Bhadravati/ Bhadravathi

Bhadravathi is an industrial town in the Shimoga District of Karnataka. Bhadravathi is situated at a distance of about 255 kilometres from the state capital Bangalore and at about 18 kilometres from the district headquarters, Shimoga. Bhadravathi is also the headquarters of the Bhadravathi Taluk. The town is spread over an area of 67 sq km and has a population of 160,662 as per the census held in 2001. Bhadra Reservoir Project Pin code is 577115.

History of Bhadravathi

Bhadravathi derives its name from the Bhadra river which flows through Bhadravathi city. Bhadravathi was earlier known as Benkipura (or Venkipura), which in English means city of fire. In recent history, Bhadravathi rose into prominence with the establishment of Mysore Iron and Steel Limited (now known as Vishweshwaraya Iron and Steel Limited) in 1918. This is a large Iron and Steel manufacturing facility and constitutes a major part of the town. Bhadravathi's reputation as an industrial town was further enhanced with the establishment of a paper manufacturing firm, the Mysore Paper Mills Limited in 1936.

Bhadravathi
Location	Shimoga District, Karnataka
Best time to visit	May to July
Places to visit	Bhadravathi Lakshmi Narasimha Temple, Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary, Halladammadevi Temple, Bhadravathi Jain Temple, Largest Shiva Idol near Lower Huttha, Sri Ranagatha Temple (Gudhe Ranganatha Honneguda near Bharadravati), Shree Chandika Durga Temple

Bhadravathi Tourist Places

Tourist attractions in Bhadravathi are Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary, Lakshmi Narasimha Temple & Bhadra Reservoir.

Lakshmi Narasimha Temple

Lakshmi Narasimha Temple in the Old Town area of Bhadravathi, built by Hoysalas in the 13th century. A Superb Temple which is currently maintained by the Archaeological Department of the state of Karnataka.

Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary

Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary was started in 1951 as Jagara Valley Game Sanctuary covering an area of about 252 sq km. It was combined with the surrounding Lakkavalli forests in the year 1972 and given its present name of Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary. It now spans an area of 492 sq km. It has two component areas Muthodi and Lakkavalli. Some of the wild animals found in this sanctuary are tiger, leopard, wild dog, jackal, elephant, gaur, sloth bear, sambar, spotted dear, monitor lizard, barking deer, wild boar, common langur, bonnet macaque, slender loris and the Malabar giant squirrel. Some of the bird species found here are shama, Malabar whistling thrush, various species of bulbuls, woodpeckers, hornbills and pigeons, drongos and paradise flycatcher. The sanctuary has been recently adopted under a tiger-conservation project called 'Project Tiger' which is an initiative from the Indian Government. Best season to visit is from October to February.

Bhadra Reservoir Project

The Bhadra Reservoir project was the irrigation scheme to be undertaken by the National Water Management Project (NWMP), with the purpose to increase agricultural prosperity, especially for the rice production.

Rivers and Dams at Bhadravathi

Bhadra River Project Dam across Bhadra River at Lakkavalli, a distance of 20 km from Bhadravathi City. The whole design of this dam was done by Sir. M.Vishweshwaraiah, the then Chief Engineer of Karnataka State. The dam mainly serves the purpose of irrigation in and around Bhadravathi and Tarikere Taluk.

How to Reach Bhadravathi
By Road: From Bangalore, one can take NH-206 which passes via Tumkur, Tiptur, Arasikere, Kadur, Birur & Tarikere to reach Bhadravathi. Buses that go from Bangalore to Shimoga stop at Bhadravathi and take around 6 hours to complete the journey.

By Rail: The Birur-Bhadravathi railway line passes through the city. Many trains run daily from Bangalore to Shimoga that stop at Bhadravathi. Alternatively, one can catch a train that goes to Birur and engage another train/bus from Birur to Bhadravathi. It takes around an hour to reach Bhadravathi from Birur by bus. Recently a daily train is being run from Mysore to Shimoga which can be used to reach Bhadravathi from Mysore.

By Air: The nearest airport is Hubli which is at a distance of around 170 km from Bhadravathi. Hubli has daily flights from Bangalore and Belgaum. Airports at Bangalore and Mangalore are also viable alternatives that can be used to reach Bhadravathi.

Hotels, Boarding, Lodging & Accomodation in Bhadravathi

Distance from Bhadravati to Kukke Shri Subrahmanya Temple, Karnataka is 214 km via SH 57 and takes around 4 h 55 min. SH 57 Highway connects Bagalakote with Beligeriranganabetta via Badami, Ron, Huyalgola, Gadag, Sirahatti, Guttal, Ranibennur, Masur, Sikaripura, Shimoga, Lakkavalli, Tharikere, Chikamagalur, Belur, Hassan, Holenarasipura, K.R Nagar, Belikere, Nanjangud and Yalandur.

Labels: Bhadravati all side areas