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Belur, Belavadi, Javagal
Early mornings in small sleepy towns are just gorgeous. After my customary black tea in the morning, I thought of visiting the famous Chennakesava temple, which was just a few hundred metres away. You would hardly see anybody moving around on the road. Except for the milk suppliers and the flower vendors, no other shops would be open at that time. With this expectation, walking on the rain-soaked road leading to the Beluru Chennakesava temple, the magnificent temple did impress me with its serenity. But this happened to be a short glimpse of joy. Before long, a bunch of boys launched into their routine: filming reels and staging content for their social feeds. With the serenity disrupted, I started walking back towards the hotel to have an early breakfast, pack and start for the day.
Most of the time, the government-run KSTDC Hotel Mayura is the best bet for an overnight stay in some tourist places in Karnataka. The enormous rooms with high ceilings, spacious and clean bathrooms, are more than what you require for a short stay. The addition of a hot water kettle, tea bags and coffee sachets is a nice touch. When I was about to leave, saddling up the motorcycle, I noticed the staff keenly watching. They waited patiently the whole time until I geared up and sat on the saddle. The genuine naivety and excitement while they waved me goodbye touched my heart. It is one of the rare moments I will cherish forever.
The next stop on this leg of the trip was Javagal. After considering the caretaker’s suggestion at Mosale Temple and revisiting the book on ancient Hoysala temples the night before, I decided to squeeze in a visit to another temple—this one in Belawadi. This was on the same route towards Javagal with a short deviation. This route is spectacular with winding roads and a short stretch through a reserved forest. The wet road from the rains overnight and the mild drizzle added to the whole drama.
The temple at Belwadi is gorgeous; it is right next to the road in the village. It has beautiful carvings all around the outer walls. The priest was sitting at the entrance in the courtyard, happily chatting on his mobile. The main deity or the idol was covered behind a screen. He did not bother to open the screen for the visitor to have a look at it. I walked around the temple marvelling at the sculptures, carvings, architecture, the symmetry and serenity of the place. The Veeranarayanaswamy Temple did live up to the anticipation sparked by the book and the caretaker’s tip.
The temple at Javagal is undergoing rigorous restoration. The kind and friendly worker at the place suggested that I call the priest, who would come and open the doors for me to have a look inside. Though it is a small temple, the carvings and the sculptures are excellent. It was interesting to see a QR code for the priest's account. It was from this that I found the priest's contact number. So it did help me in a way, but it was not helpful to the priest, as I do not have any of these new-age payment modes. The kind priest showed up promptly, opened the doors and waited patiently while I traversed through the modest temple.
For once, it was a pleasure following the route suggested by Google Maps. This spectacular road was as rustic as the rural roads can get. The narrow winding roads snaked through many cute little villages. I was the only outsider on this fascinating, smooth road apart from the locals who would keep me company for the upcoming two or three villages. It was the windmills that kept me company all along the way. It began to pour as I reached the outskirts of Hasan City; these rains kept me company all the way till Hole Narsipura. The real ordeal began after Hole Narsipura and stretched all the way to K R Nagar—a relentless stretch of potholes and patchy road. After crossing this hurdle, I was soon back home in Mysore.