Someshwara Temple, Kolar.

The brand new Ritz lying in the parking lot for a week has been crying for attention. With the arrival of the weekend, we took her out for a spin. Even though the plan to go for a long drive was made in the eleventh hour, there was no shortage of destinations to choose from. We zeroed-in on Kolar. Even the places we to see in Kolar was a no-brainer. Since I’ve already to Kolar once, there was no need to take a peek at Google maps either. All I needed was a good night’s sleep so we can start early in the morning. But that was not to be, as I kept tossing and turning in bed till close to midnight and then very reluctantly dragged myself out of bed at 4 in the morning.

After picking up a couple of friends from KR puram, we were quickly onto NH4 headed towards Kolar. First stop was Kamat Upachar (or was it Lokaruchi? What’s the difference between the two anyway?) some 10 kms before Kolar. Next up we drove right up to Someshwara Temple in Kolar town after asking for directions from the locals. The Someshwara Temple was built in the 14th Century by Vijayanagara Empire. The temple was built in distinct Vijayanagara style with Chinese, European and Thai influence. This inclusion of foreign styles is a prominent feature of Vijayanagara architectural style as witnessed in Hampi.

The temple complex, among others, has a huge Mantapa, Yoga Shaala, Kalyana Mantapa and a shrine for Goddess Parvathi. The temple was unusually quiet when we were there. Just a handful of devotees came along at that hour, which was fine by me, as I hate crowded temples. We spent a few leisure moments relaxing and taking pictures before we decided to move to the next item on the list – Kolaramma temple.

Getting-there: Take NH4 out of Bangalore. Some 60-odd kms later you will find yourself at Kamat. Make sure to have some food here, since there aren’t any good hotels in Kolar worthy of mention. Some 10 kms later take a left deviation to Kolar. You can ask for directions once you are in Kolar.

Must-Do: Have food at Kamat before you get to Kolar. A good camera is handy to capture to the splendor of Vijayanagara style of architecture.

Must-Don’t: Destroy the serenity and aesthetics of the place.

My Rating: 6/10