Kalasa and the Kalaseshwara Temple

Ten kilometres from Horanadu on the same river, Kalasa is an old temple town counted among the Pancha Kshetras of this region, with the Kalaseshwara temple standing above the Bhadra and a set of theerthams associated with Agastya. Ambatheertha, a short distance out, is a pool on the river in forest where the water is held to be sacred and where the setting does most of the work. Visit Kalasa in the morning; the temple is quiet by comparison with Horanadu and the walk down to the river is worth the time.

Kudremukh National Park

Around thirty kilometres west, Kudremukh covers a large area of shola forest and rolling grassland in the Western Ghats, named for a peak whose profile is said to resemble a horse face. The trek to the summit is one of the better known in Karnataka - a demanding day of around twenty kilometres return through grassland, with permits and a mandatory guide arranged through the forest department at Mullodi or the range office. Visit between October and February. Permits are limited, arrangements change, and the trek is not a casual undertaking; confirm directly with the department before planning around it.

Hanuman Gundi and Kadambi Falls

Hanuman Gundi, also called Soothanabbi, lies inside Kudremukh park around twenty-five kilometres from Horanadu - a fall of some hundred feet dropping into a natural rock pool, reached by a flight of around four hundred steps down through forest. Kadambi Falls is closer to the road and needs no walking at all. Visit between July and December when there is water; Hanuman Gundi has an entry charge and set timings through the forest department, and the steps are steep and slippery after rain, so footwear matters.

Sringeri

Fifty kilometres from Horanadu and the third point of the standard circuit. Sringeri is the first of the four mathas Adi Shankara established and the seat of the Sharada Peetham, with an unbroken line of acharyas since the eighth century - and alongside the Sharadamba shrine stands the Vidyashankara temple, whose twelve pillars are positioned so that the sun falls on each in the order of the zodiac months. The Tunga below is full of protected fish that come to the steps. Visit as a full half day; our bangalore to sringeri cab page covers it properly.

The Bhadra and the Malnad

The country around Horanadu is the reason a good number of visitors extend the trip. The Bhadra rises in these hills and runs past both Kalasa and Horanadu; the surrounding slopes are coffee, cardamom and pepper under forest shade, and the roads wind through them continuously. Bhagavathi nature camp inside Kudremukh, homestays on the estates around Kalasa, and the Charmadi ghat road west from Kottigehara are all within reach. Visit by simply driving - this is one of the more consistently beautiful stretches of Karnataka and the drive between the temples is a large part of what you came for