HASSAN

Hassan is a  town in the heart of malnad with a pleasant climate about 180 KM from Bangalore. The Hoysalas brought world wide acclaim to the district through their unique style of Temple Architecture. Hassan is surrounded by 6 districts namely Chikmagalur, Mangalore, Madikeri, Mysore, Mandya & Tumkur. The town is also home to the Master Control Facility of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

The place is called Hassan after the Goddess "Haasanamba", the goddess and presiding deity of the town.

Hassan city dates back to the 11th century, during the Hoysala dynasty, which lasted from the eleventh to the fourteenth century with its capital at Dwarasamundra (Dwaravati-pura), the ruins of which are still to be seen scattered round the town of Halebidu.

This quiet and peaceful town is a convenient base to visit Sharavanabelagola, Belur and Halebid

Hassan is also a base from where to visit the 15th century Channakeshava temple at Belur ( known for its exquisite soap stone sculptures and pillars which took 103 years to complete), about 30 kms and Hoysaleswara temple (40 kms) of Halebid another landmark in Hoysala architecture with sculptures of gods, animals.

How to reach Hassan?
 

By Air
The nearest airport is Bangalore at a distance of 187 kms

By Road

Hassan is connected by road services to Bangalore (222 km) and Mangalore (194 km). Buses ply in regular intervals to these cities. Hassan is also linked with Belur, Halebid, Shravanbelgola, Bangalore and Mysore by road.

By Rail
The railway station in Hassan is connected to other major junctions such as Bangalore, Mysore and Mangalore.

Sightseeing and attractions in and near Hassan

Hassanamba Temple - Hassanamba Temple is 800 years old and houses the main deity of Hassan. The temple is dedicated to Amba also known as Goddess Shakti. The Inner sanctum opens only once a year for two weeks during Deepavali and closes three days after Balipadyami. When the temple is closed they keep before the goddess a lit lamp two bags of uncooked rice, water and flowers.

Halebidu - Halebidu is situated 30 kms north-west of Hassan and 17 kms east of Belur. It is home to one of the best examples of Hoysala architecture in the ornate Hoysaleswara and Kedareswara temples and was the 12th century capital of the Hoysalas. The Hoysaleswara Temple, dating back to the 12th century, is breathtaking for its awesome sculptural details. The walls of the temple are covered with an endless variety of gods and goddesses, animals, birds and dancing girls. This magnificent temple - guarded by a Nandi Bull.

Shravanabelagola  - Shravanabelagola  is one of the most important Jain pilgrim centers. It reached a peak in architectural and sculptural activity under the patronage of Gangas of Talakad. More than 800 inscriptions have been found at Shravanabelagola, dating to various times from 600 to 1830. The 57 feet monolithic statue of the Bhagavan Gomateshwara Bahubali is located on the Vindyagiri which is considered to be the world's largest monolithic stone statue.Every twelve years, thousands of devotees congregate here to perform the Mahamastakabhisheka, a spectacular ceremony in which the statue is covered with milk, curds, ghee, saffron and gold coins. The next Mahamastakabhisheka will be held in 2018.

Belur - The main attraction in Belur is the Chennakesava temple complex which contains the Channekeshwar Temple (dedicated to Chennakeshava - incarnation of Vishnu) The temple was built by Shantaladevi, queen of king Vishnuvardhana.

Channekeshwar Temple - The famous Channekeshwar temple is an outstanding monument that took 103 years to be built. Its construction began in 1116 to commensurate the Hoyasala’s victory over the Cholas at Talakad. The facade of the temple is filled with intricate sculptures and friezes with no portion left blank.

Distance from Hassan

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