Mavanuru Bettada Malleshwara Temple - Channarayapatna

12th October 2024,

It is usual to watch the distant windmills as we approach Channarayapatna during our journey to/fro native. Few years back, I read from blog that there is beautiful hilltop temple situated amidst the windmills. The plan was long due! Finally during our return journey, we made firm decision to visit the temple and turned out to be extremely fruitful.

Even though the traffic was hectic from Ujire till Sakaleshapura, the tiredness had vanished primarily due to couple of reason.

(i) The visit to Shishileshwara temple was most enthralling

(ii) We decided to go slow and explore our long pending destinations

Once concluding our lunch at Shri Krishna Nalapada restaurant near Hassan, we decided to take U-Turn towards Bettada Malleshwara temple. The transition was serene from busy expressway to calm picturesque rural charm. There were scenic lakes throughout the inner travel. The peace too travel to my inner soul. The moving cattle, the green hills, chirping birds, the farmlands provided ample nutrients to boost the inner peace. This was the first stop which enticed me, the crepuscular rays amidst dense clouds blessing the lake. It was like cloud indirectly blessing lake with abundant rain. The thunderstorm rains were in full form. Consequently, many lakes are blooming. This was one of it!

From here, the ascension towards the summit. It is hardly 1km of ascension. The windmills too grew greater in sight! The windmills which looked like toy from distance are now gigantic power fans! Near the last patch, the windmill blew near to us. Kids got excited watching the revolving blades. This is first I too have witnessed in close! The wind too was considerable which provided more power to those blades. 

As we neared the temple, the mighty windmills attracted us. We could see the temple from base of hill. Looks like windmills are installed throughout the hill strip except on which temple is located. The view from base was also mind refreshing. Felt like the temple hill is armed by windmills revolving in neighboring hillocks. The hill where temple is located seems to be the tallest one among the hillocks

We reached the summit comfortably. The road conditions are good from highway itself. The 360 degree view surrounding temple can excite anyone on earth. Such a nature beauty. We saw the distant rain-shafts too! This place is ideal to enjoy both sunrise and sunset combined with windmills.

Once thoroughly enjoying the surrounding, we visited the temple. The primary deity is Lord Malleshwara (form of Lord shiva). The Veerabhadra and Naga shrine faces the Malleshwara shrine and installed face to face. Lord Ganapathi shrine is outside the main shrine and installed adjacent to main shrine.

The temple is well maintained and neatly constructed. "Tiny beauty bounded by superb nature!", is quick reaction once skimming through the temple. Not sure if temple has historical significance but there is ample divinity both from deity & nature. Again the beauty surrounding temple is much more elevated thanks to more elevation gain from parking. 

Once enjoyed, we resumed the journey towards Bengaluru. Before booting the engine, I captured few more nature pictures. It feels like large fans are trying to shoe away the mighty clouds :-)

On the way, clicked few more pictures from base of hill

This isolated tree caught my attention during return journey! Here is collage of the same with different tones. I wrote a short blog on this capture here (Minimalism)

Even though the fleeting visits to Shri Shishileshwara temple, Shri Southadka temple and Shri Malleshwara temple consumed significant time, it provide refresher to our journey. The usual time consumption is 8hrs, but this time it took whopping 12hrs. That was fruitful journey ever en-route to Bengaluru from native. Most importantly, no traffic inside Bengaluru! Absolute green travel from Nelamangala till our home, except for insignificant Red at Hebbal signal.