Archive for the ‘Karnataka’ Category
August 28th, 2010 | 
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The town reflects an old world charm and is famous for undulating hills, garrulous rivers and is home to some of the finest tourist attractions. Some of the major tourist attractions in Coorg are historic Madikeri Fort, the Omkareshwara Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and Vishnu, and some stunning viewpoints such as Raja’s Seat. Around Madikeri, there are lots of recreational and pilgrimage sites such as Abbey and Irupu Falls.
Abbey Falls
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Mysore was the capital of Wodeyar rulers, who were Governors of southern Karnataka under the Vijayanagar kings. Modern Mysore is the creation of Tipu Sultan who in 1793, revamped the old city and built the present day Mysore. It is the cultural epicenter of Karnataka retaining the old world charm.
The Dharmaraja Temple, Bangalore is one of the most popular tourist attractions of the city. You can pay a visit to this religious site and learn a lot about the religion of India.
The temple is dedicated to Swami Dharamraja, the hero of great Hindu Epic, Mahabharata. It also has another image of Hindu Lord Krishna who is worshipped across the length and breath of the country. People to worship Lord Krishna celebrate Kangra festival here. The Karaga that is a symbol of Draupadi (wife of Dharamraja) is kept inside this temple.
A large number of festivals are held in Dharmaraja Temple, Bangalore. The most famous of them is the Karaga Festival. Karaga is the symbol of Draupadi, wife of Dharmaraja in the epic Mahabharata. This festival is celebrated in March and April. Huge processions are held that start from the temple grounds and returns over here. It starts at 2 in the morning and ends at 6 in the morning. People of all religions participate inn the procession. The idol of the deities is taken out in the procession. However, the idols can be carried by the members of the Thegala community only. The music played in the procession is extremely enchanting and mesmerizing. Read the rest of this entry »
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Bull Temple was constructed in 16th century and is dedicated to a sacred bull – Nandi carved out of a single granite block. It is believed that the statue keeps on growing in size further and further.
According to a legend, the temple was built in order to appease a vagrant bull that persisted on eating away the entire groundnut grown in the surrounding fields. Ever since the enunciation of Bull temple, the bull never did the same again. Anually, Kadalekayi Parishe -the Groundnut Fair is held near the temple during the month of November- December when the groundnut crop is harvested. Farmers offer the first groundnuts harvest to the sacred bull. Thousand of visitors and devotees throng the temple site from all over the state.
The temple is a typical specimen of the Dravidian-style of temple architecture constructed by Kempe Gowda. The temple is nestling in Basavanagudi housing a scared bull of Lord Shiva, it is believed that the source of the river Vishwa Bharathi originates from the feet of the Nandi. There is a Ganesh temple inside the premises with a large deity all made of 110 kilos of butter. The deity of butter is distributed as a prashada (God’s food) every four years.
Farmers offer the first groundnuts to the sacred bull. The Bhoganandiswara temple at the foothills of Nandi Hills goes back to the period of the Banas, Cholas, Hoysalas and the Vijayanagar Kings. The image has been carved out of single granite rock. The original color of Nandi bull was gray which has now turned black due to the application of coconut oil by the devotees.
The Neeladri Amusement Park, Bangalore is located 19km from the town near the Electronic city on Hosur road.
As a known fact, Bangalore is a city of stifling heat. Especially during the summers a person can literally be driven crazy by the soaring temperatures in this tropical city. To beat the heat this city has come up with many innovative methods. Not the least of which and very popular among tourists is a visit to the Neeladri Amusement Park, Bangalore.
Neeladri Amusement Park at Bangalore is among the first theme parks to be built in the city. Constructed on 30 acres of sprawling landscape, this is the only combination of amusement park and water park in the city. Restaurants, ice cream parlors, fast food stalls are all designed in colorful and different ways to delight the kids. As with most water parks locker facilities are available to visitors.
There are over 45 different impressive fun rides. The eight popular water rides in the Neeladri Amusement Park, Bangalore consist of water slides, water pools and boating. Various other rides are also available in the amusement park. Some of the popular rides are Formula 2, Family Slide, Zyclone, Guided Cars, Bouncing Castles, Bumping Cars, and Water Chute. There are also video games arcade where one can enjoy simulation games.
Yediyur Lake
Yediyur Lake is a small lake located in the Basavangudi area of Bangalore. It offers facilities such as boating and water scooter rides. Modern sculptures in the vicinity enhance its beauty. The small park is an added feature. Although not very gigantic in size, this lake attracts a lot of tourists. It is however very unfortunate that although Yediyur Lake abounds in natural splendor, years of neglect has degraded it into a deplorable state. The government has currently made several attempts to restore the state to its former glory. Yediyur Lake is a perfect stopover for tourists holidaying in Bangalore, local residents looking forward to a weekend picnic or a love struck couple seeking the private coziness of a boat amidst a sylvan lake.
Hebbal Lake
Hebbal Lake is located in the north of Bangalore at the mouth of National Highway 7, along the junction of Bellary Road and the Outer Ring Road. It is a natural lake and is maintained by Sate Forest Department. This seasonal lake used to get filled during the monsoon and invariably go dry in the summer. It has a big variety of aquatic vegetation and a large number of birds live around it. You can enjoy bird viewing while boating. Hebbal Lake alone was home to over 70 species of water birds including 40 from the Himalayan and Central Asian regions. Due to increasing in water pollution, the variety has reduced but the numbers are fair enough to make a visit. Incidentally, it was one of the three lakes founded in 1537 by Kempe Gowda.
Ulsoor Lake
Located at the Northeastern fringes of the city on M.G. Road, this enchanting lake is an ideal place for boating and shopping. There is a boat club where you can hire boats for yourself and make a stop at some of the small islands dotting the lake.
This lake is one of the main attractions of the holiday goers in the city. With a radius of about 3-Km, this lake is ideal for rowing around in a boat or to sprawl on the green grass that surrounds the lake.
People could also sit and relax on the small islands that are on the lake. A Ganesha festival is also celebrated at the lake during the month of Aug-Sept. A gurudwara that is the largest Sikh shrine in the city, stands adjoining the lake and is a good place to visit. The lake is surrounded with many buildings that were once part of British army. There is a public swimming pool welcoming tourist to take a dip. Pool opens daily from 9:00am to 06:00pm and remains closed on Wednesdays.
Sankey Lake
Sankey Lake is a 500-year-old perennial water body that lies in the northern part of Bangalore. It harbors a rich biodiversity that includes birds, fishes, aquatic plants and microbes. The presence of a biotically diverse and beautiful botanical garden and a forest nursery adjacent to the lake increases the ecological value.
There are boating facilities and a road running on two sides are ideal for joggers and early morning walkers as they can enjoy the cool breeze and fresh air. Many migratory birds visit this lake during winter every year making it a good place for bird watching. You can do a lot of activities when you visit this lake. The beautiful botanical garden, forest nursery and the park are the added features.
Cubbon Park
This 300acres of sheer beauty was an outcome of a British Chief Engineer of Mysore, Sir Richard Shanky in 1864. The park has been named after Cir Mark Cubbon who was Bangalore’s longest serving commissioner. Beautiful roads, blooming trees and placid plains are spread all around. Cubbon Park is a lush, grassy expanse with flowerbeds adding to the subtle beauty of the park. The park also has several elegant Graeco-colonial style building showing British influence. There are a number of monuments within the park including a memorial hall located at the center of the park that is dedicated to Aeshadri Aiyar, a Jawahar Bal Bhavan, Children’s Park and a Museum. At the entrance you can see a diamond shaped aquarium, the second largest in the country, There is a good collection of exotic fishes in the aquarium. The park remains closed on Mondays.
Cariappa Memorial Park
The Cariappa Park Bangalore was laid out as a memorial to Field Marshall K.M. Cariappa . It is situated in a portion of the parade grounds between M.G. Road and Cubbon Road. Cariappa park in Bangalore is spread over 22 acres and has six segments. The park is blessed with a manned waterfall with a pond which attracts a lot of birds. Six military bands perform at Military stand and elevated lawns every fortnight. In order to enhance the physical as well as mental strength of the children, the park has a play area with spider webs, balance vars, zigzag tunnels, sand pits, tarzan swing and burma bridge. There are about 3000 species of flora that can be found here.
The park is open for public from 05:30pm to 08:00am on weekdays. From 1:0pm to 07:00pm on Saturdays and from 09:00am to 7:00pm on Sundays. No eatables or pets are allowed inside the park.