon.
Despite being submerged for almost 20 years, a part of the altar is still intact. The cruciform and the nave are also in perfect shape.
The number of tourists visiting Shettyhalli has increased in the past few months after a national television channel featured it in a travel programme. A little publicity and mention in travel books will help put the church on the tourist map.
Situated around 15 km from here on the Hassan-Shettihalli Road, the church is attracting those who visit Belur, Halebid and Shravanabelagola.
A mention of the name Shettyhalli gets people in the region nostalgic about the picturesque village. The sunflower and castor fields, and the Hemavathy flowing quietly by the side, completes the picture of a quaint village.
However, it was submerged during the construction of the Hemavathy Reservoir at Gorur, to irrigate land in Hassan, Tumkur and Mandya districts. Now the church stands in the middle of the river, as a reminder of a village that was lost.
According to villagers, French missionaries built the church in 1860 for wealthy British estate owners in Alur and Sakleshpur. The church was reportedly built with mortar and bricks and a mixture of jaggery and eggs.
Villagers say that this has given the edifice the strength to withstand the vagaries of nature. The church was used by Christians in Shettyhalli, Changaravalli, Madanakopplu, Doddkopplu and Gaddekopplu.
When the reservoir was built, the villagers were rehabilitated in Maria Nagar of Arkalgud, Alphonso Nagar of Channarayapatna and Joseph Nagar in Hassan taluk.
The church stands to this day as a tribute to the excellent craftsmanship of the masons of those days.
The tourists arriving in Hassan will be able to see only the tip of the spire, as the water-level has increased considerably this monsoon.
Despite being submerged for almost 20 years, a part of the altar is still intact. The cruciform and the nave are also in perfect shape.
The number of tourists visiting Shettyhalli has increased in the past few months after a national television channel featured it in a travel programme. A little publicity and mention in travel books will help put the church on the tourist map.
No comments:
Post a Comment