Ulavi

Karnataka > Udupi > Ulavi

Ulavi in Uttara Kannada, 32 km. from Yellapur can be reached from Haliyal also. It is amidst thick forests, where there is the Samadhi of Chennabasavanna (the nephew of Saint Basaveshwara) who sought shelter here after leaving Kalyana in about 1167 when the Kalachuri king had resorted to a witch hunt against the Sharanas after the death of Bijjala. Gavi Matha here is a series of caves in which the Sharanas lived. One cave is named after Akka Nagamma, Chennabasavanna's mother. The imposing structure here is the Samadhi of Chennabasavanna which has Nandi installed in the sanctum. The Shikhara of this sanctum has stucco figures of the Sharanas. The temple was expanded by the Sode rulers. Every month on Poornima days, a jatra is held and the annual jatra is held on Shivaratri days. Hundreds visit the place daily. There are some rest houses for visitors. There is also a fort in ruins called Baburayana Kote.