Places to visit in Chikmagalur - Ayannakere Lake

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 regards 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.

 

TRANSPORTATION AND BEST TIME TO VISIT THE PLACE

The Bangalore Airport is the nearest to the lake. From there one will have to take a bus or a taxi to reach the lake. Kadur Junction is the nearest railway station to the lake. From there one will have to take a bus or a taxi to reach the lake. One can also hire a cab or go by bus to the lake. It is also possible to drive down to the lake. The best time to visit this lake is during the monsoon season.

 

ACCOMMODATION AND FOOD

There are many places where one can stay around the lake. The prices too are affordable. Some of the names of the places are Hotel Mayura,Kalinga tavern residency, Hotel Dhruvathare, Hotel JM Residency, Sri Ganesha Lodge,etc There are also many places where one can eat food at. Some of the names of the restaurants are Park View Family Restaurant, Chandus Dine and Josh Club,Cafe Udupi Ruchi, Dhruvathare Pure Veg Restaurant, Hotel Halli Ruchi,etc

 

PLACES TO VISIT

One can visit the Adichunchanagiri Peacock Sanctuary which is a popular tourist attraction. This purpose behind building this place was to protect the peacocks in this vicinity. Other than peacocks one finds many other species of fauna here such as variety of birds and butterflies, fruit bats, mongoose,etc

Melukote is a historic town that is located in Mandya District. It is famous for its yoga centres Melukote Cheluvarayaswamy Temple and Yoga Narasimha Temple.  There is a sacred tank nearby the Cheluvarayaswamy Temple which is called the Kalyani Theertham. Within this temple there is also a Sanskrit College which is called as Veda Vedanta Bodhini Sanskrit Maha Patashala. The town of Melukote is also famous for its Melkote Temple Wildlife Sanctuary. This is further divided into two parts which are Mudibetta and Narayandurga. Most of the area is filled with deciduous scrub vegetation.  One finds animals like wolves, spotted deer, langur,pangolin, etc here.

Shri Yediyur Siddhalingeshwara Swamy Temple is located in the Tumkur District. It is an ancient Hindu Shrine and also a pilgrimage centre. The deity of this temple is Siddhalingeshwara. Although this place is known as a temple one finds the Nirvikalpa Shivayoga Samadhi of Tontada Siddalinga here who was a well known saint. Sri Siddhalingeshwara Swamy is believed to be an incarnation of Lord Shiva.This temple is a good example of Dravidian architecture. This temple holds a Jathra in order to commemorate the attainment of Samadhi by Sri Siddhalingeshwara Swamy. Sahasra Rudrabhishekam which is a Hindu Festival is also performed at this temple. This temple also hosts an annual car festival. During such special days many devotees come to visit the temple.

Shakunaguri Hills form a beautiful backdrop to the Ayyanakere Lake. The height of these mountains is approximately 4600 feet and this adds all the more beauty to the lake. These hills are good for trekking. On the banks of the Ayyanakere Lake one can find several Hoysala sculptures which are dedicated to Lord Shiva. One also gets to see an intricately carved standing image of Lord Vishnu here.

Shimsha River which is a tributary of the River Kaveri is also another good place to see. The river Shimsha originates in the Devarayanadurga Hills which are in the Tumkur District. This river further blends with other rivers at this place which is called as the Shimsha Valley.One can view as to how these rivers blend from the top of the valley.

Muthati settlement is near Malavalli and on the banks of the River Kaveri. This settlement is encircled by the forests of Kaveri Wildlife Sanctuary. Further this place is also associated with Lord Rama's wife Sita and also Anjana who is a Hindu deity. There is a small Anjaneya Temple nearby which many people visit.

Bheemeshwari is another popular tourist spot that one can visit. It is situated amidst two falls that are the Shivasamudra Falls and Mekedatu Falls. Mahseer Fish and other animals like elephants, boars, jackals,deer, etc are found here. Jungle Lodges Enterprises  conduct a fishing camp at Bheemeshwari which attracts many people to this place.

For all the bird lovers Kokkare Bellur is another must visit. This place got its name from the bird  Painted Stork and these birds are found here in plenty. This village is surrounded by many water tanks and also thick green vegetation which attracts many migratory birds like Spotted Pelican and also Painted Stork here. The villagers of this village believe that these birds give them prosperity and are also a good omen. The bird droppings of these birds are utilized as manure for farms. Thus because of these birds many tourists come here.

Talakad or Talakadu is a famous pilgrimage spot and also an important archaeological site. It is believed that there are many temples which are buried under the sand dunes here. These temples are excavated once in 12 years for special poojas. Thus this is what makes the place interesting to visit.

Shivanasamudra falls are another interesting place to visit. Shivanasamudra is a tiny island which is located in Mandya District. There is a watch tower near the waterfall. This waterfall is believed to be Asia's first hydro electric power station. One can also find many ancient temples here.