//
Village and temple in Karnataka, India
Photo: Prof tpms, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Melukote is a temple and wildlife sanctuary in Mandya, Karnataka, Southern India.
From the travel guide. Select a place for details, a map and what is nearby.
Very beautiful stone structure of unbelievable big area.
It's atop the hill. You can take a car halfway up and have to climb a few steps to reach it. All temples in Melukote are open till 6 PM.
The old buildings on the hilltop are so numerous that they cannot be counted in one stretch. Their beauty is beyond description and enjoying a single hut can take half an hour and their style cannot be captured in your modern camera. People here appear to have frozen into a lifestyle that is thousands of years old and their architectural tastes match with their way of life.
₹100 for a ₹50 level lunch. You are not allowed to eat in peace as the owner constantly observes you and intervenes giving directions for proper ancient way of eating.
₹60 for vegetarian lunch on stiched leaves.
Only snacks, cool drinks and juice items are available.
Roof level ventilators give light and keep away cold winds. Simple accommodations.
If you are travelling by public transportation, you have to alight at Jakkanahalli junction and get an autorickshaw for the last seven kilometer trip up the hill.
Read in the guideUpper Melukote can be covered by foot in one hour. Autorickshaws charge ₹50 for dropping you in the upper temple and ₹150 for wait and return arrangement.
Read in the guideChoose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Mysore · Regional · MYQ
Loading places around the airport…
Articles and travel topics about Melukote and India.
Travel tipsExplore the rainy seasons in Asia month by month. Compare Southwest and Northeast monsoons, typhoon belts, dry island escapes, and travel dates.
8 min read
Travel tipsSpot and avoid common tourist scams in India, including fake train ticket offices, closed hotel lies, rigged auto-rickshaws, and temple donation tricks.
8 min read
Travel tipsFull 2026 list of visa-free and visa-on-arrival countries for Indian passport holders. Check entry requirements, stay limits, and transit visa rules.
6 min read
InspirationDiscover the best places to visit in India, from Delhi monuments and the Taj Mahal in Agra to Jaipur forts, sacred Varanasi ghats, and Kerala backwaters.
6 min read
Every section of the guide. Open one to read it in full.