Karnataka Sightseeing Places

Karnataka Karnataka, the eighth largest state in India has been ranked as the fifth most popular state in the country for tourism.
It is home to 507 of the 3600 centrally protected monuments in India, the largest number after Uttar Pradesh.
The State Directorate of Archaeology and Museums protects an additional 752 monuments and another 25,000 monuments are yet to receive protection.
Tourism centres around the ancient sculptured temples, modern cities, the hill ranges, forests and beaches. Broadly, tourism in Karnataka can be divided into four geographical regions: North Karnataka, the Hill Stations, Coastal Karnataka and South Karnataka.
The Karnataka Government has recently introduced The Golden Chariot – a train which connects popular tourist destinations in the state and Goa.

Belur Belur was the early capital of the Hoysala Empire. With Halebidu which is only 16 km away, this is one of the major tourist destinations in Karnataka, India. Belur is located in Hassan district. According to inscriptions discovered here, it was also referred to as Velapuri.
The main attraction in Belur is the Chennakeshava temple complex which contains the Chennakesava Temple (dedicated to Chennakeshava, meaning handsome Vishnu) as the centre piece, surrounded by the Kappe Chennigraya temple built by Shantaladevi, queen of king Vishnuvardhana.
The first moulding were the temple wall meets the jagati (platform) around the temple is made up entirely of a frieze of elephants
There are two more shrines here that are still in use by devotees and there is a Pushkarni or stepped well to the right side of the main entrance. The Dravida style rayagopuram at the entrance which was a later addition by the Vijayanagar kings, who considered this deity as one of their Kuladevata or family god.
The temple is one of the finest examples of Hoysala architecture. It was built by king Vishnuvardhana in commemoration of his victory over the Cholas at Talakad. Legend has it that it took 103 years to complete and Vishnuvardhana’s grandson Veera Ballala II completed the task. The facade of the temple is filled with intricate sculptures and friezes with no portion left blank. The intricate workmanship includes elephants, lions, horses, episodes from the Indian mythological epics, and sensuous dancers (Shilabalikas). Inside the temple are a number of ornate pillars. Darpana Sundari (Lady with the mirror) carved on walls of Belur Temple is one of major attractions in the complex.
The credit of carving most of the sculptures goes to Jakanachari. A legend says that Dankanachari(son of Jakanachari) found that the main statue of Lord Vishnu was faulty and had frog inside it. Jakana, shocked to believe this, cuts his right hand. Later, the old temple(which had faulty statue) came to be known as Kappechennigaraaya’s temple.
This temple along with Hoysaleswara temple in Halebidu and the Jaina monuments at Shravanabelagola are being proposed as UNESCO world heritage sites.

Hampi HAMPI, the seat of the famed VIJAYANAGARA empire was the capital of the largest empire in post-mogul India, covering several states. Hampi is a world renowned UNESCO World Heritage Site as the place is scattered with the ruins of monuments constructed during the period of Vijayanagara Rayas.
Hampi is famous for its ancient temples, which were constructed during the Vijayanagara Period. The most prominent among the Hampi Temples are AchyutaRaya Temple, Vijayavittala Temple complex, Hazari Rama Temple, Virupaksha temple, Ugra Narasimha Temple, Prasanna Virupaksha Temple (Underground Virupaksha Temple), Balakrishna Temple, Kadalekalu Ganesha Temple, and Sasivekalu Ganesha Temple. Vittala Temple Complex is the most famous amongst the various attractions of Hampi. This is also the most magnificent monument in Hampi and the stone chariot of this temple is chosen as the symbol for Karnataka Tourism.

Anegundi Anegundi iis a village in Gangavathi taluk, Koppal district in the Indian state of Karnataka. it is older than Hampi situated on the northern bank of Tungabhadra River. Huchappayana matha temple (with black-stone pillars and dance sculptures), Pampa Sarovar, Aramane (a ruined palace), Ranganatha temple, Kamal Mahal, and Nava Brindavana are the major attractions. Nimvapuram, a nearby village, has a mount of ash believed to be the cremated remains of monkey king Vaali. Anegundi is best visited along with Hampi, it is part of the world Heritage Site, Hampi.

Mysore Mysore is noted for its palaces, including the Mysore Palace, and for the festivities that take place during the Dasara festival when the city receives a large number of tourists. It lends its name to the Mysore style of painting, the sweet dish Mysore Pak, the Mysore Peta (a traditional silk turban) and the garment known as the Mysore silk saree.

Ranganthittu Bird Sanctuary Ranganthittu Bird Sanctuary also known as Paksi Kashi of Karnataka is a Bird Sanctuary in the Mandya District of the state of Karnataka in India. The Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary is situated at 4 Kms. from Srirangapatna and 19 Kms. from Mysore.

SHIVASAMUDRAM WATER FALLS Shivanasamudra is a small town in the Mandya District of the state of Karnataka, India. It is situated on the banks of the river Kaveri, which forms here the boundary to the Chamarajanagar District. Shivasamudram also called Bluff or Simsha, this water falls has twin jumps, the Gagana Chukki or the Western falls and the Bara/Bhara Chukki Eastern falls.

MADIKERI (COORG): Madikeri is a hill station town in Karnataka state, India. Also known as Mercara, it is the headquarters of Kodagu district. It is a popular tourist destination. The enchanting fragrance of coffee……. The aroma of fresh cardamom, Black pepper and Coorg honey….. The holy river Cauvery…… The air is noticeably cool. It is perhaps, this climate and hilly terrain of Coorg, that inspired the British to occupy this area for over 100 years and they called it as Scotland of India. It is also known as the Kashmir of the south India for its scenic beauty.

JOG FALLS: Jog Falls is the second-highest plunge waterfall in India, Located near Sagara, Karnataka, these segmented falls are a major tourist attraction. They are also called Gersoppa Falls and Jogada Gundi.

Murudeshwara Murudeshwara is a town in the Bhatkal Taluk of Uttara Kannada district in the state of Karnataka, India. “Murudeshwara” is another name of the Hindu god Shiva. The ancient temple which stood. for ages was fast dilapating. monuments complement. the natural scenic beauty.

Udupi Udupi is a town in the south-west Indian State of Karnataka. It is the headquarters of Udupi District. Udupi is notable for the Krishna Temple, and lends its name to the popular Udupi cuisine. Udupi, the Konkani city is the headquarters of the Udupi District, Karnataka State, India. When one hears the name “Udupi” either “Udupi Krishna” .

Malpe Beach is famous tourist attraction of Udupi: Just 4 Kms away from the mainland of Udupi is Malpe Beach. Not only it is known as one of the major ports of the city, but is also known for the awesome picturesque view it provides.

Kaup Beach is one of the interesting tourist spots of Udupi: If you want some beachy fun in your trip to Udupi then a locations which will suit you perfectly is Kaup Beach.

St. Mary’s Island is one of the most picturesque visiting spot in Udupi: St. Mary’s Island is one of the most beautiful destinations one can ever come across. It will take just 2 hours from the downtown of Udupi to reach this island. Utmost attention is paid to the cleanliness of the island. The beautiful natural rock projections and the enchanting view of Arabian Sea make the island look amazing.

Gokarna Gokarna means Cow’s Ear. It is believed that Lord Shiva emerged from the ear of a cow (Prithvi, the Mother Earth) here. It is also located at the ear-shaped confluence of two rivers Gangavali and Aghanashini. Gokarna is a temple town and is referred to in a number of Hindu historical literature pieces. The main deity is Lord Mahabhaleshwara, a form of the Hindu god Shiva. Around the town lie a number of beaches which serve as a major attraction for travellers.

Karwar Karwar is a seaside town situated on the banks of the Kali river which is on the west coast of the Indian peninsula. The town lies about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) south of the Karnataka–Goa border and 519 kilometres (322 mi) north-west of Bangalore, the capital city of Karnataka. Karwar is known by the nearby southern villagers as Konkani word “Kone”, Marathi word “Karwan” meaning the corner of the landmass before the river Kali.

Kabani and Kapila The Kabini, also called Kabani and Kapila, is a river of southern India. It originates in the Wayanad District of Kerala state from the confluence of the Panamaram River and the Mananthavady River, and flows eastward to join the Kaveri River at Tirumakudalu Narasipura in Karnataka, which empties into the Bay of Bengal.
Close to the town of Sargur it forms the huge Kabini Reservoir. The backwaters of the Kabini reservoir are very rich in wildlife especially in summer when the water level recedes to form rich grassy meadows.

Nagarahole Nagarahole is named after Nagarahole (Cobra river in the local language, Kannada), a winding river which runs eastwards through its centre. Situated in the two districts of Mysore and Kodagu in the state of Karnataka. It was originally constituted into a sanctuary in the year 1955 covering an area of 258 sq. Kms and subsequently enlarged to include the adjoining areas of Mysore district and now extends over an area of 643.39 sq. kms which was given the status of a National Park in 1983.