HASSAN: Its religious significance apart, a two century-old church submerged in the backwaters of the Hemavathi reservoir at Shettihalli, Hassan taluk, remains a popular draw among tourists.
The church, which was built by Christian missionaries from Europe during the British rule, was submerged when the reservoir was constructed here, forcing people to construct another church elsewhere.
Tourists throng the reservoir, especially during summer, to catch a glimpse of the partially submerged church that resembles a floating ship as the church gets fully submerged during the monsoon.
It is said that French missionaries visited the village and constructed the church under French architecture in memory of Mariyamma, a saint from Hyderabad who had died here.
The church measures 250x75 ft and was built using a mixture of sand bricks and limestone. Its walls are three feet wide and have sharp edges.
The missionaries also built a hospital, an oldage home and an orphanage for the people of Shettihalli village. The church started submerging when a reservoir was constructed across the Hemavathi river near Gorur, about 10 km away.