Town with holy, rustic charm

Forty km from Shimoga and Harihar, located right on the banks of River Tungabhadra is a peaceful pilgrim town called Honnali.

It was earlier known as Dwithiya Mantralaya where an ancient monastery (the present Mutt) with the holy shrine dedicated to the sixteenth century saint of Mantralaya was founded in the year 1674. 

On the outskirts of Honnali is Hirekalmata, also called Chennappaswamy Mutt. It is a widely revered Veershaiva monastery famous for its gurukula, anubhavamantapa and the age old temples dedicated to Chenna Mallikarjuna, Veerabhadra and Goddess Chowdeshwari.

Dotted with shrines

The twelfth century Honnali Hirekalmata is a Bruhachila Mutt (a spacious structure made of stone) with as many as 136 (10 to 15 ft in height) stone pillars, each carved from a single stone. 

Originally, a taluk centre of Shimoga, it was merged with Davangere district in 1997. Honnali town (also called Honna halli, Bhaskara Kshetra, and Honnarali) has a small shrine dedicated to Mallikarjuna built by queen Hoysaladevi (as mentioned in an inscription at Mallikeshwara Theertha dated AD 1055).

On the left bank of Tungabhadra river, are the ruins of a fort, a bastion and remains of a palatial structure said to be of the Nawabs. In the 16th century, during the rule of Vijayanagar dynasty, the Honnali region was under Mugidora Mara Nayaka, a chieftain who built many tanks and temples in and around Honnalli.

The Tungabhadra river passes through Honnali and the town’s prominent landmark Raghavendraswamy Mutt is located right beside the river. Honnali attracts pilgrims from all over during the yearly aradhana of Raghavendraswamy. 

Every year, in the second week of August (Shravana Krishnapaksha), the three day aradhana of the saint is performed here with special pujas, car festival and spiritual discourses.

Early stone age (Paleolithic) tools are known to have been discovered in the 1880s in Nyamati or Nayamathi, located 14 km away from Honnalli. It is also the hometown of Nyamati Prabhanna, the first Kannada writer to have compiled Kannada Shabda Kosha (lexicography). Nyamati is known for a landmark pyate (extension) founded by Dewan Purnaiah of princely Mysore. 

About twenty km from Honnali is Belagutti. Originally called Belagavathi, this town has history dating back to Chalukyas of Kalyana, Hoysalas and Yadavas. The main attraction here is the Durgambika Temple popular for its annual festivities in October.

An islet formed from the two streams of river Tungabhadra, Kuruve or Kuruve Gadde is ten km from Honnalli, located on Honnali-Shimoga Road. Also known as Gadde Rameshwara, Kuruve has a Rameshwara Temple associated with Ramayana.

In and around the Honnali town, there are many more spots such as Balleshwara, Kamaragatta, Masadi, Marikoppa, Kalabariguddaa and Thirtharameshwara.

Located amidst rocky hillocks, Thirtharameshwara has a hilltop temple housing a Shivalinga worshipped by Rama. Located on the outskirts is a Marikoppa Temple of goddess Haladamma. 

About forty km from Honnali is Udagani, the birth place of 12th century poetess saint Akkamahadevi. She is revered for her vachanas (devotional verses) dedicated to Lord Chenna Mallikarjuna. You can see the ruins of Chenna Mallikarjuna Temple in Udagani.

 This town also has Akkamahadevi’s memorial shrine built in 1973 to commemorate the eighth birth centenary celebrations of Basaveshwara. 

Seven km from Shikaripura, Udagani is also called Thrithiya Mantralaya where a temple with Raghavendraswamy Mrithika Brindavana has been in existence for more than 300 years.