8 Day Road Trip of Western Ghats in Karnataka from Bangalore
Predominantly this article covers - Sakleshpur, Udupi, Nittur/Kollur, Jog Falls, Sringeri, Chikkamanagaluru and Hassan Region
Breaks are always good and road trips are even better. Following is the itinerary we followed for the 8 day road trip from Bangalore to western ghats in Karnataka and back again.
Day 1: Bangalore to Sakleshpur via Mandya
We started the day on a lazy note, left house at 8am on a Saturday. The legendary Bangalore traffic had kicked in by then. It took us some time to reach leave Bangalore city boundaries.
First Stop - Kamath Lokaruchi Restuarant
Our first stop was Kamath Lokaruchi restuarant in Ramanagara which was good resting spot with delicious food.
2nd Planned top - Shri Hole Anjaneya Swamy Temple
We had planned to visit Shri Hole Anjaneya Swamy Temple at Maddur but skipped it as could only reach the same after closing noon hours.
Context about the temple: “This temple in Maddur is very old. The idol of Anjaneya Swamy is done by Sri Vyasarajaru and Sripadarajaru. There are idols of Venkateshaji. The temple is on the banks of Shimsha river. The Bhagavat Geetha shlokas are written in granite in an adjacent building”.
Tip: This place gets crowded on Saturdays. It is about 4 kms from Maddur bus stand.
3rd Stop - Shri Cheluvanarayana Swamy Temple
We made our way towards Shri Cheluvanarayana Swamy Temple, Pandavapura for approximately 1.5 hours to 2 hour stop at this location and visited this temple and Lord Narsimha temple in the vicinity.
Context about the temple: This temple is one of the 108 Divya Deesam i.e. one of the 108 sites holy to Lord Vishnu. Cheluvanarayana Swamy Temple, also known as Selva Pillai or Thirunarayanapuram. This temple is built on small rocky hill called Yadugiri which overlook the Kaveri valley. This temple is one among the 108 Abhimana Kshethram of Vaishnavate tradition.
Timings of the Cheluvanarayana Swamy Temple: 7:30am to 1pm, 4pm to 6pm, 7pm to 8:30pm
Yoga Narasimha temple is on a small hillock and at walkable distance from Cheluvanarayana Swamy Temple. There are 100s of fairly hard to climb steep steps to the temple. You can skip half the number of steps by driving to the temple but would still need to climb ~150 steps to view the deity. As you leave Cheluvanarayana Swamy Temple, you might find autos charging a rather step amount for the to and fro service, you can skip the same by driving to the temple steps. The view from the hill is very scenic and you can see a ancient pond from there.
Yoga Narasimha temple Timings: 9:30am to 1:30pm and then it finally closes at 5pm.
Tip: We were visiting the temple on Saturday and surprisingly it didn’t close at the scheduled time of 1:30PM.
Dhanushkoti and Thonnur lake nearby and can be visited but we had skipped them.
Final Stop - Sri Lakshminarayana Swamy Temple
A very beautiful temple by Hoysala dynasty awaited us as a final stop over for the day.
Context about the temple: “The Lakshminarayana Temple is a 13th-century Hindu temple with Hoysala architecture in Hosaholalu, India. It is dedicated to Vishnu, this three-shrine monument is notable for its finely carved panels of the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and the Bhagavata Purana”. It is a ASI protected monument .
Tip: It opens 9am to 11 am and 5 to 7 pm. ASI guard will give priest’s number who lives nearby and will oblige if you just missed opening hours.
Destination - Sakleshpur
We ended the day by reaching our Sakleshpur coffee plantation.
Day 2: Sakleshpur to Udupi via Karkala
After a rather hectic day 1, we started on our journey to Udupi via beautiful forests in Charmandy.
1st Planned Stop - Manjarabad Fort Sakleshpura
We had intended to start our day with a the fort but harsh sun and general fatigue due to long drive of the previous day led us to skip this historic fort.
Context about the fort: This start shaped fort was built by Tipu Sultan on behalf of King of Mysore.
Tip: The fort and the surrounding area doesn’t have toilet and drinking water facilities for tourists. It also has ~200 odd steps that need climbing and can be hard under a harsh sun. It looks like a good destination to visit on a cloudy day and can be skipped if the sun is harsh.
2nd Stop - Magajahalli Abbi Falls, Devaladakere
This waterfall was our second stop and was a huge disappointment. Unless you plan to jump into the waters, these waterfalls can be skipped.
3rd Stop - Shri Bettada Bhairaveshwara Swamy Temple, Maragunda
We reached this blissful spot a tad late and deity darshan was closed for the noon. Google doesn’t provide the correct closing time for this temple. Cool breeze was blowing and we relaxed under the shadow of the temple. The route to this place isn’t a good drive with lot of twists and turns.
Context about the Temple: It is an 600 year old reverted Bhairava temple. Bhairava is fierce form of Lord Shiva.
We drove through Charmandy and stopped and various viewpoints. You will find lot of monkeys at the viewpoints though.
If you happen to start the very early, consider a detour to Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala Manjunatha Swamy Temple, Dharmasthala, Karnataka. A reverted relgious site for Hindus. There is also a statue of Bahubali that can be seen at Dharmasthala.
4th Stop - Shri Gommateshwara Statue, Karala
A magificient Shri Gommateshwara Statue/Bahubali Statue on a hilltop. The views from this place are stunning and the setting sun was mesmerising.
Context about the Statue: This is a 15th centuary statue with a height of 40 feet. It has other smaller statues at the back, which can be seen as you walk around the Bahubali statue.
Tip: The gate to this place is rather obsure and you have to drive slowly when you reach this location, else likely you will overshoot it. You can also visit Shri Chaturmukha Jaina Basadi, Karkala which is approximately 2km from this statue.
Destination - Kaup
We reached our peaceful and quiet destination at Kaup at night. It was indeed a long drive to this place albeit a good one.
Day 3 - Explore Udupi
1st stop - Explore nearby Kapu beach
This beach was clean, serene and calm place. At Kaup beach, scuba diving is done by water sports enthusiasts.
2nd Stop - Shree Mahalakshmi Temple, Ucchila
It was a temple day for us, so we visited series of temples on this day. First one was Shree Mahalakshmi Temple at Ucchila.
Context about the Temple: This is revered temple for fishermen in the coastal udupi region. “The temple has beautiful walls with carvings and on the outer wall of temple there are carved sculptures of stories of ramayana”. “The people believe that goddess Mahalaxmi of Uchila is the third most revered and potent idol after Mahalaxmi of Kolhapur and Mumbai. The temple has been beautifully reconstructed. Expert sculptors have carved the temple on the model of the Hoysala tradition of art. Granite has been used inside and outside the temple.”
Tip : Timings of the temple are 6am - 2:30pm and 4pm - 8pm. It is a beautiful temple with sufficient parking space at the back side of the temple. Also, it is located right on the highway and looks amazing at night.
4th Stop - Bappanadu Sri Durga Parameshwari Temple, Mulki
Another beautiful temple with stunning architecture. Here we were lucky enough to experience the ‘arti’ of the deity.
Context about the temple: It was built by a Muslim merchant, Bappa Beary, in the 14th century.
Tip: Timings:- 6:30AM to 2PM and 4pm to 9pm
5th Stop - Drive on the scenic Malpe - Mattu ocean side route
A beautiful and serene drive with ocean on one side and lagoon on another.
6th Stop - Saree shopping Spree in Udupi
We went on a saree shopping spree at Udupi and were able to buy beautiful sarees there.
Tip: Can consider shopping at Geethanjali Silks or Jayalaxmi Silks.
You can skip saree shopping and head for Kayaking in Udupi region or water sports in at the Malpe beach.
7th Stop: Famous Udupi Krishna Temple
The Udupi Sri Krishna Temple is a famous Hindu temple in Udupi, Karnataka, India, dedicated to Lord Krishna.
Context about the Temple: According to Google search, “the temple was established in the 13th century by the saint Madhvacharya, who was a devotee of Lord Krishna. The temple complex includes the Sri Krishna Matha and eight monasteries called Ashta Mathas. The temple's unique idol of Lord Krishna is depicted holding a churning rod. Devotees worship through the Navagraha Kitiki, a small window with nine holes that symbolize the nine planets. The temple is built in the Dravidian architectural style”.
Tip: The entry is free for all devotees. But you are likely to face serpentine queues here. To skip this queue, go slightly before 6pm or take special darshan ticket. There is ample parking space available near the temple. The timings of the temple are 5 AM–11 AM and 6 PM–9 PM every day. You can buy small brass statues of Lord Krishna and other deities at good prices here.
Day 4 - Explore Udupi
The 2nd day at Udupi was very enjoyable and hectic in terms what we saw there and experienced i.e. a whole gamut of ‘positive’ emotions.
1st Stop - Drive through Oceanic Beautiful Mattu - Malpe Road
This road is enchanting and we couldn’t get enough of the scenic ocean views and the village life.
2nd Stop - The Gorgeous St Mary’s Island near Udupi
This island is marvel in terms of the columnar rock formation at the island, only one of its kind in India. It has been formed of lava. You can spend few hours to half an hour at this place depending on the weather. The weather was kind to us and it was cloudy so we walked on the beach fully covered with sea shells, just about dipped our toes in the water and sat under the shade to enjoy the splendid view of the island. This island has only day visitors and isn’t inhabited.
Tip : The island opens at 9am. You can either buy a private boat to the place, better use of time but comparatively expensive. Or go for government owned boat service which has been unfortunately placed such that you don’t see it till you have explored the Malpe beach well. The Malpe beach has toilet facilities and so does the St. Mary’s island. There are also stand selling edibles, fruits at the St. Mary’s island.
We drove back via Malpe-Mattu beach road and didn’t seem to get bored of the scenery and the beauty of the place.
After such an intense start of the day with so much water and sun, we rested for the noon at the Airbnb villa.
3rd Stop - Evening dip at Padubidri beach
One of the few blue flag beaches in India. It was pistine and quiet place with guards, who watch over you while you dip in the ocean and keep you safe in the sea waters. There is a swing and lot of benches on this beach. You have to pay a nominal amount to enter this beach as well as park the vehicle next to the entrance of the beach. We dipped into the beach here and had fun for a hour of so, till the sunset. There are also changing facilities at this beach. You might be disappointed if you are looking for water sports as there are none here. Head to Malpe or area around Kapu beach for the same.
Last Stop - Kola at a remote village in Udupi coastal region
We really wanted to see Kola which is local to Udupi coastal area and we were lucky to find the a place where Kola was being peformed during our stay with plenty of help from our AirBnb host, Pravin. The performance starts at 8pm and goes on through the night. Its form, as per my understanding based on movie ‘Kantara’, that villagers seek answers from the performer of Kola and the answers are believed to be directly from god. Villagers are friendly and you will find that Kola is like a huge village get-together where dinner is served to all. It was mesmersing dip into the local culture, something I would highly recommend to everyone.
Day 5 : Travel from Udupi to Nittur/Kollur
We started the day with a quick dip at a beach nearby Padubidri beach. A quick breakfast and we were on the road again.
1st Stop - Drive through the famous NH66 via Maravanthe beach
Much like the Malpe-Mattu beach road, NH66 via Maravanthe beach is ocean side road which paranomic views. Though, I would still vote Malpe-Mattu beach road higher due to its tranquility and peace.
On the route from Udupi to Maravanthe beach, there is Kotilingeshwara Temple. A very famous temple of Lord Shiva with 1 crore Shiv Lingas. A must visit if you have time for the same.
2nd Stop - Kollur Shri Mookambika Devi Temple, Kollur
We visited the very famous and revered Adi shakti temple at Kollur.
Context about the Temple: According to internet sources, “the Kollur ‘Shree Kshethram’, situated in the Udupi District of Karnataka State, is one among the seven abodes of Salvation, in the creation of Parashurama. The Shree Kshethram is set up by Adi Shankaracharya. This is an abode where the Goddess Shakthi is worshiped. Devi Mookambike is worshiped here as the Shakthi Devatha. The Monster or troll Kaumhaasura, known as Mooka was put to death in this Kshethra. Mookambike is an Adi Shakthi as the Linga has integrated on it’s left side- MahaKali, Maha lakshmi and Maha Saraswati. The Adi Shakthi in this form can be seen only here. In the form of Udhbhavalinga, Mookambike has also integrated Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva on the right side.”
Tip: Go just after the temple opens after noon break, we found the crowd to be significantly less during this time.
We stayed at Karnataka Tourism Hotel at Nittur enclosed within the forest.
Day 6 : Travel to Jog Falls
After a rather series of hectic days, we choose to take it slow on the 6th day. Heavy and late breakfast was a good start for the day.
1st Stop: Famous Jog Falls via Ferry
We made our way to the Jog falls and saw four separate waterfalls here - called King, Queen, Roarer and I don’t recall the forth name. The main waterfall called King drops 253 meters to the ground without hiting rocks in between. The waterfall is feed by the Sharavati river.
Tip: There is 110km drive to jog falls from Nittur or a 70km route which requires you to board a ferry with car. The ferry has no fixed schedule and starts when the ferry is full with vehicles. While travelling from Nittur, the ferry point requires you to skip the half completed bridge (which abruptly ends halfway through the lake) and go on the dirt road/poorly made road for a very short distance.
2nd Stop : Relatively less popular but beautiful Ancient Shri Aghoreshwara Swamy Devalaya Temple, Ikkeri
On the way to Ferry point from Jog falls, we found this rather beautiful temple. The road to the temple requires you to take a small detour on not so good interior roads. But the temple and its architecture are so much worth the detour.
Context about the temple: According to Karnataka Tourism site, “this temple built with popular stone granite available in abundance, this 16th-century temple is a unique mix of Vijayanagara and Dravidian styles of architecture. A beautifully designed landscape leads your way towards the temple, which has two parts. There are three shrines, one each of Goddess Parvati, Lord Shiva or Aghoreshwara, and his vehicle Nandi. The magnetic Lord Shiva is placed in the main hall or Garbhagriha with two elephants on the main gates. The Lord Siva in the temple holds a special position as the shrine is surrounded by 32 female figures also known as Shakti Peethas. Shakti Peethas are the forms of Goddess Durga. Like many other temples, here also you will find a statue of Lord Ganesha.”
We wrapped up the day with soothing Jog falls and invigorating Shiva temple visit.
Day 7 - Travel to Chikkamangaluru via Sringeri
We travelled to Sringeri and then had planned to go to Adishakthyathmaka Sri Annapoorneshwari Temple, Shri Kshetra, Horanadu. But decided against it as including Horanadu would have uncomfortably increased the travel time. From Nittur, we took the route : Nagara - Tenginakoppa - Kammaradi - Nalluru - "Sringeri" - Alduru - "Chikkamagaluru". This routes passes through villages and farms. The roads are mostly excellent, but are single lane many a times.
1st Stop - Sri Devagange Temple & Pond, Basavanabyana
Context about the Temple: According to ASI, “located 4 km south of Nagar (Bidanur) it was a suburb of the Keladi kingdom whose capital was shifted from Ikkeri to Nagar around 1640 AD. A small natural stream flows into the horse-shoe shaped valley. Ponds and the well have been constructed in a large courtyard measuring 86.93 x 29.89 m. approached by a flight of steps from the east and west. These ponds called Devaganga ponds were once the sporting ground of the Keladi royal family. There are in total seven ponds of where one has stellate and another lotus shaped bottom”.
2nd Stop : View Point at Ekkeri Beluru Farmland, Belluru
We stopped a multiple places including a pond with lotus and view point - Ekkeri Beluru which had lots of interesting and beautiful birds.
You can also try visiting Nagara Fort/Shivappa Naik Fort, Nagar on the route. We had skipped it.
3rd Stop : Sringeri
According to wiki, “Sringeri was initially called Shringagiri until the name gradually corrupted to Sringeri.” The temple has intricate carvings of Lord Vishnu avatars as well as Lord Shiva. The Sringeri includes two major temples. One is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is called the Vidya Shankara temple. The other is dedicated to Devi Saraswati and is called the Sharada Amba temple.
Context about the Temple: According to wiki, “Sri Sharadamba Temple is a famous Hindu temple dedicated to goddess Sharadamba in the holy town of Sringeri in Karnataka, India. It is located next to the Tunga river. The Sharadamba Temple at Sringeri is an 8th-century temple, established by Adi Shankara, who also established his first Peetham and monastery at the site.” Legend has it that “Adi Shankara during his travels across India, witnessed a snake unveiling its hood like an umbrella to shield a pregnant frog from the hot sun on the banks of the river Tunga in Sringeri. Deducing that non-violence amongst natural predators was innate to a holy spot, Sri Adi Shankara decided to establish his first Peetham(religious site) in Sringeri.”
Tip: There is place to keep shoes and slippers 2 minutes from the temple. Don’t keep them infront of the entrance since authorities are quick to remove them and you might not find them there when you come back. And in case you still take the lazy option of dumping your footwear at the temple entrance, please search for them at the footwear stand which is 2 minute walking from the temple entrance.
Last Stop : Chikamangaluru
We stayed the night at Chikamangaluru and wrapped up the day early.
8th day : Chikamangaluru to Bangalore via Hoysala Temples enroute
We started the day and visited as many Hoysala temples en- route and with detour as possible in a day. Following is our itenerary for the rather hectic and long day.
1st Stop: Hoysala Emblem, Belur
The emblem right on the road (bridge) itself was our first glimpse of our Hoysala day.
2nd Stop: UNESCO Beluru Shri Chennakeshava Swamy Temple, Belur
The Chennakeshava temple, dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu is located in the village of Hullekere, in the Arasikere Taluk, about 22 km from the commercial town Arasikere. It was built in 1163 A.D. by a minister of Hoysala empire king Narasimha I. Temple closes 7:30pm.
3rd Stop: Shri Veeranarayana Swamy Devastana, Belavadi
According to Google, The Veera Narayana temple, also referred to as the Viranarayana temple of Belavadi, is a triple Hindu temple with a complex Hoysala architecture completed around 1200 CE.
Timing: 8:30am to 2pm and 4pm to 7:30pm
4th Stop: Hoysaleshwara Temple, Halebeedu
Hoysaleswara temple, also referred simply as the Halebidu temple, is a 12th-century Hindu temple dedicated to the god Shiva. It is the largest monument in Halebidu, a town in the state of Karnataka, India and the former capital of the Hoysala Empire. It closes 6:30pm.
5th Stop: Nagareshwara Temple Ruins, Halebeedu
These ruins are within the Hoysaleswara temple compound and can be visited by walking for 5 minutes. There is a museum with the Hoysaleswara temple compound and next to it is the toilet. Shri Kedareshwara Swamy Temple is at 10minute walk from the main Halebeedu temple and can be visited.
6th Stop: Ancient Hoysala Shri Doddagaddavalli Lakshmi Devi Temple, Doddagadduvalli
As per Google, the Lakshmi Devi temple is an early 12th-century Hindu temples complex located in Doddagaddavalli village in Hassan District, Karnataka India. The main temple consists of four-shrines that share a common mandapa, each sanctum being a square and aligned to a cardinal direction. The open timing of the temple is 9:30am to 6:30pm. This temple will require you to travel on single lane road within the village for a short duration.
7th Stop: Ancient Hoysala Shri Bucheshvara Swamy Temple, Korvangla
This temple is under ASI and is well preserved. There temple has Bhairava (i.e fierce form of Shiva) as deity.
Tip: The temple remains closed due to little tourist traffic but can be opened on request.
8th Stop: Ancient Hoysala Shri Nageshwara & Govindeshwara Temple
The temple in ruins was once glorious temple but were damaged and destroyed by Muslim invaders. Its 2 minute walk from Bucheshvara temple.
The entire journey was 1500+ km long and was very refreshing 8 days breaks with bit of history, nature and shopping together.
PS: I make personalized itinerary for travel. Reach out to priyanka@vevesta.com for help in drawing up your holiday itinerary for any place around the world.
Just yesterday, someone on the Reddit platform shared his experience regarding his three-year travel in India, and it was quite a negative experience. Then, on the Substack platform, I tried to search for people who share their travel stories, but I was unable to find a single good article or blog about their experiences. Today, I came across this post by you.
Best wishes for your travel blogging.