Ramanagara is the Silk reeling centre of Karnataka. Here we will try and visit a place where silk cocoons are put into hot water and fine silk is reeled out under the watchful eyes of the lady workers.

The Government of Karnataka has provided infrastructure for the trading of the silk cocoons between the Silk rearers to the Silk reelers in Ramanagaram, and is the biggest of the region. We see tonnes of silk cocoons changing hands daily and this provides a wonderful opportunity to interact with the farmers and buyers while taking pics. You will also learn about the life cycle of the silkworm here and its history in Karnataka. If not Ramanagar silk cocoon market, we visit Channapatna market which is equally lively.

Here, we visit a Silkworm breeding centre where the male and female silkworms are brought together. When they mate and produce eggs, they are collected and sold to the farmers who feed the silkworms with mulberry leaves up to the stage where they form cocoons. In this place, we can see local women distinguishing between male and female silkworms and preparing them for the eggs to be produced.

The Keshava temple at Somanthapur has been recently classified as a World Heritage monument by UNESCO. It is an extraordinary temple built in the 13th CE during the reign of the Hoysala dynasty. It is one of the top 3 temples among the 92 built by Hoysalas during their reign. The temple is built on a star-shaped platform with high-quality sculptures all around. The most prominent features of this temple are the highly symmetric & geometric lathe-turned pillars; 16 ceilings inside the temple with each one different but with a motif of banana flower; exquisite statues of Venugopala & Janardhana in 2 of the 3 sanctum sanctora; the highly intricate vimanas; 480 elephants carved on the bottom level with each one different from the other; a galaxy of gods & goddesses; etc. It took 500 artists about 40 years to build this temple which was later vandalized by the marauding Mughals in the 14th CE. It stands abandoned from a ritualistic perspective but stands tall as an artistic achievement.