Jan 26, 2023. It was a hectic day starting with a drive from Bengaluru to Tumkur. Met a friend at Tumkur, then I drove to Kadaba village to see the historic Kailasnatha Devastana. From Kadaba I went to Nagalapura to see two Hoysala temples- 1. Kedareshwara and 2. Chennakeshava. By the time I was done with Nagalpura temples, it was 4-45. The day was almost over and I had three places remaining on my list- Araluguppe, Turuvekere and Vignasante. I decided to call it a day and thought of spending the night at Tiptur. On reaching Turuvekere, I called Satish, my friend from Tiptur, to know a decent hotel for an overnight stay. As we spoke, Satish suggested me to check out Mallaghatta lake, about 7 km from Turuvekere. Satish said it was a huge lake with beautiful sights. I was fine with the idea and headed towards Mallaghatta Kere. Once the lake came into view, the road runs along its bank for couple of kilometers. I kept driving until I reached its check dam where a few cars were parked. I guessed that was a view point. A stone's throw from the check dam is Gangadareshwara Gudi. I parked my car close to the temple and stepped out to relish this marvelous sight. As Satish said, the lake is huge, its waters stretch as far as the horizon.
This is Gangadareshwara Gudi. Its gates were locked but the deity could be seen from outside.
Another view of the temple.
This is the road bridge across the overflow stream. The lone date palm is an iconic landmark here. The stream makes its way through the mass of granite rocks towards the eucalyptus plantation and flows towards Turuvekere.
This is the picture of Mallaghatta Kere check dam. The lake was overflowing for several months and had stopped just a few days before my visit. Tumkur district has a huge number of waterbodies, each of them a part of a huge network which feed river Hemavati. Some of the major lakes of this region are Hindiskere, Nonavinakere, Mallaghatta Kere, Turuvekere, Nagalapura Kere, Myrasandra Kere, Sulekere, Kadaba Kere, Heraganahalli Kere and Dasanakere. As I know Nonavinakere overflow feeds Mallaghatta Kere which in turn feeds Turuvekere and so on. This network of capturing rainwater was created as early as IX Century and maintained by successive rulers. Thanks to the futuristic planning of our ancestors, today we are still reaping the benefits of their efforts.
While I checked the surroundings, Sun had moved closer to the horizon. The still waters of the lake was almost mirror like.
The colors changed as it got dimmer.
Another day comes to an end.
The time spent here was really worth. I washed my feet, hands and face in the lake waters, it was refreshing, and I was ready for the short drive to Tiptur.
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