Shri Uma-Madhukeshwara Temple, Banavasi, UttaraKannada

Yet another post from our UttaraKannada itinerary. This time from eminent temple town at Banavasi. Hope you enjoy the the architecture splendour from Kadamba dynasty.

22 December 2019

Adi Kavi Pampa has exuberantly described Banavasi in his poems and scripts. The temple town of Banavasi is famous for the Uma-Madhukeshwara temple located at heart of town. The Kadamba dynasty which is believed to be first kingdom of Karnataka has constructed this artistic temple. It is believed that subsequent empires including Hoysalas too have modified/renovated the temple. The temple's architectural splendour is impeccable. This post is to jot-down our experiences from maiden visit and guide the enthusiastic people who are yearning to visit the temple. The other details and historical importance of temple is affixed here as photograph which was snapped at temple premises

Uttara Kannada is unique district of Karnataka which encompasses coastal, hilly and plain regions. On the way to Sirsi from Haveri, I noticed a deviation to Banavasi which was reading 32kms. The place was bookmarked to visit during our stay at Sonda but with pinch of scepticism. Sirsi was 20kms distant and from there Sonda is around 14kms. My calculation was a simple addition. Consequently, it would be cumulatively 60+kms to reach this place from Sonda. The apprehensions wiped out once maps showed entirely different route from Sirsi which was roughly 25kms. That means max 40kms from Sonda. I was elated and to my joy, even the family members showed enthusiasm to visit this historical place.

The day was amiable to visit Banavasi. It was Ekadashi which means as per Hindu calendar, the religious activities were limited even in Sonda Mutt. That gave us free time to wander to nearby places and first choice was undoubtedly Banavasi. We started early and the drive was easy past Sirsi. Even though the roads were not wide enough, they were in good condition & well maintained. It was mesmerizing to behold the transforming landscape from ghat to plains in just span of 25kms. The last 10kms is simply wondrous with sugar cane, areca-nut plantations and rice fields flanking the highway. A lush azure large lake just before Banavasi looks flamboyant. I never knew that lake also is famous tourist attraction at Banavasi. We missed to visit it. More details at end of post.

An hour of comfortable journey led us to the temple street. We parked car at empty space and ready to explore. Being December holiday season, the temple was packed with tourists & school children seeking education tours. The first view of the temple is enticing and transfixing. Truly engineering epitome from historical India era. What a structural marvel it is. The entrance hosts a large couchant bull (basava) scuplted out of stone facing the majestic Shiva. The entrance of Garbagruha hosts beautifully carved mandapas. One mandapa had depiction of three lokas of Hinduism namely Patala (Hell), Bhoomi (earth) and Swarga (heaven). As we enter the garbagruha, the large shivalinga  draws us to realm of devotion. Such an energetic view of Lord shiva. Rudrabhisheka was being performed when we visited the temple. Ganapathy and Mahishamardhini shrines are also attached to the garbagruha. After having the darshan of Lord Shiva, we began our further exploration activity.

The shanta narasimha temple, the Uma temple and Madhukeshwara temple are of primary importance here. In sanskrit, "Madhu" means honey. The shivalinga colour resembles that of Honey and hence the name of temple. Apart from primary temples, myriads of shrines surrounding temple. The pillars are strong and quite artistic. Here is picture which depicts complete history of temple. Hope you read through it.

Here are some pictures from Banavasi which I received from Father-in-law which includes picture of Lord Madhukeshwara

It is easy to miss the Varada river meandering nearby temple. The overlook gives a majestic view of the river. The shore of the river can reached by climbing down the steep steps (about 50 steps). Apart from absorbing the nature, there is not much activity to enjoy here. It is mesmerizing that this river originating from western ghats of Shimoga district, passing through coastal plains of Banavasi and finally flows through plateaus to merge with Tungabhadra river.

Conclusion

It took nearly 90 minutes to explore the temple. This temple is worth multiple visits. Such an eye-catching monument which India needs to preserve.

Photography

No fees levied for entrance and photography. For DSLR enthusiasts, carry wide-angle fast lens (f/2.8) with image-stabilization.

No restrictions for photography/videography. People do take pictures of sanctum as well despite the placard inhibiting photography/videography (even I took some videos). Fortunately, authorities did not object as well.

Other places to visit nearby

Do not miss Gudnapur lake. A vast fresh water lake serving irrigation purpose. Apart from the alluring landscape, this place has religious importance. It has shiva temple nearby which people visit.

Food

Plenty of food options in town. Nothing to be worried about.

Route

Easy to reach using maps. Better to visit during winter/summer (November to April) season. Rainy season may not be convenient to explore.

Apologies for meagre number of pictures. Here is detailed view of temple in video form which contains the visuals described in blog. I wish to visit the place once more when the pandemic ends along with Gudnapur lake.