Horanadu Temple

One of the most important pilgrimage centres in Karnataka and Chikmagalur, the Horanadu Temple was established to commemorate the deity of Annapoorneshwari. It is said to have been established by sage Adi Shankaracharya. One needs to queue up in long, sinuous but fast moving line with visitors to get a quick glimpse of the goddess in gold. It is said that anybody who visits the temple will never be deprived of food in their lifetime. Ushers stand outside the inner sanctum and nudge the devotees to move faster in order to accommodate the hundreds that gather here each day. An elaborate menu of offering types can be obtained from the information counter. If religious leanings are not relevant for you, the simple but tasteful three course vegetarian meal served as prasadam will be hard to miss. Thousands sit in neat rows on the floor while ‘malnad’ (traditional Kannadiga) style food is served by priests in hurried but orderly manner. The lunch is served between 12:00 pm–2:30 pm and dinner between 8:00 pm-9:45 pm on all days. The temple lies on the famous Karnataka pilgrimage circuit of Kukke Subrahmanya, Dharmasthala, Sringeri, Udupi Krishna Temple, Kollooru Mookambika and Kalaseshwara Temple in Kalasa. A number of guesthouses line the street that leads up to the temple.