Jenukal Gudda

Jenkal or Jenukallu Peak which is 1,380 metres (4,530 ft) above mean sea level (12.955377°N 75.617224°E), the highest peak in Hassan district, is located in Sakleshpura Taluk. It is around 38 kilometres from Sakleshpura town.. This place is also called Jenukallu Gudda or honey stone mountain. It is also considered to be the second-highest peak in Karnataka. The mountain peak is surrounded by thick forests and also rich coffee plantations. It is the perfect place for trekking. At times one also gets to see the Arabian Sea in Mangalore from here. One also gets to see various other mountain peaks like Ettina Bhuja, Kumara Parvatha, and Shesha Parvatha from here. There is also a hill nearby which is called Deepadha Kallu which often is clubbed with Jenukal Gudda for trekking. One can also watch beautiful sunsets from this mountain peak.

 

Transportation & Best time to visit Jenukal Gudda

The airports which are close to this place are the Mangalore Airport and the Bangalore Airport. From there one can take either a bus or a taxi to reach Jenukal Gudda. By road, there are buses to drop the visitor at this place. If not bus one can also take a taxi to reach here. It is also possible to drive to this place. The Arsikere Junction is the closest railway station to this place. From there one can take either a bus or a taxi to reach Jenukal Gudda. The best time to visit this place is from the months of October to March. It is best to avoid this place during the monsoon season.

 

Accomodation & Food near Jenukal Gudda

There are many places where one can stay around Jenukal Gudda. The prices too are affordable. Some of the names of the places are Coffee Castle Villa, Hotel Mayura Shantala, Impal Residency, KPS Comforts, The Ashok Hassan, Mallige Residency, etc. There are also many places where one can eat food at. Some of the names of the restaurants are Swad Restaurant, Star Chef Multicuisine Restaurant, Meridian Hotel, Donne Biryani Mane, Mamatha Hotel, etc

 

Places to visit near Jenukal Gudda

Gorur Dam -  Also known as the Hemavathi Dam is a nice place to visit. The dam was built in 1979. The purpose behind building this dam was to provide drinking water and also help in irrigation for the villages nearby. There is a garden which is right next to this dam which is a picnic spot. From there one can view the water gushing down from the dam. If one visits this dam early in the morning it is possible to see many varieties of birds here. The Parasudeva Temple and the Yoganarasimha Temple are located near this dam and one can visit these too.

 

 

Chennakesava Temple - It is one of the best examples of Hoysala architecture. It was built by King Vishnuvardhana who was a Hoysala ruler. It is considered to be one of the earliest temples made by the dynasty. This temple was the centrepiece of the Hoysala Kingdom and it is closest associated with the military achievements of King Vishnuvardhana. It was built using soapstone. In order to build this temple, the best architects and artists were hired so that they could create this masterpiece. The two ornate pillars of this temple, one which is a Garuda and the other with a lamp, are quite famous.  The outer walls of the temple have some really great artwork with dancing girls in various postures. The Narasimha Pillar is also another pillar that should not be missed when one visits this temple. To the right of this temple, one finds the  Kappe Chennigaraya Temple and another smaller temple. To the left of this temple, one finds the Ranganayaki Temple which one can visit.

Archaeological Museum - It is in front of the Hoysaleshwara Temple. This museum was established in the early 1970s. Most of the artefacts that one finds in this museum are from the 12th and 13th centuries. The museum has more than 1500 sculptures and inscriptions that are of historical importance and have been recovered around and in Halebidu. The museum is an open-air museum and also has a close sculpture gallery that displays all the artefacts. In this open-air museum, one finds many historical sculptures like Krishna, Dancing Shiva, Dancing Ganesha, etc. There is also on display an 18 feet Tirthankara image from one of the ruined tanks of Jain Basadis.

Hoysaleswara Temple - It is another temple that one can visit. It is located in Halebidu. The construction of this temple began approximately in the 12th century by the then king of Hoysala but later in the 14th century the temple was looted and now all that one gets to see are ruins. The temple was built of soapstone. This temple is surrounded by mandapas, lakes and even ponds. Here in the temple, there are two shrines out of which one was for the King and the other was for the Queen. The figures on the walls of the temple show scenes from Ramayana and Mahabharata. At the entrance of the temple one even finds an image of a dancing Ganesha. This temple is believed to have almost 240 images and no other temple has so many sculptures. One should also see the Garuda Stambha. This is a rare pillar that shows the history of the bodyguards who accompanied the King. The Garuda Stambha pays homage to a bodyguard who killed himself after his master died. Thus this is why UNESCO has declared this temple as a Heritage site.

Yagachi Dam - It was built in the year 2001 across the Yagachi River. The purpose behind building this dam was to help in irrigation and also meet the needs of drinking water in Belur, Chikmagalur and Hassan. One can sit near the reservoir here and watch the calm water. For all those who love adventure, the Yagachi Water Adventure Sports Centre is in the backwaters of this dam and it is made to attract tourists here. One can indulge in water sports here like banana boat ride, speed boat, kayaking, jet-skiing, etc