Located on the border of Bayaluseemae and Malnad, Sakleshpur is one of the most beautiful hill stations in Karnataka. Situated in Hassan district, the town lies on NH-48 and has an average elevation of 949 m.
According to history, the region was under the rule of the Chalukyas, Hoysalas and the kings of Mysore. During the reign of the Hoysalas, a shiva lingam was found in this town. However, the shiva lingam found was broken, which was called as shaka Lesh ara. Since then, the town came to be known as Sakaleshwara among local residents. According to another legend, the town was known as ‘sakala Aishwarya Ga Linda kudida pura’, which literally means ‘the place is home to all kinds of wealth’.