Karnataka

Karnataka, with its capital at Bangalore, is home to a fascinating legacy of richly carved temples, imposing mosques and trappings of a royal past. Bangalore, with its many hotels and fine restaurants, is a good base for exploring the state. At once a modern industrial city, a shopper's paradise and a gracious legacy of the British. Mysore, the capital of the erstwhile princely state, has a profusion of palaces and museums. Nearby Srirangapatnam is linked to the memory of one of the old state's best known rulers - Tipu Sultan. Somnathpur, a few miles away, has a magnificently carved temple. Belur and Halebid have between them a series of carved stone temples. For perfection of finish, wealth of detail and sheer artistry, they are unrivaled specimens of the art of temple sculpture. Hassan, with a comfortable hotel, makes the perfect base from which to explore the riches of Belur and Halebid. Also a short distance away, Shravanbelgola is famous as the pinnacle of the sculptor's art. A figure 120 meters tall has been carved out of a single piece of granite in 183 AD. Every 12 years, the figure of Gomateswara is ritually bathed by priests and witnessed by millions of devotees in one of the most colorful festivals of the austere Jain religion.

Bangalore

Capital of Karnataka State, Bangalore is famous as the city of gardens. It is one of the most attractive cities in India with its beautiful parks avenues and impressive buildings. Bangalore is renowned as much for its industrial plants as for its silk saris, and for the sprawling Cubbon Park which lies at the heart of the city, as also its prestigious race course.

Altitude: 920 meters
Temperature: (deg C)-Summer- Max:35, Min:20; Winter- Max:28, Min:14.
Rainfall: 86 cms (June and October)
Best Season: Throughout the year (Sep. to March is the best Time).

Places Of Interest:
Aquarium, Bull Temple, Fort & Tippu's Palace, Ulsoor Lake, Lal Bagh, Venkatappa Art Gallery, Cubbon Park, Vidhana Soudha, Vishveswaraya Industrial & Technological Museum.

Excursions:
Bannerghat National Park- 21 kms, Nandi Hills-60 kms, White Field (Kadugodi)- 16 kms, Kolar Gold Fields- 98 kms, Ramohalli- 25 kms, Sati Subramanya- 52 kms, Mysore- 140 kms, Kaivara (Temples of Pandavas)- 79 kms.

Reach -
By Air: Linked with Calcutta, Delhi, Madras, Bombay, Pune, Ahmedabad, Coimbatore, Goa, Hyderabad, Calicut and Trivandrum.
By Rail: Directly connected with Ahmedabad, Bombay, Calcutta, Cochin, Delhi, Guwahati, Howrah, Hyderabad, Mangalore, Madras, Mysore, Nagpur, Trivandrum, Vasco-da-Gama (Goa).
By Road: Bandipur- 220 kms, Belur- 322 kms, Madras- 334 kms, Bombay- 998 kms, Cochin- 526 kms, Dandeli- 481 kms, Halebid- 214 kms, Jog Falls- 377 kms, Kodaikanal- 430 kms, Mysore- 140 kms, Panaji- 595 kms, Sravanabelagola- 160 kms, Tirupati- 250 kms.

Belur - Halebid

Belur is famous for the Chennakesava Temple built in the Hoysala style. Started in 1116 AD it took 103 years to complete this temple. The temple commemorates the victory of Hoysala over the Cholas in the great battle of Talakad. The temple is intricately carved with sculptures, friezes & pillars.

Altitude: 968 meters
Temperature: (deg C) Summer- Max. 34, Min. 20. Winter- Max. 28, Min. 14.
Rainfall: 86 cms. (June to October)
Best Season: Throughout the year.

Places Of Interest:
Chenakesava Temple, Veernarayan Temple, Kappe Chennigaraya Temple.

Excursions:
Halebid- 16 kms, Sravanabelagola- 86 kms, Gorur- 61 kms.

Reach -
By Air: The nearest airport Mangalore- 154 kms is connected to Bangalore, Bombay and Madras.
By Rail: Nearest railhead Hassan- 37 kms is connected to Mangalore.
By Road: Bangalore- 222 kms, Halebid- 16 km, Hassan- 37 kms, Mangalore- 154 kms, Mysore- 155 kms, Shravanabelagola- 86 kms, Belur- 91 kms, Halebid- 117 kms.

Mysore

Somnathpur in Mysore has one of the finest 13th century Hoysala temple in the shape of a star with 16 points. Sravanabelgola has the 1000 year old colossal statue- 57 feet tall of the hermit Gomateswara.

Hotels:
Deluxe - Lalitha Mahal Palace, Rajendra Vilas Palace. Krishnarajasagar Hotel.
Standard - Metropole, Dasaprakash Paradise.

Excursions:
Somnathpur- 40 kms, Sravanabelgola- 99 kms, Belur- 91 kms, Halebid- 117 kms.

Reach -
By Air: The nearest Airport is Bangalore.
By Road: 140 kms from Bangalore.

Badami

Badami, the one Time capital of the Chalukyas, is noted for several temples, some structural and others rock-cut, of the sixth-seventh century A.D.

Area: 10.3 sq.km., Altitude: 176.7 mts.
Temperature: (deg C) Summer- Max. 38, Min. 23. Winter- Max. 29, Min. 15.
Rainfall: 50 cms.
Best Season: October to March.

Places Of Interest:
Badami Caves, Badami Fort, Sculpture Gallery.

Excursions:
Aihole- 44 kms, Banashankari Temple- 50 kms, Guledgud- 24 kms, Lakkundi- 82 kms, Mahakuta- 14 kms, Naganath Temple- 10 kms, Pattadakal- 22 kms, Kada Siddeswara Temple, Jambulinga Temple, Galaganatha Temple, Sanghameswara Temple, Mallikarjuna Temple, Virupaksha Temple, Papanatha Temple, Jain Temple, Shivayoga, Mandira- 11 kms, Pattadakal.

Reach -
By Air: The nearest airport Belgaum- 192 kms is connected to Bombay.
By Rail: Nearest railhead Badami.
By Road: Connected to important places in the south.

Aihole

It is historically famous as the cradle of the Hindu temple architecture. There are almost 125 temples divided into 22 groups scattered all over the village.

Area: 4 sq. km.
Altitude: 593 meters.
Temperature: (deg C) Summer Mean Max. 41 deg. Mean Min 28 deg. Winter Mean Max 31 deg. Mean Min 20 deg.
Rainfall:58.4 cms.
Best Season: October to March.

Places of Interest:
Durga Temple, Ladh Khan Temple, Gowda Temple, Suryanarayan Temple Konti Group of Temples, Hucchimalli Temple, Meguti Temple, Ravanphadi Cave.

Excursions:
Badami- 44 kms, Koodalasangama- 45 kms, Pattadakal- 22 kms.

Reach -
By Air: The nearest airport is Belgaum - 189 kms.
By Rail: The nearest railhead is Bagalkot- 34 kms.
By Road: Badami- 44 kms, Aminagad- 10 kms, Bagalkot- 34 kms, Bangalore- 510 kms, Bijapur- 135 kms, Pattadakal- 22 kms.

Hampi

Hampi was once the glorious capital of mighty Vijayanagar Empire (1336-1565), from the Deccan Plateau to the tip of the Peninsula. Founded in the middle of the 14th century by two local princes, Hukka & Bukka, the Vijayanagara empire came to be celebrated for its might and wealth and as a showpiece of imperial magnificence. The emperors of this dynasty were great patrons of art and architecture which can still be seen in the vast ruins of Hampi. In an effort to resurrect this abandoned capital, the government has been involved in the restoration, excavation and protection of the ruins which spread over an area of 26 sq. kms. The terrain is dominated by rocky hills and the mighty Tungabhadra river which flows through this rugged landscape.

Temperature: (deg C) Summer- Max. 41, Min. 37. Winter- Max. 27, Min. 24.
Best Season: October to March.

Places of Interest:
Virupaksha Temple, Monolithic Ganeshas, Krishna Temple, Monolithic Narsimha, Hazara Rama Temple, Elephant Stables, Zenana Enclosures, Royal Performance Zone, Royal Residences, Quieen's Bath, Vittala Temple, Achyuta Raya Temple, Kodandarama Temple.

Excursions: Tungabhadra Dam-17 kms.

Reach -
By Air: The nearest airport is Bellary- 77 kms, Belgaum- 259 kms, Bangalore- 353 kms.
By Rail: The nearest railhead is Hospet- 13 kms which is connected to Bangalore, Hubli and Guntakal.
By Road: Connected to Aihole- 156 kms, Badami- 189 kms, Bangalore- 353 kms, Bellary- 77 kms, Bidar- 379 kms, Bijapur- 254 kms, Hungund Gadag- 91 kms, Gulbarga- 264 kms, Guntakal- 133 kms, Hassan- 335 kms, Hospet- 13 kms, Hubli- 154 kms, Hyderabad- 416 kms, Mysore- 366 kms, Raichur- 194 kms.

Nagarhole National Park

The name Nagarhole is derived from the Kannada `Naga' meaning `snake' and `Hole' meaning `streams'. A number of streams snake through the rich tropical forests of Nagarhole which is situated in picturesque districts of Kodagu and Mysore in Southern Karnataka.

Area: 572.90 sq.km.
Altitude: 800-850 meters
Temperature: (deg C) Max. 33 Deg.C. Min. 14 Deg.C.
Rainfall: 1300 - 1800 mm. (June to September)
Best Season: September to May.

Places Of Interest:
Forest Types:
Southern tropical semi-evergreen forests. Southern tropical dry deciduous forests. Southern tropical moist mixed deciduous forests. Scrub forests. Lush, green, grassy swamps.
Fauna:
Lots of animals and birds.

Excursions:
Bandipur National Park- 100 kms, Madikeri- 93 kms, Mysore- 96 kms.

Reach -
By Air: The nearest airport is Mysore- 96 kms, Bangalore- 236 kms.
By Rail: The nearest railway station is Mysore- 96 kms.
By Road: Bangalore- 236 kms, Madikeri- 93 kms, Mysore- 96 kms.

Bandipur National Park

The Moyer River forms a natural boundary between the Mudumalain Wildlife Sanctuary in Tamilnadu and the Bandipur National Park in Karnataka. Nestling at the foothills of the Nilgiris, the Bandipur National Park was formed by extending the Venugopal Wildlife Park which was set up in 1931 by the Mysore Maharajas. A popular game resort of the rulers of Mysore, the flora in the forest comprises of teak, rosewood, honne, mathi, bamboo, sandal trees. The important animals in the park are the tiger, elephant, gaur, leopard, chital, samber, etc. Birds like the pea fowl, partrige, quail, hornbill, Ibis, etc., are also found here. The Bandipur National Park is one of the fifteen Tiger Reserves in the country, launched under the Project Tiger scheme during 1973.

Area: 874 sq.kms.
Altitude: 780 to 1454.5 meters
Temperature: (deg C)-Maximum 29 Deg. Minimum 17 Deg.
Rainfall: 1000 mm.
Best Season: May to June & September to November.

Places Of Interest:
Forest Types:
Southern Tropical Moist-mixed deciduous forests, Southern Tropical Dry Deciduous Forests, Scrub Forests. Flora Forests consists predominantly of teak (tectona grandis) with its main associate species like rosewood.
Fauna:
Lots of wild animals tiger, elephant, deer, wild boar etc.,

Excursions:
Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary- 19 kms, Mysore- 80 kms, Udhagamandalam (Ootacamund)- 79 kms, Gopalaswamy Hills- 20 kms.

Reach -
By Air: Nearest airport is Mysore- 80 kms.
By Rail: Nearest railhead is Mysore- 80 kms.
By Road: Bangalore- 220 kms, Coimbatore- 168 kms, Mysore- 80 kms. Udhagmandalam ( Ooty)- 79 kms.

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