Payaniga – Photography

Halebidu: The Unfinished Twin

Sun, 15 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

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If Belur is about individual figures, Halebidu is about rhythm. The outer wall is wrapped in horizontal bands: elephants at the base, then lions, horsemen, scrolls, and finally scenes from the epics.

Reading the walls

Start at the eastern entrance and walk clockwise. Count the elephants if you have the patience; we gave up somewhere past two hundred.

Getting there

Halebidu is about 16 km from Belur and 30 km from Hassan. The road is good, and there are small eateries near the temple car park.

Belur Chennakeshava Temple: A Morning Among the Madanikas

Sat, 14 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

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We reached Belur a little after seven. The gates had just opened, the stone was still cool, and the only other visitors were a family offering flowers at the main shrine.

What to look for

The temple sits on a raised, star-shaped platform. Walk the full circuit slowly; the friezes change every few metres.

The madanikas – the bracket figures under the eaves, each with a different pose.
The lathe-turned pillars inside the hall, polished smooth enough to catch the light.
The unfinished panels on the north side, a reminder that work went on for generations.

Practical notes


Timings	7:30 am – 7:30 pm
Entry	Free; footwear counter outside
Guide	Official guides at the gate, about ₹300

Halebidu is 16 km away, so combine the two in a single day. We wrote about it separately in Halebidu, the unfinished twin.

Hampi in Two Days: A Slow Itinerary

Mon, 20 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT

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Hampi rewards people who walk. Hire a bicycle or an auto for the long stretches, but leave room to wander.

Day 1: the sacred centre

Virupaksha temple at opening time
Walk the Hampi bazaar to the Achyutaraya temple
Sunset from Hemakuta hill

Day 2: the royal centre

Lotus Mahal and the elephant stables
Vittala temple and the stone chariot (go early, it gets hot)
Coracle ride near Kampli road, if the river is calm

Where to stay

We stayed on the Hampi side of the river; the Virupapura Gadde side was quieter but needs a ferry that stops after dark.

Badami, Aihole and Pattadakal in One Weekend

Mon, 02 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMT

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The Chalukyan triangle is a long drive from Bengaluru, but the three sites are close to each other, so one base in Badami works well.

Badami

Four cave temples cut into red sandstone, overlooking the Agastya lake. Climb past cave four for the view.

Aihole

Often called the cradle of temple architecture: more than a hundred temples in and around the village, in several styles.

Pattadakal

A compact UNESCO World Heritage Site where northern and southern styles stand side by side.

Sunrise at Mullayanagiri

Sat, 09 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMT

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The road goes most of the way up, so the “trek” is a short climb of steps to the summit temple. Start before 5:30 am to catch the sunrise.

Tips

Carry a windcheater, it’s cold at the top even in summer.
Weekdays are far less crowded.
Combine with Baba Budangiri on the way down.

Talakadu: Temples Under the Sand

Sat, 04 Jun 2022 00:00:00 GMT

Talakadu is about 45 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.

The Vaidyeshwara temple, the best-preserved structure at Talakadu

A gallery from the dunes

Dunes, river and stone, all within a few hundred metres

Locals tell a story of a curse that buried the town. Geologists blame a dam and the wind. Either way, the sand keeps coming.
Our guide, half-jokingly

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqz-KE-bpKQ

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Panchalinga Darshana, held once every twelve years or so, brings huge crowds. Check dates before you go.