Kalahatti Falls, Chikmagalur.

After a dose of history and - in the words of a funny panda - sheer awesomeness at Armruteswara temple the previous evening, we were ready for our primary objective of coming to Chikmagalur. The hills, streams, waterfalls and mist all beckoned and we answered by hiring a cab and deciding to make a day out of it. First stop according to our over-enthusiastic cabbie was Kalahatti a.ka. Kallathigiri a.k.a Kalahasthi falls near Kemmangundi.

The most interesting and striking feature of Kalahatti Falls is that it flows through, over and between an ancient temple of Veerabhadreshwara believed to be built during the Vijayanagara empire. Also, legend has it that sage Agastya had performed penance here. The entrance of the temple has carvings of elephants, over which the water cascades. The water flowing through here is believed to cure illnesses if one takes a dip. But we Indians being what we are, come with bathing soaps, shampoo packets and all the paraphernalia to have a full-fledged bath.

Despite the freezing cold temperature of the water, we felt extremely temped to get wet. And finally we yielded to the temptation by getting under the powerful downpour. Such was the force of the water beating down on my back that I pulled a muscle. To top it all the uneven stony ground makes it hard to balance yourself against the onslaught.

One could also climb one tier up to witness another mini waterfall. The crystal clear water is difficult to be given a pass for a quick dip. Here you need to tread carefully, since we found quite a lot of broken glass bottles. This is the result of uncivilized burden-on-Mother-Earth creatures resorting to drinking and discarding bottles unsafely. Once we had all the fun, we decided to go back our cab. Quite honestly it’s not really the kind of place where one would want to spend a lot of time. The fun wears out after an hour or so….

Getting-there: You either need to have your own car or hire one. It’s on the way to the hill station of Kemmangundi.

Must-Do: No matter how freezing the water – take a dip!

Must-Don’t: Drinking and littering the place with bottles, shampoo and soap packets, pooja paraphernalia, plastic bottles etc.

My Rating: 6/10

Amruteswara Temple, Chikmagalur.

Located 67kms from Chikmagalur is yet another masterpiece from the highly skilled hands of the Hoysala sculptors. The Amruteswara Temple situated 10 kms from Tarikeri in Amruthapura stands testimony to the greatness of the Hoysala kingdom and their love for constructing jaw-dropping temples. Built in 1196 by Amrutheswara Dandanayaka under Hoysala king Veera Ballala II, the Amruteswara temple apparently built similar to the Veera Narayana temple at Belavadi – also in Chikmagalur.

Amruteswara is part of the Belur-Halebidu clutter of Hoysala temples, but less popular compared to their peers- thankfuly. It is also not being promoted as a tourist destination the temple itself is being maintained pretty well. The lack of tourists might also be one contributing factors to this. The Hoysala workmanship is prominent in every wall and every stone.

Ruvari Mallitamma is credited to be the Sculptor of this temple. The temple has a long hall with the trademark Hoysala pillars followed by a closed shrine, where the deity is still being worshipped. The idols here have all the skills and mastery that every famous Hoysala sculptor is endowed with. Ramayana and Mahabharata and etched into stone all across the exterior temple walls.

For all those who love poetry-in-stone, this temple offers a great deal to wow-about. One could make it part of the Belur-Halebidu itinerary along with Belavadi.

Credits: Wikipedia

Getting-there: Chikmaglur -> Birur -> Tarikeri -> Amruthapura. Local buses available till Tarikeri. From there, one would need to take an Autorickshaw. Nearest railway station is Birur/Kadur. It’s also 35 kms from Shimoga.

My Rating: 7/10

Aranmula Boat Race, Chengannur.

It feels like an eternity since I put on my travelling boots and when I eventually did, I realized I just struck-out one item from my places-to-be-before-I-die list. Kerala has always been close to my heart, not just for its beauty but also for it being my native land. So, it’s natural that everything about Kerala fascinates and excites me. But there are some things that excite any person irrespective of where you come from.

The annual boat races of Kerala is one such event that you would go any lengths to witness. So despite quite a few glitches, I was determined to experience it. And thankfully so, my determination paid of. A hurriedly arranged trip which involved getting stuck in Bangalore traffic for a good 2 hours before I ran on the wet and slippery platform of Yeshvantpur Railway station with two bags cumulatively weighing at least half my weight finally saw me witnessing the Aranmula Boat Race from the steps of Parthasaradhi Temple in Aranmula, Chengannur.

The Aranmula boat race is one among several annual boat races that live under the shadow of the more popular Nehru Boat Race. But unlike the tourist-oriented Nehru boat race, the Aranmula boat race is more a tradition than a competition and the oldest amongst the lot. The race coincides with the last day of Onam on which day the commemoration of the installation of the deity Lord Krishna is done. River Pamba on whose bank the temple resides is where all the action unfolds. The Chundan Vallam (Snake boat) is approximately 103 feet in length and have about 4 helmsman, 100 rowers and 25 singers.

The Vallamkali (boat race) have two categories. The first, where the Palliyodams (snake boats) from different villages of the surrounding areas compete against each other. The main singer leads the team with a vanjipaatu (boat song). The Oarsmen row the boat following the tune and rhythm of the singers. The first part of the competition is not a race, but rather a competition to decide the most synchronous and well sung team. After that comes the boat race to decide the fastest of them all.

Needless to say, it’s a real treat to the eyes watching these men in action. It’s unlike any sport in the world. It also happens to be the sport with the largest team size. The whole event takes about 3 hours to complete and at the end of it, you will be hungry for more. At the end of the race is the famous Valla Sadya (feast) to satiate your physical hunger. The whole charged-up atmosphere, the constant rhythmic vanjipaatu in the background, the lingering aroma of Valla Sadya and holiness of the temple makes it a trip that is truly unforgettable.

Getting-there: It’s a half hour bus ride from Changannur railway station. When in doubt, just follow the crowd.

Must-Do: Witness the boat race, take a boat ride and get a closer look at the Snake boats before the start of the race, eat the Valla Sadya, record a live vanjipaatu of a team.

Must-Don’t: Littering.

Other Attractions: Buy Aranmula Kannadi – metal mirrors. Aranmula Kottaram (palaces).

My Rating: 8.5/10

Chennakeshava Temple, Kaidala

Situated about 80kms from Bangalore, Kaidala is quite literally off the tourist map. So what was my object of interest in Kaidala? The 12th century Chennakeshava Temple built by Jakanachari was something I did not want to miss, especially considering its proximity to Bangalore city. Continuing with my Hoysala Trail which began with Halebidu and Belur I was surprised and excited to hear Tumkur having its own little piece of Hoysala history.

Kaidala is the hometown of Jakanachari – the sculptor-in-chief of the Belur Chennakeshava Temple. What really attracted me to Kaidala was the legend surrounding the temple.

Karnataka.com says:

Jakanachari a famous sculpture leaves behind his wife and unborn child and travels far and wide to gain name & fame. Sculpting beautiful statues, constructing temples over a long period of time he forgets his family. He reaches Hoysala kingdom where he agrees to sculpt deity Lord Chennakeshava. Meanwhile his son, Dankanachari leaves home in search of his father. On the day before the Chennakeshava idol has to be installed in Belur, Dankanachari reaches the place & claims that there is a flaw in the idol, Jakanachari refuses to accept that there could be a blemish and proclaims that he will cut off his own hand if a flaw is found.

A test was conducted and the statue was covered with sandal paste, and to his surprise the paste dried up everywhere except in the navel area. They find a live frog living in the sand and water nestled inside the cavity. Jakanachari cuts his hand after his son finds the flaw. Hence the statue became famous as ‘Kappe Channigaraya’ (Kappe means Frog in Kannada).

Later Jakanachari gets a vision to construct a temple at his home town. The father-son duo then moves to Kaidala where it is said that Jakanachari got back his hand after he completed the Chennakeshava statue.

Reaching Kaidala proved a little challenging. While at times we were greeted with empty expressions, at other times we encountered a shake of the head. Then there were those who confused Kaidala with Maidala a neighbouring village and almost sent us on a wild goose chase. But we did eventually made it to the Chennakeshava temple, thanks to some really friendly locals who went out of their way to help us.

Once there, we realized why Kaidala never made it to the tourist map. The Kaidala Chennakeshava temple structure is nothing compared to its more illustrious cousins in Belur and Halebidu. What makes it worse is the fact that ASI has undertaken some restoration work with the temple. And apparently they did not deem it necessary to try and blend new additions into the ancient structure. The result is an ugly mismatch of two different worlds.

As it turns out, the only noteworthy object about the temple is the sculpture of its presiding deity - Lord Chennakeshava. The soap stone composition and exquisitely adorned idol brings back glimpses of sculptural mastery from the Hoysala era. The temple here is still worshipped and hence I deemed it right to not take pictures of the deity.

But for the sculpture of Lord Chennakeshava, sadly there’s nothing of interest in this part of the world. As for me, I’m just glad to have experienced another sculptural marvel from the Hoysalas.



Getting-there: Take the NH4 out of Bangalore to Tumkur. Take the bye-pass road a little before Tumkur town (right after where the Toll gate ends). A little tricky as there might not be any signboards - we missed it too. Then turn left at SH33. From here you can ask the locals.

Must-Do: A mini orchestra machine which has an assortment of music creating devices, the size of a house-hold grinder. I wonder if it can play any music though!
Must-Don’t: Vandalism.

Caution: The pictures provided by karnataka.com are those belonging to the Belur, Hassan and not the one at Kaidala - just so that you dont feel cheated if and when you do happen to go there.
My Rating: 3/10

Badami, Bagalkot.

After embarking on the Hoysala Trail covering Halebidu and Belur, I was truly astonished by India’s rich architectural heritage. I decided to explore more. At the same time, I also wanted to see the works of a different dynasty. A different era. An architecturally different offering. Thankfully, Karnataka has a lot to offer in this regard. The Hoysalas made way to the Chalukya Trail.

When you talk of Chalukyas the first name that springs to mind is Badami. Located about 90 kms from Hubli, it’s a perfect weekend getaway for those residing there. If you have more time and your own transport at hand, then you can expand the list to include Pattadackal, Mahakoota and Aihole. There are frequent buses available between Hubli and Badami. Or better still you could catch a bus to Kulgeri Cross and then from catch another bus to Badami. After alighting at Badami we make a quick visit to Banshankari temple which is about 4 kms from Badami bus stand. After that we came back to the cave temples of Badami. The cave temples in pictures always looked totally out-of-this-world, and that’s what we found Badami cave temples in reality – totally out-of-this-world!

They are a set of four temples carved inside a monolith. Another striking feature of this temple is the fact that there are temples Shiva, Vishnu, Buddha and Jain – a proof of Chalukya’s religious tolerance. Though the carvings of Badami are not as artistic and magnificent as Halebidu or Belur, they still hold a special charm for their rock-cut look. The view gets better and better as you climb. The once natural pond with the Bhoothanatha Group of temples and the man-made waterfalls (by the Chalukyas for keeping the pond from drying up) all add up for a wonderful experience. The rains only add to the beauty of the place.

Do not forget to engage an ASI guide to give you a tour of the temples. The guide will tell you a lot of interesting observations of the sculptures. Do watch-out for the 18 armed Nataraja which depicts the 81 postures of Bharata Natyam, the Hari-Hara idol to appease both Shiva and Vishnu, the flat-bellied Ganesha, the smiling Narasimha, the only sitting posture of Vishnu (as opposed to Ananthashayanam) anywhere in the world, the worshipping of Kubera by Mahavira, the aesthetical additions by Vijaynagara Rulers, the fort wall additions by Tippu Sultan… the list goes on. Badami is a must-visit place for all those who appreciate India’s past glory.

Getting-there: Direct buses are available from Hubli to Badami. Else take a bus to Kulgeri Cross and another one from there to Badami.

Must-Do: Engage a guide.

Must-Don’t: Littering, Vandalism.

My Rating: 8.5/10