Karnataka Beckons

Published in DASH/HiFliers

Karnataka  Beckons

Karnataka is a land of immense beauty and a treasure trove of culture with its innumerable heritage sites and monuments, most palpably a tourist’s paradise. Once you have soaked in the brilliant radiance and lush verdure of its capital, the Garden City, Bangalore, move away to its less crowded vicinity, outskirts, and well beyond to feel bewitched by its wealth – its culture and nature at its bounteous best.

Tucked 35 km away from the bustle of the city, it lies sprawled on an expansive 15-acre green belt, beckoning every traveler, every passerby to step inside its portals and soak in its scintillating ambience. Janapadaloka or Folkworld is the result of a single man’s vision and mission to showcase and preserve the folk and tribal art and culture of Karnataka.  Set amidst lush landscape on the Bangalore Mysore highway on 15 acres of land, this creation of retired IAS officer H.L.Nage Gowda.  Janapadaloka is a world of colour, re-creation of folk and village life, a veritable treasure trove of a segment of Indian culture.  A motley of colours characterizes Janapadaloka which has three buildings earmarked for thematic exhibits (over 5000 of them) of folk life.

Still not very far from the city of Bangalore, about 60 odd kilometers away, 6 km from Kolar Gold Fields, is the Kotilingeswar Temple, a structure sure to spring several surprises on you.  Most importantly it is home to the world’s tallest Shiv Ling, measuring 108 feet in height.  Abishek for the Ling is performed from a helicopter on Mahashivratri days.  Another unique feature of the temple is that it is planned to have 1 crore Lingas established in its premises; over 85 lakh Lingas are already there.  A third unique aspect of the temple complex is the temple for Brahma-Vishnu-Maheshwara, the only one in the whole of India.

If you are the type who likes to mingle with nature, see the snow-like mist romance with mountain slopes, feel the tingle of the cool and gentle breeze, watch the leaves flutter in waltzing movements, hear the sounds of crickets and chirping birds fill the air, then Coorg, the Scotland of India, is the place for you. 

Swathed in tall silver oak trees, dense green coffee and pepper plantations, verdant valleys and snaking streets dotted neatly kept huts and cottages, the landscape of Coorg, nestled in the Brahmagiri Hills of the Western Ghats, is at once alluring. Madikeri or Mercara as it was earlier called, is a major hill resort in Coorg, a mere two hour drive from Mysore and 6 hours away from Bangalore.  

Coorg is not just about coffee, cardamom and pepper, but has a host of attractions to make it an ideal retreat for vacationers – for those just wanting to relax, for the adventure buffs and for those who love to explore nature. It also boasts of India’s second biggest Buddhist Monastery – Namdroling - which is simply a spell-binding re-creation of Tibet.  Traveling by road is the best way to savour the bounty of nature that is Coorg, with picturesque scenery that is scintillating and spectacular all the way.  

Nagarhole Wildlife Sanctuary, Dubare Elephant Camp, Tala Cauvery or the beginning of river Cauvery, Bhagamandala, Omkareshwar Temple, Abby Falls, Irupu Falls, Harangi Dam and Nisargadhama are must see places in Coorg. Each one of these places enjoys its own claim to fame and has a beauty well blended with a serenity that is bound to captivate even the most jaded of travelers.  

The frothy gushing waters of the Abbi and Iruppu falls that are ensconced in the midst of expansive green forests and hillocks are attractions not given a miss by any visiting tourist to Coorg.  Just as inviting is the elephant safari at Dubare forest camp where one can get to bathe and feed these pachyderms in addition to pinching a ride on them.

Enter the Nagarhole Tiger Reserve through narrow cobbled road and avenues of huge trees and bamboo dusters.  Well, you may not spot tigers, but the spotted deer, chital and sambar are sure to leave you entranced.

Dotted with several star and budget hotels and resorts, Coorg makes for an ideal holiday where one can relax, rejuvenate oneself and experience adventurous sports at their thrilling best.

Moving South, Enter Hassan District of South Karnataka and come upon some stunning Heritage Monuments at Bedlur, Halebid and Shravanabelagola, a cultural triangle of sorts. The Chennakesava temple complex at Belur and the Hoysalesvara complex at Halebid in southern Karnataka are considered the twin jewels of Hoysala art and architecture and most frequented tourist destinations in the State.  A visit to these structures is an experience for one to soak in the 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 cover every inch of wall space. 

12^th century Belur witnessed a new style of temple architecture, thus firmly establishing the town in the history of architecture, religion and design. Built by King Vishnuvardhan, this temple is believed to have overshadowed the Chalukyan architectural achievements, credited with temple construction in North Karnataka, namely those of Aihole and Pattadakal. The temple entrance is crowned by an ornate gopura or tower, built in the Vijayanagara style. Carved from a kind of soapstone, the temple facade is elaboratge with intricate sculptures and frescos.  Friezes of mythological characters, of charging elephants, musicians, dancers, warriors, lie sprawled on the exterior walls of the sanctum sanctorum.

Halebid is famed for its Hoysaleshvara Temple architecture, belonging to the reign of King Vishnuvardhan in 1121. The massive double temple with adjunct shrines for Nandi and Surya was the largest and finest temples dedicated to Lord Shiv by the ruling Hoysalas. It is believed that the core of the temple was completed in 1142, though sculptural embellishments continued for three centuries thereafter.  “Active” and “alive”, unique in style we can perhaps best describe the work as tightly packed sculpture, covering every bit of wall space, without appearing as a clutter of meaningless patterns of profusion.  Lavishly abounding in intricacy, every inch of its wall is ridden with well-defined motifs.  The ornate work of art, exquisitely executed, perhaps in part owes its delicate intricacy to chlorite, the grey-green stone, malleable in the hands of the artists who wove lace-like minute details on the temple walls and pillars.

The temple walls encompassing the shrines in the sanctum sanctorum, are an astounding wealth of ornate sculptural details, not only of the deities but also of stylized animals, birds and friezes depicting the life of Hoysala kings. Though ridden with characters and portrayals from the Ramayana and Mahabharata, no two facets of the temple’s sculptural creations are the same. There is symmetry in asymmetry!

Shravanabelagola, the very name conjures up images of the great monolithic statue of Gomateshwara or Lord Bahubali, high up on Vindhyagiri Hills. The colossal statue, carved from granite stands 58.6 feet tall!  The statue, erected around 1000 years ago by Chamundaraya, a general and minister of the Ganga king, Rachamatta, is supposed to be symbolic of peace, tolerance and nonviolence.

157 km from the Karnatakan capital of Bangalore, Shravanabelagola, a prominent Jain pilgrimage centre, is in Hassan District.  The temple town is most famed for its spectacular and colourful Mahamastabhisheka celebrations held once in twelve years.  This is the head-anointing ceremony of the giant statue of Bahubali when the statue is bathed with pots of milk, honey, curd, rice, coconut milk, ghee, sugar, almonds, saffron, coins, turmeric powder, vermillon, dates, bananas, by priests who climb a special structure raised for this purpose near the statue.  

On a circuit of North Karnataka one can visit the trail of Heritage and pilgrimage sites that also encompass scenic beauty in the stone and rock architectures of Hampi, Badami, Bijapur, Pattadakal, Aihole, Maha Kuta and Kudala Sangama.

A veritable poetry in stone, an art connoisseur’s delight, although in ruins today, this capital city once boasted riches known far beyond the shores of India. The ruins of 14^th century Hampi lie scattered over 26 square kilometers amidst giant boulders and vegetation. Protected by the tempestuous river Tungabhadra in the north and rocky granite ridges on the other three sides, the ruins silently narrate the story of grandeur and glory was once was.  

The celebrated capital of the Vijayanagar empire, Hampi architecture incorporates the styles of the Pallavas, Cholas, Hoysalas and the Indo-Sarcenic designs. The remains of the palaces, temples and other structures are indeed an ode to human creativity as much as they bespeak mankind’s savage, marauding instincts.  The language of beauty and glory is yet palpable on the walls of the temple structures, the majestic Virupaksha temple in particular, in the mammoth monolith idols of Lakshmi Narasimha in his ferocious form, the Lotus Mahal, the giant or “groundnut” and “mustard” Ganesha idols, so called because of their respective sizes, and the musical pillar of the Vittal Temple.

Yet again Indian mythology comes to life at Badami, the centre of ancient Chalukyan glory between the 6^th to 8^th centuries.  A wealth of richly carved caves, overlooking the Agastya Lake, characterize the stone work of Badami, a veritable blend of Nagara and Dravidian architectural styles.  A set of four caves reveal beautiful murals, both on the walls and ceilings, depicting characters from Indian mythology, the divine union of Shiva and Parvati, idols of several Hindu deities, including the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu and the Jain Tirthankaras.  

Situated on the banks of the Malaprabha river, the picturesque temple town of Aihole, was once called Aryapura.  Popularly known as the Cradle of Indian Rock Architecture, it has 125 or more temples built between the 5^th and 8^th centuries. The first capital of the Chalukyas, temples of Aihople boast intricate and stunning carvings.  An interesting legend associated with Aihole relates to the derivation of its name.  Parashuram, after avenging the murder of his father, is believed to have come to the Malaprabha to wash his bloody axe.  The act caused the river to turn red, making him exclaim, ai ai holi, meaning Ah, the River!

Durga Temple, Ladh Khan Temple, Meguti Jain Temple, Ravanaphadi Cave temple, Hucchimalli Temple, Suryanarayana Temple and Galaghanatha temple are some of the most famous structures at Aihole that yet bear testimony to the glory of architecture of the Chalukyan period.

Wend your way through the northern Deccan plateau, driving past vastly stretched cotton and sunflower fields, typical Karnatakan villages and come upon one of India’s architectural masterpieces which it is claimed, served as the model for the Indian Parliament building.  Yes, you are in the town and temple complex of Pattadakal, representative of the high point of an eclectic art of the Chalukyan dynasty of the 7^th and 8^th centuries.  This UNESCO World Heritage Site was also known as Kisuvolal or the Red Town due to its temples built of sand stone.

Pattadakkal, the ancient capital of the Chalukyan kings, is a well-preserved complex of temples and provides a backdrop for the annual Dance Festival that attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors from India and abroad.  Pattadakal is essentially a set of nine temples, an art historian’s delight, representing the culmination of early Chalukyan art.  Four temples each are crafted in the South Indian Dravidian pattern and the Nagara style while one of them exhibits an amalgam of the two styles.  The Virupaksha temple at
Pattadakal is believed to be a replica of the Kanchi Kailasanath Temple.  Historians also record that the Virupaksha temple served as the model for the Kailasanath temple at Ellora in Aurangabad, built by the Rashtrakutas. As most Indian temple structures depict, Pattadakal temples also relate the epic tales of Ramayana and Mahabharata besides other mythological characters.

You can conclude this enriching sojourn with a halt at Maha Kuta en route a visit to  Kudala  Sangama meaning “meeting point”.  This is one of the most historic place in Karnataka since 800 years, at the confluence of the rivers Krishna and Ghataprabha which flow towards the historic  Srisailam in Andhra Pradesh.  45 km from Bagalkot, it is an important pilgrimage centre for people of the Lingayat faith, followers of Basavanna, its founder.  A region of stunning tranquility and scenic beauty in the vast azure rivers, Kudala Sangama is home to the Basava Museum that is partly an open museum comprising decorously sculpted and coloured life-size exhibits.

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