MADESWARA HILLS (MM HILS) / NANJANGUD / GOPALASWAMY HILLS

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About 133 km from Mysore, a famous pilgrimage place has a temple dedicated to Sri Mahadeshwara and attracts large number of devotees from all the country during the festivities. A Rathothsava will be held during Kartikamasa and Shivaratri.

NANJANGUD

This small town is situated on the banks of Kapila, one of the tributaries of River Cauvery. Nanjundeshwara temple is the main attraction here. It is built in Dravidian style and is supported by 147 columns; the car festival that’s held here by the end of March is a well-known event.

GOPALASWAMY HILLS

This popular hill station is a delight for trekkers situated in the western ghats of Mysore Dist. There is a temple dedicated to Lord Krishna. The speciality of this sanctum is that it remains cool during all seasons. Visitors and trekkers should get prior permission from the Forest Department to avail the traveler’s bungalow if planning for an overnight stay.

SHRAVANA BELAGOLA / BELUR / HALEBIDU

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It’s situated some 100 km from Mysore. This place is a Jain pilgrimage centre and is considered as one of the oldest and important Jain cultural epicenter in India. The mammoth statue of Lord Bahubali is the main attraction of Shravanabelogala. A Ganga dynasty King constructed this in 981 AD. This is the world’s tallest monolithic statue that stands tall in an imposing 17 meter height from the majestic hill Indragiri. Mahamastabisheka is due in the year 2018.

BELUR

Situated 156 km from Mysore and 40 km from Hassan, this prime attraction is a 12^th century Hoysala temple constructed by the Hoysala king Vishnuvardhana. It’s a Channakeshava temple where Lord Vishnu deity is worshipped daily. It will be a long lasting memory if one gets an opportunity to witness the morning 10 am or Evening 7 pm ritual. This temple is considered as the finest specimen of Hoysala artistic and engineering excellence. Its great work in stones has representation of sages, birds, cultural & social life of that period. This temple is open from sunrise to sunset and there is no entrance fee. Non-Hindus are not allowed into the inner sanctum of the temple.

HALEBIDU

Hoysaleshwara temple is the major attraction of Halebidu. This incomplete Hoysala temple is the most outstanding specimen of Hoysala architecture. Its construction began by 1121. Even after 80 years the temple wasn’t completed. The routine rituals started only after those 80 years. Its open daily from morning to evening and the entrance is free.

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TRIUMAKUDLU NARASIPUR / GOMMATAGIRI / CHUNCHANAKATTE / SUTTUR

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Located 52 kms from Mysore at a confluence of three rivers, the Cauvery, the Kabini and the mythical Sphatika Sarovara, this place is an important pilgrimage center. It was sanctified by the sage Agasthya, who is said to have founded the Agasthyeshwara Temple. The Agasthyeshwara Temple complex contains many monuments belonging to the Ganga, Chola, Hoysala and Vijayanagar periods.

GOMMATAGIRI

The granite statue of Gomateshwara in early Vijayanagar style, dominates the summit of the 50 meter hill. This Jain centre attracts many pilgrims during annual abhisekha (anointing ceremony) in September.

CHUNCHANAKATTE

The town traces its name to a dam (katte) said to have been built by a chieftain, Chuncha, the Cauvery River, after it crosses the dam, flows through a rugged rocky valley, cascading into a waterfall at two levels. The Kodanda Rama Temple, built in late Vijayanagar style, is the site of an annual 15 day jatra (fair) including cattle fair.

SUTTUR

Fourteen kms from Nanjangud, Suttur is well known for the Shivarathreeshwara Math which runs many educational institutions and hostels in the area. Inside the math premises, is the triple shrined Mahadeswara Temple in Hoyasala style. An annual jatra (fair) is held in honor of its pioneer saint, Shivarathreeshwara.

SOMANATHAPURA / SHIVANASAMUDRAM / TALAKAD

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Somnathapur is situated around 35 km east of Mysore and is famous for the Hoysala Temples that are still in excellent condition. A visit to either Somnathpur or Belur-Halebid is an experience, for here you see a style of architecture unique to the region. The temples were built in the twelfth to thirteenth centuries by Hoysala rulers and their officials. Each small, compact, structural temple is lavishly decorated with sculpture and the profusion covers every inch of wall space. This tightly packed sculptural scheme is exclusive to Hoysala art and was never replicated. A bangle could be made to rotate on a sculpted hand and stone bells could be made to ring on a statue.

SHIVANASAMUDRAM

Shivanasamudram is situated around 75km from Mysore. Shivanasamudram means ‘SEA OF GOD’ is 25kms downstream; where the Cauvery plunges over 100m into a series of wild and inaccessible gorges. The twin waterfalls Gaganachukki and Bharachukki are the most alluring spots near the island. The first Hydro Electric Project in India was commissioned here in1902.

TALAKAD

This is an ancient town, situated on the left bank of the River Cauvery, 60 kms south east of Mysore. Sri Kirtinarayana, Sri Kartikeya,

Sri Vaideeswara, Sri Pataleswara and Sri Maraleshwara temples are present here and also several monuments lie buried in the sand. Panchalinga Darshanam Jatra will be held once in 12 years coinciding with existence of some stars.

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BILIGIRI RANGASWAMY TEMPLE AND WILDLIFE SANCTUARY / BANDIPUR NATIONAL PARK

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B.R.Wildlife Sanctuary is about 90 kms from Mysore towards Chamarajanagara. Stretching over 525sq km, this sanctuary located at 1350m above the sea level among the B.R.Hills is hard to reach, but cool and scenic. The best time to see wild life here is between the months of June to October, when the animals come out for water at the end of the dry season. There are wild elephants, sloth bear, barking deer, sambar and wild dogs apart from about 60 different species of birds. On the highest peak of the hills is the Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple the focus of the Ratha Festival every year in April. Permits are required to enter the sanctuary, and these are easily obtained from the Forest Department Office in Chamarajanagara. There are direct buses from Mysore every day.

BANDIPUR NATIONAL PARK

Bandipur National park forms part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and is joined to the Mudumalai National Park in Tamil Nadu. Bandipur National Park was formed by extending the Venugopal Wildlife Park set up in 1931 by the Mysore Maharajas. A popular game resort of the rulers of Mysore. The flora in the forest comprises teak, rose wood, hone, mathi, bamboo and sandal trees. It is mainly pristine moist deciduous forest with over 50 species of trees and over 200 varieties of flowers. There are tigers, jackals, sambar, barking deer, mouse, deer, and wild dogs, including a large numbers of monkeys apart from wild elephants and over different species of birds including the great Indian horned owls. The best time to visit is between March and April although the most comfortable time is between November and February. Visitors can hire elephants or vehicle to go around the park. The park is tiger reserve in the country under the project tiger scheme.