Gopalaswamy temple hill
Himavad Gopalaswamy, is a hill (betta in Kannada) located in the Gundlupete Taluk, Chamarajanagar district of the state of Karnataka,
It is one of the highest peaks in Bandipur National Park, and hence, a prominent landmark in the region.
It lies in the core area of the Bandipur National Park and is frequented by wild life including elephants.
Dense fog predominates and covers the hills round the year and thus gets the Himavad(in the language of Kannada) and the temple of Venugopalaswamy (Lord Krishna) gives the full name of Himavad Gopalaswamy
Also called Himavad Gopalaswamy Betta, it is located in Bandipur National Park, with a height of more than 1400 meters above sea level.
The peak gets its name from the Gopalaswamy temple which is located at the top of the hill.
The temple dates back to the 14th century and was built by King Ballala of the Hoysala kingdom.
As the name suggests, the temple is dedicated to Gopalaswamy, which is a moniker for Lord Krishna.
The purported story behind the temple is as interesting as the setting of the temple.
According to legend, Lord Vishnu decided to stay here after being pleased with the penance of Agastya.
Bandipur National Park is a protected forest area, with trekking banned inside the forest.
(This temple is located in the heart of Bandipur National Park, Is a vital habitat of wildlife such as Tiger, leopard, Wild Dogs and other herbivores such as Indian Gaur, Chittal, Sambar etc. Venturing beyond the temple premises is an offense as per Wildlife Act 1972, The Forest department is concerned by the increase in number of tourist visiting the temple and causing disturbance.
Trekking, Picnicking, partying etc. are punishable offense. Hence visitors are requested to refrain from venturing beyond the temple premises. To minimize disturbance on wildlife entry timing has been changed to 8:30 am to 4:00 pm. And permitted time to return is 1 hour 30 minutes )
The only way to reach the top is via a vehicle.
The drive to the top is about 7 km and takes you through meandering routes, with lush greenery and plenty of fauna too.
No Entry for private vehicles, we will have to catch the Govt bus organised by the Karnataka state transport from the Foothills.
KSRTC bus has been arranged from the bottom of the hill up to the temple. Ticket fare is 20rs per person for going up and again 20rs per person while coming down. Totally 40rs per person is the charge.
Own vehicles should be parked below the hill entrance
The hill is especially known for attracting scores of elephants throughout the year.
There are other animal species to be spotted here too such as deer, macaques, tigers etc.
The view from top of the hill is simply stunning and the strong winds that you experience here are a feature of the place
If you are visiting the hill in the wee hours of morning, you may be greeted with thick mist, which gives the hill its prefix of Himavad, which translates to mist in Kannada.
The best time to visit the hill is anytime immediately after the monsoon months.
Access
It is approximately 220 km from Bangalore and 75 km from Mysore on the Mysore Ooty road -10 km away from Gundlupete, which is 60 km away from Mysore.
Materials used for pooja (prayers) alone such as flowers, fruits, Incense sticks etc. are permitted. Other food items are not permitted to be carried in. All these materials should be carried in non-plastic bags.Visitors are allowed from around 8:30am till 4pm. Overnight stay on top is not allowed.
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