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| Karnataka |
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 The
first thing that strikes about Karnataka is its rich culture and tradition.
And quite in contrast are its efforts to keep pace with the world through
modern industries and state of the art infrastructure. World famous for
its fragrant incense, silk, coffee and sandalwood, this state attracts millions
of national and international tourists.
Even its special religious events are crowd pullers, most important being
the Mysore Dussehra. The Carnatic Music, a unique form of Classical Music
that has originated in Karnataka, has patrons and enthusiasts all over
the world. Karnataka is home to two World Heritage Sites (Hampi and Pattadakal)
and also Asia's highest waterfall, the Jog Falls. This South Indian state
is known as much for its numerous not-to-be-missed sights as for its warm
hospitality and cuisine. |
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| GETTING HERE |
The capital of Karnataka is Bangalore, which is very well connected by air,
rail and road to the rest of India and several global destinations.
The important cities of Karnataka are linked to Bangalore by rail and road.
Mysore: 140 kms from Bangalore to the South, by road.
Belur: 222 kms from Bangalore, by road.
Bijapur: Bijapur is connected by rail and road to Bangalore
(550 kms). From Bangalore one can also fly to Belgaum, which is 205 kms
from Bijapur. From there one can go by road to Bijapur.
Hampi: It is 350 kms from Bangalore and is linked by
rail and road to the capital city of Karnataka. Hospet is the nearest
railhead (13 kms). The nearest airport is Bellary (74 kms).
Bidar: It is 669 kms from Bangalore. The nearest airport
is Hyderabad (136) kms. Bidar is very well linked by rail to Bangalore
and Hyderabad.
Mangalore: 357 kms from Bangalore, it is well connected
by rail, road and air from/to Bangalore. Mangalore is well connected by
rail and road to all major south Indian cities. |
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| WHAT TO SEE |
Bangalore
Renowned as the Garden city, Bangalore is a pleasure to the eyes with its
beautiful gardens, emerald greenery and its pleasant clime. Among the must-visit
tourist sites are Vidhana Soudha, Cubbon Park, the exotic Lalbagh garden
laid by Hyder Ali more than three centuries ago, Tipu Sultan Palace Museum,
Bull Temple, Museum dedicated to Sir M. Vishveshwaraiah, Ulsoor Lake and
Cauvery Handicrafts Emporium.
Mysore
Srirangapatna - the island fort of Tipu Sultan, Summer Palace of Tipu
Sultan, Ranganathswamy Temple, St Philomena's Church, Jaganmohan Palace
Art Gallery, Brindavan Garden, Chamundi Hill, Mysore Palace and Sri Chamarajendra
Zoological Garden.
Belur
Famous for Chennakeshava Temple, also called the Star Temple because of
the star shaped shrines constructed on raised platforms. Another important
place to visit is Gomateshwara, a Jain pilgrimage, housing the world's
tallest monolithic statue.
Bijapur
It is famous for the Gol Gumbaz that has the second largest dome in the
world. Other attractions include mausoleum of Ibrahim Adil Shah II - Ibrahim
Roza, the Jumma Masjid, Arakilla, the Anand Mahal, the Mehtar Mahal, the
Bara Kaman, the Gagan Mahal, the Amin Durgah, the Assar Mahal, the Chota
Asar, the Faroukh Mahal, the Jahaz Mahal and the Jod Gumbaz.
Hampi
This historical place is home to the ruins of the great ancient Vijayanagar
empire. Major attractions here are the Virupaksha Temple, the 6.7 m tall
monolith of Ugra Narasimha, the Vithala Temple Complex, the famous Stone
Chariot with huge stone wheels that actually revolve, the King's Balance,
the Queen's Bath, the Lotus Mahal, the imposing Elephant Stables and the
Hazara Rama Temple.
Bidar
It is famous for its fort known as the Bidar Fort with its Gumbad Darwaza,
the Rangin Mahal, the Solah Kambah Masjid, the Gagan Mahal, the Diwan-E-Am,
the Takhat Mahal, the Royal Pavilion, the Hazar Kothari and the Naubat
Khana. Other important tourist spots are the Bahamani tombs at Ashtur,
the 71 foot tower called the Chaubaara, the Madrasa of Mahamud Gawan and
the rock temple at Narasimha Zarni. Also worth a visit is Basavakalyan
- 80 kms away - for its numerous temples, mosques and a fort constructed
by the Chalukyas in the 10th century.
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Shimoga
There are spectacular places of tourist interest in this district of Karnataka.
Ambuthirtha known for its temples, Agumbe famous for its glorious sunsets,
Belagavi for old temples, Barkana falls with height of 259 mts. that are
80 kms from Thirthahally Town, Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary, Gudavi Bird
Sanctuary near Soraba, Jog Falls that are 60 kms from Honnavar and have
a Water Sports Centre, the Hill Station of Kodachadri and the Sinhadham
Lion Safari Park on Shimoga-Sagar Road.
Mangalore
This coastal district of Karnataka offers a wide range of interesting
places for both the pilgrimage and the pleasure seeking tourist such as
Dharmasthala, Subramanya, Kollur, Udupi, Karkala, Venoor and Moodabidri.
Mangalore city has Kadri Hill, Manjunath Temple, St. Aloysius Chapel and
Jumma Masjid as major tourist attractions.
Chikamagalur
Some very important tourist attractions in the Chikamagalur town include
Kodandrama Temple, the Jamia Mosque, the New St. Joseph's Cathedral, the
Ishwara temple, Parashurama Temple and the Kali shrine. Just 28 kms North
of Chikamagalur town is The Baba-Budan Range or Chandra Drona Parvatha
known for its Mullaiyanagiri peak (6355 ft. above sea level) which has
three sacred caves, temples of Seethala-Mallikarjuna and the Baba Budan
Shrine. Not very far are three very famous and spectacular waterfalls
- Gada Theertha, Kamana Theertha and Nellikayi Theertha that should be
surely be visited.
Other important places on various peaks are Dattatreya Peetha on the
Baba-Budan Giri (hill), the beautiful hill station of Kemmannugundi, Ballarayana
fort, Kudremukh hill station and Gangamoola hill station where three important
rivers, the Tunga, Bhadra and Netravathi originate.
Besides the mountain range, the river banks in Chikamagalur too have
many attractions like the sacred sites Khandya, Somapura and Kalasa; Sringeri
famous for its Sharada temple and Balehonnur for its Veerabhadra Temple;
and the Muthodi wildlife sanctuary.
Chikamagalur is also famed for its falls namely Hebbe falls and Kalhatti
Falls near Kemmannugundi. Towns neighbouring Chikamagalur too are really
worth visiting, specially for their ancient temples. Some of them are
Amrithapura, Horanadu, Marle, Devanur, Thuravanahalli and Belavadi. |
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