Enclosed by lofty hills of the
Western Ghats, Kalasa is a holy place 92 km south-west of
Chikmagalur. As the name suggests, Kalasa resembles Kalasha (sacred pot placed on the top of a temple or a chariot). This holy place was once treated as one of the Panch-kshetras on the banks of river
Bhadra. The place is famous for the
Kalasheswara Temple at the base of the hill and panch teerthas, the five sacred ponds. The Madhwacharya Bande, a large boulder with a carved statue of Shri
Madhwacharya, is placed near one of the teerthas. There are also temples dedicated to Lord
Hanuman, Lord Venkataramana, another form of
Vishnu and Goddess
Annapoorneswari.
