Shettihalli Rosary Church

The Rosary Church at Shettihalli, written Sathalli in colonial papers, stands about 2 kilometres from Shettihalli village in Hassan district. French missionaries built it in the Gothic style in 1860 for wealthy British estate owners. When the Hemavati Dam and reservoir were completed in 1960 the church was abandoned, and ever since the water has risen around it every monsoon, giving it the names Submerged Church and Floating Church.

The ruins are now a popular sight, and seeing both faces of the place takes two visits: from July to October the church stands partly under water, while from December to May the level falls and its grounds come back into view. Shettihalli is about 200 kilometres by road from Bengaluru, with buses running to the church, and Hassan, the nearest town at about 40 kilometres, has daily trains from Yeshwantpur. A 3D model of the church has been released for virtual-reality viewing.