20/10/2010
Reaching there:
By Air: Mangalore - 120 km
By Rail: Mangalore - 120 km
By Road: Mudigere - 68 km, Sringeri - 75 km, Mangalore - 120 km, Bangalore - 330 km
Horanadu, situated in the midst of thick forests and hillocks, is a centre of Devi (Goddess) worship. Located in Chikmagalur district of Karnataka, Horanadu also has Nature in all her resplendent glory.
Adi Shaktyatmaka Sri Annapurneshwari Temple
The temple has Goddess Annapurna (meaning feeding one and all) as the main deity along with a recently installed image of Adi Shakti. It is believed that devotees who seek the blessings of Goddess Annapurna, would never have scarcity of food in life. The image depicts the Goddess standing on a peeta(seat) with Shanku(conch), Chakra(wheel), Sri Chakra (king of Chakras representing all divinities) and Devi Gayathri (consort of Lord Brahma and mother of all Vedas) in her four hands. The deity has a Prabhavali (halo) whichembodies the form of Adi Shesha (the divine serpent). The outer wall of the temple has carvings of sayings from the Vedas and Upanishads. Every devotee who visits the temple is offered free vegetarian food.
Kaleshwara Temple
The Kaleshwara Temple is 4 km away from here. It is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is located on a hillock.
Girijamba Temple
The Girijamba Temple is situated half a kilometre away. A three day festival celebrating the marriage between Lord Kaleshwara and Goddess Girijamba known as Girija Kalayanotsav is held here in November, just after Diwali. A gold idol, weighing 2.2 kg, is exhibited every year during this festival.
Around Horanadu
Kalasa
Located around 8 km from Horanadu and cradled in the Western Ghats, Kalasa is an interesting town on the banks of river Bhadra. The Pancha Teerthas or five sacred ponds namely Rudra Teertha, Vasishtha Teertha, Amba Teertha, Varaha Teertha and Naga Teertha are worth seeing. At Amba Teertha, there is a large roughly square shaped boulder called the Madhwacharya Bande or Bheemana Kallu with a Sanskrit inscription stating that Sri Madhwacharya (the founder of the Dwaita school of philosophy), had brought and placed it here single-handed. At Kalasa, one also finds temples dedicated to Lord Shiva called the Kalaseshvara and the Agastyeshvara, which are state-protected monuments.
Kudremukh
About 28 km from Horanadu, Kudremukh is a trekkers' paradise. Kudremukh peak has the shape of a horse's face and hence the name for the place. The Kudremukh National Park, 10 km from the town is extremely beautiful with its evergreen forests. Inside these forests are two scenic spots - Ganga Moola and Hanuman Gundi waterfalls. Lakya Dam and Jamalabad Fort are other attractions in the area.
Sringeri
One of the holiest and most important Hindu pilgrim centres, Sringeri was the site of the first of the four Peethas (centres) established by the great 9th century sage, Adi Shankaracharya. Located about 75 km from Horanadu, Sringeri has, as its major attractions, the Sharadamba Temple dedicated to Sharadamba, Goddess of Learning and Wisdom, the presiding deity of Sringeri. TheTemple is famed for the matchless beauty of the idol. Nearby is the Vidyashankara Temple with its 12 zodiacal pillars, called Rashistambhas, in the main hall.
The Director, Department of Tourism
# 49, Khanija Bhavan, Second Floor, Race Course Road, Bangalore-560 001, Karnataka, India. Tel: 080-22352828 Fax: 080-22352626
Email: [email protected], www.karnatakatourism.org
For more information, contact: Regional Tourist Office,
Dr Ambedkar Road, Near BSNL Office, Chikmagalur 577 101, Tel: 08262-228493
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