The sound of constant flowing water was the first to greet us as we alighted from the vehicle in Hari Shankara temple in Sandur, Ballari district of Karnataka.
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| The perennial flow of the sweet and healing water in Hari Shankara |
Tucked away cozily in the second hairpin bend towards Kumaraswamy temple, this treasure can be easily missed by those who are not aware of its existence and significance. The locals however frequent this place pretty often.
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| The 8th century Parvati temple in the Kumaraswamy temple complex. More on this will be covered later. |
Said to have been established by Sri Shankaracharya a few hundred years ago during a visit, this is undoubtedly a heritage structure though much younger than the Kumaraswamy temple (8th-10th century) and the Parvati temple (7th-8th century), situated a few kilometers away, for which Sandur is better known for.
The sound of flowing water that welcomed us was the water flowing through a channel into a small hole in the face of a 'Nandi' and into a small 'Kalyani' or temple water tank. But the mystery attached to the water is what makes it more interesting. The water flows constantly every single day of every single year even during the hottest of Summers. The source of the water is still unknown. It disappears as intriguingly as it appears, into the earth a few hundred meters away.
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| The quaint and peaceful yet almost nondescript Shiva temple in the background |
We splashed the water generously on our tired faces and gulped down enough to quench our parched throats and realized this natural mineral water effortlessly lived up to the claim by the locals as being the sweetest water in the area. It was instantly rejuvenating and refreshing to say the least. No water purifiers, no water filters, just so natural and the best thing was we did not have to think twice before gulping it down. We filled up our water bottles too and had to reluctantly make way as other families queued up with multiple containers to take back this sacred water to their homes and loved ones from this heritage site. This water is also said to have healing properties, though we did not have enough time to verify this claim.
The 'Nandi Theertha' is attached to a quaint Shiva temple. Hymns played softly on loop in the background. Wandering around another surprise popped up. Mushrooms growing on trees in the hills of Sandur which is barely an hour's drive from the smoldering heat of Hampi was, to say the least, totally unexpected.
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| The pristine hills of Sandur |
Bidding adieu to the pristine hills we made our way back towards the trademark rocky boulders of Hampi that rose before us, but not before the iron ore laden trucks and leaves and trees painted red with mining dust reminded us about the impending doom and threat due to mining to these lovely hills.
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| Red dust caking the leaves along the way with just the new leaves managing to stay green for a bit, a glaring effect of the mining around Sandur. |
Though illegal mining has been banned the legal mining continues to devastate the hills and its heritage structures. Despite this havoc of the mining saga looming large over the hills, Hari Shankara temple in Sandur still reverberates with an energy that is true to its heritage.
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| Google map showing Hari Shankara Temple, the Neelakurinji blooming point as well as the nearby mines. |
How to reach there
Sandur is a mere 42kms from Hampi. It can be covered during a Hampi visit with a short drive.
Hospet and Ballari are connected by road to Sandur. It however helps to have own vehicle to travel around.
Shivavilas Palace belonging to the Welcome Heritage group located in Sandur is an excellent option to stay and explore both Hampi and Sandur.
Sandur boasts of a pleasant weather throughout. Though Mahatma Gandhi's famous quote 'See Sandur in September' is not to be ignored, post monsoon till summer through winter is a good time to visit.
Location map:
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