Saturday Sutting (Translation: Saturday Wanderings) is our attempt to get away from the monotony of daily life in search of some fresh air. A Saturday Sutting is all about day trips from Bangalore. Here is the latest one of the series

Location: https://goo.gl/maps/sNp3viZCvb12

Distance: 140 kms from Bangalore

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Temple premises

This temple was built during the 13 Century and is another beautiful example of Hoysala craftsmanship. The base of the temple is shaped like a 16 pointed star and the different layers of the base are clearly visible.

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This is a ekakuta plan (single shrine with a tower) with the temple raised on a platform called jagati. The decorative plan of the walls of the shrine and the mantapa (hall) is of the “new kind”, a plan in which the temple has two eaves. The first heavy eave runs below the superstructure and all around the temple with a projection of about half a meter. The second eave runs around the temple about a meter below the first. In between the two eaves are the well chiseled miniature decorative towers (aedicula) on pilasters. Below the second eaves are the wall panel of images of Hindu deities and their attendants in relief. Below this, at the base, are the six equal-width rectangular moldings (frieze). Starting from the top, the friezes depict hansa (birds) in the first frieze, makara (aquatic monsters) in the second, epics and other stories in the third (which in this case is from the Hindu epic Ramayana and stories of Krishna), leafy scrolls in the fourth, horses in the fifth and elephants at the bottom

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Beautifully maintained
Star shaped platform
Beautiful Tower

Route & Road Conditions

Route: You have 2 options to get to Aralaguppe

Route 1: https://goo.gl/maps/HXb8xyMQQv12

Route 2:https://goo.gl/maps/sCmhWZiv9UQ2

  • We drove Route 1 as we wanted to avoid the heavy traffic upto Tumkur on Route 2
  • Nelamangala – Yediyur is 4 lane toll road.
  • Yadiyur to NH150A has a few patches that were being tarred over today and should not pose a problem to any car. Watch out for a couple on unmarked speed breakers as soon as you take the right onto NH150A, after which its a two lane road till Turuvekere and further ahead till the turnoff for Aralaguppe.
  • The road to Aralaguppe is narrow with some broken culverts, bad patches and a few blind curves where local 2 wheelers just blindly zip through.
  • Better off driving slow, using the horn and soaking in the views of coconut plantations

Do read Tour de Hoysala Part 1, Part 2 & Part-3 and drop us a note with your feedback or share the post if you liked what you read!

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