Visit A Hermit Temple Near Bangalore
About 3 hours away from Bangalore, India, is a beautiful hermit shrine called the Doddagaddavalli Lakshmi Temple (pronounced “Dodda-gaddha-vallee”). If you’ve been waiting to explore some of Karnataka’s off beat getaways, this is one treasure trove indeed!
In this blog post, you’ll find everything that you need to know to plan a visit to this temple near Hassan in rural Karnataka.
History of the Lakshmi Temple
Built in the early twelfth century, during the reign of King Vishnuvardhana of the Hoysala dynasty. The temple complex features a walled enclosure within which four shrines are located – these are connected by a common hallway. The simplistic decorative style of the conical domes (“gopuras” or “vimanas”) as compared to the later creations of the dynasty, is still quite inspiring, with the block style layers, as observable in these pictures.
How to reach Doddagaddavalli?
- Doddagaddavalli is 200 kilometres from Bangalore on the Bangalore-Hassan highway
Use this marker for navigating to the location
- Takes about 3 hours from Bangalore (which is accessible by train, airplane and bus) and vehicles can be parked outside the temple complex
This temple can be visited as a stopover, on the way to Hassan (nearest train/bus station). Other destinations in the vicinity include Belur, Halebeedu and Chikmagalur
Tip: Plan to visit this temple before noon to beat the crowds. In fact, you might just be the only one there considering how unknown this temple still is.
More about the Doddagaddhavalli Lakshmi Temple
There is a pond behind the temple, which is worth a visit, and the paddy fields in the neighbourhood are a definite add-on to explore! If you want to catch some respite from the heat, the sanctum of the temple is the best place to rest. It is always cool due to the structural composition of the pillars, walls and roofing.
These pictures are proof that there is hidden beauty all around Karnataka, truly the essence of the ‘one state, many worlds’ ideology! Tell us, which is your favourite place in Karnataka?
Wonderful Details, I will definitely plan for this one soon
It is one of least known temples of the hoysalas.