Gomatagiri

Less than 20 km to the northwest of Mysore lies the little village of Bettadoor. It is nearby Gomatagiri that is home to a 10-m high monolithic statue of Gomateshwara or Bahubali. It is erected on a granite outcrop which is set amidst a eucalyptus grove. A sacred Jain deity, Gomateshwara statues are found all over Karnataka, the most famous being in Shravanabelagola. But the one at Gomatagiri is also popular and goes back to the 11th century. A flight of steps carved in stone leads up to the statue and it might be a good idea to do this early in the morning or evening when it is relatively cool. The place is also not very crowded and hence is fabulous to catch panoramic views of parts of Mysore, KRS and the river Cauvery as it meanders around. There are also a set of small shrines at the foot of the rock outcrop. The entire area gets crowded and colourful during the annual abhisheka or anointing which takes place in September.