Tourism in Karnataka
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Karnataka, the eighth largest state in India, is a veritable treasure trove of tourist delights. By virtue of its varied geography and long and rich history, Karnataka boasts of numerous spots of interest for tourists. Karnataka has been ranked as fourth most popular destination for tourism among states of India.[1] With its 507 out of the 3600 centrally protected monuments, Karnataka has the second highest number of protected monuments in India, next only to Uttar Pradesh.[2] In addition the State Directorate of Archaeology and Museums protects 752 monuments. Another 25,000 monuments are yet to receive protection[3] There is a dazzling array of ancient sculptured temples, modern cities, friendly people, scenic hill ranges, unexplored forests and endless beaches. Karnataka is a place that has all the ingredients for great holiday. Each spot has something special to offer. Broadly, tourism in Karnataka can be divided into four geographical regions. These are North Karnataka, the Hill Stations, Coastal Karnataka and South Karnataka.
The Karnataka Government has recently introduced The Golden Chariot - train which connects popular tourist destinations in the state and Goa.
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[edit] North Karnataka
North Karnataka is a land of harsh dryness accompanied by majestic cliffs, rocky landscapes and magnificent monuments that date back to 5th century. The greatest Kannada empires that ruled the Deccan had their capitals here. Badami Chalukyan monuments at Pattadakal, Aihole, Badami are a sight to be seen. Aihole is called the cradle of Hindu rock architecture and has over 125 temples and monuments built between 450 - 1100 CE. Rashtrakuta monuments at Lokapura, Bilgi and Kuknur and Kalyani Chalukya monuments built in Gadag style at Lakkundi, Gadag, Koppal District and the famous Vijayanagar empire temples at Vijayanagara are the best that it offers. Hampi in Bellary District is world famous for the ruins spread over an area of 125 km². with some fifty four world heritage monuments and six hundred and fifty national monuments (ASI). An additional three hundred monuments await protection. The Deccan sultanate monuments at Bijapur and Gulbarga show unique and discreet Hindu influences and rival the Muslim monuments of North India. Archeologically important locations like Kanganahalli in Gulbarga have thrown more light on Buddhist centers of the 1st. c. BCE. - 3rd c. CE era. The first ever statue of emperor Ashoka with his queens and a Prakrit inscription Rayo Ashoka (ASI) has been found.
Badami surroundings important locations are Kudalasangama, Aihole, Pattadakal, Mahakuta and Banashankari.
Hampi surroundings region, they can be visited from Hampi/Hosapete, or from Hubli. there are Kuknur, Ittagi, Gadag, Lakkundi,Dambal, Haveri, Kaginele, Bankapura.
Please refer North Karnataka wikipedia site for more information.
[edit] World heritage centres
The site of the capital of Vijayanagara(1336). It is known as Pampakshetra, as pampadevi temple is on the banks of Tungabhadra. There is Badami Chalukya temple, Virupaksha temple of Chalukyan times. The rocky hilly area with Anegundi to the north of the river is identified as Kishkindha of Ramayana times. Hampi has Krishnaswamy temple, Vithalaswamy temple, Irugappa's Basti called Ganigitti Jinalaya, Uddhana Virabhadra temple, monolithic Narasimha which is 29 feet tall installed by krishnadevaraya in 1529, and a large number other temples and monuments. Foreign visitors who visited during 15th and 16th centuries has called it bigger than Rome. The city was destroyed and deserted in 1565.
[edit] Western Chalukya's Core area
Core area of Western Chalukya includes the places Badami, Sudi, Annigeri, Itagi, Gadag, Lakkundi, Lakshmeshwar, Dambla, Haveri, Bankapura, Rattahalli, Kuruvatti, Bagali, Balligavi, Chavundarayapura, Hangal.
It is a great center of Badami Chalukyan art. The temples were raised from the 6th to 12th century. It has a Jaina and Vedic rock-cut shrine, both of about 6th Century. It has fine Tirthankara images. The place has durga temple. Other temples are Huchchi-malligudi, Gaudaragudi and Chakragudi. The meguti on a hill is a jaina basti which has a famous Aihole inscription of Pulikeshin 2 and also a Buddhist two-storied rock -cut shrine below it.
Badami, the capital of the early Chalukyas in the 6th century, is at the mouth of a ravine between two rocky hills. Badami has rock-cut cave temples, gateways, forts, inscriptions and sculptures. A flight of stairs leads you to ancient caves and cave carved out of sandstone on the precipice of a hill.
It is 43 km to the east of Bijapur. In 12th century Saint Basaveshwara was born in this place. It was an agrahara. The main temple here is Chalukyan style and it was called as Sangamantha in records. the Samadhis of Siddharameshwara and Gurupadeshwara of the Inchageri school of spiritual pursuit are seen here.
It has a famous Amriteshwara temple of the time of the Kalyani Chalukyas. It was the birthplace of great Kannada Poet Pampa and there is a Jain basadi of Parshwanatha. It was once a headquarters of famous rich province of Belvola-300. It was the capital of Chalukya Someshwara 4. In addition to Veerashaiva Mathas; there is a ruined Banashankari Temple and seven mosques and also an ancient Veerabhadra temple.
Under Chalukya many beautiful temples were raised in the city including the wonderful Nagareshwara temple in the fort and another chalukya temple called Siddheshwara. Ali Adilshahi destroyed many temples in about 1567. There is a beautiful mosque in the fort.
It was a Buddhist centre. There are two notable chalukyan temple called Doddabasappa Temple and somewshwara Temple. Doddabassapa as polygonal star shaped Temple Garbhagriha and fine sculptural representations and huge nandi Temple. Someshwara could have been an old bsati. The Temple has a 400-year-old vast tank. There is an old ganapathi image in old ruined fort. And we can also find a huge ganapathi image in a small shrine.
It was the capital of Hangal Kadambas, feudatories of Chalukyas of Kalyana. It was mentioned as Panungal in records and identified by tradition with Viratanagara of Mahabharatha days. It is on the left bank of the Dharma River. The Tarakeshwara temple here is a huge structure with wonderful series of images and polished tall Chalukyan pillars. The other temples are Virabhadra, Billeshwara and Ramalinga etc. There is a famous Veerashaiva Kumaraswamy Matha here.
It is a twin city municipality and it is 55 km from Hubli-Dharward .It is a great centre of Kalyana Chalukya art with the large Trikuteshwara temple. It was latter expanded by kalyana Chalukyas into a vast complex. The complex has triple shrines once housing Shiva, Brahma and Surya. The Saraswathi temple has the finest shining decorative pillars, and the Saraswathi image, and it is one of the largest examples of Chalukyan art. The place has Someshwara and Rameshwara temples of Chalukyan style. It has Veeranarayana temple of Chalukyan times.
- Lakkundi (10 km from Gadag)
[edit] Water falls in North Karnataka
110 km from Karwar, the famous Lushington Falls or Keppa falls is located in Siddhapur Taluk on the Shimoga border. The falls where the river Aghanashini thunders down from the height of 116 meters is named after a District Collector who discovered it in 1845.
The Magod is 125 km from Karwar. The river Gangavathi emerging from the Western ghats takes a leap into a chasm of 183metre (600 feet) down, in a series of cascades over the cliffs presenting an enchanting sight.
[edit] Wild life Sanctuaries
Dandeli Wild life Sanctuary
Dandeli Wild life Sanctuary near to Hubli-Dharwad (70km)
Prime Wildlife Attractions of Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary) are Sloth Bear, Bush Grail, Deer, Elephant, Sambar, Tiger, Gaur, Panther and Partridge are some of the many inhabitants of this sanctuary. Around 35 km from Dandeli National Park is Syntheri rocks, awesome monolithic granite structure amidst thick forest, with the perennial river Kaneri flowing by its side. Spread over 834.16 km2 the Dandeli wildlife sanctuary is the second largest in Karnataka and it is contiguous with the Mahaveer sanctuary in Goa. There are innumerable trekking trails and fishing spots at Dandeli.
Daroji Bear Sanctuary
Situated only 15 kilometers from Hampi.The unique Sloth Bear sanctuary is situated very close to this heritage site.
The peacock sanctuary in Bankapura
Bankapur Fort, situated in Bankapura village of Shiggon taluk, is just 2.5 km from the Pune-Bangalore national highway NH4, 22 km from Haveri town towards Hubli. An historical site, Bankapura is famous for the temples of Ranganatha Nagareshwara and Siddheshwara. The peacock sanctuary in Bankapur is the only second sanctuary in the country that is exclusively engaged in the conservation and breeding of peacocks. Bankpur Fort is home for not only for peafowl, but also a number of other birds like wood pecker, great-horned owl, babbler, magpie, robin, green bee eater, nightjar, spotted maina, paradise flycatcher, Indian robin, spotted dove, parakeets, kingfisher, grey hornbill, blue tailed bee eater, blacked winged kite, tailor bird etc.
Ranebennur blackbuck sanctuary
Ranebennur blackbuck sanctuary has a core area of 14.87 km and a buffer zone of 104.13 km wherein the tourists are allowed. The vegetation here comprises mainly of scrub forests and extensive eucalyptus plantations. The fauna here comprises wild pig, fox,jackal, wolf, blackbuck etc.
Ranebennur blackbuck sanctuary in haveri district (declared a wildlife sanctuary on the 17th of June 1974 to protect blackbuck). Spread over 119 square kilo meters, it is divided into three blocks namely hulathi, hunasikatti and alageri for administrative purposes.
Deva Raya Wildlife Sanctuary
An eco-tourism area due to its unique terrain, flora and fauna is near to Hampi. Sanctuary protects leopards, bears, hyenas, wolves, pythons, deer, peacocks, monkeys like langur and rhesus, crocodiles, anteaters, porcupines, wild bear and variety of plants and other animals.
Deva Raya Wildlife Sanctuary in Bellary District (private sanctuary) The sanctuary is named after kings of the Vijayanagar Empire.
Attiveri Bird Sanctuary
Attiveri Bird Sanctuary is near to Hubli-Dharwad, Spread over an area of about 2.23 km2, the sanctuary is located in and around the Attiveri reservoir. It is around 15 km from Mundgod in Uttara Kannada District North Karnataka of Karnataka.
[edit] Other tourist attractions of North karnataka
The place is in Background of Western Ghats in lush green atmosphere. It was the second capital of the Kadambas of Banavasi. The huge Bhuvaraha Narasimha temple has tall images of Varaha, Narasimha, Narayana and Surya. The place has a fort, and also temples of Gokarneshswara, Kapileshwara, Swarneshwara and Hatakeshwara.
The town proper has a fort on the hill built during the 18th Century, by Sirasangi Desai, with eight bastions. It was the capital of Rattas who latter shifted their headquarters to Belgaum. There are two temples of Ankeshwara, Puradeshwara, Mallikarjuna, Venkateshwara and the Veerabhadra. The Renukasagar waters touch the outskirts of Saundatti.
- Devala Ganagapura
It is 651 km away from Bangalore. Sri Narasimha Sarasati who had stayed here for long and was granted a jahgir by the Bahmain Sultan. The Saint has cured the Sultan of a serious boil. The Saint is treaded as an incarnation of Dattatreya and devotees from Maharashtra and Karnataka.
It was the capital of kadambas. The place is on the bask of the Varada river and its laterite fort is surrounded by the river at its three sides. It is an ancient place as Ashoka is said to have sent his missionaries to 'Vanavasa'. There are also some Buddhist brick monuments. Chutu prince Nagashri built a Buddhist Vihara, a tank and installed a Naga image at the place according to a Parkrit record at the place. There is also a monument at Banavasi, Mudhukeshvara temple and also Kadamba Nagara Shikhara is seen on the garbhagriha of this temple. Records here indicate that Buddhism and jainism were popular at this place.
It is in the middle of the thick forest. It was the headquarters of Sonde rulers who were feudatories of Vijayanagara. Its large number of monuments are spread over a wide area in the forest. It was a jain center and has a Samadhi of great scholar Bhattakalanka. There is also a small jain matha, Swarnavalli matha of Smartha tradition, Trivikarama temple, Shankaranarayana temple and Gaddige Matha. From 5 km from Sonda the river Shalmala creates a falls of 91 meters height called the Shivaganga falls.
It is in the middle of thick forest, where there is a Samadhi of Chennabasavanna ( the nephew of Saint Basaveshwara). Gavi Matha is a series of caves here in which the Sharanas lived. one cave is named after Akka Nagamma, Chennabasavanna's mother. On the samadhi of Chennabasavanna, a Nandi is installed in the sanctum. Every month on poornima, a jatra is held and a major jatra is held on Shivaratri Day. There is also a ruined fort called Baburayana Kote.
Situated 60km from Karwar, Yana or Bhairavakshetra is a deserted town ship and an important pilgrim centre with unique rock formations. Located in a beautiful valley, one has to trek a distance of about 10km by foot amidst thick forest to reach Yana. It is a popular rock climbing haunt. There is a shrine of Bhairaveswara on a hillock 100 metres high. A fair is held here during Shivaratri.
[edit] Hill stations
The Hill stations in Karnataka are generally unexplored and more pristine than better known ones in South India. Kudremukh, Kemmangundi, Agumbe, Horanadu, Nandi Hills are some of the better known ones. Not much tourism in these areas has kept them free of commercialization. Apart from scenic treks, bird watching, boating and picturesque waterfalls, these areas are also close to major coffee producing areas in the state, making a trip all the more interesting. Many resorts have sprung up to accommodate those who want to relax.
[edit] Coastal Karnataka
Coastal Karnataka is the stronghold of Hindu and Jain pilgrimage spots with Udupi and its many temples being the centre of Dvaita philosophy, Gokarna is known for Vedic studies, Sringeri has the first of the Shankaracharya mathas and is important for its Advaita philosophy, Karkala and Mudabidri are well known places of Jain worship and Vaishnava rituals. Exquisite Vijayanagar temples built in Chalukya - Malabar region combinational style are seen in Bhatkal, Kumta, Shirali etc. The warm pristine beaches of Karnataka are mostly unspoiled and are only now drawing tourists away from formerly popular places like Goa.
Jamboti, 20 km south-west of Belgaum, is a tourist magnet with its evergreen hilltop forests.
Karnataka is blessed with over 300 km of pristine coastal stretch. Netrani Island of Uttara Kannada is well known for coral reefs. St. Mary's Island, a few kilometers from Udupi is famous for its basalt rock formations. Sunny beaches at places like Malpe, Murdeshwara, Maravanthe, Gokarna, Kumta are complimented by spectacular mountains slightly to the east. Agumbe, Kodachadri hills, Kemmangundi, are just a few of many hill stations that straddle the coast providing tourists the best of sun and greenery. Unlike many crowded hill stations in South India, the hill stations of Karnataka are still mostly undiscovered and pristine.
The Coastal town of Gokarna is a famous pilgrimage centre as well as a centre of Sanskrit learning, 56km from Karwar. It is famous for the Mahabaleswar Temple with the 'Atmalinga' dedicated to Lord Shiva. There is an enormous chariot, which is taken out in a procession on Shiva's birthday in February. The Tambraparni Teertha here is considered sacred to perform obsequies of the dead.
One of the holy place and it is 58 km from Mangalore. The Krishna temple here is founded by Acharya Madhwa during the 14th century. He founded eight mathas to conduct the services of Lord Krishna in turns. Paryaya festival is held once in two years in January. The place has Kadiyali Durga temple, Ambalapadi Shakti temple, Raghavendra Matha and the Venkataraman swamy temple. Malpe is the port near here. It has a fine beach and the Vadabhandeshwara temple of Balarama.
50km from Mangalore and 20km from North of Moodabidire, is Karkala, an important centre of Jainism. There are several important temples and a 13metres high statue of Bahubali (Gomateswara), situated on a small hill. The statue is a naked figure reached by a flight of rock-cut steps. Some of the temples are Chaturmukha Basti (1587), Neminatha Basti, Anatapadmanabha Temple(1567) dedicated to Vishnu, and Venkataramana temple.
Situated 50km NE of Mangalore, has eight Bastis and ruins of a Mahadeva temple. The largest of them is the 17C Kalli Basti, dedicated to Shantinatha. There is a Gommanteswara Monolith, 11metres high dating back to 1604 in Venur.
- Malpe Beach
Situated 66 km north of Mangalore, near Manipal. The peaceful surroundings, makes this beach a favourite holiday spot. The uninhibited St. Mary's Island, just a boat ride away has a beach and an impressive geological formation of basalt rock pillars into the sea.
Situated 75 km from Mangalore, Dharmastala is an attractive site surrounded by forested hills, rice fields and by the river Netravati on all sides. The Manjunatha temple here is a famous pilgrim centre. A Monolithic statue of Bahubali 14metres high was erected here in 1973. Visitors are provided with free boarding and lodging by the temple authorities. There is a small museum, Manjusha Museum located opposite to the temple. There are two temple chariots covered in wooden figures and all types of religious objects including carved and painted panels, bronze sculptures and bells.
Kollur is 147 km from Mangalore. The famous temple of goddess Mookambika is located here on top of Kodachadri hill, at the foot of the Western Ghats. The goddess takes the form of a 'Jyotirlinga' incorporating aspects of Shiva and Shakti. It is a famous pilgrimage centre attracting lot of devotees.
- Moodabidre
Situated 35km from Mangalore, Moodabidire is famous for its Jain temples known as Basti's. There are 18 Bastis, the oldest and the largest is the Chandranatha Basti (1429) famous for its 1000 pillared hall. 'The Jain Matha' near the entrance has an important collection of manuscripts. Other shrines worthy of mention are Shantinatha, Settara, Derama Setti Basti, Guru Basti, Kote and Vikrama Setti Basti.
Bhatkal located 135 km from Karwar was the main port of Vijayanagar empire in the 16th century. The ancient town has temples of Vijayanagar style and many interesting Jain monuments. The 17th century Hindu temple here in Vijayanagar style has beautiful animal carvings. 16 km away is the shore temple of Shri Murdeshwar. The temple attracts a lot of devotees and tourists.
Honnavar, situated 90 km from Karwar, has a Portuguese fort. There is also a fort in Basavaraja Durga Island, amidst the sea which can be reached by a sail upstream on river Sharavathi.
Located 37km south of Karwar, is a small town with 15century ruined walls of king Sarpamalika's fort and the ancient Shri Venketaraman Temple. Near the temple there are two giant wooden chariots carved with scenes from the 'Ramayana'.
[edit] Murudeshwar The Tallest Hindu Temple Gopuram in the World
The famous Murudeshwar Temple in Uttara Kannada District of Karnataka now possesses at 249-feet Raja Gopura. The Murudeswar temple complex is renowned for the tallest idol of Lord Shiva in the world, which is 123 feet. The latest addition to the temple is the Rajagopuram, which was opened on April 12, 2008. And is it the tallest the tallest Hindu Temple Gopuram in the World.
If Gopuram can be considered as a unique ornate structure associated with Hindu Temples, then the Gopura of Murudeshwar Temple in Karnataka should be the tallest in the world.
The Rajagopuram of Murudeswar Temple has 21 floors, including the ground floor. The base measures 105 feet in length and 51 feet breadth. The gopura also possess a lift and visitors can go to the top and have an aerial view of the Arabian Sea and the statue of Lord Shiva. Another highlight is the life-size statues of two elephants at the base of the gopura.
World's tallest Siva idol
The highlights of Murudeshwar lie beyond its nice beach and rural flair. A breathtaking view awaits you when moving towards the little headland dividing the beach into north and south. There, on a little green hill, a 37m (or 123 feet) Lord Shiva idol sits enthroned, surrounded by smaller, but not less impressive, statues illustrating moments of the Hindu mythology.
[edit] South Karnataka
South Karnataka is a unique combination of spectacular vesara style Hoysala architecture, colossal Jain monuments, colonial buildings and palaces of the Kingdom of Mysore, impregnable fort at Chitradurga and densely forested wildlife sanctuaries that offer some of the best eco-tourism available in the country. Belur, Halebidu in Hassan District, Somnathpura in Mysore District, Belavadi, Kalasa and Amrithapura in Chikmagalur District, Balligavi in Shimoga District offer some of the best of Hoysala architecture dating from the 11th - 13th century CE., while Shravanabelagola and Kambadahalli in Mandya District have well known 10th century Jain monuments. Scenic forests and the high density of wild animals of this region are a popular attraction for those interested in the wilder side of life. Bandipur National Park, Nagarahole, Biligirirangan Hills, Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary and Bannerghatta national parks are a few popular places for jungle safaris.
The river Kaveri flows east from Kodagu District and along its way one finds important tourist destinations like Shivanasamudra and nearby Sivasamudram Falls, Srirangapattana and Melkote etc. Mysore, the cultural capital of the state is famous for exotic palaces, quaint colonial buildings and cultural activities including Carnatic music, theatre. Bangalore the capital is the most cosmopilitian city in India and is well known for its parks, pubs, restaurants, shopping and fast paced technology rich lifestyle.
It is famous for its magnificent Hoysala temple complex. The Chennakeshava temple here was completed in 1116 by Hoysala Vishnuvardhana. The magnificent image is 3.7 mtr tall and the temple standing on a platform has exquisite plastic art work on its outer walls and bracket figures of dancing girls in various poses in perfect proportion. There are shrines of Kappe Chenniga Andal, Saumya Nayaki etc. The temple here is a classic example of Hoysala art, and Belur was one of the Hoysala Capitals.
It is 27 km from Hassan, was capital of Hoysala and it was formerly called as Dwarasamudra. It has one of the finest Hoysala temples said to have been started by Ketamalla, a commander of Vishnuvardhana in 1121. The twin Shiva Temples with a common platform and two garbhagrihas, one houses for Vishnuvardhana Hoysaleshwara Linga and the other for Shanthaleshwara Linga. In front fo Hoysaleshwara is the Nandimantapa and behind that is shrine of Surya with a two-meter-tall image. Outer walls have rows of intricate figures narrating episodes from epics like Ramyana, Mahabartha, and Bhagavata.
It is 41 km from Hassan and 176 km from Bangalore. It is famous for its coconut gardens. There is a Kattameshwara temple here which is also called Chandramoulishwara and referred to as Kalmeshwara in the records. It is a fine Hoysala monument with a rare polygonal frontal Mantapa with special design. There is a fine Haluvokkalu Temple and also a Sahasrakuta Jinalaya. Malekal Tirupathi near Arasikere has a venkataramana temple visited by many devotees.
- Aralaguppe
There is a famous Kalleshwara temple in the Ganga-Nalamba style of the 9th century. Its ceiling has wonderful dancing Shiva sculpture with musical accompanists and eight Dikpalas surrounding him with all their paraphernalia. There is a Chennakeshava temple of the Hoysala style. The image of vishnu in the garbhagriha is magnificent. There is four Ganga temples at the place.
It is 43 km from Tumkur and it is famous for its hill fort which is very vast. The ancient name of the place is Maddagiri. It has a temples of Venkataramana and Malleshwara built by Vijayanagara feudatories. There is also a Mallinatha basadi. The fort has majestic gateways called Antaralada Bagilu, Diddibagilu, Mysore Gate etc. 19 km from here is another hill fort called Midigeshi.
It is 52 km from Tumkur. The town called Siriya was founded by Rangappa Nayaka of Ratnagiri. The Jumma masjid here is a fine monument built in 1896 and the Malik Rihan's tomb is another impressive structure. The Gopalakrishna temple here has no image, and it is said to be housed in Narayana temple. 24 km from south of Sira there is a place called Seebi, which was called as Sibburu and there is a Narasimhaswamy temple built in the 18th century by Nallappa an officer under Haider Ali. The temple is painted with themes of Ramayana, Mahabharatha and Dashavatara themes.
It is 30 km from Kunigal. It has a samadhi matha of Tontada Siddhalingahwara Yati, a famous Veerashaiva saint who lived during 16th century. Piligrims who visit the place in hunderds daily are feed free, and there are rest houses. The matha has fine wooden chariot with some interesting sculptures. The place has a Varadarja temple and two Veerashaiva mathas. The matha's building has some old paintings on walls.
- Madikeri / Mercara
Known as Scotland of India, Mercara has enchanted millions of travelers with its misty hills lush forests, coffee plantations and breath taking views. It is also known for its lovely climate. It has many places of attraction such as Tala Cauvery, Nagarahole National Park, Abbe Water Falls, Bagamandala, Cauvery Nisargadhama, Belegiri Hills, Thadiyanda Murali Kund, Igguthappa Temple, Irupu Falls And Coffee & Tea Estates.
It is 14 km from Mysore & it is an island in between two branches of the Cauvery. It was also the capital of the mysore rulers. There is a Ranganath temple here. The fort here was built in 1454. The Mysore rules made it their capital in 1610 in the days of Raja Wodeyar, who took it from the Vijayanagara Governor. The Ranganatha temple is called Adi Ranga. Ganjam has Dariya Daulat palace of Tipu and Gumbaz, the mausoleum of Haider and Tipu. Both are impressive structures of Indo-Saracenic style. The palace has paintings, fine wood work and it houses a museum.
It is a religious centre which attracts lakhs of people during its world famous annual feast Vairamudi. The temple was reconstructed in the Hoysala style by Visnuvardhana with the guidance of Ramanujacharya, a famous Visistadvaitist, in 11th century A.D. There are Cheluvanarayanaswamy temple, Kalyani, Hill shrine of Lord Narasimha, Thottilamadu, Dhanuskoti, Academy of Sanskrit Research and many more to visit. The nearest tourist places are Thondanur, Srirangapatna, Karigatta, Nagamangala etc.,
It is 20 km from Mandya and it is headquarters of this district. It is described in records as "Arjunapuri agrahara", the institution being ascribed to epic hero Arjuna. Madduramma is the village goddess of the place. The Narasimha Swamy Temple here of the Hoysalas has the figure of Narasimha, which is seven feet in height. The Varadaraja temple is a Chola structure with a 12 feet tall Varadaraja image.
- Mahadeshwara Betta
It is 220 km from Bangalore and 142 km from Mysore. It is very close to eastern Ghats. It is said that a saint called Mahadeshwara could ridetiger lived during the 14th-15th century has his gadduge here. The hill is full of thick forests and thousands of pilgrims visit the place.
A Holy place on the banks of the Cauvery. It is full of sands, carried by the wind from the dried bed of the river. It was the second capital of the Gangas. They built the Pataleshwara and the Maruleshwara templeshere. Hoysala Vishnuvardhana built Kirti Narayana temple.
It is an industrial town in Shimoga district 256 km away from Bangalore, which was earlier known as "Benkipura". There is a13th century Lakshminarayan Temple in Hoysala style. The Visveshwara Iron and Steel works, a cement factory and a paper factory function at this place on the banks of Bhadra river.
It was a capital town of the Keladi Nayakas from 1512, and a place very near to Sagar. The Aghoreshwara temple is a 16th century monument of great attraction. There is also a Paravathi temple nearby. Keladi is another place nearby, the original capital. It has the Rameshwara and Veerabhadra temples. There is also a Museum.
It is famous for the statue of Lord Bahubali. The place is an important Jain pilgrimage center and has a long history. The 17 meter high statue of Bahubali is said to be the tallest monolithic structure in the world. It overlooks the small town of Shravanbelgola from the top of the rocky hill known as Indragiri. One can reach this hill after ascending 614 rock-cut steps.
It is the home to one of the best examples of Hoysala temple architecture, the Kesava Temple.
Jog falls, the highest waterfalls in India, is located about 50km from the coast midway between Udupi and Karwar. The Sharavati river drops 253 metres in 4 separate falls known as Rani-the Rocket and Raja-the Roarer. The highest is the Raja with the fall of 253 metres and a pool below 40metres deep. After rain during the monsoon season, the falls are a magnificent spectacular sight. The best time to visit is Late November to early January. The 50km long Hirebhasgar Reservoir and the Linganamkki damregulates the flow of the Sharavati river to generate the hydro electricity.
It is a beautiful picnic spot were river Cauvery offers an unforgettable site. It tumbles down majestically through a deep ravine, on top of which is a chasm around 5meters wide, narrow enough for a goat to leak across. Mekedatu is on Kanakapura Road.
- Hesaraghatta
Hesaraghatta has an artificial lake, a dairy and a horticulture farm. Baoting & windsurfing are the other attractions. Also here is the famous 'Nrityagrama' where young dancers are trained in all disciplines of traditional dance.
- Shivaganga
An interesting hill with four faces, rising to a height of 4599ft looks like a Nandi from the East, Ganesh from the West, A Linga from the South and Cobra with it hood spread from the North side. It is accessible by road.
The picturesque waterfalls, the Ganganchukki and the Bharachukki, cascade down 90 meters. These falls are the source of Asia's first Hydro Electric Power Statin called "Shimsa". The falls are in full splendour during July-August. The falls are 22 km from the Bangalore.
- Hogenekkal Falls
These are also known as the 'smoking rocks' because of the mist. At the bottom of the 90ft water falls, one can ride in a coracle.
This is a hill station of Tumkur road perched at a height of 3940 feet. A few kilometers from foot of the hills is a natural spring called Namada Chilume.
[edit] National Parks and Wildlife
Karnataka in all has 21 wildlife sanctuaries and 5 National parks. Well known among them are Bandipur National Park in Mysore District, Bannerghatta National Park in Bangalore district, Nagarhole National Park in Mysore District and Kodagu district, Kudremukh National Park in Dakshina Kannada and Chickmagalur district, Dandeli & Anshi National Park in Uttara Kannada district, Gudavi and Mandegadde bird sanctuaries and Sharavati WLS in Shimoga District, Biligirirangan Hills WLS in Chamarajanagar district, Rangantittu Bird Sanctuary in Mandya district, Brahmagiri wildlife sanctuary and Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary in Kodagu district. Interior dry areas have their own unique wildlife.
There are twenty one wildlife sanctuaries and five national parks in all.
Recently, the government of India has proposed to the UNESCO to include important ecosystems in the Western Ghats as a World Heritage Site. Two subclusters of natural areas occurring in the list are entirely in the Karnataka region covering several wildlife sanctuaries and some reserve forests. Fragile and exotic ecosystems like Kudremukh NP, Brahmagiri WLS, Pushpagiri WLS, Agumbe, Talakaveri WLS, Someshvara WLS figure in this list. As such, the Western Ghats that run south-north through the Karnataka is considered as one among the twenty five bio-diversity hotspots of the world.
The Niligiri Biosphere Reserve (also a designated UNESCO Biosphere reserve) is located at the junction of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerela. Nagarahole National Park WLS and Bandipur National Park and Nugu WLS in Karnataka are included in this biosphere reserve.
The state is home to the largest concentration of Asian Elephants along Kabini River in Nagarahole and Bandipur parks. These two parks are also hold among the most viable population of the highly endangered Indian Tiger. Rannebennur Blackbuck sanctuary in Davangere district is home to one of the largest populations of blackbuck anywhere in India. The Doraji wildlife sanctuary and areas in Karnataka like Bellary district, Chitradurga are strongholds of the sloth bear.
Karnataka is home to more than 500 species of birds.[4]
[edit] Water Falls and Caves
Karnataka is famous for its waterfalls. Jog falls of Shimoga District is one of the highest waterfalls in Asia. Some well known waterfalls are Varapoha Falls, Magod falls, Lalgulli falls, Sathodi falls, Unchalli falls, Lushington falls, Shivaganga falls, Ulavi falls, Irupu falls, Sivasamudram Falls near Shivanasamudra, Balmuri falls, Gokak falls,Abbe falls, Achakanya Falls, Chunchanakatte Falls, Hebbe falls, Kallathigiri falls, Sogal falls, Godachinamalki falls etc. In fact the waterfalls of Karnataka and Kudremukh National Park are listed as must see places and one among the 1001 natural wonders of the world.[5]
Some well known caves in Karnataka are Yana caves and Kavala caves and Syntheri rocks in Uttara Kannada district, Sugriva's cave in Hampi holds similarity to the descriptions of 'Kishkinda' in the epic Ramayana, hundreds of caves in Basava Kalyana in Bidar District.
[edit] Rural tourism
India is a country of rich culture and heritage. With above 70% population residing in around 6 million plus villages, real India has its roots right inside this simplistic structure. With Rural Zing, we try to take you to a journey of not so known – the land and people which is the back bone of this country. It is a journey to explore diversity and hospitality from nook and corners of India. Walk the path- Come meet the real India and experience the Zing with RuralZing! Read to visualize...! Register to experience...! @RuralZing
[edit] Eco-Tourism
The districts of the Western ghats and the southern districts have popular eco tourism locations.[6] Some of the popular locations include Kudremukh, Madikeri and Agumbe. Karnataka boasts of the highest elephant and Gaur bison population (greater than 6000 & 8000 respectively) in India. Its forests hold some of the largest remaining populations of the endangered tiger and leopard. Eco-tourism is a very popular activity in the state. Karnataka leads other states in eco-tourism. Jungle Lodges & Resorts, a state run organization has camping and safari facilities in several wildlife sanctuaries. Private safari providers have sprung up in several places along the western ghats.
Several NGO's (youth groups) are actively involved in birding and other conservation activities.
Kadkani River Resort (http://www.kadkani.com) is a new resort promoting outdoor activities in south Coorg. The resort has various outdoor activities including 9-hole golf course, river rafting, river crossing, nature trekking, coffee plantation trekking, boating down Cauvery, bird watching, game fishing, etc. More details can be found at the website www.kadkani.com or at http://kadkani.blogspot.com/2008/01/activities-at-kadkani.html. The resort blends with the local community and has contributed significantly to the community. Some details of Children's Day at http://kadkani.blogspot.com/2007_11_01_archive.html.
[edit] Outdoor Activities
Karnataka is a rock climbers paradise. Yana in Uttara Kannada, Ramnagara near Bangalore district, Shivagange in Bangalore district and tekal in Kolar district are a rock climbers heaven. A climbing academy has been formed in Ramnagara called General Thimmaiah Rock Climbing Academy. The Nisarga Organisation for Wildlife and Adventure Academy is based in bangalore. It organizes eco-tourism, adventure activities and wildlife tours. River rafting in Dandeli is a tourist attraction.
[edit] Health care Tourism
In the last couple of years Karnataka has emerged as a hot spot for health care tourism in India attracting health tourists from all over the world. Karnataka has highest number of approved health systems and alternative therapies. Along with some ISO certified government owned hospitals, private institutions which provide international quality services have caused health care industry to grow up to 30% during 2004-05. Hospitals in Karnataka treat around 8,000 health tourists every year.[7]
[edit] See also
- Karnataka
- Kadkani River Resort http://www.kadkani.com. Kadkani is a riverside resort with 36 cottages in south Coorg. Kadkani was started in October 2007 and has started getting lot of tourist and corporate attention. Kadkani is nestled on the banks of Cauvery river surrounded by a 250-acre coffee estate with gardens of over 1,000 types of plants and flowers, exotic birds and butterflies. Also, see the blogs at http://kadkani.blogspot.com.
[edit] References
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This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2007) |
- ^ http://news.oneindia.in/2006/05/14/karnatak-ranks-among-top-five-states-in-tourismficci-1147644798.html Karnataka ranks among top five states in tourism: FICCI - OneIndia retrieved on 2006-6-10
- ^ Alphabetical list of Monuments. Protected Monuments. Archaeological Survey of India. Retrieved on 2007-06-13.
- ^ Correspondent. Plan to conserve heritage monuments, museums. The Hindu, Saturday January 6 2007. The Hindu. Retrieved on 2007-06-13.
- ^ karnatakabirds - Birds of Karnataka
- ^ Michael Bright, 1001 Natural Wonders of the World by Barrons Educational Series Inc., published by Quinted Inc., 2005.
- ^ http://www.indianmba.com/Articles_on_Management/AOM6/aom6.html Article in Indianmba. Retrieved on 2006-6-10
- ^ Karnataka bets big on healthcare tourism. Online webpage of the Hindu Business Line, dated 2004-11-23. 2004, The Hindu. Retrieved on 2007-06-21.
[edit] External links
- http://www.karnatakatourism.org
- Tourism Information
- Murdeshwar : North Karnataka - Review and Images
- Tourism
- Karnataka Tours and Travel
- Rural Toursim
- Karnataka Tourism Information
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