The Sharavathi Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the Sagar Taluk of the Shimoga district. It is spread over an area of approximately 431 sq kms. The Sharavathi River is located close to this place. There are evergreen, semi- evergreen and also moist deciduous forests in this sanctuary. One finds trees here like the Dhoopa, Surahone,Mavu, Nandi,etc.Here one finds a variety of animals birds and reptiles like tiger, leopard, porcupine, otter,pangolin, barking deer, sloth bear, rat snake, crocodile, monitor lizard, Indian Lorries, minivets, herons, paradise flycatcher, woodpeckers, etc. One also finds many butterflies in this sanctuary like Glassy Tiger, Danaids, Tree Nymph, Common Crow, etc. This sanctuary is also considered to be a good place for bird watching.
Transportation & Best time to visit Sharavathi Wildlife Sanctuary, Shimoga
The Mangalore Airport is close to this place. From the airport one can take either a bus or a taxi to reach the place. The Talaguppa Railway station is close to this place. From the railway station one can take a bus or a taxi to reach the sanctuary. There are many buses that one can take to reach this sanctuary. If not by bus one can also travel by a taxi to reach here. The months from September to April is considered to be the best time to visit this place.
Accommodation & Food near Sharavathi Wildlife Sanctuary, Shimoga
Near this sanctuary there are many places where one can stay. The prices too are affordable. Some of the names of the places are Sharavathi Adventure Camp, Nandanam Regency, Hotel Adiga Heritage Boarding and Lodging,Barekal Farmstay, Hotel Mahalaxmi Residency,etc. There are also many places where one can eat food at. Some of the names of the restaurants are Ashirwad Hotel, Beach Family Restaurant Sagar, Hotel The Town Top, Swamy Sagar Hotel, Hotel Ayodhya,etc.
Places to visit near Sharavathi Wildlife Sanctuary, Shimoga
Singandur: It is locally called Sigandooru. The place is famous for its Shri Chowdeshwari Temple. This temple is dedicated to Goddess Chowdeshwari. The Goddess is also referred to as Chowdamma Devi. It is believed that the Goddess punishes thieves who steal and protects all those who pray to her from any robbery. The Sharavathi River is located near this place. This river is considered to be sacred. During the annual festival that happens here during the month of January many people bathe in this river.
Maravanthe Beach: For all those who love beaches they should definitely visit the Maravanthe Beach. The Arabian Sea is located on one side of this beach and on the other side one sees the Kodachadri Hills. One can indulge in many activities here like swimming, scuba diving, snorkelling,etc. The calm and peaceful atmosphere at the beach makes it a good place to be at.
Hattiangadi Siddhi Vinayaka Temple: The temple was built approximately in the 8th century during the reign of the Alupa Kings. This temple is dedicated to Lord Ganesha who is also called Siddhi Vinayaka. In this temple one finds a 2.5 feet idol of Lord Ganesha which is made with saligrama stone and is decorated with many ornaments. This idol of Lord Ganesha is the only one that has jata hair and it bends towards the left side. Many people believe that this statue is growing in proportions every year and this belief is already turning out to be true because this statue is growing larger in size than its silver casting. Free meals are also given to the pilgrims who visit this temple.
The Kotilingeshwara Temple: It is located in Kammasandra which is in the Kolar district. The temple was constructed by Swami Sambha Shiva Murthy in 1980.This temple is popular because of its Shivalinga which happens to be the largest and the tallest one in Asia. The height of the Shivalinga is 33 metres. There is also a Basava statue next to this Shivalinga. The statue is approximately 11 metres tall. It is surrounded by many Shiva Lingas. Since this project involves establishing almost one crore Shiva Lingas, it is called Kotilingeshwara. Till now there are around a hundred lakh Shiva Linga that have been established here. Inside this temple one finds eleven other temples which are dedicated to different deities. Mahashivratri here is celebrated on a grand scale and many people visit this place then.
Nakhuda Beach: It is also known as Tenginagundi Beach. The beach is extremely peaceful as it is not commercialised. There are many temples around this beach and one can hear the sound of the bells ringing at the beach creating a serene environment all around.
Maranakatte: The place is famous for its Brahmalingeshwara Temple. It is believed that Goddess Mookambika performed the Marana Hamam here after killing Mookasura. In this temple one finds the idols of Vata Yaksi and Malayali Yaksi who act as doorkeepers here. The chariot festival is very popular here and thus during the festival many people visit this place.
Kunchikal Falls: The height of this waterfall is approximately 450 metres. This waterfall is considered to be one of the highest tiered waterfalls in India. There is a hydroelectric power plant that has been constructed next to this waterfall. It is because of this that the water flow into these falls has been reduced. There are other small waterfalls around this waterfall and the atmosphere here is quite pleasant. The scenery around this place is also good to look at.
Daria Bahadurgad Fort: is located on the Daria Bahadurgad Island.One can enjoy a boat ride while going to this fort. Near this fort one finds few famous temples, an old tile factory and other scenic locations. The fort was built by Basavappa Naik of Bidanur. The architectural structure of this fort is quite noteworthy. The scenery around the island is also good to look at.
