Posts in Mysuruhttps://payaniga.com/en-INhttps://payaniga.com/somanathapura-keshava-temple/https://payaniga.com/somanathapura-keshava-temple/A compact Hoysala gem an hour from Mysuru that most people drive straight past.Sat, 08 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT<img src="https://payaniga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/somanathapura-cover.jpg" alt="Triple-shrined Keshava temple at Somanathapura" /><blockquote> <p>Dummy post for theme development.</p> </blockquote> <p>Somanathapura is the easiest Hoysala temple to reach from Bengaluru, and the best preserved. Three shrines share a single hall, each topped by its own tower.</p> <h2 id="why-its-worth-the-detour">Why it’s worth the detour</h2> <ol> <li>The towers are intact, which is rare.</li> <li>The courtyard is enclosed, so it’s quiet even on weekends.</li> <li>You can see the whole complex in an hour and still be in Mysuru for lunch.</li> </ol> <p><img src="https://payaniga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/somanathapura-wall.jpg" alt="Outer wall of the Keshava temple"></p> templesweekend-getawayshttps://payaniga.com/bengaluru-to-mysuru-road-trip/https://payaniga.com/bengaluru-to-mysuru-road-trip/The expressway is fast, but the old road has the good breakfast.Sat, 21 Oct 2023 00:00:00 GMT<img src="https://payaniga.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/mysuru-road-cover.jpg" alt="Mysuru Palace illuminated at night" /><blockquote> <p>Dummy post for theme development.</p> </blockquote> <p>The expressway gets you to Mysuru in under two hours. If you have time, take the service road for a few stops.</p> <h2 id="our-stops">Our stops</h2> <ul> <li><strong>Channapatna</strong> for wooden toys</li> <li><strong>Maddur</strong> for vadas, obviously</li> <li><strong>Srirangapatna</strong> for the Ranganathaswamy temple and Daria Daulat Bagh</li> <li><strong>Mysuru Palace</strong> on a Sunday evening when it’s lit up</li> </ul> <p><img src="https://payaniga.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/maddur-vada.jpg" alt="Maddur vada with chutney"></p> weekend-getawayshttps://payaniga.com/talakadu-sand-temples/https://payaniga.com/talakadu-sand-temples/A town swallowed by sand dunes on the banks of the Kaveri, and the temples that are slowly being dug out.Sat, 04 Jun 2022 00:00:00 GMT<img src="https://payaniga.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/talakadu-cover.jpg" alt="Sand dunes around the temples at Talakadu" /><!-- Dummy "messy" post: mimics raw WordPress Gutenberg output, to test the importer and theme (PAY-2.3). --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Talakadu is about 45&nbsp;km from Mysuru, on a bend of the Kaveri. Centuries of sand have buried most of the old town, and archaeologists have been uncovering temples ever since.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":4551,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://payaniga.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/talakadu-vaidyeshwara-1024x683.jpg" alt="Vaidyeshwara temple at Talakadu" class="wp-image-4551" srcset="https://payaniga.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/talakadu-vaidyeshwara-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://payaniga.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/talakadu-vaidyeshwara-300x200.jpg 300w, https://payaniga.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/talakadu-vaidyeshwara-768x512.jpg 768w, https://payaniga.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/talakadu-vaidyeshwara.jpg 1600w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Vaidyeshwara temple, the best-preserved structure at Talakadu</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">A gallery from the dunes</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:gallery {"columns":3,"linkTo":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-3 is-cropped"> <!-- wp:image {"id":4552,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://payaniga.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/talakadu-dunes.jpg"><img src="https://payaniga.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/talakadu-dunes-1024x683.jpg" alt="Sand dunes" class="wp-image-4552"/></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:image {"id":4553,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://payaniga.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/talakadu-kaveri.jpg"><img src="https://payaniga.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/talakadu-kaveri-1024x683.jpg" alt="The Kaveri at Talakadu" class="wp-image-4553"/></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:image {"id":4554,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://payaniga.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/talakadu-carving.jpg"><img src="https://payaniga.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/talakadu-carving-1024x683.jpg" alt="Carved pillar" class="wp-image-4554"/></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <figcaption class="blocks-gallery-caption wp-element-caption">Dunes, river and stone, all within a few hundred metres</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:gallery --> <!-- wp:quote --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Locals tell a story of a curse that buried the town. Geologists blame a dam and the wind. Either way, the sand keeps coming.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><cite>Our guide, half-jokingly</cite></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqz-KE-bpKQ","type":"video","providerNameSlug":"youtube","responsive":true,"className":"wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqz-KE-bpKQ </div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Placeholder video embed</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Panchalinga Darshana, held once every twelve years or so, brings huge crowds. Check dates before you go.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> templesweekend-getaways