Hampi tourism

Hampi, the former capital of the Vijayanagara empire is situated on the banks of the Tungabhadra river. It is approximately 75 kms from Bellary and 13 Kms from Hospet. Once a flourishing kingdom of Vijayanagara empire, it is now in ruins. This "City of Ruins" is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Kishkindha, the Vanara kingdom which finds mention in the Ramayana is also located at the banks of river close to Virupaksha Temple.

Most of the ruins are along the road leading from Kamalapura to Hampi. Important sites include Virupaksha Temple, Ugra Narasimha, Vithala Temple Complex, Hazara Ramaswami temple, Lotus Mahal, Mahanavami Dibba, Pushkarini Tank, Elephant Stables, and The Kings’ balance etc. Visit the wikipedia article for complete list.

Accomodation is available at the following hotels; Hotel Mayura Vijayanagar, Hotel Priyadarshini, Hotel Malligi, Hotel Mayura Bhuvaneswri, as well as KSTDC Cottages.

Visit the Karnataka tourism website for further information.

My travel log
The journey in my car from Bellary to Hospet took painstakingly one hour forty five minutes (in february 2007) because of extremely bad roads. After having breakfast at Hospet, we covered 13 kms to reach the ruins of Hampi. It takes at least one entire day to see most sites. Since we had to reach Almatti and Koodalasangama, we left early.

Flash video of hampi photos:


Generally, after visiting Hampi tourists visit the TB dam in the evening and enjoy the gardens and the musical fountain. Venturing near the dam is now prohibited.

Bellary tourism

Bellary or Ballary, is a district in Karnataka that borders with Andhra Pradesh. The Bellary city does not have anything worthwhile to visit except for a fort. The Bellary Fort is built on top of the Ballari Gudda or the Fort Hill. The Fort was built round the hill during Vijayanagara times by Hanumappa Nayaka.

Turkish Martyrs Graveyard: a small garden built in memorial of Turkish war soldiers is located near the airstrip.

Places to visit inside the Bellary city include Bellary children's park cum zoo near Radio park, a newly developed Golden Jubilee Park beside railway station. It contains musical fountain which starts at 7 O'Clock in the evening

Places of importance around Bellary include Narihalla (a reservoir adjacent to the main road between Bellary and Sandur, is another spot attracting people to take up adventure and water sports.), Sri Kumaraswamy temple at Sandur, Ubbalagundi (50 km from Bellary city and from Hampi, two rock structures, as seen in Yana in Uttara Kannada district, is the only spot in the Hyderabad-Karnataka area suitable for trekking, rock climbing, river crossing, and boating).
Sandur


Tungabhadra dam at Hospet

The civilian Bellary Airport is located at the far end of the Cantonment area.

Daroji Bear Sanctuary near Hampi: Situated only 15 kilometers from Hampi, Daroji Sloth Bear Sanctuary is the only sanctuary in North Karnataka.

Flash video of bellary fort


For more information on Bellary visit wikipedia as well as official website.

Hotels
Accomodation is available at some of these hotels; Hotel Pola Paradise (3 Star), S.S Hotel, Ashoka Comforts, Hotel Pawan, Bala Regancy, and Chalukya deluxe.

This was my travel path from Davangere in February 2006
We left Davangere in our Maruti Alto car at 6 am and reached Chitradurga, where we halted for breakfast at Aishwarya Fort. We reached Bellary at 12 noon travelling via Challakere and Rampura. This route was excellant as the roads were newly laid.
Distance chart:
Davangere to Chitradurga: 62 Kms
Chitradurga to Challakere: 30 Kms
Challakere to Bellary: 104 Kms

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Prof Emperor 23:10  

Almatti tourism

Almatti dam built over river Krishna in Bagalkot is no longer a tourist's destination as it is out of bounds. However, as a respite one can spend good time at a well maintained park near the entrance to the dam.

Flash video of almatti photos:


My travel log
 It took me four hours to reach Almatti dam from Hospet. It was my first long drive in my car (with almost no prior driving experience). It was 5.45 pm when we reached the dam premise. It was a big disappointment when we learned that it was out of bounds for tourists. I clicked a photo using maximum available zoom and then raced down towards the park. The park closes at 6 pm and we rushed in. After few minutes of strolling we got into boating. As the sun set, we made a quick exit as we had to head to Kudala sangama.
Distance chart:
Hospet to Almatti: 141 Kms
Almatti to Kudalasangama: 30 Kms

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Prof Emperor 23:09  

Kudala sangama tourism

Kudala Sangama is an important center of pilgrimage for people of the Lingayat faith. It is located about 15 km from the Almatti dam site in Bagalkot district. The Krishna and Ghataprabha rivers merge here. Basava (also known as Basaveshwara or Basavanna) took nirvana (Lingaikya) in this place in the year 1196. The Aikya Mantapa or the holy Samadhi of Basavanna, the founder of the Lingayat faith along with Linga, which is believed to be self-born (Swayambhu), is situated here. The Kudala Sangama Development Board takes care of the maintenance and development of this place. Three rivers (Krishna, Gataprabha and Malaprabha) confluence here, hence the name Kudala sangama. I was told by the locals that the river Malaprabha merged with river Krishna when the Almatti dam was constructed.

Flash video of koodalasangama video:


My travel log
After freshning up at the KSTDC hotel, we went straight to the Lord Sangameswara temple that is built in the Chalukyan style architecture. The aikya mantapa is under the water and a tall column is built around it to protect as well as to allow pilgrims to reach it through spiral stairs. The top of this column is connected to the main land by a bridge. Atop the bridge one can see the panoramic view of confluence of two rivers. One must descend from this point using stairs to reach aikya mantapa.
We did not have time to visit anywhere else and after breakfast we headed straight to Aihole.

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Prof Emperor 23:08  

Aihole tourism

Aihole, located in the Bagalkot district of Karnataka is kown for historical significance and is called as cradle of Hindu rock architecture. Many temples and caves of historical importance can be found here and thus is a very popular tourist spot in north Karnataka. Aihole was the first capital of the early Chalukyas. Here they built over 125 temples in various styles and is said to be a laboratory of experiments in rock cut architecture. See wikipediafor more details. The first phase of temple building in Aihole dates back to the 6th century CE, the second phase to the 12th century.

A group of three temples is referred to as the Kontigudi group of temples. One of these is the Lad Khan temple, named after a mendicant that lived in this temple in the 19th century , another the Huchiappayyagudi temple and the Huchiappayya math. Other temples include Durga temple, Meguti Jain temple, Ravanaphadi temple, Gowda temple and Suryanarayana temple. Museum & Art Gallery is a sculpture gallery maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India in the Durga Temple complex. 

My trip log
We left from Kudalasangama at 11 am reached Aihole at 11.45 am. There are no parking lots and one has to find a tree shade to park the car. Even though there are no facilities for car parking, Gram panchayat colects parking fee. Archaeological Survey of India, who maintains the Durga Temple complex collects a nominal entry fee. The place is neat and well looked after. The carving on the temples are marvellous and discerning visitors can spend a lot of time marvelling at the sculptures in the temples. A guide would be handy but a prior visit to wikipedia would not necessitate one. There are more temples in the neighbourhood, many in dilapidated conditions. More excavations is ongoing and new temples are being found. 

To reach the Meguti jain temple one has to climb several steps. All the effort in climbing the steps is overcome by the sheer sight of aihole the place offers. Reaching the foot of the stairs is through a small strip of extremely bad road. It is wise to leave the car by the main road under hot sun than driving along this strip. Parking the car can be problem as vehicle can't reach the base of the steps and kids in the neighbourhood might damage the car. Carry adequate water and wear cap to protect from the sun.


Flash video of Aihole photos:


Distance chart:
Kudalasangama to Aihole: 33 Kms
Places to vist next include Pattadkal, Banashankari and Badami.

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Prof Emperor 23:07  

Pattadakal tourism

Pattadakal is famous for its group of monuments and was designated a World Heritage Site in 1987. The uniqueness of this place derives from the presence of both the Southern and the Northern styles of temple architecture. The temples were built in the 8th century CE. There are ten temples including a Jain sanctuary sourrounded by numerous small shrines. Pattadakal saw the Badami Chalukya art in its full bloom. Located on the banks of the river Malaprabha, Pattadakal was the capital of the Chalukya rulers. For more information, visit wikipedia. 

Pattadakal, located in Bagalkot district of Karnataka is 14 kms from Aihole, 22 Kms from Badami and 16 Kms from Banashankari. These places are interconnected with well laid roads. The tourism department has placed signboards with directions and distence at regular intervals making driving to these places effortless.

The best known is the Virupaksha temple, built by Queen Lokamahadevi. Other notable temples include Sangameshvara Temple, Kashivisvanatha temple, Mallikarjuna Temple, Galganatha temple, Kadasiddeshvara temple, Jambulinga Temple, Papanatha temple, Naganatha temple, Chandrashekara temple and Mahakuteshwara temple. A Jain Temple located on the Pattadakal-Badami Road has some very beautiful sculptures. Archeological Survey of India has maintained a Museum of the Plains and Sculpture gallery. 

Every year during the first quarter Pattadakal celebrates the annual three-days extravaganza of dance and music festival, which is also called the Chalukya Utsava. There are no hotels in the vicinity and one has to go to Badami or Banashankari for accomodation.

Flash video of pattadakal photos:


My travel log
We left Aihole at 1.30 and reached Pattadakal at 2 pm. Even though parking facilities are absent, village panchayat collects parking fee. Archeological Survey of India is doing a good job maintaining these structures. It would require a minimum of 3-4 hours for an ardent observer to appreciate the sculptures on these temples. We did not have sufficient time and my companions lacked interest, so we pushed off after spending 1.45 hours. However, the road to Banashankari from Pattadakal was not as good as the others in that area (December 2006).

There are no hotels nearby and one has to carry sufficient water and snacks. Places to visit nearby include Aihole, Banashankari and Badami.
Distance chart:
Aihole to Pattadakal: 14 Kms

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Prof Emperor 23:06  

Banashankari tourism

Banashankari Temple is located about 7 kilometers from Badami. Here Banashankari or Shakambari is the form of Goddess Parvati. The Banashankari Temple is quite old. Its original structure is said to have been built by the Chalukyas of Kalyan. However, the existing temple was built in the 17th century. The temple has been considerably modernized in the present times. According to the Skanda Purana it was here that Devi killed a demon called Durgamasura. As the temple is located in the Tilakaaranya forest, the Devi is popularly called Banashankari. The blackstone idol of Goddess is eight armed and can be seen seated on lion and trampling a demon by foot. In front of the temple is a large pond called as 'Haridra Tirtha' which is enclosed by stone mantapas on the three sides. For more information, visit this page.

There is an annual temple festival celebration in Banashankari, the festival is celebrated with full devotion and enthusiasm. Whole town is decorated, the streets around the temple are taken over by a huge fair, marked by color and liveliness and attended by thousands of devotees. 

Flash video of Banashankari photos:



My travel log
We reached Banashankari travelling 16 Kms from Pattadkal. The road was definitely not as good as the others in this area (December 2006), but was motorable. Pople usually visit Banashankari temple from Badami town, but we chose to travel to Banashankari temple first because we had to depart back home from Badami. 

The entry to the temple area is through a very narrow passage that is highly congested with street vendors. Taking a car through this stretch can test one's patience. Surprisingly, there is a well maintained parking lot for car and good toilet facility. A vast lake (that was empty) and a mandap geets the visitor. There is a small pond that resembles the one in Hampi in construction.

The temple was a small disappointment because it did not look like any ancient temple we were expecting to find. The modern renovation took away the classic looks of the temple. Photography is prohibited inside the temple. The temple opens at 4 pm for darshan in the evening. Locals will pester you to buy a local food preparation.

Although hotels are available, for good accomodation one has to go to Badami.
Distance chart:
Pattadakal to Banashankari : 16 Kms

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Prof Emperor 23:05  

Badami tourism

Badami, is a small town in the Bagalkot District of Karnataka. Formerly known as Vatapi, it was the capital of the Badami Chalukyas. The town is noted for its several cave temples, carved out of rock in the sixth-seventh century AD. It is located in a ravine at the foot of a rugged, red sandstone outcrop that surrounds Agastya lake. Two of the hills in Badami represent the demons Vatapi and Ilvala. Badami was founded in 540 A.D. by Pulakesi I, an early ruler of the Chalukyas. His sons Kirthivarman and his brother Mangalesha I constructed the cave temples. 

The rock-cut Badami Cave Temples represent the secular nature of the rulers then, with tolerance and a religious following that inclines towards Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. Cave 1 is devoted to Shiva, and Caves 2 and 3 are dedicated to Vishnu, whereas cave 4 displays reliefs of Jain Tirthankaras. For more details, visitwikipedia. One has to climb a flight of 2000 steps to reach the cave.

Places of importance include Buddhist cave, Bhutanatha temple, Dattatreya temple, and an archaeological museum. For more information, visit this page.

Flash video of Badami photos:


Some of the hotels include Hotel Badami Court, Shri Laxmi Vilas Hotel, KSTDC Mayura Chalukya, Hotel Anand Deluxe etc. For information on accomodation visit this page

My travel log
While driving from Banashankari towards Badami, we curiously visited a small temple atop a hill. The road towards the hill was not asphalted and climbing along the slope on a slippery track was a daunting task. I lost control of the vehicle but was fortunate enough not to crash. Unless the road is asphalted, it is not a good idea to drive a vehicle that is not a 4-wheel drive or is a 800 CC car. After climbing the well-maintained steps, we came across an extremely small temple. There were none except us and since it was getting dark, we made a hasty retreat.

Finding accomodation without prior reservation was difficult. After scouring through the town, we had to settle for a cheap accomodation. The room was unkempt, with no hot water supply, and muddy water flowing through the tap. In simple words, it was a nightmare.

Next morning, we had breakfast at a nearby restaurent and headed for the rock caves. Even though a parking lot is available and a parking fee is levied, cars are not looked after. Monkeys play atop the car, pulling up wipers and damaging the mirrors. If that is not sufficient, there are street urchins scratching the car with stones. I had few kannada alaphabets inscribed on my car bonnet. I learned a lesson here; if urchins are not given alms, they would exact revenge on the car.

After climbing through the stairs, we gazed in awe the sculptures made on the sandstone caves. One has to pay fee for using camera, the charges of still and video camera differ. There is a flight of steps that leads to the top of the caves, but is out of bounds for visitors.

After the descent, we walked along the lake to the opposite side. The lake is being polluted by the locals who use it for all their needs. The lake has turned green and smells foul. In the absence of porper direction, it is easy to get lost in the narrow steets. On the other side is a museum maintained by ASI.

Close to the museum is an entrance that leads to the fort. The path is well maintained and a pleasure to climb. Since there are no shops around, one has to carry adequate amount of water and snacks. An iron canon is seen atop the fort. Standing on the top one can see the deep ravine. To visit two mandaps on the top one has to climb through narrow slippery steps. I almost slipped while descending.

After descending from the fort, we visited the Boothanath temples and the buddhist cave where we had to crawl through the narrow entrance. It was 2.30 pm by this time and we were out of water and snacks. We had great difficulty in reaching back for the car parking as we got lost in the narrow streets.

We hurried though our lunch in the town and left for Davangere at 3.10 pm. After driving through Gadag, Savanur, Ranebennur and Harihar we reached home at 9 pm.

Distance chart:
Banashankari to Badami: 7 Kms
Badami to Gadag: 68 Kms
Gadag to Savanur: 64 Kms
Savanur to Ranebennur: 63 Kms
Ranebennur to Davangere: 40 Kms

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Prof Emperor 23:04