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Bored of sitting in office doing the mundane job? Eagerly awating for the weekend? Well, the weekend is certainly not far away and so are the weekend plans. Let's take a small road trip to Sakleshpur, a small hill station in the Western ghats, removed from the usual tourist map. Having been tied down the entire week with deadlines and pressure, this trip would certainly refresh one and also covers some of the best places one can see on the way. So get ready pack your bags and head to Sakleshpur this weekend.
Starting from Bangalore
The weekend trip from Bangalore to Sakleshpur is usually a 5 hr journey covering 270 km. In our journey we will be covering places like Shravanabelagola, Hassan, Belur and more.
Shravanabelgola
There are many places to see in Shravanabelagola. One of which is the renowned gigantic stone statue of Lord Bahubali, atop the Vindhyagiri Hills. At a height of 57 ft, it is a tall structure. Every twelve years devotees perform a ritual called Mahamastakabisheka wherein the structure is bathed and anointed in milk, ghee, sugar cane juice and saffron paste. Then sandalwood, turmeric and vermillion powder is sprinkled on it. Finally offerings of petals, gold and silver are placed at its feet.
Photo Courtesy: Ananth H V
Hassan
There are many places of interest in Hassan which is popular as the architectural capital of Karnataka. The landscape of Hassan showcases the rich culture of the Hoysala dynasty in its various monuments. There are many Jain temples and ruins here. One can also find temples dedicated to Lord Shiva here. Hotels are available in the town for stay and refreshment options..
Belur
Belur is a famous temple town in Karnataka. It is ofen referred to as 'Dakshina Benaras' because of the number of temples here. The grandest of all the temples here, is the Chennakesava Temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Learn more on how you can reach here.
Halebidu
Halebidu or the 'Old City' was the capital of the Hoysala kingdom and was known as 'Dwarasamudra' in the past. The famous temples here are the Hoysaleshwara and the Shantaleshwara temples. Though the Hoysala kings were Jain followers, many temples here dedicated to Lord Shiva as well.
Photo Courtesy: Dineshkannambadi
Sakleshpur
Our journey takes us to one of the lesser known hill stations of Karnataka. Sakleshwar is tucked away in the Western Ghats and is a major producer of India's coffee and cardamom. One can check out the Bisle Reserve Forest and the Puspagiri Wildlife Sanctuary here.
Photo Courtesy: L. Shyamal
Kumara Parvata
Those in the mood for adventure can head to Kumara Parvata where one can go trekking. Also visit the Subramanya temple which is situated close by.
Manjarabad Fort
Along the hairpin bends here is situated an old fort now in ruins. The Manjarabad Fort is said to have been built by Tipu Sultan as a garrison for the army and also as a lookout tower for his enemies.
Photo Courtesy: Aravind K G
