Turuvekere is a small town near Bangalore. Turuvekere Hoysala Temples are small and beautiful. Not only the town has two lovely temples, but also a magnificent temple at Thandaga which is nearby. In addition, you will also get an opportunity to see large Mallaghatta Lake and Nonavinakere Lake (One of the largest lakes in Karnataka).
This is a comfortable one day trip from Bangalore you can do on a weekend to explore lovely temples and lakes of Turuvekere.
This is twenty second post in this series of “One day trips from Bangalore”. If you are looking for places to visit from Bangalore within 150 kilometres or if you are looking for a comfortable one day trip from Bangalore, please take a look at this post on this blog. We encourage you to explore the rich landscape, heritage and beautiful spots surrounding Bangalore.
One day trips from Bangalore – 22 Exciting options with Itinerary
Weather Alert – This is summer and day times are hot. Cover well and drink a lot of water and be well hydrated.
The Circuit
Route – Bangalore – Yediyur – Turuvekere – Mallaghatta Lake – Thandaga – Nonavinakere Lake – Bangalore
Total Distance – 283 KMs
Road Condition – Very Good
Google Map of the circuit – https://goo.gl/maps/dkZNSQNMbUu4K5UcA
The Plan
7 AM – Leave home and hit NICE road if you stay near it. Exit at Tumkur road exit. Follow the road for ten kilometres and then take diversion onto Mangalore highway. If you are not near NICE road then take the Peenya toll road and exit to Bangalore – Mangalore highway.
8 AM – Breakfast time at Shark Food Court after Solur which has soft and tasty Thatte Idlis (flat idlis) – the best in the game – and Masala Dosa or drive for another thirty minutes to reach Swati Delicacy which has excellent breakfast menu. Don’t forget to eat their tasty Masala Dosa and the best filter coffee you get on the highway.
8.45 AM – Depart for Turuvekere. A nice drive of one and a quarter hour (45 minutes from Swathi Delicacy) will bring you to Turuvekere.
10 AM – Arrive at Turuvekere. Explore three lovely Hoysala Temples in town. The first one is Channakeshava temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu and the others are Gangadhareshwara and Moole Shankara temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. These three temples are near each other. These are small temples but has some elegant sculptures. The Nandi in Gangadhareshwara temple is exquisitely carved. Spend an hour exploring them.
Channakeshava temple – Turuvekere
Moole Shankara Temple – Turuvekere
Nandi in Gangadhareshwara temple
The stone bell!!
11.15 AM – Drive to Mallaghatta Lake. This is a huge lake and in monsoon, the water flows over the barrage creating a small waterfall. Spend 15 minutes here. Avoid swimming in the lake.
When there is water, it is a nice sight!
12 PM – Drive to Thandaga. This is a small village with a beautiful temple of Channakeshava. Situated at the edge of huge Thandaga lake, this is built by Hoysala kings in 13th century. The Channakeshava idol is lovely. The lake is huge and very picturesque. Spend 20 mins in this place.
Tandaga Lake
12.45 PM – Drive to Nonavinakere. This is one of biggest lakes in Karnataka. It is a huge expanse of water. On the banks of the lake is an ancient temple dedicated to Beterayaswamy as Lord Vishnu is called in this region.
1.45 PM – Depart for Bangalore. If you are hungry then you can eat lunch or snacks in restaurants in Turuvekere. Else we recommend you to drive to Swati Delicacy after Yediyur for late lunch. Swathi has excellent menu.
3 PM – Lunch time at Swathi Delicacy.
4 PM – Depart for Bangalore.
Travel Tips
- This is an easy to do one day trip from Bangalore which will allow you to explore Turuvekere and surroundings.
- The best time to visit these places is immediately after the monsoon when the lakes are full and looks spectacular. This year has been a good year for rains and the lakes are full!!
- The temples are all small and have elegant sculptures. The Nandi statue in Gangadhareshwara temple is outstanding.
- Make sure you wear good shoes or comfortable footwear as one need to walk around.
- Carry water bottles. Wear good hat to protect from sun.
- The timings are indicative for journey in car/bike. If one wants to spend more time exploring, then plan it accordingly.
- The road conditions for this one day trip is generally good. But we strongly advise you to join the excellent road trippers group on facebook known as HV Kumar Forum where you can get latest updates on road condition and get expert advise from seasoned road trippers. HV Kumar is considered as doyen among road trippers in India. Click on this link to join the group.https://www.facebook.com/groups/hvkumar/
- There is another set of exquisite temples at Nagalapura which is a slight deviation on Turuvekere – Yediyur road. If you are interested in exploring it, we suggest you to have lunch at Turuvekere, go to Nagalapura and drive back to Bangalore. Check out these pictures below.
Channakeshava Temple – Nagalapura
The interiors of temple with beautifully carved pillars and elegant idol of Channakeshava in the form of Venkatesha! It is lovely!
Kedareshwara temple – Nagalapura
The array of sculptures! Mini Halebidu!
If you want to explore Hoysala Temples in Karnataka from Bangalore along with Shravanabelagola, this post will give a detailed itinerary for Saturday and Sunday trip from Bangalore.
Shravanabelagola & Hoysala Wonders – A Complete weekend trip guide!
Also look this magnificent Hoysala sculptures in Halebidu
Halebidu – A Complete Guide to Magnificent Sculptures!
Thank You
We thank you for stopping by Travel Twosome and exploring Turuvekere Hoysala temples and lakes. We hope you liked it and planning a trip to these lovely places.
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