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-   -   A rosary church turns into eerie ruins - Shettihalli Church and the amazingly green Sakleshpur (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travelogues/165858-rosary-church-turns-into-eerie-ruins-shettihalli-church-amazingly-green-sakleshpur.html)

I never ever heard of Shettihalli church in my life until our good friend Arun mentioned about it last week. He told Atul that it is very close to Hassan and can be easily covered in a day trip. I once again took help of Google to check out this place. The very sight of the images that popped up after the Google search was mind-blowing. The place gave a very spooky feeling, surrounded by water all across the structure and I instantly agreed to go. I did come across a fellow Team-BHPian travelogue of the same place and the images posted on that thread lured me more to go and check this place out. Basically, the church was constructed some 150 years back by French missionaries, has a mighty and magnificent Gothic architecture (will give more information in the later part of my travelogue). So once again we were planning our quick short ride to Shettihalli church, which we extended by a quick twisty ride to Sakleshpur.

Riders – 2, Atul and Arun
Pillion – 1, Me
Bikes – 2, Pulsar 200NS and KTM Duke 390
Meeting point – BTM Udupi Garden signal
Start time – 6:30 am (we were late by 60 mins)
Route – NH48 old / NH75 new (BTM > Nice Road > Nelamangala > Hassan > Shettihalli church (Hemavathi river) – Hanumanthapura > Sakleshpur > Hassan > Nelamangala > Nice Road > BTM)
Distance covered – 536kms round trip

6:30am, Atul and I left home – we were ideally supposed to leave home around 5:30 but as usual got up late. We had to wait some 10 mins for Arun to join in as because of some confusion he was waiting for us near Renault showroom, Silk Board (I have no clue why he went there). Once we all got together, we started our journey towards Nice Road via Bannerghatta Road. In no time we reached the Nice road toll gate – paid Rs. 98 for two bikes and hit the tar towards Tumkur road. We stopped by, as usual, for some photography. It was too cloudy so we couldn’t catch up the sunrise and anyways we were late. Around 8am we crossed Nelamangala junction and moved ahead on NH48, towards Hassan.

8:15am we stopped at a restaurant, ‘New Golden Breeze’ for breakfast – we ordered masala dosa, pongal and tea. This is a decent place and quite neat with ample space for parking two as well as four wheelers. After some 30 mins food and photography break we proceed further. Once again the culprit, sleep, sipped into all three of us. With literally nothing else to do and just ride continuously for so many kilometers, Atul and Arun started feeling drowsy – me as well. We decided to have a quick pit-stop after we crossed Devihalli toll gate. Chai was good enough to break the drowsy feeling and we were once again good to go. As we moved ahead, the sky became more and more clear and the sun light started becoming harsh.








Around 10:20am we reached Hassan – NH48 junction. Arun checked with the local folks for the way towards Shettihalli – it seems another 24 kms and we will reach our destination. So we continued straight in NH 48 for some 7kms and then took a left turn to go towards the village areas. This road was an awesome place to ride through. Scenic landscapes, valleys, green fields and trees, cool water bodies and the summer breeze – the ride was truly marvelous. Some 17kms into the village areas, we reached our destination. For far we could see the half submerged church. There are small pathways that leads to the plain areas in and around the church and the reservoir. The place was relatively empty by the time we reached, 11:15am.









I was a bit disappointed when I saw the church. First, I wanted the church not to be submerged under water and second, they painted the whole church into some stupid white color which took away the gothic look it had earlier (with what I saw from pictures, the church had a nice deep brown color texture). Anyways, we took a detour from the main road which goes to the church to another lane which took us around the water body and we could see the church submerged and surrounded by only water. The church really looked cool from distance and definitely gave this spooky feeling. We saw animal bones scattered all over the place – don’t know how they came there or rather why so many animals would die in that area.









Nobody have a clue of when was this rosary church constructed – some say 450, some says 150 – local villagers told it is built some 160 years back. We all know that dams and reservoirs require relocation of large human populations if they are constructed close to residential areas. When construction of Hemavathi Reservoir started on the river Hemavathi in Gorur, more than 28 villages got submerged. Shettihalli was one amongst them being on the upstream of the reservoir and whole of the civilization had to be moved to nearby place, leaving behind this holy place of worship to get submerged and remain silent forever. So, every year as the monsoons fill up the reservoir which floods the church thus submerging it, and as the water level recedes it emerges back in all its glory and gothic surroundings. Once in a year, around April, when the church is not under water, local people conduct prayers with lamps.

By now, many tourists started flocking in, they walked through the water and got up the church. We decided not to do that, one the water being extremely dirty and second, never know what’s there beneath the water level. So it was better to stay behind and admire it from the water banks. I really felt that this silent church had a lot to say on its own – I just stood by the bay and kept on admiring this magnificent architecture. Just when the place started getting too crowded, we decided to head out with a promise to come back again when the church is emerged from water and is in its full glory.

It was around 12:45pm and the weather started getting cooler. Arun suggested lets go to Shravanabelagoda and Atul suggested Sakleshpur. Some discussion and we headed towards Sakleshpur, go there, have lunch and then return Bangalore. It was around 50 kms from Shettihalli and in between, the boys filled up the bike tanks with petrol. The ride from Hassan to Sakleshpur was heaven abode, green coffee plantation, minimal traffic lane, cool atmosphere, slight drizzle – what else would you ask for. Arun and Atul just loved their rides and I enjoyed my share as a pillion. We hunted for some good eating place and entered the Sakleshpur town. We came across this place called ‘Ghandharva’ serving non-veg food – let’s enter and hog. We ordered for soup, mutton curry, rotis, kulchas, and mushroom curry - food was decent enough.

After devouring our lunch, at around 3:30pm we headed back to the twisties, towards Hassan. We took lot of photo breaks to click around the coffee estates, the greenery all across the road, the blue sky and yes, how can we forget our two models with their bikes. By the time we were done with our click sessions, it was already 4pm and started to drizzle. We finally, started our actual ride back home. Around 4:30pm we reached Hassan (NH48) junction – and the guys started revving their bikes once again on the highway. Without break, we completed some 100kms – now is the time for some ginger tea. All three of us stopped by a tea stop after the Devihalli toll gate – took a nice 30 mins break, had tea and started back our return journey.












With just 120 kms left to reach Bangalore, the guys zoomed off their bikes and in no time we reached Nelamangala junction at around 7:15pm. Unlike a busy day, the junction was almost empty and we could reach the Nice Road toll gate smoothly. Once we paid our toll fare, all three of us sat down for some quick talks. We spoke about what would be our next destination of ride – Munnar? Agumbe? Gavi beach? Rameshwaram? Madurai? Kanyakumari? And the list went on and on. For quite some time we kept on doing random talks around cars, bikes, trips and what not. Saw the watch it was already 8:15pm. This was a formal parting point for us. We reached Bannerghatta road by 8:45pm and then braving through the city traffic Atul and me reached home around 9:15pm and Arun by 9:45.

Once again an amazing trip came to an end and we did tick one among our many must-visit destinations. The remains of a church under water, the twisties of Sakleshpur, the highway, the green village roads, the nature and the food – all of these will remain in our memories for years to come.

Till I get back with yet another travelogue of my journey, happy reading. And yes, keep riding and driving, but ride and drive safe and enjoy!:)

This a is a very evocative thread and some lovely photos and narrative to go with it.
And I must confess that the photos of the half-submerged rosary church is stunning in its eeriness. I say this because, as I've mentioned elsewhere in these columns, I have an abiding interest in the paranormal.

Thanks once again for this unusual thread.
Shashanka

Nice report. My brother had gone for a ride with a 20-30 member group from office around a month back. That time the the church was not submerged and they could ride right up to it.

While you were disappointed that the church was submerged, he was disappointed it was not. :)

Great set of pics :thumbs up

I guess the timing of your trip should have been either couple of months earlier or after Dec when the water level recedes.

However, compared to last year seems it rained less around there. Last year around Aug when we visited the church was almost completely submerged.

This is the pic from the bridge which is seen in your travelogue - Pic

And this is the best we could go near the church - Pic

Regarding the white color, I guess it is that way since a while. I have seen pics taken couple of years back and is of same shade. There is another travelogue on TBHP done when water level was low. Link

Excellent pictures and good write up, thanks for sharing :thumbs up
This place has been on my bucket list for sometime now, but haven't found the opportunity to visit yet.
I think one can visit the Gorur Dam and nearby Temple as well, did you'll try visiting ?

Another wonderful travelogue with stunning pictures, Nandita. Every time I read one of yours, I feel like buying a bike once again and hitting the road.

What never ceases to amaze me is how much out country has to offer. A visit to the church is now on my list of "to dos".

You can say that again.

Photo #11, the solitary church, is beautifully composed. I like the balance between the Church building, the water and the sky. The lighting is perfect too, despite it being around midday. Well-written travelogue.

Yes, I'd vote for frame #11 as my favorite, too.

I've always had this fascination for all sorts of old abandoned buildings, and something as substantial and meaningful as an old church is simply amazing (being part-submerged only makes it that much more emotive I suppose). Wish I'd known about it the couple years I was in/around Bangalore.

Thanks for sharing this.

-Eric

The pictures are pro quality. Great pictures and nice narration! This church will be on my list if I ever visit Bengaluru.

Great writerup nandita :thumbs up. How are the roads after you deviate from Hassan? I remember reading on Soumyajit's thread, posted last year, that the roads were bad and a low GC car would find it difficult. Is it doable in a wagonR? Can you also post the exact route as a gmaps link?

A wonderful travelogue which makes for a relaxed reading with detailed information too.Been following your weekend travels with intrest and waiting for many more.
Shettyhalli looks good and with water starting to fill up its the best timeto be there. Only thing holding me back is the road surfce after Hassan NH turnoff which is reported to be bad in various travelogues.How did you find the road and is it good enough for cars with lowGC?

Thanks Shashank. The church indeed had a strong paranormal touch.

Thanks Rajeev. Recent pics shows the church is completely submerged, just the tip visible.

Thanks Suhas. Planning to visit the church once again towards the winter season when the water level will subside.

Thanks NPV. No, we couldn't get a chance to cover Gorur dam properly and the temple. May be next time for sure. :)

Thanks Aditya.

Thanks @Olympal

Thanks Eric

Thanks @psurelia

Thanks @procrj. Will post the gmaps link soon.

Thanks Srinivas.

Now, coming to road conditions, yes - they are pathetically bad. Road laid down some long time back now the tar coming off the road and no repair done, not even patch work. But the way through the village is super scenic - green trees, herbs and small water bodies, gives an awesome country side feeling. Bikers shouldn't have much of an issue. But cars with low GC definitely needs to look out. WagonR shouldn't be a issue.

Inspired by your travelogue decided to go there last weekend. Went Via Haluvagilu rural road from the Hassan Byepass (next cross after the signal road to Gorur). a single track road but absolutely traffic free and decent surface through out. Goes to the bridge from where the ruins are visible. My Honda city was comfortable on the road and it was raining torrentially so I could not risk taking my camera for pics and had to be satisfied to click some sitting in the car. The water level has risen considerably and submerged more of the Church. But the total silence around the place made me stay there for about an hour soaking in the peace.

Yes, recent snaps taken by one of my friend shows it 90% submerged under water. There is something totally serene about this place which speaks a lot of stuffs even in silence. Weird!

Nice travelogue there, brings back a lot of memories from a trip I did with fellow mod theMAG a few years back. Had posted a travelogue : http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...ettihalli.html

Here is a shot of the church looks when the lake bed is dry.