Tourist Attractions in Mandya

Tourist attractions

Mandya

(99 km from Bangalore, 40 km northeast of Mysore)

The importance of the district's headquarters town, Mandya, grew with the establishment, in January 1933, of the Mandya Sugar Factory with an authorized capital of Rs. 20 lakhs – a great amount those days. Predictably the sugar factory is now one of the biggest in India.

Mandya town also contains the stately Janardhanaswami temple whose principal deity holding the traditional Shanka and Chakra i5 flanked by Sridevi and Bhudevi on either side. The temple's gopura recently renovated adds to the aesthetics of the temple. The annual car festival is held in April–May every year.

Maddur

(21 km from Mandya)

Maddur, 21 km from Mandya and 8 km from Mudagandooru,^[1] claims legendary importance because it was originally known as Arjunapura after the Pandava Prince who is believed to have come here on pilgrimage. In more recent authenticated history, the town suffered heavily during Tipu's wars with the British. Maddur fort, in fact, which had been fortified by Hyder, was dismantled by Lord Cornwallis in 1791.

Among the important temples here, thankfully still existing, is the Narasirnha temple of the Hoysala period whose 7 ft high image of Ugra Narasimha made of black stone is believed to be the best of its kind in the State.

Maddur's marvelous Varadaraja temple is an early Chola or pre-Chola structure. Its 1 2 ft high Alialanatha deity is elaborately carved both in front and on the back with unusual features which has led to the Kannada saying 'Ella devara munde nodu Allalanathana hinde nodu' - 'All other idols are to be seen from the front but Allalanatha is to be seen from the back'.

Maddur, incidentally, is also famous for the Maddur Vade – a delicious fried snack made of a variety of pulses. Kokkare Bellur, is a famous bird sanctuary located in maddur taluk. Its 12 km from Maddur town.

In 2016, Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) excavated another 13 ft (4.0 m) statue of Bahubali made id the 3rd – 9th centuries in Arthipura, Mandya district. Excavation work is expected to be completed by 2018.^[2] ASI has also excavated an 8th-century statue of Bahubali in Arthipura, Maddur, Mandya, Karnataka, that is 3 ft (0.91 m) feet wide and 3.5 ft (1.1 m) tall.^[3]

Malavalli

(37 km from Mandya)

A historic town 37 km from Mandya which was partially destroyed by Tipu himself to prevent its being of use to the British, Malavalli is now an important centre for sericulture – a growing industry in this part of the State. Malavalli also has a flourishing leather unit.

Cauvery Water Falls

(20 km from Malavalli)

20 km from Malavalli and 44 km from Mandya at Shivasamudra the river Cauvery separates into two streams that thunder down 106.68 meter’s of rocky hillside. The Gaganachukki on the Western branch of the river and the Barachukki Falls a mile away to the east, are best viewed during the monsoon and after – from July to about mid November. The Gaganachukki Falls are also believed to be the site of suicide of Nandiraja, a 16th-century King of the area who leapt into its waters with his wife.

Bhimeshwari

Cauvery Fishing Camp, is 50 km from Mandya The camp is situated on the banks of the river Cauvery Nature has created a natural sanctuary at Bhimeswari for the 'Mahseer, Asia's premier sporting fish, between Shivasamudram and Mekedatu, across the river Cauvery downstream. The verdant valley, with, thick forests is home for the elephant, sambar, chital, wild boar and a colorful variety of birds. The swirling waters of the river have crocodiles in them, too.

On this beautiful stretch, of water, some resort owners have put up comfortable tents. The fishing camp is not only a paradise for anglers but also ideal picnic spot for holidaymakers.

Pandavapura

(26.4 km from Mandya)

Associated with the Mahabharata, as is obvious from its name and 26 km from Mandya is Pandavapura. It was a military station during Hyder and Tipu's time and housed their French servicemen. It is now important for its large-scale sugar factory. Earlier, Pandavapura was known as Hirode, Dandu, and French Rocks.

Kuntibetta

(2 km from Pandavapura)

Kuntibetta is a small hill 2 km from Pandavapura that derives its importance from the belief that the exiled Pandava brothers and their mother Kunthi spent some time here.

Melkote

(25 km from Pandavapura, 38 km from Mandya)

Melkote or 'high fort' 25 km from Pandavapura is an important religious centre. The 12th century

Srivaishnava saint Sri Ramanujacharya is believed to have lived here for 14 years. The Chaluvarayaswami Temple in Melukote came under the special patronage' of the Mysore Rajas and holds a valuable collection of royal jewels. The idol of Chaluvarayaswami is adored with these jewels, once a year during March–April. This occasion is called 'Vairamudi'. There is also an inscription here dated 1785, stating that Tipu Sultan gave some elephants to the temple. Built on the rocky hills of Yadugiri, the town also attracts visitors for its breathtaking scenic beauty and its bracing climate.

Tirumalasagara

(6 km from Melkote)

6 km from Melkote is located the beautiful Tirumalasagara Lake where the Hoysala king Bittideva, under the benign influence of the sage Ramanujacharya, accepted the Vaishnava faith and adopted the name Vishnuvardhana. Namki Narayana Swamy and the venugopala Temple here are two exquisite examples of Hoysala architecture. In 1749 the Adilshahis of Bijapur annexed this area and renamed the lake Moti Talab or the 'Lake of Pearls' – a testimony to its clear beauty.

Krishnarajapet

Known as the ‘Motherland of Hoysala temples’, the Krishnarajapet taluk in Mandya district has a large number of shrines built during the Hoysala period. Among them, the Lakshminarayana temple is well known for its sculptural splendour.

Situated at Hosaholalu, a tiny village about three km towards the east of Krishnarajapet, the temple is a fine specimen depicting the glory of Hoysala architecture. The place was once an agrahara, where you can still find the remains of a Hoysala fort that was altered during the Vijayanagar period.

The Lakshminarayana Temple at Hosaholalu is equated with the temples of Somanathapur, Nuggehalli, Javagal, Hirenallur and Aralukuppe for its elaborate sculptural work. Though the date of construction is unknown, historians place the temple to the middle of the 13th century, taking into consideration the style of architecture. It is a trikutachala or a three-celled temple built on a star-shaped, raised platform. The main temple rises with in the platform leaving a broad terrace around it which serves as the pradakshinapatha.

The temple has three sanctorums and a navaranga or pillared-hall in the middle. The central sanctorum has the idol of Lakshminarayana, the main deity of the temple, while the other sanctorums consist of Lakshminarasimha and utsava idols.

In the navaranga are lathe-turned pillars, where groups of dancing girls with accompaniments in impressive poses adorn their capitals. The ceilings of the navaranga decorated with fine carvings are noteworthy.

The outer walls of the temple are richly ornamented with the friezes of elephants, horses, scrolls, scenes from epics, capricorns, swans and a number of gods and goddesses with their attendants. The scenes from the epics depict stories from Ramayana, Mahabharata and Bhagavata. The figures of Yoga-Madhava, Dhanvanthri, Dakshinamurthy, dancing Saraswathi, Kalinga-Mardhana, Para-Vasudeva, dancers and musicians are highly appealing to the eye.

The outer walls of the temple are also decorated with aregambas and aregopuras. There is a five-stepped tower over the central sanctorum. The arrangement made over the roof of the temple for rain water drainage is quite interesting.

Harihareshvara and Anjaneya are the other main temples here. While the former one is in a badly dilapidated condition, the Anjaneya temple belonging to the 17th century has a 10-metre-tall garuda pillar. An annual jathra called ‘Rangada Habba’ which resembles the Holi festival is held here in honour of Anjaneya. The village also has an ancient lake from which a large monolithic Basava idol was recovered recently.

Kikkeri

The Brahmeswara temple in Kikkeri, 14 km from Krishnarajpet is a fine specimen of the Hoysala style of architecture. Built in 1171, during the reign of Narasimha I, this single-celled temple has an impressive stone tower. The figures carved on its pillars are of extraordinary workmanship.

Basaralu

(25 km Northeast of Mandya)

Basaralu, a small village, is famous for its 12th-century Mallikarjuna temple that was established uniquely enough, by the Army Chief of the Hoysalas. The exterior of the temple is adorned with exquisite inscriptions from the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and the Bhagwata. The remarkable sculptures in the temple include a sixteen-armed Shiva dancing on Andhakasura's head and Ravana lifting Kailasa.

Shivapura

(19 km from Mandya)

Situated 1 km from Maddur, Shivapura is a famous historic spot where between the 10th and the 12th of April 1938 thousands of freedom fighters hoisted the Indian tricolor in spite of a prohibitory order imposed by the British Government. The monument here, simple in its dignity is a fitting tribute to those valiant fighters for India's freedom.

Kokkare-Bellur

(10 km from Maddur)

A village that has now been developed into a bird sanctuary, Kokkare-Bellur attracts cranes, pelicans and other large bird visitors from as far away as Australia, Africa and Europe. The best season to spot these migratory birds is from October.

Bluff

On the way to the waterfalls is located Bluff. Eastern Asia’s first, power generating station set up by the Dewan of Mysore in 1902 and meant to supply power to the Kolar Gold Fields nearly 200 km away. The area is called 'Bluff' after the 1 37.1 6 metres bluff which facilitated the laying of hydraulic pipes for feeding the turbines at the generating station. The powerhouse is located at the foot of a small hill and is reached by an exciting trolley ride.

Muttati

(35 km from Malavalli)

35 km from Malavalli, 6 km from the fishing camp in Muttati is located a handsome Anjaneyaswamy temple with an interesting sthalapurana related to the Ramayana. It is believed that Sita lost her finger ring in this part of the river Cauvery and Hanuman twirled the river to find the ring. The temple attracts a great many devotees, particularly on Saturdays, a day considered special to Hanuman.

Nagamangala

An important town, even during the days of the Hoysalas, Nagamangala 42, km from Mandya has always been known for its metal work and ski I led artisans. It was Thimanna, of Nagamangala, who built the fort at Srirangapatna. The Saumyakeshava Temple here, probably originally built in the 12th century, has Features that may have been added in the Vijayanagara the temple is so called because its principal deity Keshava, 1.83 meter high and beautifully worked, has a particularly benign aspect.

Kambadalli, a holy place for the jains, is a village m Nagamangala and gets its name from the Brahmadeva pillar that is situated here.

Made of hard, dark Grey soapstone, this octagonal 'Kamba' has a seated Brahma at its top. Nearby is a cluster of seven granite shrines, built in a uniquely Dravidian style.

16 km from Nagamangala, Adi Chunchanagiri is a noted place of pilgrimage. The two natural cave temples here are dedicated to Siddheswara and Someshwara. The Adi Chunchanagiri Mutt is also located here. The Mutt runs a Medical College here. Nearby is the exotic Mayura Vana, which throngs with peacocks morning and evening.

Srirangapatna

Srirangapatna, 27 km from Mandya has been named after the presiding deity in the Sri Ranganatha Temple here. This ancient temple, according to an inscription was built in 894 by Tirumala, a Ganga king. Once the capital of the Rajas of Mysore, Srirangapatna was also the seat of government for Hyder and Tipu till the defeat of Tipu in 1799 and the shifting of the Wodeyar capital to Mysore. The famous fort of Srirangapatna in fact was so formidable that a military visitor in 1880 pronounced it the second strongest in India. The fort protected on the north and west by the river Cauvery has within its walls, the remains of lal Mahal, Tipu's palace, the larger part of which was demolished by the British after capture of the fort in 1 799. The fort also contains seven outlets and a couple of dungeons - a characteristic feature in Tipu's military buildings.

Nearby on the north bank of the river is HAZRATH TIPU SULTAN SHAHEED, THE TIGER OF MYSORE'S DARYA DAULAT BAGH or Garden of the Wealth of the River' in the middle of which he constructed in 1874, an elegant summer palace which soon became his favorite place of retreat. The building is an excellent specimen of Saracenic architecture, its walls embellished with paintings that were restored twice since they were first done. 3 km from Srirangapatna town is also located, Tipu Gumbaz, built in a village called Ganjam for his father and in which his mother and he lie buried too. It was built in 1784, and it has 36 granite pillars which cost to 200000/=Indian rupees, as of date were imported from Italy, and in front of the gumbuz there is a place with small plants of Durantha trees were tipu sultan's body was given bath after death, and there is a beautiful mosque and there once stood a mud place during tipu's time which was magnificent and later after tipus martydom it was dismantled and the things were used in construction of a church in ooty, still one can see the remains on the way to sangam from gumbuz

Sangama

Sangama (0 km from Ganjam)

Taj at Agra built in the same fashion, but less ornate.

2 km from Srirangapatna are located KSTDC's pretty Riverside Cottages overlooking the south branch of the river Cauvery. The cottages are fully furnished and extremely comfortable and the spacious restaurant offers an elegant menu. The river is calm, dotted with tiny green islands and is pristine.

Around the town of Srirangapatna and on the banks of the rivers Cauvery and the lokapavani are small bathing ghats attached to temples that attract pilgrims as well as those looking for picturesque locations.

Located south of Srirangapatna, Sangama is where the two branches of river Cauvery re-unite in a small whirlpool formation, which adds to the beauty of the mingling waters.

Karighatta

(6 km from Srirangapatna)

Karighatta is a small hillock, on the banks of the river lokapavani. Sri Venkateshwara Temple atop the hill attracts a number of devotees during July and November months. About a four hundred and fifty steps reach one to the top land there is a motorable road also. The place is ideal for trekking.

Ranganathittu

(8 km from Srirangapatna)

Cauvery River is studded with small islets here. Ranganathittu is a paradise for birds coming from Siberia, Australia and North America. The best season to visit this bird sanctuary is between May and November when it would seem as if there are more birds than bird watchers. Visitors are taken around the lake, in a boat run by the Forest Department, to help one get a closer view of the birds. The birds are identified by the boatman who also gives a warning when he sights a mud island that is actually a sleeping crocodile.

Krishnarajasagar Dam

(18 km from Srirangapatna Town)

Lying across the river Cauvery in Srirangapatna Taluk of Mandya District and 18 km from Srirangapatna Town the K R Sagar Dam is 39.62 meters in height and 2621.28 meters long. When the reservoir is full, it stores water up to a height of 38.04 meters.

But more fascinating than the statistics of the dam itself are the gardens laid out below it. The Brindavan Gardens, the best-illuminated terraced gardens in India also abound in flora of the most exotic varieties. There are fountains here of different shapes and sizes, the most attractive being a musical dancing fountain that was installed, here recently, and is the only one of its kind in India. After sunset and as the darkness deepens, the brilliantly lit gardens could well be a mirror image of heaven.

Shri Veerabhadraswamy Temple, malaguru

(10 km from shravanabelagola)

Temple is known for its tradition and culture,Lot of peoples got benefit by offering there prayer to God Shri Veerabhadraswamy. all the major political and business peoples are devotee of Shri Veerabhadraswamy located in Malaguru, Santhebachalli Hobli, KRPET Taluq.

kalyani or papanashini:

bath in the kalyani will wash away all one's sins and it is Rich in minerals, cures almost all kinds of diseases and will clear the way to heaven. devotees from all over India come to this sacred pilgrimage point to offer prayers and take a dip in the holy water

Location :

Village : Malaguru | Hobli: Santhebachalli |Taluk: KRPET |District: Mandya |State: Karnataka

Malaguru village is connected by good road and it can be reached easily within 3 hours from Bangalore. it is just 20 km from national highway NH 48 and very near to shravanabelagola (just 10 km ). The place can be reached in following ways

Bangalore -> Nagamangala -> Santhebachalli cross -> Malaguru

Bangalore -> shravanabelagola -> Malaguru

KRpet -> Santhebachalli cross -> Malaguru

References