Sometimes, the most unrelated events can together lead to results that are truly breathtaking. Just like that, two different construction projects – a century apart – have come together to create a truly unforgettable experience, at the Shettihalli Rosary Church.

Consider a church built by French Missionaries in the 1860s, and a reservoir built by the government in the 1960s. If you are thinking how these two totally unrelated acts and timelines could cause awe and amazement for an offbeat traveler, you are just about to know that!

The Rosary Church was built on the banks of the Hemavathi River near Hassan, where an erstwhile village existed long ago. When the government decided the flowing river water had to be put to better use, Gorur dam was built, which floods the Hemavathi Reservoir. As with any dam, the collateral damage was relocation of the villages upstream. This village was no different, and the villagers were relocated to nearby villages, but the church was left behind. It has stood there since, bearing the test of time and the wrath of monsoons. It has been more than 200 years since it was built, and more than 25 years since the dam waters started flooding and submerging the church.