Therahalli: Ancient village tucked in the Shatashringa hills

-


Overview: Silently Hidden on the top of a hillock belonging to the Shatashringa range is a very old temple dedicated to Lord Gowri Gangadheeshwara. Though the temple is in ruins, the structure still holds the beauty and reflects the beauty of the architecture of some of the ancient dynasties of South India. This temple was originally built by the Gangas around 1200 years ago, then was taken over by the Cholas and the Vijayanagar rulers. The temple can be reached by foot or by road which leads right up to the temple at the top. The climb to the top by foot is very exciting with odd shaped rocks and some old mantapas and some small ruined temples on the way. Not to mention the breathtaking view of the Kolar city which can be experienced all through the ascent. The local villagers also use the same path to climb up and down the hill. We anyway went by car all through to the top.
     

The entrance to the temple is through a huge gopuram which is probably now half its size compared to what it used to be. Inside the temple premises there are some old stone sculptors and the main temple. The temple was locked but on request the caretaker opened the doors and we had a glimpse of the lord. The temple opens early in the morning and then again in the evening when the puja is done.
Outside the temple on the walls we could see many inscriptions in Tamil and Old Kannada. We also saw a tower on top of a huge rock which was looking great. After spending time in this place, we left the place with loads of memories.
             

How to reach: Bus: KSRTC buses and also several private buses ply regularly from Bangalore to Kolar. From there, Therahalli can be reached by autorickshaw.
By Bike/Car: Take the NH4 towards Kolar, Just before entering Kolar near the NH4, turn left towards Therahalli.
Food/Accommodation: Kamat Upachar is a good option for food on NH4 near Narsapura.
Map:
View Larger Map

Comments

  1. Vineeta Yashswi27 September 2013 at 13:46

    Beautiful pictures with good write up...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous28 September 2013 at 07:28

    Nice place and good description.

    Rajesh Naik.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Web Tec Mart28 September 2013 at 15:45

    Hey , you sharing such a nice post with us. thanks. Visit India Holidays Tours - http://www.everetttravels.com/India-Holidays-Tours.html

    ReplyDelete
  4. Unknown29 September 2013 at 02:24

    I was very pleased to find this web-site.I wanted to thanks for your time for this wonderful read!! I definitely enjoying every little bit of it and I have you bookmarked to check out new stuff you blog post.

    href=http://” www.appleparking.co.uk/” Stanstead Airport Car Parking

    ReplyDelete
  5. Vineeta Yashswi1 October 2013 at 15:59

    Readable post and pictures are lovely...

    ReplyDelete
  6. Sandhya3 October 2013 at 21:38

    Awesome snaps, good article.

    cabs from pune to mumbai

    ReplyDelete
  7. Nasreen11 October 2013 at 15:51

    Thanks for sharing interesting information about awesome place.. Nice pics...

    ReplyDelete
  8. manntravel16 October 2013 at 16:53

    nice blog !! thanks for sharing it . We provides you cheap tickets India from Australia.
    Travel Airfares

    ReplyDelete
  9. Unknown4 February 2016 at 10:58

    Thanks for sharing interesting information about awesome place.. Nice blog.
    http://joy-travelsindia.blogspot.in/
    http://joy-travelsagency.blogspot.in/

    ReplyDelete
  10. We Tirupati25 March 2021 at 12:20

    check it out cheap tickets

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous1 September 2024 at 23:57

    why are you not mentioning the famous dargah there

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Specialties from Districts of Karnataka

-
Image
Overview: In a post-Covid world, people will not wish to travel far and wide pretty soon. However, they may wish to explore some good places in their neighborhood. While its very good to visit local attraction, its great if one can help buy local crafts and local food to help the artisans and boost the economy. Highlighting the specialties from each district of Karnataka: 1. Bagalkot: Aminagad in Hungund taluk is famous for a sweet savoury Karadantu, made out of edible gum, dry fruits and jaggery. Guledagudda Khana is a unique textile, and is a 4000 year old fabric, and is handloomed in the small town of Guledagudda. Ilkal sari is a traditional form of sari which is a common feminine wear in India. Ilkal saris are woven using cotton warp on the body and art silk warp for border and art silk warp for pallu portion of the sari. Amingad Kardant Shop Ilkal Saree Weaver 2. Bangalore Rural: Bangalore Rose Onion, having a GI indicator, is grown in 16 taluks of Bengaluru rural....
Read more

A visit to my native place: The Village of Music, Rudrapatna

-
Image
Overview:  Situated on the banks of the river Cauvery, Rudrapatna is a beautiful small village in Hassan District of Karnataka with rich history, and happens to be my ancestral village too. This is one of the places where the people from the Sankethi community initially settled around 700 years ago, and were instrumental in modelling this as a 'village of music' or 'Sangeetha Grama' as it is known today. The village is also known for its Sanskrit Paathashaala, at Shankara Math near the Rama temple, which is trying to keep the traditions alive in the village. Rudrapatna Rudrapatna Sankethi community is known for music, and this village has produced many Carnatic musicians like R.K. Suryanarayana, R.K. Srikantan, Rathnamala Prakash, R.K. Padmanabha and several others. The Tamboori shaped temple is a tribute to all the musicians from this village and was built under the leadership of Vidwan Shri RK Padmanabha in the 2000s. Tamboori temple, Rudrapatna Rudrapatna Another gre...
Read more

Tibetan Settlements in Karnataka

-
Image
Overview: I have always been overwhelmed with the welcoming smile and warmth of the Tibetan people. There are a few pockets in Karnataka where we can find Tibetan settlements, or we can call them 'Mini Tibet'. One of them is the popular Bylukuppe in Mysore district. The Namdroling Monastery of Nyingma, which is also popular as the Golden Temple, is the biggest monastery here.   Further south of Bylukuppe is the Dhondenling settlement at Odeyarpalya in Chamarajanagar district, where few of the prettiest monasteries can be seen in the backdrop of the BR Hills. The biggest monastery here is the Dzogchen Monastery.   Moving a few hundred kilometres towards North of Karnataka is the Doeguling Tibetan Settlement of Mundgod in Uttara Kannada district. One can see Tibetans chanting their prayers and living peacefully in these areas.   The monasteries are a place where the Buddhists offer their prayers, so it is better to maintain silence while visiting these places...
Read more