Koodli

Koodli

Our next destination was Koodli.  It is the convergence point of two popular rivers, Tunga and Bhadra and flows together from here as Tungabhadra River. It is 16 km from Shivamogga in Holehonnur-Channagiri road. It is almost same distance from another town Bhadravathi as well.

We took a road that guided us through paddy fields, arecnut plantation, and houses. Here we could get the glimpse of Malenadu village. On our way we were stopped by a group of unruly kids demanding donations for upcoming Ganesha festival. We blatantly refused to give any money, but they were relentless. So we are forced to give them a piece of mind about legality and we did alright. It is a very common site in Malenadu during Ganesha festival and being assertive will only help you to get out of these kind of situations. It is a different matter altogether if you don't mind paying a few bucks as donation.

Areca nut Plantation

Caught Off Guard

Areca Nuts

Paddy Field

Paddy Straw Bale

After parking the vehicle, we walked towards the steps leading to the Sangama. Koodli is known as Varanasi of the south. We get to witness few people performing last rites of their loved ones here. And couple others enjoying the serenity and calmness the place has to offer. It is a popular saying in Kannada "Ganga Snana, Tunga Pana" (Drinking the water of this sacred river, Tunga has the same effects as taking a dip in the holy river Ganga.

The neighbouring villages of Koodli have palaeolithic history and the area was under active occupation right from the second century A.D. 

The Rameshwara temple, dated to twelfth century is situated at the confluence of two rivers. It is a non-ornate Hoysala shrine with Vesara Vimana (architecture style) class of super structure. The sanctum sanctorum houses a Shivalinga.  There is a small roofless temple right behind the Rameshwara temple with statue of Nandi, which indicate the exact meeting point of two rivers.

Rameshwara Temple

Pillars

Nandi

We just clicked a photo of Sangameshwara temple from outside as we were hungry. It is said there are two mutts (philosophical schools) in Koodli; one, Shankaracharya Mutt and another Koodli Arya Akshobhya Teertha Mutt. We had to give it a miss because of lack of time and patience. There is a small shop selling snacks like peanuts, chikki, candies, etc. And a guy was vending pooja items like coconut, bananas, flowers as well as eatables like cucumber, bhelpuri, etc., under Ashvattha (sacred fig) tree.

Sangameshwara Temple

How to Reach: Buses plying towards Chitradurga, Channagiri passes via Holehonnur. Get down at Koodli entrance and walk 2 KM.

Hire a taxi or auto from Shivamogga.

Sacred Heart Church-Shivamogga

Sacred Heart Church

Our next stop was Sacred Heart Church. It is just 650 meters from Shivappa Nayaka Palace. When we reached there it was almost 2 o'clock. A bunch of school kids were sitting on the foyer waiting to be picked up by parents or guardians. They were amused to see two people walking in with cameras hanging around their necks. To our disappointment the door was closed. When we were discussing animatedly what to do next, suddenly the door opens with a lady barging out with broom and mop. She told it is church's maintenance time, however, she was gracious enough to allow us inside to take a sneak peek.

Frontal View

Side View

The church is huge is an understatement. Probably it is the most largest church we have ever seen. We were not at all surprised when we heard it is the second largest church in India.  This Catholic church is expanded over 18,000 sq. ft. at a height of 180 feet.  The architecture is a blend of Roman and Gothic style.  It is said the the large prayer hall has the capacity to hold 5000 people at a time. There is a large stain glass panel on one of the windows, which is beautiful. The other windows are left plain without tinted glass.  we wondered why? Because stained glass windows are often used in churches as a decorative method. And sometimes it is informative too.  The statue of Jesus is the most elemental feature of this church; however, we could see it only from a distance as people were at work scrubbing and brushing the floor. View from the balcony gives complete picture of the vastness this church.  

View from Balcony

Initial construction was started in 1871 and completed in 1875. Recent modification was done in 1998.

Open Time-7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Mass Timings:

Monday to Saturday-06:30 AM & 06:00 PM

Sundays-06:30 AM, 09:00 AM & 05:30 PM

 

How to Reach:  Ample of buses ply to Shivamogga from various cities.  Church is around 2 km from bus station and it is best to hire an auto.  You can do the same from train station as well.

Where to Stay: There are plenty of hotels and lodges to suit one's budget.

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Shivappa Nayaka Palace-Government Museum-Shivamogga

Shivappa Nayaka Palace

We were in Shivamogga (Shimoga) one weekend and had a day's free time at our disposal. I have heard about Shivappa Nayaka Palace and Tarun obliged to take me there. He had been to the place many times before as it is his hometown and I could understand his plight. All most all of us had been in this situation playing host to the relatives and friends and showing them around the places.

View from gate

Shivamogga (Earlier Shimoga) town is located on the banks of Tunga River. The region comes under Malenadu belt, i.e., comprising hilly Western Ghats.

We reached the place around 11 a.m. Then Lazily we strolled around the garden which holds restored sculptures of bygone era. We could see few more sculptures scattered around due to lack of space.

Frontal View

Palace Grounds

Palace Grounds

Palace Grounds

My initial thought was it certainly is not "the palace", rather a grand old mansion. The two storied house is chiseled in rosewood with sloppy tile roof. The staircase lead us to the Durbar Hall. We wandered the place without being supervised by anybody.

Metal Bell

Staircase

Durbar Hall

One room is exclusively dedicated to display Shivappa Nayaka's weapons. Here we had to write our name, time of visit, and the place where we came from in a note book. The watchman told us this place is frequented by steady number of visitors. And he was right because we could see eight more names written in the registry before us.

Weapons of Shivappa Nayaka

Lead cannonball

Swords of Shivappa Nayaka

The museum houses artifacts and inscriptions of erstwhile times. we are astonished to see relics of Harappa and Mohenjodaro period. The whole area is maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India.

Goddess Durga & Lord Ganesha

Ambika & Ugra Narasimha

Yoga Narasimha & Adinatha Thirthankar

Mahishasura Mardini & Veeragallu (Hero's Stone)

Vasanta Sena of Mricchakatika

Toys of various times

Seals

Vessels

Stones

Lord Vishnu in sleeping position

After spending 2 hours or so appreciating the artifacts and clicking photos to heart's content, we left the place little learned.

Brief Info:  The Nayaks were one of the successors of Vijananagara dynasty after its mighty fall. Shivappa Nayak is the ruler of Keladi Nayak kingdom in the 16th century. He was known to be a great warrior and an administrator who brought major portions of coastal and Malenadu Karnataka under his regime.

How to Reach:  Ample of buses ply to Shivamogga from various cities.  Hire an auto from bus terminal asking for Museum or Aramane because locals will be at loss if you ask for Shivappa Nayaka Palace. You can do the same from train station as well.

Where to Stay: There are plenty of hotels and lodges to suit one's budget.

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