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Kiki goes to Kikkeri
The Hoysalas, who once ruled much of Karnataka, left behind a remarkable legacy in the form of their stunning temples, which showcase the beauty of Hoysala architecture. Among the most celebrated sites are Belur and Halebidu—both former capitals—and Somanathapura. Many elegant yet understated temples built in this style of architecture are scattered around Hassan and Mysore. This ride began in search of few such temples along the Mysore-Arsikere road. This road joins Channarayapatna, a bustling town just before Hassan City.
The first one was The Brahmeshwara Temple in the quaint Kikkeri village. Zigzagging through the labyrinth of the entire hamlet (thanks to Google Maps), I reached the serene end of the road, where the temple is located. Due to maintenance work, the temple was locked, and the friendly neighbour said it wouldn't be open for a couple of days to the public. Undeterred, I admired the intriguing architecture from the outside, soaking in the peaceful morning ambience as I wandered around the temple grounds.
Going around the village of Kikkeri through the nukes and corners, the next was (not the) Hoysala temple of Kikkeramma. As a common practice in many localities to have a goddess of their own (no points for guessing here), it is Kikkeramma for Kikkeri.
Continuing on the main Mysore-Arsikere road for a few hundred metres and deviating left (towards west) is another of the Hoysala temples, Shri Panchalingeshwara Swamy Temple. Better maintained than the temple at Kikkeri, this is again close to another water body, Govindanahalli Lake.
It was a pleasant surprise when I noticed a milestone announcing the distance to Shravanabelagola as 13 kilometres. Intrigued, I couldn't help but ride on the fantastic rural road with twists and turns all the way to Shravanabelagola and filled up fuel from the petrol pump (whose price was one rupee more than in Mysore) before returning. This ride made me eager to discover more hidden gems near Mysore.
