Thirthahalli is a picturesque spot hidden away in the middle of dense forests, at an altitude of 610 m. Thirthahalli is a panchayat town located in the Shimoga District of the state of Karnataka, India. It lies on the bank of the river Tunga and is also the headquarters of the Thirthahalli Taluk of Shimoga district.

Attractions in & around Thirthahalli:

Tunga river bridge: This town has a unique bridge built across the Tunga River which connects Thirthahalli on one side to a place called Kuruvalli on the other side. Now, Kuruvalli has become an extension of Thirthahalli.

Sri Rameshwara Temple:

Sri Rameshwara Temple is the main Hindu temple of Thirthahalli. This temple is made of stone and is on the banks of the river Tunga. The sanctum sanctorum of the temple has a Lingam which is said to have been installed by Sage Parashurama himself.

Anandagiri and Siddeshwara Gudda:

Two hills adorn Thirthahalli town. First one is Anandagiri Gudda and the second one is Siddeshwara Gudda. Anandagiri Gudda is located on Shimoga Road and Siddeshwara Gudda is located on Agumbe Road. Both are reachable by walk from the town. One can climb Anandagiri Gudda during any time of the year. Its height may be around 200 to 300 feet (60 to 90 m). There is large mantapa with a big doom on this hill. One can relax on this mantapa and can enjoy scenic beauty. Tunga College is on the base of this hill. For climbing Siddeshwara Hill, the preferred months are October and November. This hill is also about 200 feet in height. From the top of this hill, one will be able to see the other big hills of Shimoga District such as Kodachadri and Kundadri.

Kuppalli:

Located at a distance of 18 km from Thirthahalli, Kuppalli is the native place of the great Kananda poet and playwright Kuvempu. Kavishaila and Kavimane are two historical places to see in Kuppalli.

Agumbe:

Agumbe is a small town in Thirthahalli Taluk famous for being the location where the television serial Malgudi Days (based on a novel of the same name by the famous writer, R K Narayan) was shot. This town also attracts tourists who come to see a beautiful sunset over the valleys of the Western Ghats. On a clear day, the Arabian Sea can be seen from here.

Chibbalagudde:

Famous temple of Sri Siddi Vinayaka and Matsyadhama which has lot of fishes at Tunga River. Chibbalagudde, is 10 KM apart from Thirthahalli, and is also near to Kuppalli.

Etimology of Thirthahalli:

According to a Hindu legend, the sage Parashurama using an axe, chopped off his mother Renuka's head on the orders of his father, the great sage Jamadagni. Later, Parashurama tried to wash the blood stains off the axe by dipping it in various rivers. Despite his best efforts, a sesame-sized blood stain remained on his axe. It was washed away only when he dipped his axe in the Tunga river near Thirthahalli. This place is now called as Parashurama Thirtha (or RamaThirtha) and is the origin of the name Thirthahalli (halli means village in the native Kannada language). Near RamaThirtha, there is a stone mantapa called Rama Mantapa. This legend has made Thirthahalli a holy place for Hindus with a belief that a dip in the river Tunga here will cure one of all sins.

How to reach Thirthahalli:

By road: Thirthahalli is at a distance of about 62 km. from the district headquarters, Shimoga. From Shimoga, one has to take the National Highway NH-13 (Thirthahalli road) to reach Thirthahalli. From Bangalore, one has to take the National Highway NH-206 to reach Shimoga and then take the above mentioned route. The total distance from Bangalore to Thirthahalli is around 330 km. From Mangalore, one can take NH-13 to reach Thirthahalli. The distance from Mangalore to Thirthahalli is around 190 km.

By rail: The nearest railway station is in Shimoga. Numerous trains run from Bangalore and Mysore to Shimoga.

By air: The nearest airport is in Mangalore International Airport.