Sirsi

Understand

The city was founded as Sirise, because of the abundance of Siris trees commonly found in this region. According to historical records , the town was heavily fortified during this era to defend against potential invaders. This period also gave rise to Sirsi's famous 300-year-old Bedara Vesha (Hunters Dance), a unique folk performance held every alternate year during Holi to commemorate the warrior Malleshi and the historic sacrifice of a local woman named Rudrambika.

Getting there

By bus Sirsi is well connected to the neighbouring cities through many state highways. The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation has daily buses connecting to Hubli, Karwar, Mangalore, Shimoga, Mysore, Bangalore. Some private transports also have daily buses to neighbouring cities.

By train Nearest railway stations are at Kumta, Talguppa and Haveri. Talguppa railway connects Bangalore city via Sagara. Hubli is connected to all major parts of India.

By plane Nearest domestic airport is in Hubli (HBX IATA) which is about 110 km, and the nearest international airport is Dabolim Airport (GOI IATA), Goa.

Bangaluru Airport (Kempegowda International Airport) BLR IATA is the bigger airport nearby for international passengers and for domestic passengers coming from northern and eastern part of India. Then took any bus from airport to Bengaluru Majestic and from there overnight bus to Sirsi there, can be booked from KSRTC. If any waiting time there, there is plenty of hourly stay nearby. For Goa and Sirsi, it is better to choose GOI IATA or Mumbai Airport (Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport) BOM IATA

Getting around

By North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC) buses which go to nearby villages and to major towns of Karnataka (Karunadu) state. Auto rickshaws and taxis are available at Sirsi town.

See

1 Marikamba Temple (Marigudi), Sirsi - Banavasi Rd, ☏ +91 83842 26360, [email protected]. Daily 6AM-9PM. Marikamba temple was built in 1688. The famous Marikamba Jaathre, commemorating the goddess Marikamba, is held by the temple authorities every alternate year. Nearly a lakh devotees from all parts of the country attend the fair, making it one of the biggest festivals in the region. The temple has very special paintings of murals in Kaavi art, an art form which was popular in the coastal Konkan region of Karnataka. No entry fees. (updated Jul 2026) 2 Sahasralinga, Sadashivalli River Shalmala, Hulekal (about 14 km from Sirsi town]). Open 24 hours, but best visited from 5AM to 6PM. It is in the river Shalmala and is famous for being the location where around a thousand lingas are carved on rocks in the river and on its banks. Thousands of shivlingas appearing in shalmala river bed due to global warming effect. Sahasralingeśvara temple located near sirsi and is situated on the banks of the river shalmala, where a thousand lingas are found. The Shivalingas were built under the patronage of Sadashivarayavarma, king of the Sirsi kingdom (1678-1718). It is also possible to see many Nandi (vehicle of lord Shiva) which are carved in front of the Shivalingas. On the auspicious day of Mahashivaratri thousands of pilgrims visit Sahasraliṅga to offer their prayers to Shiva. No entry fees. (updated Jul 2026) 3 Unchalli Falls (Lushington Falls), near Heggarne village (440 km from Bengaluru and 260 kms from Mangaluru. Heggarane is the nearest village (5 km from the Falls) and Sirsi (35 kms from the Falls) is the nearest town. Hubballi is the nearest airport (140 km). Motorable road exists up to 1 km till waterfalls and the last kilometre needs to be covered on foot. Talaguppa near Sagara and Kumta are the nearest train stations, both approximately 60 km from the Falls. Regular buses are available to reach Sirsi from major towns in Karnataka. From Sirsi Unchalli Falls can b

Do

1 Yana Rocks, Yana (deep within the Katgal range of the Western Ghats, approximately 31 km from Kumta and 40 km from Sirsi). 8AM-6PM. Usually famous for trekking to Yana rock, it is closed for visitors and trekking temporarily from last few weeks. (updated Jul 2026) The Marikamba Jatre is held every year, around March. Get to know the local culture.

Buy

Sirsi is famous for several sweets prepared by locals.

Todadevu is a special kind of thin-crust dosa made out of fresh sugarcane juice. (Most local desserts of Sirsi have jaggery rather than sugar.) Kadubu: The main ingredients are jackfruit pulp and jaggery. The batter is prepared and, with additional ingredients, the batter is put into a container and steamed. The dessert is a local delicacy and is served hot with ghee butter. Karakali is a special kind of chutney which tastes very spicy. It is prepared from colocacia leaves. Kesari is a special sweet prepared from special small aromatic rice Sannakki, saffron and ghee. It is generally prepared during marriage ceremonies. Shunti Kaddi is a special sweet prepared from ginger paste and jaggery, which is most popular during Sirsi Jathre. Bendu Battasu is a special sweet which is available during Sirsi Jathre.

Eat

Several restaurants in Sirsi - Yellapur road are famous for vegetarian dishes.

1 Basaveshwar Khanavali, Vaz Complex, 178, beside Hotel Supriya International, Vinayak Colony. 10AM-9PM. Fully Veg authentic Uttara Kannada style local south indian dishes available in affordable price with great quality. ₹100-200/thali. (updated Jul 2026)

Sleep

There are many lodges, home stays and resorts in this town.

Go next

Lakkundi Dharwad Anshi National Park or Kali Tiger Reserve around the catchment area of river Kali. Bankapura Yellapur is about 60 km from Sirsi. Yellapur has two famous water falls - Sathodi Falls and Magod Falls. Jog Falls is the second-highest plunge waterfall in India, created by the Sharavathi River falling from a height of 253 m (830 ft), and is a major tourist attraction. It is about 60 km from Sirsi. Gokarna is a temple town in the North Kanara. Around the town lie a number of temples like Mahabaleshwara Temple and beaches which serve as a major attraction for travellers.