Coffee, Gentle Rain, Temples and Gadbad in Mangalore and Chikmagalur

 

Karnataka offers some of the most varied and beautiful terrains amongst Indian states. It has a rich and diverse cultural heritage too. We had recently visited Mysore and Hampi, and the experience left us wanting more. Devi was scheduled to participate in the Bridge summer nationals in Mangalore from 4^th June 2026, so we decided to add on a few days and visit the area around Chikmagalur. 

Fortunately, some of our IIM Calcutta classmates were keen to join us, which added to the fun and so the planning began. Jagdish and Meera Acharya, who belong to Udipi, were part of the group. Their local knowledge and experience were invaluable in working out the itinerary and planning the sightseeing and routes. After some discussion, the program looked like this: 

Day 1 Arrive in Mangalore

Day 2 Mangalore local sightseeing

Day 3 Drive from Mangalore to Chikmagalur

Day 4 Gentle introduction to the Chikmagalur area

Day 5 Belur Halebidu

Day 6 Mountain areas around Chikmagalur

Day 7 Drive from Chikmagalur to Mangalore and disperse

 

Day 1

Our Air India Express flight from Delhi to Mangalore was very delayed and the experience of flying AIX was rather poor. Things got better once we met with our friends and the trip began.

 

Day 2

After a sumptuous breakfast at the hotel, we were ready for the day.  Jagdish had arranged for an Urbania Vehicle for the group. Great choice!

 

The Tata group in its wisdom has rebranded the Taj Manjarun as a nondescript Vivanta. Perhaps the rather ‘vibrant’ colours used in public spaces are meant to synergise with the ‘youthful’ image of the Vivanta brand. Suffice it to say this is one branding exercise that significantly erodes Taj brand equity. I had commented on this in a previous blog that you may enjoy reading. Confusion Confounded 

Our first visit was to the Kadri Shree Manjunatha Temple.  

This is a Shiva Temple, and it was established around the 10^th Century CE. It is looked after by the Shivali Madhava Brahmins. If you wish to read more about the temple, here is the Wikipedia link Kadri Manjunatha Temple 

I found the fusion of Buddhist and Hindu images fascinating.  Buddhism was the dominant religion in coastal Karnataka till the 10^th Century. Even though it was replaced with Hinduism, images such as this, of the main deity, Sri Manjunatha Swamy (Shiva) depict the confluence in sculptural styles beautifully.

The other bronze image of Shiva (or a form of Brahma) is equally interesting. It predates the mainstream Chola bronzes and is supposed to be made from Panchdhatu (5 metals). This is regarded as one of the most exquisite metal statues in India. From an art historian point of view this statue represents a Bodhisattva—either Lokesvara (Avalokitesvara) or Manjusri—dating precisely back to 968 CE. The inscription mentions the site as a Buddhist vihara that was later transformed into a Shiva Temple. Interestingly, the reverse transformation happened at Angkor Wat in Cambodia. It was originally a Vishnu Temple that was transformed into a Buddhist one. Read about our experiences in Cambodia in my blog post  Cambodia - A Glorious Indic Heritage

 

After the temple we went to the St Aloysius chapel. This was built by Jesuit missionaries in 1880 and the interiors painted by an Italian Jesuit, Antonio Moscheni in 1899. The paintings are beautiful. If you wish to read more about the chapel, here is the Wikipedia link. St Aloysius Chapel

The Chapel also has a small museum attached to it. This contains an eclectic collection of artefacts put together by the Jesuit priests in Mangalore over the years such as the first car to run on Mangalore roads.

 

By now we were quite famished, so we went to Madhuvan’s Village Restaurant for an amazing lunch. The non-vegetarians tucked into seafood with highlight being the Mangalorean crab masala.

The other highlight was the ‘gadbad’ ice cream – a Mangalorean specialty. It’s rather like an old-fashioned Tutti Frutti full of ice cream, jelly, nuts and fruits. This became a major favourite for the whole group egged on by Tanveer, and we ate it at virtually every meal over the next few days!

 

After this enormous lunch we went back to the hotel for a while but soon left to see the Sultan Battery. This was a rather underwhelming structure and can be safely avoided. There was a ferry to the beach, but the lines were too long so we went by road. The beach was crowded and not too clean, but the sunset was beautiful.

We ended the day with dinner at Pabbas. An iconic café. There was a long waiting list, but we got in eventually and ate sandwiches and gadbad all over again! This is an average place, not worth the wait.

And so ended an eventful day in Mangalore.

 

Day 3

Our breakfast included the famous Mangalore Buns. They are banana flavoured and quite delicious! We had specially asked for these buns and the hotel obliged. Fortunately, Taj hospitality is still intact despite the name change!

 

 We loaded up the Urbania, checked out of the hotel and started off for Chikmagalur. Our first stop was at the 1000 pillars Jain temple in Moodbidri locally known as Saavira Kambada Basadi. An iconic temple with many pillars that are all carved differently also known as the Jain Kashi.

 

If you wish to read more about the 1000 pillar temple, here is the link to the Wikipedia page. 1000 Pillar Temple

Our next stop was at the Gomateshwara Bahubali statue in Venur. This is one of the five in Karnataka, the biggest being at Shravanabelgola. However, the one at Venur is easily accessible (no steps to climb) and there were no crowds at the beautiful site on the banks of the Phalguni River.

 

The next stop was for lunch at Sagar Ratna, Ujire. A delicious south Indian vegetarian meal followed by Gadbad!

The last part of the drive was a picturesque ghat road up to Chikmagalur. We checked into our hotel, Vismita County, a delightful boutique hotel set in between a coffee estate. They had nice cottage style rooms and good food.

Day 4

We set off for a visit to the nearby Hirekolale lake. Serene and peaceful, surrounded by hills, it was a great place to start the visit,

 

After the lake we went to the Giri coffee estate. Interesting information about coffee growing and processing. There were many spices growing along with the coffee. Pepper vines snaked up the silver fir shade trees and exotic plants like star anise grew alongside. I bought some estate coffee and it’s great! As an aside they told us that where they took us was only 20 acres while the whole estate is 400 acres. The balance area is risky with wild animals like elephants roaming around.

After the coffee estate visit, we went to Kailash Parbat for lunch in Chikmagalur town. This is a standard eatery like the one in Mumbai. Chole Bhature, Pav Bhaji and so forth ending of course with Gadbad!

We went to the hotel after that with a plan to visit the Mahatma Gandhi park in the evening. However, It started raining so we spent an enjoyable evening telling stories and singing

 A relaxed, unhurried introduction to the area.

 

Day 5

This was scheduled to be the main sightseeing day with visits to Belur, Belvadi and Halebidu temples. The weather was perfect, cloudy and cool with no rain. 

We drove to the Chennakeshava Temple, Belur first. We were fortunate to get an excellent guide who stayed with us for the whole day. He was fluent in English and very helpful in every way. This temple is nothing short of a masterpiece of Indian art. In fact, Belur and Halebidu put together surpass anything I have seen so far. Only Khajuraho comes close. This Vishnu temple was commissioned by King Vishnuvardhana in 1117 CE, on the banks of the Yagachi River in Belur, an early Hoysala Empire capital. The temple construction took 103 years. Read more about it on Wikipedia Belur temple

 

The Hoysala temples don’t have the imposing Shikhars that one normally expects in Hindu Temples. However, they more than make up in the beauty of the carvings and the lace like 3-dimensional detailing on each figure.

Here is one of the best examples. The lady with the mirror.

The artwork is simply breathtaking. I have shown only a few here, but this is one of the highest points of Indian art.

After Belur we went to Veeranarayana Temple, Belavadi. This is a beautiful uncrowded temple built by the same king who commissioned the temple at Belur. There is a triple shrine here with an exquisite statue of Krishna playing the flute. Read about the temple here Belvadi Temple

The temple visits were followed by a vegetarian lunch at ITIHAKALA Traditional Restaurant, Halebidu. After lunch we went to see the Hoysaleshwara Temple, Halebidu. This is a 12^th century Shiva temple. This temple, if anything, is even more impressive than Belur with unmatchable carvings on the outside of the structure. Here is the Wikipedia link Halebidu Temple

Jagdish had an interesting take on the name of the hotel we stayed in. I quote, “One thought that came to my mind while revisiting our experiences at Belur and Halebidu was the word ‘Vismita.’ Derived from the Sanskrit word Vismaya (विस्मय), it signifies wonder, amazement, and awe. As a name, Vismita can be poetically interpreted as ‘one who is filled with wonder and admiration’ or ‘one who inspires awe and amazement.’ For me, Belur and Halebidu were truly Vismita—places that filled me with profound wonder and left me awestruck by their beauty, artistry, and grandeur.”

 After an amazing day, we headed back to the hotel for dinner and bed.

 

Day 6 The Hills and the Coffee Museum

 The origins of coffee in India date back to the 17^th century when a Sufi saint, Baba Budan smuggled in a few live coffee beans hidden in his beard from Yemen into India. He planted them on the slopes of Chikmagalur. Our first stop was at the Manikyadhara Falls. Littered with tourists and small stalls, the approach to the falls was unprepossessing. The falls even more so with pilgrims flinging off an article of clothing as per tradition. The place was ugly and unkempt. It’s not worth coming here and neither to Mullayanagiri & Seethalayyanagiri. The views are marvelous however, resembling the Lake district in UK but tourism has ruined the environment.

The rain had started in earnest now, so we drove back to Chikmagalur and attacked the crabs and the gadbad all over again at the village restaurant!

Our last visit was to the coffee museum in Chikmagalur. This was a typical government outfit with average displays and bored staff. We looked around a little but left soon afterwards.

The last evening was a very pleasant get-together with songs and stories and much laughter back at the hotel.

Day 7 

We drove back to Mangalore airport and dispersed vowing to keep our friendship and the spirit of gadbad alive. Here is a little poem I wrote to mark the occasion and the trip. Most of us are in our 70s so it seemed appropriate!

 

साठ पर सठियाए नहीं

सत्तर का उत्तर हमपे है

ऐश करो और ऐश कराओ

अभी तो गड़बड़ बाकी है!

 

I hope this blog has whetted your appetite to visit this beautiful part of India.

 

Here are some additional photos

 

https://photos.app.goo.gl/CPN3tTY2ZiydEzCV9

 

Photo Credits: All the group members, Jagdish, Meera, Kaanchan, Shekhar, Vijaya, KBS, Tanveer, Sunil, Usha, Ishwar, Sundari, Devi and Debu

 

*********************************************************************************

 Check out my books. The links will take you to Amazon.

Journey to the Hills and other Stories A nostalgic memoir of family vacations in Mussoorie.

The Mussoorie Murders A classic whodunit set in the Queen of the Hills

Mussoorie Montage An eclectic collection of emotional short stories set in Mussoorie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hampi - a River, Boulders and a Medieval city

The rivers of central and peninsular India are amazingly beautiful. This is not to take away from the mighty flows of the snow fed rivers of North India, but their more southerly sisters have a languid charm of their own.

Ever since we rafted on the Betwa at Orchha and went for a magical boat ride at sunset on the Ken at Panna, the enchantment has been growing. Experience the Narmada in spate at the Dhuandhar falls at Jabalpur followed by a gentle ride through the marble rocks nearby and the enchantment becomes a powerful magnetism that draws you back again and again. On a recent trip to Hampi I thought that the charms of the Tungabhadra river deserved pride of place in this article even ahead of the well preserved medieval city.

This blog is not a historical record of the Vijaynagara Empire that flourished between 1336 - 1646 CE. The empire was the highest point of Hindu power in South India and at one point covered the entire south from Orissa downwards with its capital at modern Hampi. The empire served as a bulwark against Islamic expansion further south and has probably helped to preserve the rich legacy of South Indian temples and sacred art. The greatest ruler was Krishnadevaraya (1509–1529). 

Rather we will focus on things to see from a tourist perspective. 

Our trip began with a morning flight to Bangalore. Devi's brother Velu and his wife Sarada took the morning Vande Bharat from Chennai to Bangalore and we eventually connected at a place called Dobbaspet where the roads from Bangalore airport and the city intersect on the way to Hampi. This was a trip together after 2021 when we had driven from Delhi to Chennai together when the first wave of Covid was receding. I had written a blog about that epic drive that you can read by clicking the link below:

Delhi to Chennai

The drive from Bangalore to Hospet (the nearest town to Hampi) is around 360 km and can take 7 hours due to the ongoing construction on the highway. 

                                                          

It's a tedious drive, best avoided, but the alternatives are not very promising either. Trains are slow and can take 10 hours to cover the distance. A flight has recently been started to Vidhya Nagar Airport near Hampi from Bangalore but the airline is still new so we decided not to take a chance. Either way, travel to Hampi is challenging. Food stops are also average. If you need a loo break, petrol pumps may offer cleaner alternatives than restaurants. 

There are lots of windmills on the way. I had not realised just how enormous these structures are. The picture shows one of the blades of a windmill being transported on a very long trailer truck. It was certainly more than 25m long!

Our hotel at Hospet was average. Lackadaisical service and average food. A world heritage site like Hampi certainly deserves better! However, it got better soon after that. We drove off to the Tungabhadra Dam to see the sunset and it was truly spectacular! The lake formed by the dam is enormous - almost 400 sq km and is vital for providing electricity and irrigation to the parched Rayalseema region. The dam construction was completed in the 1950s.

The rivers Tunga and Bhadra both rise in the western ghats and flow eastwards. They merge at Koodli in Karnataka to form the Tungabhadra river. This is turn merges with the Krishna which eventually flows into the Godavari and then into the Bay of Bengal. The landscape is initially lush green, giving way to the spectacular boulder strewn expanse of Hampi. The river is also referred to as Pampa (another name for Parvati) in the Ramayan. 

Day1

Our first visit was to the Vijaya Vittala, a Vishnu Temple.  This is the temple with the famous musical pillars. It is said that the queen who was a temple dancer would dance inside the mandapa with silk curtains drawn around for privacy. The pillars would be struck by musicians effectively converting the whole temple into a vast musical instrument. We had the services of an excellent guide, Prakash for the entire trip. I have no hesitation in recommending him to anyone going to Hampi. His contact number is +91 88841 18344

There is also a stone chariot in front of the temple that looks like a replica of the one at Konark.

One of the features of the Hampi is a market street in front of the temples. The structure of the markets still remain. The one in front of the Vittala Temple was a horse market. Contemporary accounts such as the one written by Domingo Paes a Portuguese traveler to the Vijaynagara empire in 1520 highlight the cosmopolitan and international nature of these bazaars with merchants and traders from many countries. 

After the temple visit, we went for a boat ride in a coracle (a first for all of us!). This is essentially a large basket made with bamboo strips and coated with a tar cloth to make it waterproof. 

There was a gentle breeze on the water as we drifted around. The boatman guided the coracle through the dense undergrowth on the river banks with rocky hills and boulders all around. The area around Hampi is the land referred to as Kishkinda in the Ramayan, the home of the Vanars and there are many caves and legends connected with Bali, Sugreev and Hanuman,

After the coracle ride, the guide took us to the Royal Enclosure.  Near the entrance is a building known as the Queen's bath. It seems to have Islamic elements in the architecture. 

There is a vast platform called the Mahnaumi Dibba from which the king would observe the Dussehra celebrations. 

Ceremonial step wells and baths are also part of the buildings in the Royal Enclosure.

It was interesting to see how water from the Tungabhadra river was brought by a series of channels and aqueducts for all these buildings. Clearly the city could not have flourished without the bounteous river to provide much needed water in an arid climate.

Other buildings in the royal enclosure include the Lotus Mahal and the Elephants Stable.

That evening we went up to Malyavantha Parvata to see the sun set over the rocky landscape. The Ranganathaswamy temple is located at the summit.

Day 2

We began the day with a visit to the Virupaksha Temple - the most significant in Hampi. This is an impressive Shiva Temple.

There is a long market street street in front of the temple.

After the Virupaksha temple we went to the Yantroddharaka Anjaneya Temple. On the way are some of the prettiest stretches of the river and the rocky hills around.

We next visited the Kadalekalu Ganpati ( Peanut Ganesh)

Next was Ugra, Narasimha and Badavi Lingaa

Finally, we went back to the Royal Enclosure to the Hazara Rama Temple. This has carvings of the Ramayan story on its walls. The sanctum is made of pillars of black granite = perhaps the best carving in the whole of Hampi.

With that ended our brief visit to Hampi. We were short on time so we spent only two days there. For a more leisurely and comprehensive experience, I would recommend a 4 day trip. It would be also better to fly in and out. The road trip back to Bangalore was even more tedious as we crawled over a broken highway jammed with Bangalore's (in)famous traffic.

The ruins of Hampi are impressive for a few reasons:

1. The scale is enormous
2. Being a relatively new site (15th Century) the state of preservation is better 
3. The rocky landscape and the beautiful river.

However from an artistic perspective, I felt that the Ajanta paintings and the carvings at Ellora and Khajuraho are more intricate and beautiful. Perhaps the hard unyielding granite of Hampi made carving more difficult.

Having said that, Hampi is indeed one of the historical marvels of India. Well worth a visit!

___________________________________________________________________________________

Take a look at my Mussoorie trilogy. 

Buy JTTH on Amazon

 

Buy Mussoorie Murders on Amazon

Buy Mussoorie Montage on Amazon