Turuvekere Temples and Markonahalli Dam

Date: 11-Jan-2015

This was our first day trip of 2015, and we wanted it to be something special. Since we had already visited most of the popular one-day destinations around Bangalore, finding a new place to explore was becoming increasingly difficult.

While searching for ideas, I came across an interesting article on our favorite travel blog, Payana. The post featured the forgotten temples of Turuvekere, a small town known for its beautiful Hoysala-era temples. The photographs immediately caught my attention, and I quickly asked Thilak to take a look.

Both of us enjoy visiting historical monuments, especially ancient temples with rich architecture and heritage. Turuvekere seemed like the perfect destination to kick off our travel adventures for the new year. When we mentioned the plan to my brother, Rajath, he was equally excited and decided to join us.

A delayed start, but a good decision

Our plan was to leave early in the morning. However, things did not go as expected. Rajath was not feeling well when he woke up, and we briefly considered cancelling the trip altogether. We went back to sleep, thinking it would be better to stay home.

A little later, when we woke up again, Rajath felt much better and insisted that we continue with the plan. Looking back, deciding not to cancel the trip turned out to be one of the best decisions we made that day. We got ready quickly and finally started our journey at around 9:30 AM.

Through the scenic countryside

Since Turuvekere is a relatively small town, we were unsure about the availability of good restaurants for lunch. To avoid any uncertainty, we decided to have a late breakfast on the way. As planned, we stopped at a Kamat Hotel near Dabaspet around 11:00 AM. Traffic was light, which allowed us to reach Tumkur comfortably. From there, we took the diversion towards Turuvekere.

The road immediately became quieter and less crowded. Seeing the almost empty roads, Thilak decided it was the perfect opportunity for Rajath to get some driving practice. Rajath took over the steering wheel and drove surprisingly well. While I was slightly nervous at first, it soon became an enjoyable experience. The roads were in excellent condition and seemed to stretch endlessly into the horizon like a perfectly drawn straight line. What made the drive even more memorable was the scenery. Coconut groves and areca nut plantations lined both sides of the road, creating a refreshing green landscape throughout the journey.

An unexpected surprise on the way

As we continued towards Turuvekere, we came across a large lake that immediately caught our attention. The water was crystal clear, and the reflections of the trees and plantations along the banks were perfectly visible on its surface. It was completely unexpected and turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip. Naturally, we could not resist stopping for a small photo session. After spending some time enjoying the peaceful surroundings, we resumed our journey towards Turuvekere.

We finally reached the town at around 1:30 PM.

Turuvekere

Instead of heading directly to the temples, we decided to have lunch first. Finding a restaurant proved more difficult than expected. The location suggested by our GPS simply did not exist. After some searching, we eventually found a small but neat hotel near the KSRTC bus stand and had our lunch there. With renewed energy, we were ready to begin exploring the historic temples of Turuvekere.

All three temples we intended to visit were located close to the bus stand, and with some help from local residents, we managed to locate them without much difficulty.

Chennakeshava temple

Our first stop was the Chennakeshava Temple.

The temple displayed all the characteristics of classic Hoysala architecture and was rich in intricate carvings. Unfortunately, the temple was locked, preventing us from entering the sanctum. Even from the outside, the structure looked magnificent. The detailed stone carvings were impressive and showcased the remarkable craftsmanship of the Hoysala era. However, the temple was not maintained particularly well, which was disappointing given its historical significance.

The afternoon sunlight provided excellent lighting for photography, and we spent some time capturing the beautiful architectural details before moving on.

Gangadhareshwara temple

The next temple on our list was the Gangadhareshwara Temple, located very close to the Chennakeshava Temple.

Surprisingly, it was not easy to identify because it blended into the surroundings and resembled a regular village temple rather than a historical monument. Like the previous temple, this one was also locked. However, some locals informed us that there was another entrance at the rear of the temple. They even directed us to the priest’s house in case we wanted the temple opened. Instead, we chose to enter through the rear entrance.

Children were playing cricket on the temple veranda, and the place felt more like a community space than a protected heritage monument. The temple itself was not in great condition, but it housed a beautifully polished and impressive Nandi statue. Another fascinating feature was a bell carved entirely out of stone. What amazed us was that the bell produced a sound very similar to that of a metal bell when struck.

We spent several minutes experimenting with the stone bell and trying to understand how such a sound could emerge from solid stone.

Moole Shankara temple

The Moole Shankara Temple was located directly opposite the Gangadhareshwara Temple.

Among the three temples, this one appeared to be the most visually appealing and comparatively better maintained. Unfortunately, the entrance gate itself was locked, preventing us from entering the premises. Since we were already running behind schedule, we decided not to search for the priest and instead admired the temple from outside the gate. We took a few photographs before continuing our journey.

Markonahalli Dam

Our next planned destination was Aralaguppe, located about 20 km from Turuvekere. By then, however, it was already close to 4:00 PM. The road towards Aralaguppe was not in great condition, and our GPS was struggling to provide accurate directions. More importantly, we wanted to reach Markonahalli Dam before sunset. After discussing the situation, we decided to skip Aralaguppe and head directly to Markonahalli.

The drive to Markonahalli Dam was beautiful and enjoyable. We reached the dam at around 5:15 PM.

The structure was impressive in scale, and the surroundings were clean and well maintained. Since the dam gates had not been opened for several days, visitors were allowed to walk closer to them. The vast reservoir stretched far into the distance, creating a picturesque setting. A local gentleman explained how the dam functions and how water is distributed through the system. We also learned that the dam was constructed in 1930 under the guidance of Sir M. Visvesvaraya and built across the Shimsha River.

As evening approached, the scenery became even more spectacular. By 6:00 PM, the sun was slowly descending towards the horizon, bathing the reservoir and surrounding landscape in warm golden hues. We spent a wonderful amount of time photographing the sunset and simply enjoying the peaceful atmosphere. The sunset at Markonahalli Dam turned out to be the perfect conclusion to the day.

Journey back to Bangalore

After sunset, we began our return journey towards Bangalore. By then, all of us were feeling hungry, so we stopped at Grand Adiga’s on the Bangalore–Hassan Highway for some snacks and refreshments.

After a relaxing break, we continued our drive and finally reached home at around 9:00 PM.

Travel snapshot

This turned out to be an unexpectedly wonderful trip. The forgotten temples of Turuvekere are truly among Karnataka’s hidden treasures. Although many of them suffer from inadequate maintenance, their architectural beauty and historical significance remain undeniable. With proper conservation, these temples could easily become prominent tourist attractions.

The scenic countryside roads, the peaceful temple visits, the surprise lake along the way, and the breathtaking sunset at Markonahalli Dam combined to create a memorable start to our travel adventures in 2015. Sometimes, the lesser-known destinations leave the strongest impressions, and Turuvekere certainly proved that.

• Route Travelled: Onward: BTM Layout > Yashwanthpura > Peenya > Tumkur > Gubbi > Nittur > Turuvekere
  Return: Turuvekere > Yadiyur > Markonahalli Dam > Bangalore-Hassan Highway > Nelamangala > Sanky Tank road > MG Road > Bannerghatta Road > BTM Layout
• Total distance (To & Fro): 322 km
• Mileage (Car): 19 km/l
• Fuel expense: 1135 Rs
• Total expense: 1537 Rs

Route Map