Banavasi
Rural
tourism in India: India’s heart lies in its villages. Every rural community is
steeped in folklore and indigenous craft. The traditional way of life will
greatly enrich the visitor’s experience. Ministry of Tourism, Government
of India and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in India have
partnered the promotion of 36 such rural locations, under the Endogenous
Tourism Project/Rural Tourism Scheme. The initiative aims to enable local
communities introduce visitors to their art and craft, cultural and natural
heritage.
History: Existing since 4000 BC, the
period of Mahabharata, Banavasi was known as ‘Vanavasaka’. Greek geographer
Ptomlemy mentioned Banavasi as ‘Banousi’ in his famous book in 1st century
A.D. It was called ‘Jayanthipura’ or ‘Vaijayanthipura’ during the Kadamba
period in the early 4th century A.D.
Banavasi
is the oldest town in the Karnataka state. Huen Tsang the Chinese
traveler-monk who was in India between 630-644 C.E, visited Konkanapura called
Konkanapulo (referred in Chinese scripts) or Banavasi.
In
2006, a 5th century copper coin was discovered here with an inscription in the
Kannada script, one of the oldest such coins ever discovered. The
Directorate of Archaeology and Museums said that the coin’s inscription in
archaic Kannada proves beyond doubt that Banavasi had a mint in the 5th
century. The town once was the capital of the Kadamba rulers, an
ancient royal dynasty of Karnataka. They established themselves there in
A.D. 345 and ruled South India for at least two centuries. Banavasi also
features in Hindu mythology across the yugas (eras). It is considered
to be as old as Kashi Varanasi or Benares which is amongst the most holy of
Hindu towns. Buddhism and Jainism have also spread their roots here. During the
reign of Samrat Ashok, Banavasi was a learning centre for Buddhist monks. An
ASI site at Gudnapura village nearby shows evidence of Jainism being encouraged
by the royalty.
Location: Banavasi lies deep in the rain forests of Western
Ghats with the Varada river flowing around it on three sides. It is
located 374 km from Bangalore. The nearest railway station is
70 km away in Haveri & also Talaguppa. Sirsi is the nearest
city about 23 km, Lodging is provided by some home stays and a tourist
complex.
Accommodation: At
Banavasi, tourists can stay at the ---------------------. There are -------
double rooms available with attached bathrooms set around a square courtyard at
the edge of Banavasi with the River Varada on one side and the Pampa Vana on
the other. All the rooms have twin beds and can easily accommodate a small
group.
Tariff: --------------------
- Visit to Madhukeshwara temple
- In and around Banavasi by walk
- Accommodation with Breakfast,
Lunch, & Dinner
We would love to
plan a Happy Trip for you
It’s an
eco-tourism destination which is rustic and rural. While tourism has run
rampant and largely uncontrolled in the Western Ghats in recent years, here we
are trying to create a simple sustainable model that benefits the community
while leaving minimal impact on environment. We try to provide tourists with a
real cultural experience while enjoying nature. There is no TV in rooms as we
encourage you to be in outdoors enjoying various activities like bird watching,
Nature walk, Heritage walk etc. We depend on the Grid for Electricity and don’t
have generators.
Cuisine:
Come to Banavasi for its varied cuisine. “Khanavalis” or small eateries in
Banavasi serve up hot, delicious food with a warm smile. There are several
breads made of rice, jowar and corn as well as rice served with a variety of
sweet, sour, pungent and spicy curries and sauces. Accompanying the meal is a
wide range of fresh powders and chutneys made of lentils, chillies, tamarind,
oil cake.
A book of recipes
using pineapple is available and you could even be there for the monthly
pineapple mela which is held on the first weekend of every month. This is when
a women’s group in Banavasi come together to cook up a feast using pineapple as
the main ingredient.
People
& Traditions:
Art
and Crafts: The Gudigar community of Banavasi
are versatile craftspersons. Art is in their veins and has flowed as a
tradition from one generation to the next. They carve, sculpt, paint and mould
using different mediums. They excel when it comes to sandal and teak wood
carving. Beside Gudigars, there are many skilled craftspersons like carpenters,
potters, rangoli artists, pith coronet carver, yakshagana mask makers, etc. who
excel in their craft. The craft shop in the Tourist Complex gives you an
introduction to these craftspersons and their crafts. A walk around Banavasi
will help you to understand the crafts better and if you have the time, learn a
bit of the craft itself. ‘Varnaloka’ is an art gallery by the gifted
artisan Shreepad Purohit where contemporary life in Banavasi is portrayed using
sculpture from various materials. There is also a bag-making unit set up
by a group of women. They make the bags out of Illikal silk saris and embellish
the fabric with mirrors, embroidery and tassels.
Fairs
and Festivals:
Rath
Festival: The Rath (vehicle of main deity)
festival is a big event celebrated with a wish to get the blessings of God for
peace and prosperity. This celebration provides an opportunity for the village
community to unite and thus enhances goodwill among its members. It is held in
March every year.
Mahashivaratri
Festival: The birthday of Lord Shiva is
celebrated in a big way at Madhukeshwara temple. During Mahashvaratri, devotees
from different parts of the state gather in Banavasi, leading to a festive like
mood throughout the village. Mahavshivatri usually comes in the month of
February.
Lakshadeepotsava: A wonderful scene gets created at Madhukeshwara temple, when
thousands of small diyas (lamps) lit up by village people in the temple
premises during Lakshadeepotsava. This festival usually celebrated during
winter i,e in the month of November or December.
Kadambotsava: Banavasi was the cultural capital of Karnataka in addition
to being the political capital, several centuries ago. The eminent poet Pampa
in his poems has described the beauty and grandness of ‘Madhumahotsava’, a
spring festival celebrated during the Kadamba reign. With Kadambotsava, an
annual event organised by the state government, Banavasi regains its former
glory as a cultural capital. Renowned classical musicians, yakshagana artistes,
drama troupes, folk dancers and eminent literary personalities assemble for
Kadambotsava and make it a huge cultural fete. This is organised usually in the
month of December.
Places
of Tourist Attraction:
Madhukeshwara
Temple
Banavasi
has grown around the Lord Madhukeshwara temple which was built in the 9th
century by the Kadamba dynasty. This architectural marvel has seen many
modifications in later years as every dynasty which ruled Banavasi contributed
its share to its present shape. This is evident visually as one goes from the
ornate sculptures as one enters to the sombre simplicity of the innermost
sanctum sanctorum. Some splendid monolithic stone works like the stone couch
and the triloka mantapa depicting heaven, earth and the nether world are some of
the highlights of the temple.
There
is a belief that visiting this temple is equivalent to visiting all of
Hinduism’s main temples. Around the main temple are idols depicting Lord Shiva
and Lord Vishnu from all their main abodes including Varanasi, Tirupati,
Rameshwaram, etc. There is a striking half idol of Ganesha and it is believed
that the other half is in Varanasi. There is also an unusual idol of Lord
Narasimha with a peaceful face.
There
is a five-hooded Naga sculpture dating back to the 2nd century. It has an
inscription in Prakrit (the old language) which states that Princess Sivaskanda
Nagashri had this installed when she had a Vihara and tank constructed at the
site.
Around the village..
Several
other temples dot the village and its surroundings giving one a good history
lesson of Karnataka. There is one temple in Banavasi with the idol facing west
to show that God can be worshipped regardless of the rules that Hinduism has
evolved over the years. In most Hindu temples, the idol faces east.
The
River Varada flows at the edge of the village and its banks are the ideal place
to relax with a book. Near the Tourist Complex, there is the Pampa Vana, a
grove dedicated to the famous poet Pampa. It is believed that Kalidasa drew his
inspiration for the “Meghaduta” from Banavasi. Sit at the Pampa Vana and who
knows, you could become a writer yourself!
A
walk (or cycle ride) around Banavasi will also show you the ancient wall of the
city and the surrounding moat dated to be more than a thousand years old. The ASI
is setting up an exhibition of the findings of their excavations in and around
Banavasi which will give the visitor an understanding of the evolution of the
history of the region.
Surrounding Banavasi..
After
spending a day wandering around Banavasi, explore the region around.
Itineraries have been prepared for a 75km radius around Banavasi. Options
include visiting ancient temples that take you through the history of
Karnataka, visiting sacred groves where the bio-diversity has been preserved over
the years, waterfalls such as those at Jog (one of the highest in Asia), nature
spots such as Honnemarudu, visiting a plantation and having lunch with the
hosts or the Gudavi bird sanctuary which hosts thousands of birds each year.
The
temples at Ikkeri, Keladi, Balligavi, Thalagunda, Kotipura, Bedsagaon and
Sahasralinga offer oases of peace to the religious and non-religious alike.
Each of these temples is unique in architecture and built across several
centuries in styles that are unique to the dynasty that built them. Each temple
also has its own interesting story of how it came to be built and how the main
deity came to be there. Our trained guides will help you to understand the
history as well as the mythology of each temple.
The
region is blessed with plenty of rainfall as well as rivers that meander across
the terrain. When these rivers descend from the Western Ghats, they result in
some spectacular and scenic waterfalls. The most famous of these is the Jog
falls, one of the highest in Asia. There are also the Unchalli and the Magodu
waterfalls where you can have a picnic lunch and listen to the soothing sounds
of water. Honnemarudu is situated on the backwaters of the Sharavati dam
where an adventure academy has come. This makes for a good day trip from Banavasi.
Visit
the sacred groves at Yelkundli where a natural forest has been preserved with
its bio-diversity intact giving you a good picture of the splendour of the
Western Ghats.
Mr
Rehman Sheikh and his family are happy to host you on their plantation where
pineapples, bananas, arecanut, pepper, paddy, etc. are grown. Mr Sheikh is
known as the “Pineapple King”. A visit to his plantation will help you
understand why. Returning from the plantation, stop by at Mr S M Hegde’s house.
He has a room full of Ganesha idols in all shapes, colours, sizes and made of
varying materials. Finally, stop off at the Gudnapur Lake to watch a beautiful
sunset. Gudnapur also has the Rani Mahal, a fifth century structure still being
explored by the ASI. A beautiful statue of Mahavira inside gives you a glimpse
of the religious tolerance in those days.
Many of these places are as yet unknown to most
tourists. So what you can experience is our great natural and cultural heritage
in total peace.
ಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಧುಮ್ಮಿಕ್ಕುವ ವಿಭೂತಿ ಜಲಪಾತ ಮನಮೋಹಕವಾಗಿದೆ. ಮೂಲ ಸೌಕರ್ಯದ ಕೊರತೆ ಈ
ಜಲಪಾತಕ್ಕಿದೆ. ಅಂಕೋಲಾದ ಬಾಳೆಗುಳಿ ಕ್ರಾಸ್ನಿಂದ ಹುಬ್ಬಳ್ಳಿ ಮಾರ್ಗವಾಗಿ 23 ಕಿ.ಮೀ.
ಚಲಿಸಿದರೆ ರಸ್ತೆಯ ಬಲಭಾಗದಲ್ಲಿ 'ಗೋಕರ್ಣ, ಕುಮಟಾಕ್ಕೆ ಹೋಗುವ ದಾರಿ' ಎಂಬ
ನಾಮಫಲಕವಿದೆ. ಅಲ್ಲಿಂದ ಕಿರಿದಾದ ರಸ್ತೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಗಂಗಾವಳಿ ನದಿಗೆ ಅಡ್ಡಲಾಗಿ ನಿರ್ಮಿಸಿದ
ಸೇತುವೆ ದಾಟಿ 3 ಕಿ.ಮೀ. ಮುನ್ನಡೆದು ಹೊಸಕಂಬಿ ಊರಿನ ಚೆಕ್ಪೋಸ್ಟ್ನಿಂದ ನೇರವಾಗಿ
ಶಿರಸಿ ಕಡೆ ಪ್ರಯಾಣಿಸಿದರೆ 12 ಕಿ.ಮೀ. ದೂರದಲ್ಲಿ ಅಚವೆ ಊರು. 
