Small-Town Wonders

From a floating church to temples that tell stories, the district of Hassan in Karnataka harbours in its hinterland relics of contrasting pasts.

- MARY ANN ISAAC

THE HEART OF Karnataka brims with temples boasting Hoysala architecture, echoes of Carnatic music, bright flowers waiting to be picked to garland a deity, and the aroma of mouthwatering food.

The state was also home to 19th-century French missionaries, who have left a mark on the architecture of the region. One such region with a discernible French hangover is the village of Shettihalli, located in the Hassan district of Karnataka. It is offbeat in every sense of the word, and holds secrets that, once unravelled, enthrall any traveller.

It is in pursuit of one such secret that I land at the gates of the abandoned 19th-century Rosary Church in Shettihalli, an 18-kilometre drive from the temple town of Hassan. ‘The Sunken Church’ or ‘The Floating Church’, as it is popularly known, remains submerged in water half the year. Built by French missionaries in the 1860s in the once thriving village of Shettihalli, the church was abandoned after the Hemavati Dam was constructed in the town in 1960. Though derelict and ghostly, this imposing structure takes my breath away with its Gothic architecture. I can’t but commend the missionaries, not just for this brilliant feat of architecture but also for getting their gospel to this far-flung region.

I arrive here during the monsoon, when the structure and its surroundings are submerged in water from the nearby dam, making the area uninhabitable. From the bank, I spot delicate spires, stained glass windows, arches, and rib vaulted ceilings that are reminiscent of French churches around the world. Years of neglect coupled with life in water has resulted in the poor state of its ceilings and windows, but the base still stands strong. The locals tell me that it is built with brick, mortar, and a mixture of jaggery and eggs.