Janapada Loka, Srirangapatna, and Melukote – Part 3
Date: 2-Apr-16
After visiting Janpada Loka and Srirangapatna, we proceeded towards our last destination of the day, Melukote. We were very happy to see our plan executing so smoothly. Having covered all the places in Srirangapatna as we planned and in addition, we had visited Janapada Loka also which was not in our initial plan. We hoped to successfully execute our plan in Melukote as well and started from Srirangapatna at around 4.45 PM.
Around Melukote
Melukote is a small town in Mandya district and is 39 km from Gumbaz (Srirangapatna) and it took us an hour to reach as the road was a single lane road and there was moderate traffic. We entered Melukote town at around 5.45 PM. Melukote is one of the popular tourist destinations in Karnataka and one of the most favorite places for Kannada film industry. The historic temples and monuments here make you feel worth visiting this place.
Yoga Narasimha Swamy Temple, Cheluva Narayana Swamy temple, the beautiful Pushkarini pond, Akka Thangi Kola, Raya Gopura are few of the main attractions here. As we knew that, in the evening, Cheluva Narayana Swamy temple would open only at 7 PM, we kept this place as the last place to visit. Yoga Narasimha Swamy Temple is at the top of the hillock. Before climbing the hill, we thought we would visit the Pushakarini pond, Akka Thangi Kola (sister’s ponds), and Raya Gopura.
Pushkarini Pond
Pushkarini pond is the huge tank with number of steps that lead to water, beautiful Mantapa, and numerous beautiful pillars on the corridor. The beauty of this pond is so famous that it has been captured in many of the Kannada movies. The Mantapa and the pillars on the corridor are highly photogenic. The Yoga Narasimha Swamy temple on the hillock looks amazing from this pond. What made us feel sad that day was that the pond premises were not at all kept clean. Last time, when we visited the premises were very clean, but this time the area looked dirty. We hoped that the tourism department would take good care of this place in the near future.
Akka thangi Kola
On the way to Raya Gopura, you can find two ponds beside each other. These two ponds are called Akka Thangi Kola which means Sister’s pond. The localites told us that the water in one of the ponds is drinkable and the water in the other one is non-drinkable.
Raya Gopura
After Akka Thangi kola, we proceeded towards Raya Gopura. This is an unfinished structure with beautiful carvings on the walls and the pillars. The structure looked very similar to the one in Mahabalipuram. This monument is also shown in many Kannada films. The place is extremely peaceful and gives a beautiful view of the Melukote town and the surrounding hillocks.
Yoga Narasimha Swamy temple
- Timings – 9.30 AM to 1.30 PM and 5.30 PM to 8.00 PM
After Raya Gopura, we moved towards the very popular and beautiful Yoga Narasimha Swamy temple. As I have told earlier, this temple is on top of the hill and there are around 300 steps from near Pushkarini that lead to this temple, but luckily there is also an alternate narrow motorable road (only for light vehicles) which will make you cover half the distance and you just need to climb 100 odd steps to reach the temple. The steps are steep and not in very proper shape, so be careful while climbing. As you climb the steps, the place gives you breathtaking view of the town. Near the temple, there is a point, the view of mother earth looks extremely beautiful. The Yoga Narasimha Swamy temple is assumed to be built by Hoysala kings. The temple is very calm and attractive. We spent some time in the temple and then proceeded towards Cheluva Narayana Swamy temple.
Cheluva Narayana Swamy temple
- Timings – 7.30 AM to 1 PM, 4 PM to 6 PM , and 7 PM to 8.30 PM
On Saturday and Sunday:
7:30 AM to 1:30 PM, 3:30 PM to 6 PM, and 7 PM to 8 PM
Cheluva Narayana Swamy temple is one more gem of Melukote. It is located at the center of the town. This temple is huge in structure and has amazing interiors. The carvings on the pillars of the temple are carved beautifully and each pillar is unique in design. All of us had great time in this temple. Outside this temple, you will get amazing Pulyogre for which Melukote is famous. Do not miss it.
By the time we left the temple, it was 8 PM and it was time for us to start our return journey to Bangalore. From Melukote, we took a direct road to Mandya, had our dinner at Adigas hotel in Maddur, and reached home safely at 11.30 PM exactly as we assumed.
This was a very memorable trip for us. We have covered all the places that we have planned without any rush and had amazing time. If you are ready to visit places without many breaks, then you can opt for our plan and cover all the places as per our plan. Otherwise, Srirangapatna and Melukote (excluding Janapada Loka) make a good itinerary for a day trip from Bangalore.
- Places covered in Melukote: Pushkarini Pond > Akka Thangi Kola > Raya Gopura > Yoga Narasimha Swamy Temple > Cheluva Narayana Swamy Temple
- Photos: Melukote Photos
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