A 200 year old church, today lies in ruins at Shettihalli. About 20 km from Hassan, is the village Shettihalli – where, about 30 years ago, the agriculture-focused village was turned into a backwaters’ area with the commissioning of Gorur dam across river Hemavathi. The church is situated bang in the middle of a vast expanse of land, leading up to the Gorur dam. In copious monsoons, water starts to fill up this expanse of land and partially (sometimes fully) submerges the remains of this old church. During the dry periods, the church re-emerges and stands stark amidst the uncultivated lands all around.Travelers turn up frequently – to be awed by the hugeness of the ruined structure up-close, and yet how it appears tiny when compared to the expanse of the land around it. Nowadays, some agriculture activities can be seen around the church.
This setting provides a plethora of opportunities for a photographer. There are various compositions to try out, various angles to be explored and myriad of perspectives to unleash. This was to be my first visit to this place, though I’ve been hearing about this place and seeing photos from several years now. I had stayed overnight at Hassan, and this allowed me to reach the place early in the morning. Though it was early June, monsoon was already in force and it made that morning cloudy. The bleak weather at daybreak made the whole setting spooky. But, the clouds started to clear up as the time progressed. I did not have much time to spend there and here are a few images from nearby.
Shettihalli church ruins
Opposite to the church is the view of a bridge over the river Hemavathi. In the foreground, we can see some signs of agriculture.
Signs of agriculture
A parting shot from a distance with a car parked in front of the church – shows the scale of things here – the car looks tiny compared to the church and the church looks tiny amidst the land all around.
A car, the church and a wide expanse of land
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