Himavad Gopalaswamy Betta: Visiting the Magical Hills

-


Overview: Everyone knows that Himavad Gopalaswamy betta casts a spell on anyone visiting during monsoons and in cloudy conditions. But I wanted to check if it still retains the beauty in the summers. And I must tell you that we were not disappointed. It was warm and sunny till Bandipur. But as soon as our vehicle started climbing the hill, cool breeze started blowing welcoming us to the hills. On reaching the top of the hill, we realized that its not for nothing that this place is called Himavad Gopalaswamy betta. We could see mist surrounding the entire hill range in the middle of the day in summer. We went to the Gopalaswamy temple which was built in the 13th century by the Hoysalas and later renovated by the Wodeyars. The carvings on the walls and the sculptors are worth admiring and the temple looks divine. After visiting the temple, we came out and explored the magical hills. Though our soul was not permitting us to leave the place, with a heavy heart, we started back on our return back to Bangalore but with a fresh look on our faces.
       
 
References: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Himavad_Gopalaswamy_Betta
How to reach: Car/Bike: Head on SH17 towards Mysore, from Mysore take the Ooty road NH212, after Gundlupet, before Bandipur forest, watch out for board indicating directions for Himavad Gopalaswamy betta. Turn right to reach the hills.
Food/Accommodation: Plenty of options available on Mysore road as well as NH212.
Map:

View Larger Map

Comments

  1. Renuka25 October 2013 at 00:48

    Really nice views! Refreshing!

    ReplyDelete
  2. R Niranjan Das27 October 2013 at 22:52

    Its a lovely place. Nice captures.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Nasreen28 October 2013 at 12:24

    Wow it's an awesome place... Thanks for sharing interesting things.. Nice clicks..

    ReplyDelete
  4. hotels in kanha2 November 2013 at 13:27

    Thanks for sharing this post with nic pics and perfect content , really this is nice place view the nature.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous7 February 2015 at 21:04

    For more information Check this link
    https://greengnomie.wordpress.com/2015/02/01/himavad-gopalaswamy-temple-long-drive/

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous31 March 2015 at 23:51

    very nice posts.. can I ask when were these pictures taken? (which month of the year did you go there?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Varun Kambrath10 January 2017 at 11:27

    Hi Can you please post some information regarding trek here?

    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