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Hassan, an integral part of the erstwhile Hoysala Empire, with its pleasant climate and picturesque scenery is perfect for exploration. The undulating plains begin to gently slope into the Western Ghats at Hassan. The present day Belur and Halebeedu in the district were the capital cities of the Hoysala Empire, and are home to exquisite architecture and sculptures.
Other lesser-known attractions like Hasanamba temple, Mosale temples, the Saptamatrikas, drowning church at Shettihalli, star shaped fort at Manjarabad and Bisele Ghat in the district make it a heritage haven. The district which is one of the more off-beat destinations in Karnataka, is inviting to travelers looking to escape into a quiet, laid-back and pristine environment. It is one of those places that shouldn’t be rushed and is best savoured with time, so find yourself a comfortable abode in the town.
KSTDC has two of its properties in Hassan. Mayura Velapuri Belur, just a five minute walk from the Chennakeshava Temple, Belur temple complex, offers a suite as well as air-conditioned and non air-conditioned rooms and dormitories. The hotel also has a restaurant and bar for its guests.
Mayura Shantala Halebeedu, located near the Hoysaleswara Temple is a smaller property with three AC double bed rooms and one four bed room. The hotel does have a restaurant which serves local delicacies.
For reservations/ enquiries, please log on to www.kstdc.co or call Mob: 8970650070/75 Tel: +91 80 4334 4334
Belur, situated on the banks of Yagachi River, was one of the capitals of the Hoysala Empire. Renowned for its magnificent Chennakeshava Temple (also called Vijaya Narayana Temple), commissioned by the Hoysala King Vishnuvardhana to commemorate his victory over the Cholas in 1116 AD, it is believed to have been built by master craftsmen – Dasoja and Chavana, a father and son duo.
This star shaped temple is believed to have taken around 103 years to build. At the entrance is a towering Gopura and a magnificent sculpture of Garuda, Lord Vishnu’s carrier, palms touching in pious homage. The temple stands on a platform and has exquisite artwork on its outer walls depicting the Puranas and epics, all carved to perfection. Another interesting piece of sculpture at the temple complex is the Gravity pillar, carved out of a single rock, this structure stands on its own weight. Equally impressive are the temples of Kappe Chennigaraya, Soumyanayaki, Andal and other Vaishnava manifestations, which surround the main temple.
The craftsmanship inside is much finer than outside. The sanctum has a magnificent 3.7 meter tall image of Lord Vijaya Narayana in black stone. The Garbhagriha has a stellar shape and its zigzag walls make the figures of 24 forms of Lord Vishnu look different all through the day because of the changing direction of the light. The bracket figures of madanikas (celestial nymphs) are elaborately done with even water drops chiseled to perfection.
Halebeedu (formerly known as Dwarasamudra), the ancient capital of the Hoysalas is just 17 km away from Belur. The Hoysala dynasty ruled over much of South India for close to 200 years and during this time they built spectacular temples; both Hindu as well as Jain. In the 14th century, the armies of Alauddin Khilji and Muhammad Tughlak defeated the Hoysalas and raided their empire. It is recorded that enormous wealth and riches were looted. The city never recovered and fell into neglect. In fact, Halebeedu means “old house/ old ruins”. However, few temples survived this devastation like the ones in Halebeedu and today when you see them, you will be mesmerised by the expressions sculpted in stone.
The Hoysaleswara Temple poised on a star shaped base on the lawn is an architectural marvel. This twin-shrined temple is perhaps the largest Shiva temple built by the Hoysalas. Its base consists of 8 rows of friezes carved with elephants, lions, horses and floral scrolls. Its walls are adorned with intricately carved Hindu deities, sages, stylised animals, birds and friezes depicting the life of Hoysala kings. Imagery from epics like the Ramayana, Mahabharata and Bhagavad Gita adorn the outer walls with highly ornate temple doorways. It is believed that no other temple in the country captures the Indian epics as elegantly as Hoysaleswara Temple. The temple complex also has a museum which houses the idols, statues and sculptures excavated in and around Halebeedu by the Archaeological Department.
Shravanabelagola is home to the 18 meter high statue of Lord Gomateshwara, considered to be one of the world’s tallest free-standing monolithic statues. Constructed in 981 AD by Chamundaraya, a Ganga warrior, the statue is carved out of a single block of granite and looms above the picturesque Vindhyagiri Hill. It is visible from a distance of 30 km and has nearly 700 steps hewn in the rock-face. It is amazing to see the grace and poise etched on a sculpture of such scale. The statue truly reflects the idea of great strength devoid of rage and anger. This massive monolithic statue of Lord Gomateshwara will definitely leave you in awe. The surrounding enclosures have images of all the Jain Tirthankaras.
Perhaps the most thrilling act of worship can be witnessed here during the renowned Maha Mastakabhisheka ceremony. Every 12 years, Jain pilgrims gather here to participate in the colourful Maha Mastakabhisheka of the Lord (head-anointing ceremony). From a specially erected scaffolding, priests and devotees pour hundreds of pots of curd, milk, honey, vermilion, coconut water, turmeric paste, and even gold and precious jewels over the statue’s head. The whole structure is awash in different colours which is a sight worth seeing. The most recent Maha Mastakabhisheka was held in 2018.
Halebeedu is believed to have had many Jain Basadis but today only three remain. Situated nearby the Hoysaleshwara Temple, the Parshwanatha Swamy Temple is the most beautiful of the three basadis. There are rich carvings and 12 pillars that hold the dome of the temple. A 14 ft figure of Lord Parshwanatha is made from black stone with a seven- headed serpent carved above the head.
Located nearby Hoysaleshwara Temple, this temple is a gem of Indian architecture. It is told that a tree took root in the tower and destroyed it. The outer walls, the tower and the doorway are magnificently carved. The base of the temple, which stands on a high platform has a large number of friezes which depicts elephants, horses, lions, mythical animals, swans and stories from the epics.
Belavadi is home to the famous Veeranarayana Temple which is the biggest Thrikutachala (three shrine) temple built by the Hoysalas. Here, the idols of Veeranarayana, Venugopala and Yoga Narasimha are located in a single temple complex. The Venugopala idol is considered as one of the most graceful idols of all. It also houses the highest number of pillars in any Hoysala temples with around 152 of them in total; each of them a unique piece of craftsmanship.
One of the lesser known gems of Hoysala architecture, the Lakshminarasimha Temple, is a Vaishnava temple dedicated to Lord Narasimha (the half man half lion incarnation of Lord Vishnu), who is accompanied by his consort, Goddess Lakshmi. The other two shrines of this Thrikutachala temple are of Lord Vishnu and Lord Venugopal (playing the flute).
The outer walls here are quite fascinating because of the intricately carved sculptures. The Dashavatara (10 incarnations of Lord Vishnu) are exquisitely depicted here.
Inside the temple premises, there are three temples dedicated to Hasanamba, Darbar Ganapati and Siddeshwara. Although the Goddess is known by the name Hasanamba, it is not a single Goddess but a trinity. The three of the Shakthi-Swaroopini are settled together here. Another interesting feature is that the Hasanamba Temple is opened only once in a year (for a few days) during Deepavali celebrations. A unique tradition here is that while closing the doors, the deity is adorned with flowers and a ghee lamp is lit. When the doors are reopened next year, the thick smoke engulfs the sanctum sanctorum with the lamp still burning. Even the flowers retain their freshness for the entire year.
The temple dedicated to Goddess Mahalakshmi at Doddagaddavalli is credited with several firsts in Hoysala architecture. It is believed to be the first temple built in the signature Hoysala style. This is also the only Hoysala temple where an idol of Goddess Mahalakshmi is enshrined with both Vaishnava and Shaiva ways of worship being practiced.
Mosale is a small village in Hassan which has two breathtaking Hoysala temples dedicated to Lord Nageshwara and Lord Chennakeshava. Built around the 12th century, it is made of soapstone and is identical to each other, standing a few feet apart.
The Nageshwara Temple has a beautiful Nandi idol in front and a linga while the Chennakeshava Temple has a beautiful idol of Lord Vishnu and the prabhavali is finely decorated with His various incarnations.
Gorur which has several Hoysala temples is also home to one of the biggest reservoirs in Karnataka – Gorur Dam. At the entrance of Gorur, one can see a temple dedicated to Lord Paravasudeva. Another temple dedicated to Lord Yoganarasimha is built on the banks of Hemavathi River, close to the dam. Built in 1979, the Hemavati Dam covers a catchment area of 2,810 sq. km. The dam has become a popular picnic spot, because of the great views and the green lawns right next to it.
The Manjarabad Fort, located in Sakleshpur is perched atop a hill, about 988 meter above the ground-level. This fort was built by Tipu Sultan in 1792 with the aim of warding off infiltrators from Mangalore and Madikeri side. The fort is built in a star shaped design with eight angular tips stretching in eight directions with a plus shaped well at the centre. A short climb to the top offers a scenic view of the Western Ghats.
Built by the French missionaries in India during the 1860s, this church is a fine example of Gothic-style architecture. After the construction of the Gorur Dam, the area around the church got deserted due to floods in the monsoons. If you happen to visit the place during peak monsoon season, only one-third of the chapel would be visible. The view of the submerged church looks hauntingly beautiful during the monsoon. A new church has been built on higher ground nearby with edifices from this church.
This is a sprawling 40-hectare reserved forest area in Sakleshpur. Surrounded by the Western Ghats, Bisle Ghat is near the border of Hassan, Kodagu and Dakshina Kannada districts. It has a scenic stretch replete with dense forests, mountain ranges, and trekking trails. The view from the Bisle Ghat Viewpoint is truly spectacular. There are several hillocks like Pushpagiri, Kumara Betta, Yennikallu which are ideal for trekking. Various species of flora and fauna are found here including teak, rosewood, Indian copal, tulip and Malabar kino along with elephants, bison, sambar, wild boar and other wild animals.