User:Nidhi Subramanian/sandbox



Shettihalli Church is located 22 km from Shettihalli, in Karnataka. Built in the 1860s by the French missionaries in India, the church is a magnificent structure of Gothic Architecture. After the construction of the Hemavati Dam and Reservoir in 1960 the church was abandoned. The church has become a very famous tourist spot because of its gothic architecture and beauty. The church has a beautiful serenity to it as well. The water reflects on the church showing its beauty and that is what many tourists find attractive.





== History The Church was built in 1860 by the French missionaries for the then wealthy British estate owners. In 1960 the construction of the Gorur Dam and Reservoir led to the abandonment of the church. People lived near this area in a village. But after the Gorur Dam, they quickly relocated. Therefore, the Shettihalli Rosary Church was left abandoned for many years. Since then the church submerges in water every year during monsoon season. The Gorur dam was built which flooded the Hemavati Reservoir. It has been more than 200 years since the church was was built. But, one of the amazing things about the church that attracts many tourists is its ability to withstand after being in the water and coming out so many times.

Best time to visit and Architectural Beauty
To enjoy the surreal beauty of Shettihalli church, one needs to travel to this place twice. Once in the month of July–October when it is partially submerged in water and next in the month of Dec- May when the water level recedes and the church emerges in all its glory. Most people visit the area travel by rickshaw or car. Even though the church has some architectural pieces that are missing, one can quickly put together what it would have looked like. The rustic columns and rows adds to the gothic architecure.

Getting There
The best way to visit Shettihalli Rosary Church is to make it a stopover. There is not much around the area and that is also why most people only spend a couple of hours there.