Shettihalli Rosary Church

Shettihalli Rosary Church is a ruined 19th-century Gothic church located in Shettihalli village on the banks of the Hemavati River near Hassan, Karnataka. Built in the 1860s by French missionaries, it was abandoned after the construction of the Gorur Dam in 1960, which causes the Hemavati Reservoir to submerge the structure during monsoon. Known as the Floating Church, its skeletal arches and roofless nave attract visitors for photography and heritage interest.

Visitors can expect a roofless Gothic ruin with exposed stone arches, columns and skeletal walls set in the Hemavati backwaters. During monsoon (July-October) the church appears to float as water surrounds and partially submerges the lower structure, accessible only by viewing from the banks or by small boat. In summer and winter the water recedes, allowing visitors to walk inside the ruins, view the nave and altar area, and photograph the landscape of reservoir, fields and distant hills.

Built in the 1860s by French missionaries for British estate residents in the Hassan region, the church is an example of Gothic architecture in Karnataka. After the construction of the Gorur Dam (Hemavati Reservoir) in 1960, the village was relocated and the church was abandoned, leaving it to be seasonally submerged. It has since remained as a preserved ruin.

A Christian religious site and colonial-era heritage structure, the church represents French missionary influence in the region and is locally known as the Floating Church. It is valued as an architectural and cultural landmark and a symbol of the submerged old Shettihalli village.