Karnataka Tourism

Bangalore
    In terms of Indian history, Bangalore is a relatively new city.  It was founded during the Vijaynagara empire as a fort and a temple, and a town sprang up within the fort.  It gradually became a city of importance, and the British, after defeating Tippu Sultan, who ruled from the city, annexed the city to the Raj.  Shortly afterwards, the Kingdom of Mysore switched the capital from Mysore to Bangalore, and in conjunction with rail and telegraph development, the population boomed.
    Bangalore is nowadays called the Silicon Valley of India for its large information technology economy, as well as the Garden City for its large and attractive gardens.  Tourists can enjoy the city's modern amenities, excellent food, and its historic past.

Bangalore Palace
   Bangalore Palace was built to resemble Windsor Castle, and it certainly has a British feel with its many turrets, towers, and Parliament-style walls.  It was home to the rulers  of Mysore for some time, as well as the Wodeyars, the erstwhile kings of the area.
    
Bangalore Fort
    The former residence of Tippu Sultan, one of the most brilliant and resilient foes of the invading British, Bangalore fort is also built on the site where Kempe Gowda built the first fort in the area.  On the grounds is a popular garden and temple dedicated to Ganesh that exemplifies Tippu Sultan's famed religious tolerance.
  
 Iskcon Temple
    The massive Iskcon is famous for its annual chariot procession, called the Rath Yatra, where hundreds of thousands of faithful show up to watch the spectacle.  The temple itself, huge in its proportions, is an impressive edifice as well; it is made out of marble and imported Korean glass.
    
Nandi Temple
 

    
Nandi Temple was built by the Vijaynagara empire in the 16th century, aand has remained a center of religious life in the city ever since.  It is built for the religious veneration of the sacred bull in Hinduism.
  
Lal Bagh
    A beautiful garden in Bangalore, Lal Bagh is home to a famous glass house which has one of the most amazing flower exhibits in the world each year.  It is a major tourist attraction in the city.
    
Shravanabelagola
        Nearby Bangalore is the Jain pilgrim centre of Shravanabelagola, where the towering statues Lord Gomateswara stands on top Vindhyagiri Hill.  It is famous worldwide for the ceremony that happens every 12 years where Jains pour curdled milk, honey, coconut water and even precious gems on top of the statue.

Mysore
    Mysore is the most popular tourist destination in Karnataka and the second largest city in the state.  It was for many years the Wodeyar dynasty, the rulers of the powerful Kingdom of Mysore until 1947.  The city has a wealth of historic sites from its Wodeyar rulers, and is also renowned nationwide for its cuisine, such as the desert dish Mysore Pak.
  
Mysore Palace
    It is said every road in Mysore leads to the palace.  One of the most visited buildings in India, Mysore Palace is one of the best examples of the Indo-Saracenic style of architecture, replete with domes and arches and is practically a museum in itself because of its large art and carving collections.  It is especially beautiful at night, when the lights come on and reflect off the nearby water.
    
Somnathpur
    In the small village of Somnathpur is an ancient temple shaped like a star.  It is one of the most intricately carved temples in the Deccan and is a superb example of Hoisala artwork.  The area it is in is idyllic and tranquil as well, making it  a good day trip from either Mysore or Bangalore.
    
Srirangapatna
    One of Tippu Sultans famous fortresses, the fort is home to a beautiful white mosque, the famous Swamy Temple, and Tipu's Summer palace.  As a former stomping ground of the "Tiger of Mysore", as Tippu was known by the British, the site is a popular destination for tourists.
    
Melkote
    The ancient town of Melkote is home to Cheluvarayaswami Temple, an ancient 12th century religious center built on top of a hill overlooking the surrounding valleys.  It was doted on by the rulers of Mysore and Tippu Sultan and has an extensive collection of jewels of the former maharajas, and they are displayed each year in April.
    
Talakad


    Near Mysore is the ancient site of Talakad, famous for the alleged curse on it that condemns every temple built here to be covered in sand - a curse that might have come true, as some 30 temples here are buried beneath tons of sand.  Nowadays, some of them have been excavated, and the site is a fascinating and curious instance of legend and history intertwined.  
    
Nanjangud


    On the Kapila River, the Nanjagudeshwara Temple in this town is a huge pilgrimage center for Hindus and is one of the largest temples in Karnataka.  During each year it attracts hundreds of thousands during the Karnatakan Chariot Festival.
    
Bandipur National Park


    
   The favorite hunting ground of the Maharajas of Mysore, the area is home to to a large herd of elephants, tigers, water buffalo, deer, and countless species of birds and other mammals.  The site is nestled in the Bandipur range, and is one of the best places on the subcontinent to view wildlife in a natural setting.
    
Rajiv Gandhi National Park
    Another nearby wildlife park, Rajiv Gandhi is a forest reserve full of crocodiles, leopards, and elephants on the banks of the gorgeous Nagarhole river.  The park is at the foot of Brahmagiri Mountains and is a very popular bird-watching site.

Mangalore
    Mangalore, the largest port city in Karnataka, has immaculate beaches visited by people from all over the country.  Mangalore is full of many historic temples dating as far back as the 10th century, and is a major center of coffee and spice trading.  The city is also nearby several Jain pilgrimage sites, including Mudabidri, among the largest pilgrimage sites in India for Jains.  
    
Mudabidri
    Called the "Jain Varanasi", Mudabidri is a major Jain pilgrimage site and is the site of the Chandranathe Basade, called the temple of a thousand pillars.  It is worth a trip even for someone who isn't a Jain, as the beautiful nearby Chowta Palace and the surrounding countryside make for a perfect afternoon.
  
Sringeri
    Legend has it that the town of Sringeri is named after Rishyahringa, a major character in the Ramayana.  Viyashankara Temple, the main site here is an architectural gem, as the 12 columns inside it in the main chamber are situated so that the sun shows the time of year.  It is also a major pilgrimage site for Hindus, many of whom come to feed the holy fish.

Bijapur


    
   Halfway between Mumbai and Bangalore lies Bijapur, the capital of the Adil Shahi dynasty and its brilliant sultan Yusuf Adil Shah.  Bijapur has a wealth of sites from this prosperous era, above all the Gol Gumbaz, and it is also a great departure point to many nearby ancient Chalukya sites.
    
Gol Gumbaz


  
 Gol Gumbaz has one of the world's largest pre-modern domes, comparable only to the Hagia Sofia in Istanbul and St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.  The massive building is a tomb to Muhammad Adil Shah, and is far and away the most popular site in the city.  Within walking distance are other popular sites, such as the Ibrahim Rauza.
    
Aihole
    Aihole is a village now, but it was once the epicenter of temple architecture in India.  Here, hundreds of temples sit around watching the ages go by, spread out in the surrounding fields and villages.  Aihole is a great place to spend the day walking around and exploring, as the sites are very accessible and the area itself is quite picturesque.
    
Badami
    The cave temples of Badami are among the most spectacular rock carvings in the world, and the area was the former capital of the medieval Chalukya dynasty.  The caves are renowned worldwide for the detail of their sculptures.
    
Pattadakal


    
   Pattadakal is a major temple site, also built by the Chalukyas, that is now a World Heritage Site because of the amazing concentration of painstakingly detailed temples.  The most famous is the Virupaksha temple, whose sculptures have survived the ages and are truly breathtaking.
    
Hampi
    Nearby Bijapur is the UNESCO World Heritage site of Hampi is one of the largest ruins in India and the city is an amazing journey into the past.  The capital city of the Vijanayagar, it was sacked by Muslims from northern India and gradually was abandoned.  However, the ruins are remarkably well intact, given their age of several hundred years.  Visitors should walk along the ruins for the best experience.

Lakkundi
    Lakkundi is another one of Karnataka's famous temple villages, where almost 50 temples of the bygone Chalukya era stand next to the modest dwellings of the villagers.  It is also famous for its Jain temple dedicated to Mahavira.   

History and Culture

Karnataka is an ancient land.  Its history begins in the paleolithic era, from which many prehistoric tools have been discovered in the state.  Some believe Karnataka may have had civilization as early as 5,000 years ago!  However, the earliest clear records come from the Nanda Empire, which was absorbed by Ashoka's pan-Indian Mauryan empire.  The area, always home to powerful empires in its history, went from one dynasty to another until the Chalukyas, who left a immense mark on the region with their many temples and forts.
    The Vijayanagara empire, far more powerful than its contemporaries in Europe, arose in the 14th century and stood as the most illustrious and strongest Hindu kingdom of its time.  It was a major barrier to Muslim invasions, and ruled over South India for some two centuries.  This era came to an end after the epic battle of Talikota, which led to the destruction of the Vijaynagara empire and the birth of the Bijapur Sultanate, who were in turn followed some hundred years later by the Mughals under Aurangzeb.  
    After the fall of the Mughals, the Nizams of Hyderabad ruled the area in the north, and the Maharajas of Mysore ruled the south.  A major change happened when a palace coup led to the to accession of Haidar Ali, general of the Mysore army.  His son, Tippu Sultan, became one of the most famous leaders of Indian resistance to British expansion.  Called the "Tiger of Mysore", Tippu Sultan was both hated and respected by the British, and was only defeated after four Anglo-Mysore wars.  His death brought on the rule of the British Raj.
    The Raj gave a great deal of autonomy to the Maharajas of Mysore, and permitted them to rule the area under the British flag.  Nevertheless, the area became a hotbed of the f Indian Independence Movement.  After Independence, it became the State of Mysore, and became the modern state of Karnataka after late legislation.
    Most Karnatakans speak Kannada, but sizable minorities speak Urdu, Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, and several other languages.  Most Karnatakans are Hindu, and there is a Muslim minority as well as significant Jain and Christian communities.  
Karnataka is centered around the city of Bangalore, one of the largest cities in all India and the economic capital of the state, and Mysore, its longtime cultural capital and historic center.  
    The state is on a plateau, ringed by mountains in the east and a coastal plain in the west.  It has ample wildlife, and many elephants, tigers, leopards, birds and smaller mammals live in the state.
    Artistically, Mysore has a culture that goes back hundreds of year and the major language, Kannada, is considered a classical language of India on par with Tamil and Sanskrit.  It has a highly developed tradition of literature.  Painting and dancing are also very much alive in the state, with traditions going back hundreds of years.  Indian classical music, both Carnatic and Hindustani, have strong footholds in the state as well.    
    For a tourist visiting India, Karnataka offers perhaps the greatest diversity of sites and activities.  It's rapidly becoming a worldwide tourist attraction, and should not be missed out on by anyone visiting India.