The New Indian Express

Gulur and Kaidala Travelogue

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Gulur and Kaidala in Karnataka are lesser known in the tourist circuit which makes a visit here a charming discovery.

Driving through Karnataka’s countryside is a joy because you can experience the beauty of nature in its pristine form. The 75 kilometer stretch from Bengaluru to Gulur is a breeze not just courtesy the excellent roads but also the unending sight of farms, especially rice farms and the constant birdsong.

Veering off the highway to enter Gulur, a tiny village in Tumkur district is experiencing a slice of rural life. A small road leads to the main attraction here the Gulur Ganesha Temple. The deity here is a relatively large idol in black stone.

Kaidala Channakeshwara Temple
Kaidala Channakeshwara Temple

Did you know that Ganesha is celebrated on Diwali? Well, surprising as that may sound, Gulur, a small village in Karnataka is where this happens. Located in Tumkur district the Gulur Ganesha Temple is home to a large black stone idol of Ganesha. But you are likely to miss it as in front of the idol is a massive clay idol of Ganesha, over 10 feet tall, that is built here from the day of Ganesh Chathurthi and is unveiled during Diwali.

When here, a couple of kilometers away is Kaidala, home to the Channakesava temple built by master sculptor Jakkanacharaya, who was born and brought up at Kaidala. The architecture of this temple is built in Dravidian style with the six feet tall main idol of Chennakeshava intricately carved in black stone, locally referred to as Krishna Shile faces West.

Read the full story that first appeared in The New Indian Express dated April 4, 2021 here:

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