Archive for the ‘Karnataka’ Category
November 16th, 2011 | 
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Karnataka has its own appeal that attracts a number of tourists from all parts of the country each and every year. Its medieval charm and impressive heritage and culture have endowed it with a completely distinct charm.. Its burgeoning information technology sector has served as a great boon for the entire state. Besides, there are many tourist attractions in Karnataka located in all the important towns of the state.
Bangalore, which is the capital city of Karnataka, is home to several beautiful gardens and parks. The Lal Bagh Glass House, Vidhan Soudha, and Hesaraghatta Lake are some of the important attractions of this town and well known among the Karnataka tourist attractions. A visit to this beautiful city is a must when you are on a tour to Karnataka.
Mysore is also an important city of Karnataka which is home to several magnificent tourist attractions. Formerly the capital city of Karnataka, The Mysore Palace belonging to the Wodeyar dynasty is the most renowned landmark of the town. The scenic beauty of the town gets enriched with the presence of Karanaji Lake. The Chamundi Hills command awe-inspiring views of the town. The Chamundeshwari Temple atop these hills is a key attraction for the pilgrims. The Mysore Zoo, Brindavan Gardens and Folk Lore Museum are the other places of tourist interest.
There are many places of historic and religious importance. The great Acharyas, Shankara, Ramanuja and Madhwa, preached in this region. Great reformers like Sri Basaveshwara, mathematicians like Baskaracharaya, commentators like Sayana, saint poiets like Purandaradasa and Kanakadasa, great writers like Pampa, Harihara and Kumara Vyasa have all enriched the heritage of Karnataka.
The temples at Aihole, Badami and Pattadakal in Bijapur district have great significance for all lovers of art. The temples of Halebedu, Belur and Somanathapura are great architectural achievements – the like of which are rarely seen in any part of the world.
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Hampi is charismatic even in its ruined state. It attracts thousands of tourists and pilgrims every year. Vast stretches of boulder-strewn hills make the backdrop of Hampi unique. Dotted around the hills and valleys are 500 plus monuments. Among them are beautiful temples, basement of palaces, remains of aquatic structures, ancient market streets, royal pavilions, bastions, royal platforms, treasury buildings.., the list is practically endless. Hampi is a backpackers paradise, the same way the pilgrims delight. Hampi is charismatic even in its ruined state. It attracts thousands of tourists and pilgrims every year. Vast stretches of boulder-strewn hills make the backdrop of Hampi unique.
Other Places Of Attraction In Karnataka
Places To See In Srisailam
Major Attraction In Mysore
Bannerghatta National Park – The Wildlife In Bengaluru
How To reach Hampi
Hampi is located in Karnataka state. It is one of the richest of the south Indian states in terms of its wide range of heritage attractions. You can access these places directly or via transit towns from Hampi by road, rail or air.
By Rail
The nearest rail point is Hospet from where one travels another 12 kilometers by road to reach Hampi.
By Road
Regular bus services from Bangalore to Hospet.
By Air
The nearest Airport is Bellary (974 km); other convenient airports are Belgaum (190 km) and Bangalore (353 km).
Places Of Interest in Hampi
Vithala Temple Complex:
It is probably the biggest of all tourist attractions in Hampi. The splendid monument comprises of 56 musical pillars. At the east of the area stands a stone chariot with stone wheels, which actually revolve. All these and the richly carved basement are chiseled out of a single rock.
Hospet
The town of Hospet, which is 13 km from Hampi, is an important tourist center. Travelers can have a panoramic view of surrounding areas from the 49-m-high and 2-km-long Tungabhadra Dam, 6 km from Hospet.
Virupaksha Temple:
Lord Virupaksha, a form of Lord Shiva was the family deity of the Vijayanagar kings. King Krishnadeva Raya used to visit the temple after every successful conquest. These tales of the Ramayana are carved on two of the inside walls of the temple.
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
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.