Eshwara Temple

The Mangalore Airport is the closest to this place. From the airport, one can take either a bus or a taxi to reach the temple. There are many buses that one can take to reach the temple. If not bus one can also travel by taxi or even drive to the temple by one's own vehicle. The Davangere Railway station is the closest to this place. From the railway station, one can take either a bus or a taxi to reach the temple. The best time to visit this temple is from the months of October to March.

There are many places where one can stay around the temple. The prices too are affordable. Some of the names of the places are Southern Star Davanagere, Hotel Ashok Inn, Hotel Pooja International, Hotel Shoven, Apoorva Resorts, etc. There are also many places where one can eat food at. Some of the names of the restaurants are Bharani Family Restaurant, Recipes, Sharabeshwara Meals Hotel, Panchami Pariwar, Apoorva Restaurant, etc.

One can visit the Kundavada Kere. It is also known as the Kundavada Lake. This lake is located near Kundavada village. It is a popular picnic spot and an apt place for watching beautiful sunrise and sunset. The water of this lake also serves as an important source of drinking water for the city and it is very helpful especially during the summer season.

 

The Kalleshwara Temple is another place that one can visit. Duggimaya was the person who constructed this temple. This temple was built in the Vimana architectural style. The temple has witnessed the reign of two great dynasties which are the Rashtrakuta Dynasty and the Dynasty of the Western Chalukyas. One finds here 36 inscriptions which are in the Kannada dialect. These inscriptions approximately date back to the 10th and 11th centuries. There are also eight small shrines within the temple which are dedicated to Lord Sun, Lord Narasimha, Ganesha, Kartikeya, Goddess Saraswati,  Mahishasuramardini, Anantashayana. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva.

 

Bathi Gudda is a popular tourist attraction. It is a beautiful mountain. From this mountain, one gets to see an amazing view of the cities of Davanagere and also Harihar. On this mountain peak one also finds an old temple and also a Dargah of Chaman Shah Wali. These two holy places are surrounded by beautiful flora. Many devotees come here especially at the time of the annual festivities which take place at these shrines. The Bathi Lake and the Bhadra Sugar Factory are also located close to this place. The Davanagere Dairy which supplies milk to this entire district can also be visited because it is close to this mountain.

 

Sulekere is another beautiful place to visit. This place is also known as Soole Kere or Shanti Sagara. It is a pond that was made by Princess Shanthi approximately in the 12th century. This pond is a major source of water supply and it also happens to be the second-largest pond in Asia. The place also happens to be a nice picnic spot. There is a temple which is dedicated to Lord Siddeshwara and it is located close by to this place. Many people even visit this temple.

 

Kemmangundi is a hill station in Chikmagalur which is famous for its scenic views. It is located in the Tarikere taluk of Chikmagalur district. The height of Kemmangundi is approximately 1434 metres above sea level. This hill station is also known as KR Hills because it was a summer retreat for the Mysore King Krishnaraja Wodeyar the fourth. He later donated this place to the Government of Karnataka and currently, this place is handled by the Horticultural Department of Karnataka. This place derives its name from their Kannada words are Kempu which means red, Mannu which means soil, and gundi which means pit. Thus it means a place with red soil. There is a dense forest cover here because this region is covered with coffee plantations and tea plantations and also with thick bamboo groves.

 

The Ayyanakere Lake is a beautiful tourist place to visit. This lake is an ancient one. It is located at the eastern base of the Baba Budangiri Hills and one can access this lake from the town of Sakrepatna. This lake is also the second largest lake in Karnataka. The lake is also surrounded by beautiful hills. The Shakunaguri Hills form a beautiful backdrop for this lake. During the reign of Rukmangada Raya, the Ayyanakere Lake was built. The Hoysala King Narasimha I also supported Rukmangada Raya with regard to the building of the lake. The main purpose behind building this lake was to support the people whose livelihood was agriculture. Many people visit this lake to enjoy a beautiful sunrise and sunset. The visitors to the lake can also indulge in fishing and camping at the lakeside.

 

One can also go shopping at Davanagere. The place is popular for its home furnishings, decorative items and clothing.There are many markets and shopping malls here which offer the visitor items right from their daily products to luxurious products. B.S. Channa Basappa and Sons is a well-known place where one can shop for some beautiful sarees and also textiles.

 

Thus the Eshwara Temple is a good place to go to as one can really learn and explore more about the Hoysala and Chalukyan temple architecture.