Details on Tourism of Karnataka

Among the Vaishnava Centres, Udupi and Melkote are the foremost, the former connected with the Dwaita school and the latter Vishishtadvaita. Lord Krishna at Udupi was installed by Acharya Madhwa (1200 - 1280 AD) in the beginning of 13th C.A.D. and he founded eight Mathas to help conduct services of the Lord at Udupi. The Madhwa Vaishnavas have their own holy places like Sonda in Uttara Kannada, where Vadiraja Swamy's 'Brindavan' is seen. The pioneering Uttaradi Matha of the sect is at Hospet. The Navabrindavana or the 'Brindavanas' of nine great seers of the sect is at Anegundi to the north of Hampi in an island amidst the Tungabhadra. Mulabagal in Kolar dt. has the Brindavana of Sripadaraja. Nanjangud, Sosale Bhimanakatte, Mahishi, Manur, Santebidanur (Andhra Pradesh), Mantralaya (Andhra Pradesh) and Savanur are holy places to the Madhwas, the last named having the Brindavan of Satyabodha Teertha of Uttaradhi Matha, a Contemporary of Haider who paid him honours. The great Vaishnava saint, Kanakadasa's samadhi is at Kaginele in Haveri dt. where recently a Matha has been founded with the name Kanaka Guru Peetha. Kanakadasa one of the exponents of Haridasa Literature visited Udupi Krishna temple and the God is said to have turned backwards and given him darshan through the 'Kanakana kindi'. Places like Mannur, Malkhed, Honnali, Kudli, Sosale and Yaragola are also noteworthy Madhwa centres in the State.


Srivaishnavism was preached by Ramanujacharya during the 12th century and he stayed at Saligrama (Mysore dt. where there is the Bhashyakara Temple in his memory). Tonnur and Melukote in Mandya dt. At the last place he is believed to have renovated the Cheluvanarayana Swamy temple and conducted the pious for long. These are holy places to Srivaishnavas and also to others. There is the Parakala Matha at Mysore and Jeeyar Yatiraja Matha at Bangalore (Malleshwaram). Apart from the above places which are holy to Srivaishnavas, temples of Vishnu and his incarnation are found all over the state. Reference is already made to Udupi, Melkote, Biligiri Rangana Betta and Himavad Gopalaswamy Betta. Narasimha is worshipped in notable places like Raibag, Surpali, Halasi, Banawasi, Nagamangala and Maddur in Mandya dt. Zarani Narasimha near Bidar. Devarayanadurga and Sibi in Tumkur dt., Toravi near Bijapur and at T. Narasipur in Mysore dt. Ranganatha has two famous centres of worship in islands in the Cauvery at Srirangapattana and Shivasamudra. Both are visited by hosts of devotees. Equally famous Ranganatha temple is seen at Anegondi in Koppal dt. The Chennakeshava at Belur. Keerti Narayana at Talakad, Veeranarayana at Gadag, Soumya Keshava at Nagamangala are famous Vaishnava pilgrimage centres. Vishnu in Bhuvarahavatara form found at Halasi (Belgaum dt.) Varahanatha Kallahalli (Mandya dt.) and Mysore are unique and note worthy. Chunchanakatte in Mysore District and Hiremagalur near Chikmagalur and K.R.Nagar have very old Rama temples. Hanuman as a popular Vaishnava deity has his temples in Hampi, Bannur (Mysore), Banaswasdi near Bangalore, Karanji Anjaneya in Bangalore, Yalagur in Bagalkot dt., Mulbagal in Kolar dt. Kadaramandalagi in Haveri dt. and Kengal Anjaneya near Channapatna and a host of other places. Muttatti on the banks of Cauvery in Mandya dt. also has a famous Hanuman Temple called Muttatiraya.

Subrahmanya, son of Shiva has his worshipping centres at Sandur in Bellary district (picturesque hill resort), Ghati Subrahmanya in Bangalore (R) district and Kukke Subrahmanya in Dakshina Kannada, In certain areas, Kartikeya is identified with serpent worship and elaborate ritual called Nagamandala is performed in a huge arena decorated with coloured powders and flowers. Around this, special dance rituals are performed by trained priests. Witnessing Nagamandala or a Yakshagana in coastal Karnataka, will be a unique privilege to the visitor. So is seeing Bhuta worship rituals which are colourful and captivating. Other folk arts like Veeragase, intended to please God Veerabhadra hold one spell bound. Dollinakunita to please Biredevaru is a mighty performance. Curious and funny is Somanakunita which entertain the onlookers by the huge mask wearing artists. The Kamsale dance by the Devaraguddas (devotees) of Mahadeshwara and Pathada kunitha of old Mysore region are fascinating. The pageant of folk arts of Karnataka like Yakshagana, Bayalata etc., will captivate the audience for a long period.Janapada Loka near Ramanagara (Mysore-Bangalore Road) and the Regional Resources Centre at the M.G.M. College, Udupi, provide audio-visual tapes, and there is a huge folk museum in the Mysore University.

The Sikhs have their famous Nanak Zhara in Bidar, a place supposed to have been visited by Guru Nanak. Gurudvar Nanak Math in Gulbarga of modern times is noteworthy. There is a modern Gurudwara at Ulsoor in Bangalore, built in white marble. The Parsees have their fire temple in Bangalore.

The State has many National Parks and Wild Life Sanctuaries. Of the National Parks one at Bannerghatta near Bangalore is about 100 sq.km. in area and there is a Tiger Safari. Bandipur in Mysore and Chamarajnagar dt. is more than 800 sq.km. in area and famous for its wild elephants .The Kudremukh National Park, 600 sq km in area is on the ranges of the Western Ghats and is known for all kinds offlora and fauna. The Kudremukh Iron Co. at Malleswara is amidst the park and has maintained a township and a guest house. The Nagarahole National Park spread over 640 sq km includes areas both in Kodagu and Mysore districts, has forest lodges to accommodate visitors and this park is famous for its tiger population. The Brahmagiri Wild Life Sanctuary is in Kodagu where nature in all its wild growth and animals in all their wild movements can be seen. This is at more than 2000 to 3000 ft above mean sea level. Ranebennur Wild Life Sanctuary in Haveri district is more than 100 sq km in area and is known for its agile blackbucks population. Adichunchanagiri has the Peacock Sanctuary. It is a hilly place where there is a Bhairava Temple and a Matha of the Vokkaligas and peacocks can be seen in gay abandon in the mornings. Dandeli Wild Life Sanctuary in Uttara Kannada District is famous for bisons, deers and variety of other wildfauna.


Ranganatittu near Srirangapattana is a small island in the cauvery where there is Bird Sanctuary and emigrant birds of all types like pelican, storks and large number of other varieties are found perching on the trees and bushes, feeding or busy flying to feed their young ones. Gudvi Bird Sanctuary in Sorab taluk and Mandagadde Bird Sanctuary in Tirthahalli taluk are famous, and they are in Shimoga district. An equally famous Bird Sanctuary is at Kokrebellur near Maddur in Mandya district. Lovers of wild life who love serenity of the forest and trekking at the hill tracks can visit these places and enjoy the natural bounty of the land of Karnataka. Karnataka has some outstanding Trekking spots. Places like Yana and Kavale caves in Uttara Kannada District. Gottamgotta (Gulbarga dt), B.R. Hills (Chamaraj Nagar), Kabbal durga (Bangalore dt.) Basavanabetta in Mandya dt. Mahadeshwara Betta in Chamarajanagar dt. Madhugiri, Siddara Betta and Shivaganga (Tumkur dt.) , Nandi and Kolar hills in Kolar district etc., are noteworthy. Herein you come across tanks, rivulets and water falls to help cool your heels. The chirping sound of birds and of wild insects provide you with fine natural music.

Karnataka has many cool and pleasant hill resorts of which Kudremukh is one, mentioned above. Kemmannagundi in Chikmagalur district (in the Western Ghats) is another hill resort surrounded by a park with good accommodation facilities arranged by the Horticulture department (housed at Lalbag, Bangalore). Biligiri Ranganabetta in Chamarajnagar dt. is famous for its ancient Srinivasa temple atop a hill and around the temple, there exists a Wild Life Sanctuary. Wild elephants are seen around the place. The place is inhabited by Soliga tribes. Himavathgopalabetta (Gopalaswamy Betta) is another resort where there is a Venugopala temple atop of hill. Rest house and food facilities are provided in the small hamlet that has grown around the temple.

Devarayanadurga in Tumkur district has temples of Lakshmi Narasimha and Yoga Narasihma atop the hill which is a cool resort and the whole hill is surrounded by picturesque fortification. Nandidurga in Kolar dt. is an ancient place with the Yoganandiswara Temple of Chola times atop it and fortifications around it, built by Haider and Tipu. The place is provided with lodging facilities, and the Horticulture Department has raised an attractive park above the hill. Mahatma Gandhi had stayed here more than once when he was in poor health. Agumbe known as the Chirapunji of Karnataka in Shimoga district, though not a hill resort, is a hill track from where the sunset can be observed and it is an heavenly experience. There are hill resorts at Ramdurga in Bellary district, Biligiri Rangana Betta in Mysore district, Siddara Betta in Tumkur district , Tadiyanda Mol in Kodagu district and also at Jogimatti in Chitradurga district.

The rivers of Karnataka have several reservoirs of tourist importance. Reservoirs like KRS (Mandya dt), Narayanapur and Almatti (Bijapur dt.), Chandrampalli (Gulbarga dt.) Navil Thirtha (Belgaum dt.), Shimsha (Mandya dt.) Munirabad (Koppal dt.) Lakkavalli (Chikmagalur dt.), Gorur (Hassan dt.), Bichanahalli (Mysore dt.), Harangi (Kodagu dt.) Marikanive (Chitradurga dt.), Gajanur (Shimoga dt.), Hidkal (Belgaum dt.), Karanja (Bidar dt.), Varahi (Udupi district ), Supa dam (Uttara Kannada) etc. can serve as interesting picinic and tourist spots.

If you want to bask in the sunshine of the sea shore or get beaten by the oceanic waves, there are fine beaches. At Bengre which is almost an island and at Ullal both near Mangalore are notable beaches. Ullal has provision for cottages and food facilities. Not far away from Mangalore is the beach at Thanneerubhavi near Suratkal where there is the Regional Engineering College. Malpe near Udupi (both places were associated with great Vaishnava saint Madhwacharya) has a long magnificent beach and also an island near it.

Marvanthe in the Kundapur taluk of coastal Karnataka has a fine beach on one side and river Sauparnika on the other, running parallel to the coast for a considerable distance before its confluence with the sea and the Highway runs in between Sea and the river provides the tourists an enchanting travel experience and the sunset here is a magnificent divine spectacle. Kapu beach near Kundapur is also an enchanting serene tourist spot. Gokarna, the holy town in Uttara Kannada, has a very long beach which has also become a second resort to many people who visit Goa. Karwar has a number of beaches like Blue Lagoon Beach, Ladies Beach around it and Poet Rabindranath Tagore had unforgettable experiences at Karwar beach to which he has given expression to in poetic prose. Om beach, Murudeshwar and Kasarkod are other beautiful serene beaches of Uttara Kannada Dist. These are only a few among the many. The beaches not only provide you an encounter with the sea, but also give you a chance to taste sea food available there.

The sea coast has some captivating islands too and of these the St. Mary^s Island or Tonseparu near Malpe has peculiar pillar-like natural rock formations. The Nethrani Island near Murdeshwar is another captivating Island. Basavaraja Durga near Honavar is an island fort raised by the Keladi Rulers during 16th and 17th Centuries. It is surrounded by a strong fortification raised by gigantic laterite blocks and the hill has a flat top. Devagad and Kurmagad are two islands near Karwar. Visiting these places will be a wonderful experience.