Shettihalli Rosary Church is an ancient catholic church that was built in the 1860s by French missionaries. This church is situated at a picturesque location, about 22 km from Shettihalli in Hassan district, Karnataka, and is located on the banks of the Hemavathi River. This church is an excellent location for tourists, travel enthusiasts, and photographers and is boasted of magnificent Gothic-style architecture, yet Shettihalli Church was abandoned in 1960 and is currently in ruins. Since then, the ruined church has become one of the popular tourist attractions in the region. Standing tall in the middle of barren fields, the church doesn’t have a roof and echoes with the silence of the surroundings and the chirping of the birds.
Shettihalli Rosary Church in Hassan is a lesser-known destination but a must-visit for people interested in exploring the ruins of historic importance. The uniqueness of the church lies in the unbelievable fact that the entire church structure gets submerged in the river during monsoons.
History of Shettihalli Rosary Church
Shettihalli Rosary Church is also known as ‘The Floating Church’ or ‘The Submerged Church’ because the structure plays a peek-a-boo when it rains. When the water level rises up in the dam, the church gets lost in the underwater world. Shettihalli Rosary Church started getting submerged in water during the 1960s when the Gorur Reservoir was built to redirect the waters of the Hemavathi River. Along with the Shettihalli Church, a number of villages were also submerged and although the people were relocated, the church was abandoned.
What Makes It Awesome
To get to the church, one has to take a boat ride and that experience can be quite freakish – just imagine being floating around the ruined church’s arches! The best time to visit this place is between July and October, when it rains one can experience the sinister charm of the chapel, as it is submerged during the monsoon. Unless anyone wants to see the church in its full glory – one has to visit this place during Summer!
Places To Visit In & Around Hassan
Hoysala Temples at Mosale, Gorur Dam, Bhagwan Bahubali Statue, Lakshmi Narasimha Temple, and Kedareshwara Temple are the major tourist attractions in and around Hassan.
Best Time To Visit Shettihalli Rosary Church
The best time to visit this Shettihalli church is from July to October as half of the church remains under the water. Or else, visit it anytime between December to May as during this time water level goes down and one can witness the beauty of the church in all its glory.
Where To Stay
Accommodation
Most of the hotels, cottages, and homestays offer budget accommodation.
How To Reach
Road
Hassan is about 40km from Shettihalli Church and is easily reached by bus or train. From Hassan, you can get to the church either by using public transport or by an auto-rickshaw.
By Auto-Rickshaw: In general, it costs no more than ₹600, with about an hour of waiting time from Hassan's bus station to the Shettihalli Church.
Bus
Plenty of buses are available until 1600 hrs from Hassan's Bus Station to the Shettihalli Church.
Train
There are no direct trains available to reach Shettihalli Church. You can cover a part of your journey by train and the nearest station is Mysore Railway Station, which is about 40 km away from the church. Another nearest railway station is Hassan or Alur, which is about 22 km or 24 km respectively. After which one must take a bus or a cab to reach this beautiful place.
AIR
Mangalore Airport is the nearest major international airport. From there you can book a cab or bus to Shettihalli church.
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