Sandur – See Sandur in September

Situated between dense forests and a mountain range that makes the presence of a bustling city almost inconspicuous, Sandur had natural defenses. The Ghorpades ruled over the princely state of Sandur from early 18th century when their provincial title was first established by the Marathas / Peshwas whom the Ghorpades served with utmost loyalty and courage till the state of Sandur was acceded into the Dominion of India upon independence.

At first, Sandur along with entire Bellary division was made part of Madras Presidency and later in the year 1956, through States Reorganization Act, restructured the states in India on linguistic basis and made both Bellary and Sandur part of Karnataka State.

The city later developed into a prominent mining town with rich reserves of Iron and Manganese Ore identified. Today, Sandur may not be as glorious as it once was but when it comes to tourism, Sandur does not draw as many tourists as its neighboring  Hampi – The capital of Vijayanagara Empire but with its natural beauty, its unique temples of religious significance and its rich biodiversity, Sandur could be given a visit. 

Sandur, because of its geographical location is blessed with rich biodiversity. It is home to a wide variety of rare medicinal plants and trees. Its dense jungles are also home to many wild animals. Mahatma Gandhi who visited Sandur in the monsoon season of year 1930 had praised the beauty of the place and said “See Sandur in September“. The hills surrounding Sandur are their greenest following the monsoon months of June, July and August. There could still be some late monsoon showers happening in the month of September but that didn’t deter Mahatma Gandhi, nor should it deter you.

A viewing point, a watch tower of sort has been erected at a point that gives the best view of the Swamymalai block mountain range. It is named “See Sandur in September” honoring the quote from Gandhiji. A small climb on the flight of about ~80 steps will give you an uninterrupted 360-degree view of the Swamymalai mountain range including the mysterious green house that looks like in the middle of nowhere in a dense forest.

The viewing point does not have any tourist amenities or refreshments so carry your own water bottles and snacks. Even though the sunrises and sunsets happen around 6Am/6PM, the viewing point is in a valley and produces spectacular shadows until 10AM in the morning or from 4PM in the evening.

Gandi Narasimha Temple is situated a few kilometers from the View Point enroute Sandur town. You need to take a detour and go about 2km to reach the temple. The Temple is situated on a hillock besides a flowing stream of water called Narihalla – a small rivulet and a tributary of might Tungabhadra River. The vehicles need to be parked at the base of the hillock and a flight of about 40 steps need to be climbed to reach the temple.

The temple is dedicated to Lord Narasimha – the half-man and half-lion avatar of Lord Vishnu. The inner sanctum of the temple consists of a Narasimha Saligrama Shila. The temple puja is usually performed in the mornings, but the temple may remain open for darshan throughout the day and extended hours on festivals and special occasions.

As you step outside the inner sanctum, there are steps to take you around the sanctum and perform pradakshina or clockwise circumambulation. These steps take you behind the temple gopura at a height and gives a mesmerizing view of the surroundings.

There is also a temple dedicated to Lord Hanuman at the feet of the hill where the flight of stairs start. The guard may make you park your vehicle a few meters before the gate and leave your footwear before getting on to the steps.

The two temples dedicated to Parvathi and her son Kumaraswamy are situated atop the Kraunjagiri mountain in the Swamymalai range. These two temples are rare and of significance for both religious and cultural reasons. The two shrines are situated in the same compound. Historians believe Goddess Parvathi’s temple may be the older among the two, belonging to the Badami Chalukyan era, circa 8th century while the temple dedicated to Kumaraswamy is believed to be built during the Rashtrakuta reign around 10th century.

Unlike other temples dedicated to Goddess Parvathi where the Goddess is depicted seated, the main deity in this temple is found standing tall on a pedestal. The statue is beautifully carved and further decorated with ornaments and pooja flowers rendering the statue awe inspiring.

Kumaraswamy is also known as Karthikeya, Skanda, Murugan and Subrahmanya all over India. His shrine differs from Parvathi temple and follow different school of architecture. Historians believe this to be the earliest known Karthikeya Temple in South India though there are no records to back the claim.

Until 1996, women devotees were not allowed inside this Kumaraswamy Temple owing to local lore. The Ghorpade rulers of Sandur opened the temple door to women devotees in 1996 to eliminate the discrimination. Yet, many women devotees prefer to offer their prayers only at Parvathi temple and skip entering Kumaraswamy Temple out of reverence.

Other temples in the complex include a Shiva Temple at a corner near the entrance gopura – few feet below the ground level, and a shrine dedicated to Goddess Annapurna – behind Parvathi temple along the compound wall.

The temple is situated in dense forest and was discovered during the reign of Ghorpades in Sandur several hundred years ago. The Temple Trust under the patronage of the royal family has been maintaining the temples. The temple is about 10km from Sandur town and much of this 10km ride is through reddish brown roads. Most part of the route, you will find one lane occupied by tall trucks waiting for mined ore to be laden. You might also encounter few laden trucks coming from front. The route may not be suitable for low ground clearance small cars like Nano and Alto as they may face challenges with speed bumps. The climb itself may be manageable for small cars.

The temple is open in the mornings, closed for a brief period in the noon and open again after 2PM. The view of the valley and green nature is pleasant too.

Very little is known about this temple. Might there have been a thriving town or settlement in the vicinity of the temple in the past that has been lost to time? Else, why would the kings of 8th and 10th centuries build such a grand and beautiful temple in the middle of a dense forest range atop a high mountain? Worth exploring!

Contrary to popular belief that Shivavilas was a royal residence for centuries, the palace was built only in the year 1940 – 7 years before India’s independence, during the reign of ruler Yeshwanthrao Ghorpade. It is spread across 22 acres and is built in Anglo-Saxon style.

The property is not used for royal residence anymore, it has been converted into a Heritage Hotel and is managed by WelcomHeritage Hotels. Reservations can be made to stay at this luxurious heritage hotel on their website. The property also houses restaurants, a swimming pool and several other amenities.

Please call in advance and reserve as the Hotel being a Heritage property may not entertain walk-ins. Further details – visit their website.

Hampi – A UNESCO World Heritage Site [43km], Huligi – The Home of Divine Mother [39km], Hospet – Tungabhadra Dam [36km], Ballari [53km]