What to expect
Highlights
- The stone Nandi.
- The lathe-turned stone pillars.
- The monolithic stone bed.
Banavasi Madhukeshwara Temple
The Madhukeshwara Temple at Banavasi is a 9th-century Kadamba-era Shiva temple in the oldest town in Karnataka, the ancient Kadamba capital.
Practical guide
Plan Banavasi Madhukeshwara Temple
Who's going?Tailor Banavasi Madhukeshwara Temple to your trip
Before you go to Banavasi Madhukeshwara Temple
Check entry arrangements. Ask temple staff about visitor entry, dress requirements and access to the inner shrine before you travel, especially if you are visiting as a non-Hindu.
Dress respectfully and follow the institution’s admission and photography rules.
Typetemple
Nearest baseBanavasi
DistrictUttara Kannada
Best timeOctober to February
Time needed45 minutes to an hour
EntryFree
It is known for its large stone Nandi, its lathe-turned pillars and a monolithic stone bed.
Getting there
How to visit
- At Banavasi in Sirsi taluk; by road from Sirsi.
- A living, protected temple — remove footwear and do not touch the carvings.
Distance by road
- Panaji (Goa)100 km
- Hubballi165 km
- Udupi175 km
- Mangaluru270 km
- Bengaluru500 km
Road km to Uttara Kannada; ghat roads and traffic vary — allow extra.
Timing
Best time
October to February; mornings.
Weather in Banavasi Madhukeshwara TempleSeasonal guide
Live forecast loads in your browser.
Today at Banavasi Madhukeshwara Temple
Sunrise6:22 am
Sunset6:08 pm
Golden hour best light5:08 pm–6:08 pm
Blue hour after sunset6:08 pm–6:33 pm
Sun sets toward compass bearingW · 260°
Moon tonight🌔 Waxing gibbous · 59%
Sunset is in about 55 minutes.
Sun and moon are calculated for this location and shown in IST. Photography windows are the hour around sunrise and sunset; the sunset bearing is degrees clockwise from true north. Moon phase is accurate to about half a day.
Visitor notes
- An old, protected temple — treat the stonework with care and be respectful during worship.
Photos
Banavasi Madhukeshwara Temple in pictures
Stay · eat · do · rent · see · shop
Stays, food & things to do near Banavasi Madhukeshwara Temple
Verified hotels, homestays, restaurants, experiences, sights, shops and rentals around Banavasi Madhukeshwara Temple — commission-free, with direct contact. Filter by what you need.
Verified inventory is being added here.
Verified places are being added. The category filters will fill in as approved stays, restaurants, experiences, sights, shops and nature listings go live.
List your placeRoampedia is commission-free — own or know a stay, eatery, guide or shop near Banavasi Madhukeshwara Temple? List it and it appears here once verified.
Add a nearby businessBefore you go
Banavasi Madhukeshwara Temple — at a glance
TimingsTemple hours
Best timeOctober to February; mornings
Entry: Free
Getting here
How to reach Banavasi Madhukeshwara Temple
At Banavasi in Sirsi taluk; by road from Sirsi
Getting back
If you are travelling by bus or ferry, check the return service with the operator before setting out. Leave time to reach the stop or jetty after your visit.
- KSRTC— the Karnataka state bus operator; route and schedule enquiries.Online booking.
- Indian Railways— live running and seat availability for the nearest railhead, named under “Getting here” above.
Ask at the bus stand for the time of the last service back, not the next one. If you miss it, an auto or app cab is the fallback — agree the fare before you get in.
Getting around Banavasi Madhukeshwara Temple
If you need step-free access, contact the site before travelling. Ask about a level entrance, steps along the route, the nearest drop-off point, seating and accessible toilets.
If you need help at Banavasi Madhukeshwara Temple
112All emergencies (police · fire · medical)The single number to call in any emergency (ERSS).100Police101Fire108Ambulance (emergency / EMS)1091Women’s helpline (distress)1098Child helpline1363Tourist helpline (India, 24×7, multilingual)
Emergency numbers are verified against official government and state tourism sources. 112 works anywhere in India.
Nearby
What’s near Banavasi Madhukeshwara Temple
templeSirsi Marikamba Temple
The largest temple to the goddess Marikamba (Durga) in Karnataka, at Sirsi, famous for its biennial Marikamba Jatra — one of the biggest fairs in the state.
21.0 km · ~35 min by cab · straight line
heritageSahasralinga
Over a thousand Shiva lingas and Nandis carved into the bed and banks of the Shalmala river ~14 km from Sirsi — exposed in the dry season and submerged in the monsoon.
30.7 km · ~51 min by cab · straight lineS
Sonda Vadiraja Matha
Place
heritageSonda Vadiraja Matha
The Vadiraja (Sode) matha at Sonda ~20 km from Sirsi — one of the Ashta Mathas of Udupi and a major Dvaita pilgrimage centre around the Vadiraja Brindavana, with a Jain basadi nearby.
31.8 km · ~53 min by cab · straight line
waterfallUnchalli Falls
Also called Lushington Falls — where the Aghanashini river plunges about 116 m into a forested gorge near Siddapura, viewed from a platform after a short forest walk.
32.1 km · ~54 min by cab · straight lineM
Manjuguni Venkataramana Temple
Place
templeManjuguni Venkataramana Temple
A forest Venkataramana (Vishnu) temple ~26 km from Sirsi — a regional pilgrimage sometimes called the “Tirupati of Uttara Kannada”.
37.9 km · ~63 min by cab · straight line
templeIdagunji Temple
A much-visited Ganapathi (Vinayaka) temple at Idagunji near Honnavar — one of the most important Ganesha shrines on the Kanara coast.
39.9 km · ~66 min by cab · straight lineS
Shivaganga Falls
Place
waterfallShivaganga Falls
A ~74 m waterfall on the Sonda river near Siddapur, plunging into a deep evergreen valley, with a Shiva temple at its head.
40.5 km · ~68 min by cab · straight lineB
Benne Hole Falls
Place
waterfallBenne Hole Falls
A multi-tier forest waterfall ~25 km from Siddapur reached by a trek — its name means “butter pool”, for the milky look of its water.
42.5 km · ~71 min by cab · straight line
waterfallMagod Falls
A waterfall near Yellapur where the Bedti (Gangavali) river drops in two leaps of around 200 m into a wooded gorge, seen from a viewpoint.
45.2 km · ~75 min by cab · straight lineJ
Jenukallu Gudda
Place
viewpointJenukallu Gudda
A Western-Ghats sunset viewpoint ~17 km from Yellapur overlooking the Bedti (Gangavali) river valley.
47.2 km · ~79 min by cab · straight line
heritageDoeguling Tibetan Settlement
India’s second-largest Tibetan settlement, ~15,000 people across camps near Mundgod, centred on the great Gelugpa monasteries of Drepung Loseling and Ganden.
48.6 km · ~81 min by cab · straight line
trekYana
A pair of towering black karst rock spires — the Bhairaveshwara and Mohini shikharas — rising from dense Sahyadri forest, a pilgrimage and trekking spot with a Shiva shrine in a cave at the base.
49.0 km · ~82 min by cab · straight lineOn the map
Where Banavasi Madhukeshwara Temple is
Good to know
Banavasi Madhukeshwara Temple — frequently asked
When is the best time to visit Banavasi Madhukeshwara Temple?
October to February; mornings.
What are the entry fee and timings at Banavasi Madhukeshwara Temple?
Entry: Free. Timings: Temple hours.
How do I reach Banavasi Madhukeshwara Temple?
At Banavasi in Sirsi taluk; by road from Sirsi. A living, protected temple — remove footwear and do not touch the carvings.
How much time do I need for Banavasi Madhukeshwara Temple?
45 minutes to an hour.
What else is near Banavasi Madhukeshwara Temple?
Nearby you can pair Sirsi Marikamba Temple (21.0 km), Sahasralinga (30.7 km), Sonda Vadiraja Matha (31.8 km), Unchalli Falls (32.1 km).
Read before you go
Banavasi Madhukeshwara Temple guides, stories & itineraries
We have not published a story about Banavasi Madhukeshwara Temple itself yet. These cover Banavasi and the wider district, with separate journeys between stops.
Around Banavasi
These guides explore Banavasi and the surrounding area. Choose a visit that fits your interests, allowing separately for travel between stops.
Karnataka-wide guides & itineraries
Route-level itineraries and practical guides for the rest of Karnataka.
Image credits
Photographs: Ajaya.n.g, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0), Ramya R Joshi (CC BY-SA 4.0), solarisgirl (CC BY-SA 2.0). Wikimedia Commons.