hassan

Hassan city is located at around 194 Kms from Bangalore. The city has been named after the presiding Goddess of the town known as Hasanamba. The city is also called Karnataka's temple-architecture capital. The historical importance of the city lies in the fact that the region was under the rule of the Hoysala Empire from 11th to 13th century AD. The city is now known worldwide for the Hoysala architecture. The several villages and towns in the district showcase the sculptural marvels of yesteryears. Along with the architectural wonders, Hassan also houses the Master Control Facility of the Indian Space Research Organization.

Tourist Attractions

Belur

Belur is situated at a distance of 38 kms from Hassan and was the early capital of the Hoysala Empire. The major attraction at the place is the Channekeshava Temple which was constructed in the year 1116 A.D. It houses many intricate sculptures and friezes and you can find no place without any workmanship. The intricate designs include elephants, lions, horses, episodes from the Indian mythological epics, and sensuous dancers. There are a number of ornate pillars inside the temple and another major attraction at the temple is the Darpana Sundari or Lady with the mirror carved on the walls. The construction of the temple took a total of 100 years and every Hindu deity is represented in the temple in some form or the other.

Halebid

Halebid is famous for the Hoyasaleswara temple, which is an exquisitely built temple which took almost 90 years for construction but the construction is still incomplete. This temple is also one of the remarkable examples of the Hoysala art and architecture. The walls of this Hoyasaleswara temple has carved out images of innumerable Hindu deities, sages and saints, and various bird and animal forms. There are a total of three Jain temples also in Halebid.

Shravanbelgola

Shravanbelgola is located 52 kms from Hassan and is a popular Jain pilgrim center. The town is wedged between two rocky hills namely, Indragiri and Chandragiri. The major attraction of hte place is the monolithic statue of Lord Gomateshwara who is a Jain saint and his statue is stood atop the Indragiri hill. The statue is 1100 years old and is 17 meters tall. It is said to be one of the tallest monolithic statues in the world. In order to reach this statue you are required to climb a total of 614 rock-cut steps.

Hampi

Hampi is located in the Bellary district of Karnataka. It is bounded by the Tungabhadra river on one side and is surrounded by defensible hills on the other three sides. Hampi was the capital of the former Vijaynagara empire and is famous for housing the ruins of this erstwhile medieval Hindu kingdom. Today the village is also called the City of Ruins and has been listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site. Some of the major attractions at the village are Virupaksha Temple, Vithala Temple Complex, Hazara Rama Temple, Ugra Narasimha, Lotus Mahal, Queen's Bath, Malyavanta Raghunathaswamy temple, Shivlinga, Virupaksha Bazaar and King's Balance.

Travel

Air: The nearest airport to Hassan is Bangalore airport. It is located at a distance of some 187 kms.

Rail: The Hassan railway station is 2 kms away from the city and there are regular trains from Bangalore, Mysore and Mangalore to Hassan.

Road: Hassan is well connected to Bangalore, Mysore, Belur and Halebid.