Attractions

Chitradurga  The charming town of Chitradurga is a must visit for the tourists to Hospet. You may holiday at Chitradurga on your way to Hospet from Bangalore. The hill and fort town of Chitradurga is often referred to as Kallina Kote or the Place of Stones. The bold rocky hills and picturesque valleys with huge towering boulders offer nature at its best at Chitradurga. The Palegars, Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan built the famous fort of Chitradurga. The fort lies enclosed in series of seven walls and is known for its military architecture. There are as many as nineteen gateways to the fort. There are several ancient temples inside the fort.

You may visit the Sampige Siddeshwara temple, the cave shrine of Hidimbeshwara, Ekanathamma, Phalguneshwara, Gopalakrishan, Anjaneya, Subbaraya et al. at the hilltop of Chitradurga. Of these the Hidimbeshwara is the oldest. The largest temple in the town happens to be dedicated to Goddess Uchchangtamma who was the patron goddess of the Paleyagars. The temple has a two-storied building and boasts of a unique swing arch and tall lamp-pillar. Thirty-five kilometers from Chitradurga is Nayakana Hatti. The major tourist attractions at Nayakana Hatti are the temple and tomb of saint Tippe Rudraswamy.

Harihar

Then there is the ancient town of Harihar. The holy Harihar is situated on the banks of the Tungabhadra River. The pilgrims believe that the dip in the following along the Harihar will cleanse them of the sins owing to the association between Lord Vishnu and the Tungabhadra River. The four feet tall temple image of Harihar has the representations of Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva on the left and the right side respectively was built in the Hoysala style way back in the year 1223. At the Archaeological Museum you may check out the remnants of the historic wars, coins and manuscripts. Jogimatti happens to be one of the highest points in the area. The visit to Jogimatti is an experience in itself with the wondrous view of the Himavat Kedaya waterfall on the way. The Himavat Kedaya waterfall is a pulsating picnic spot amidst the cool surroundings. The marvelous Murugharajendra Matha and the amazing Ankli Matha are the other two places that are thronged by the tourists and are worth visiting.

Being just thirteen kilometers away from the World Heritage Site of Hampi, Hospet acts as a base for the tourists to the Vijayanagar ruins in Hampi. It is one of the major towns that provide the gateway to Hampi. From Hospet you may opt for any of the daylong sight seeing tours of Hampi and the Tungabhadra Dam by the Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation. Regular buses also ply between Hospet and the Tungabhadra, which are at a distance of fifteen kilometers from each other.

The Tungabhadra Dam :- The Tungabhadra Dam boasts of the Japanese gardens at its base and the sweet waters of the river. The terrific dam across the Tungabhadra River is 590 meters in length, 49 meters in height with an enormous storage capacity. Hampi is situated on the banks of the Tungabhadra River flows and it is believed that the Goddess Hampi (Parvati) attained Lord Shiva here.