Mesmerizing and Unforgettable Heritage Tourist Destination

Badami previously known as Vatapi is a town in Bagalkot district Karnataka, India. Badami is very well known for its rock carvings and temple planning. Badami symbolizes the rich traditional heritage of Karnataka. The Chalukyas sovereign Pulakeshi I founded it in the year 540 A D. the caves temples characterizes the  temperament of the rulers then with religious tolerance  that predispose towards Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.

History of Badami

Badami was the primordial center of the early Chalukyas who ruled most of Karnataka and the neighboring Andhra Pradesh amid the 6th and 8th century. The celebrated Badami Rock-Cut Temples were engraved largely within this period. Badami became a spectator of chief authority resistance between the Pallavas, Chalukyas and the Rashtrakutas, in the epoch between the 7th and 12th century. It was later occupied by the Vijaynagar Empire, the Marathas and Hyder Ali before the British incorporated it in the Bombay government.

Tourist Attractions in Badami

1. Bhuthanatha Temples

The two temples facing the Agastya Lake, are known as the Bhuthanatha Temples. Built of local sandstone, they are dedicated to Lord Shiva, in the form of Bhuthanatha. The sandstone used to build these temples gives them a beautiful glittering tint in the afternoon sun.

2. Cave Temples of Badami

The four cave temples of Badami have elaborate carvings, alluding to the legendary proceedings and spiritual experience of Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism.

Cave Temple 1 – It is dedicated to lord Shiva. One can find the statuette of Shiva in his various avatars such as Nataraja, Harihara and Ardhanareeswara etc. the cave has enormous hall with many bastions.

Cave Temple 2 – It is devoted to Lord Vishnu,one can find his avatars of Trivikrama and Varaha. One has to climb the flight of stairs from the previous temple to reach here. The upper limit of the cave is put up with carvings of Vishnu from prospect of Puranas.

Cave Temple 3 – One has to climb the flight of stairs from the previous temple to reach here. This 100 feet unfathomable cave temple was constructed during the period of Chalukya  Kritivarma approximately 578 AD. In the interior of the temple one can find Lord Vishnu in carved avatars of Narasimha and Trivikrama. It also houses mural paintings that showcase the wedding ceremony of Shiva and Parvati.

Cave Temple 4 – It is committed to Jainism. One can find statuette of Tirthankaras carved within the cave.

3. Badami Fort

The Badami Fort is seated on the top of a hill adjoining two Shivalaya multifaceted. In the 5^th era emperor Pulakeshi II constructed these Shivalayas. The greater Shivalaya is dedicated to Lord Shiva while the lesser one is dedicated to Lord Ganesh.

Badami Fort is was built by Chalukyan King Pulakesgi in 543 AD. Perched on the top of a cliff, this fort is accompanied by two Shivalaya complexes dating back to the 5th century. A 16th century and a 14th century watchtower are also featured atop this hill.

4. Open Air Museum

The museum is positioned at the northern citadel. It was established in the year 1979. The museum mostly comprises of primordial rock tools and statuette which dates back to 6^th to 16^th AD.

Other Interesting Places in and around Badami

• Sangameshwara temple
• Banashankari Temple
• Aihole
• Ravanaphadi Cave
• Pattadakkal
• Agastya Lake
• Tipu’s Fort
• Durga Temple

Best season to visit Badami

September to March is reasonable and the perfect time to visit Badami. The summers are very hot and not suitable for travelling. The monsoon reason has heavy rain falls. The winter is fairly good for excursion. In the spring time it looks enchanted.

Accessibility to Badami

• By Road: Badami is connected to major towns in and around Karnataka. Numerous KSRTC and private buses ply to Badami.
• By Rail: The nearest rail head is Bagalkot Railway Station situated 38 kms away and Hubli Railway Station 103 km away from the city. The station connects the city to the northern and southern parts of India.
• By Air: The nearest airport is Belgaum Airport 139 km away from the city. The Bangalore International Airport is 509 km away from the city and connects it to the major towns around the globe.

Accommodations in Badami

Badami is the best tourist spot in Karnataka. It has many hotels, resorts, guest house, home stay and lodges that provide indispensable facilities at reasonable prices. The charges may differ from hotel to hotel and most of them offer advanced booking and reservations for safe and comfortable stay of the visitors. List of hotels located in Badami are:

• Badami Court Hotel
• Rajsangam International Hotel
• Anugraha Deluxe Hotel
• Mayura Chalukya Hotel
• Hotel Geeta
• Ayodhya Hotel
• Sanman Hotel
• Akashata Darshini Hotel
• Hotel Mookambika Deluxe
• Hotel Travel Inn
• Pulakeshi Hotel
• New Satkar Delux Hotel
• Homestay-inn And Guesthouse
• Hotel New Satkar
• Anand Deluxe Hotel

Full History

Badami is one of the most important centers of temple architecture, related to the Early Chalukyan period of rule. It is situated around 500 kilometers away from Bangalore (the Karnataka capital) and is well connected by any means of transport.

You have always heard how Karnataka is one of the ultimate heritage destinations in the whole India. When you are looking to taste some rich cultural and historical flavor of India, Karnataka is one of the best tourist destinations to where most people flock. Yes, the place, being a modern IT sector hub albeit, has a mystical charm about it when it comes to old traditions, customs and heritage. And when you visit Karnataka, how can you not visit one of the most popular heritage destinations in Karnataka, that is, Badami. Today, Badami stands as a crumple of ruins of the archaic monuments and temples on a red ridge of sandstone. Once, Badami was a manifestation of the glorious early Chalukyan age. It was founded and made the capital of the Chalukyan kingdom during the reign of Pulakeshi I.

According to Indian mythological legend, there lived two demons called Ilvala and Vatapi, who used to trick and eat passing mendicants. But when they were demolished by the ‘Agastya muni’, they turned into twin hills of Badami. This place saw much bloodshed, mainly between the Pallava and the Chalukyan dynasties. But during this bloodshed, there was also a glorious phase for the Indian temple architecture where both the dynasties contributed their part and evolved there was a Dravidian style of architecture that blended north Indian and south Indian styles.

Out of all the main temples, there are a group of four cave temples that the main historical attraction of Karnataka. The four caves are dedicated to Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu, Goddess Parvati and Adinath (Jain thirthankara).

In the first cave temple, you will find the different carvings and paintings of Lord Shiva in his ‘Nataraja’ pose. Dating back to that 5th century CE, it has some manifestations of Lord Shiva in his ‘Ardhanareeswara’ and ‘Harihara’ incarnations. You will find reliefs of Shanmukha, Ganapati and Mahishasuramardhini reliefs over there as well.

In second cave temple, you will find the images of Trivikrama and Varaha incarnations of Lord Vishnu. Covering the flight of sixty-four stairs, you reach the cave temple where you find images of Garuda and Vishnu, and so forth.

In the third cave temple, reached over 60 steps into a 100-feet cave, you will find the Trivikrama and Narasimha avatar images of Lord Vishnu. Dating back to around 578 CE, this cave temple also contains images of the Lord Shiva-Goddess Parvati divine marriage. It all flourished during the age of Kiritivarma Chalukya.

In the fourth one, you will get a glimpse of the sixth Jain culture. You will find the carving of the Parshavnatha thirthankara, Mahavira and Adinath thirthankara in this temple.

Apart from these temple caves, there are two other noteworthy temples of Dattatreya and Mallikarjuna, especially the latter one that was built on star shaped platform.

Then you cannot miss the Badami archaeological museum with the Nandi (bull of Lord Shiva) at the entrance. Moreover, you will get some of the best demonstrations of the Lajja-Gauri (fertility cult). You will also find the Shivalayas on the nearby hillocks. While the upper one, formed during the reign of Pulakeshi II, is dedicated to Lord Vishnu, the lower one is dedicated to Lord Ganesh. You get to see the firsthand show of Indian artillery (cannon) and a watchtower over there.

Constructed during the 5th century, there was a temple raised to the Lord Shiva, the lord of the five ‘Bhuta’ elements, and was called the Bhutanatha temple.

Well, that was quite a demonstration of the heritage destination, Badami of Karnataka.

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Shah Jahan raised the Moti Masjid also called as Pearl Mosque. The name of the mosque was given seeing the brilliance of the mosque. It seems to look like a white pearl. It took almost 6 years to complete this structure. It was started in the year 1648 and was successfully completed in the year 1654. The expenses were around 3 lakhs.

Architectural Brush of the Moti Masjid

This mosque is decorated elegantly on the footnotes of the Saint Basil’s Cathedral. It is constructed on the slopes from east to the west. There are side cloisters for the courtyard of this mosque. There are arched depressions and the main portico in this mosque. The roof of the sanctuary is made of 3 globular domes that are made of white marbles. They are made to rest on red sandstone walls. You get to see the Hindu style arched kiosks by the side of the walls. There are seven bays that are separated into many passageways that stand on the berths and lobed arches. Shah Jahan has made use of the white marble for architecture and the exteriors are made of red sandstone.

Other Specific Details of the Mosque

The mosque is entirely covered of marble. There is a tank that is located at the center. There is a sundial that is composed of an octagonal marble pillar. This is the pillar that is situated in one corner of this sundial. The pergola surrounds the courtyard in the north, south and the east of the twelve-sided pillars. You can find the cusped arches in the prayer hall. The main entrance of the mosque faces the east and it is huge and interesting. The other 2 subsidiary gates on the northern and southern side of the building are not so attractive. They have arches and three-square chhatris boast each other.

Location of Moti Masjid

It is situated to the north of the Diwan-i-Am complex in the Agra Fort. It is not a risk for you to reach this mosque from Agra. Agra is a major tourist destination of India and hence is well linked by air, road and rail. You can visit this place from any part of India.

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Agra is famous for its art and artifacts that were produced in the late Mughal era. There are many tourist destinations in Agra to visit. It has no historical background. The most attractive thing in this place is its art and architecture. It is famous for its art and the structures found in this place. There are a number of devotees visiting this place every year.

Current significance of Mangleshwar temple for people of Agra

Hindu festivals are celebrated every year in full enthusiasm and fun. It plays an important role in the Hindu festivals. During the festival time the temples are well designed. You can find a huge number of pilgrims and tourists visiting this place. There are statues of various Hindu deities in this place. It has become an important place for the devotees. The temple bells give a different type of feeling and relaxation for the devotees who visit this place.

There is a place where the elders sit and chat and a play area for the kids. More than Indians you can see the foreigners visiting this place. It has no restrictions for the people from different religions and customs. It not only supports the festivals but also other religious ceremonies. The guide will be there with you to help all your needs.

Location of Mangleshwar temple

To visit this place you need to go into the western part of the city center in the Gokal Pura region. To come here you need to reach Agra first. It is well linked to all the major cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, etc by road, rail and air.

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The Bageshwarnath temple is the famous temple in the city of Agra. There are foreigners who visit this place in huge masses every year. You can find the temple of Lord Shiva and goddess Parvati. It is the most sacred place for the Hindus. This holy place is famous for its art and sculptures. The localities come here to worship the god.

Architecture of Bageshwarnath temple

This is the primeval temple that occupies acres of land. Its beauty it self pulls the devotees and the pass byers. It is very beautiful and good to watch it. The Hindu festivals are celebrated grandly. You can see the disciples who come here to worship the god. They take part in the celebrations of the Hindu festivals. People from worldwide visit this place to get knowledge about the ancient times of India. The temple is grandly decorated during the time of festivals. The whole year devotees come to visit this place.

This temple is full of devotees all round the year. Old people and children come here to join the bhajans and kirtans. The women mostly visit this place to grant food and water for the god and goddess each dawn and dusk. The ringing of the bells gives a soothing effect to the ears of the people. They get all the peace and relaxation to the body and soul. Every morning and evening the purohits offer prayers to all the idols in the temple. There are many statues of lord Shiva and goddess Parvati.

Location of Bageshwarnath Temple

It is situated in Ramratan road on the northern part of Agra. It is just 2.5 kms away from the heart of the Agra city and is close to the railway station. You can hire a rickshaw to visit this place. Advance booking can be done through a private tour operator. The city is well connected by roadways, airways and railways with the major cities of India. You can travel by bus or train or flight to reach this place. This is the holy place that has to be visited without fail.

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The Mughal emperors ruled Agra for a long period of time. Their work and dedication is still living in the heart of the people staying in that place. It secures all the religious enterprises. You can find a variety of devotees in this place.

Holy places in Agra

The Jama Masjid: Is situated in Fatehpur Sikri. This is the largest mosque in India and is also named as Jami Masjid. Akbar erected this structure in 1571. You can have a look at the shrine of the Sheikh Salim Chisti who is the Sufi leader. The whole building is made of the lattice marble screens and red sand stone.

Moti Masjid: Is the monument that was built during the era of the Mughals. It is luminous and hence the name. They have made use of the white marble and hence called as the pearl mosque. It took almost 6 years to complete the construction. It was started in the year 1648 and ended in the year 1654. They spent around 3 lakh during the time of construction. It seems to be the replica of the Saint Basil’s Cathedral.

Bageshwarnath temple: Is the temple of lord Shiva and goddess Parvati. It is the most important religious destinations in India. This is the holy place where all the Hindu festivals are celebrated with lots of excitement and grace. There are many devotees from all over the world who come here to be a part of the religious celebrations.

Mangleshwar temple: It is an important place for the Hindu religion. The tourists like to visit this place for the most exotic experience. There is no history behind this temple but its beauty is what attracts the tourists. The crowd increases during the Hindu festival and they come here to take part in the Hindu rituals.

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Halebidu is one of the oldest regions located in Hassan district in Karnataka, India and it is a historical and ancient town in Karnataka. Halebid was the capital of Hoysala Dynasty, they ruled the region during 12^th and 13^th century and constructed numerous monuments and temples, it is one of the best examples of Hoysala architecture, and the Delhi Sultan between the year 1311 and 1327 shattered this region.

Halebidu is located at the distance of 30 kms from Hassan city and Belur is located 15 Kms away from Halebid and it is 211 kms away from Bangalore, the capital city of Karnataka state. Chikmagalur, Hassan, Tiptur, Channarayapattana, Arsikere, Mudigere, Sakleshpur and Belur surround Halebid. Pin code of Halebid is 518395 and coordinates are 13.2157° N, 75.9914° E.

Tourism in Halebid:

Halebidu is ancient and historical town in Hassan district, Karnataka. Halebidu has numerous beautiful Jain and Hindus Temples and attracts thousands of tourists throughout the year, these sculptural are carved on delicate soft stones, Halebidu is located close to Belur, and Halebidu and Belur are called as the twin town and famed as the temple towns of Karnataka state. Apart from temples, tourist can also enjoy the picnic spot in Yagachi Dam, with family and friends and archaeological society of India has museum, which has a wide collections of sculptures, artifacts, and various other historical evidences.

Places to Visit near Halebid:

Jain Temples: these temples are one of the renowned temples in Halebid and attract numerous tourists. These temples are famous for their decorated pillars, and are highly polished, next to the temples there are various mathas on Chandragiri Hill.

Hoysaleswara Temple: this is one of the major and most attracted temples in Halebid, Hassan and temple is devoted to Lord Shiva and well known for its intricately carved statues and carvings.

Channakeshava Temple: this temple was constructed during the Hoysala era devoted to Lord Vishnu, tourists can come across the finest carvings on the pillars, and these pillars are constructed by using soft soapstone and visited by the tourists around the world.

Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary: this is one of the major attractions among the nature lovers and this sanctuary covers an area around 102 sq Kms, located on the Western Ghats. The dense woods, shola grasslands, landscapes, and home for distinct wild animals bind this forest.

Shravanabelagola Temple: this is one of the renowned temples for the Jain followers and it is located in Shravanabelagola, this temple is situated in the middle of two mountains and renowned for 18 meters high monolithic statue of Lord Gomateshwara.

Other interesting places to Visit near Halebid:

• Kedareshwara Temple
• Archaeological Museum
• Yagachi Dam
• Shantaleswara Temple
• Basdi Halli
• Belur

Best Time to Visit Halebid:

Halebid is historical city in Hassan district in Karnataka, tourist’s visit this region throughout the year, and best time to visit Halebid is between the months of October to March, as climate will be pleasant during this season.

How to Reach Halebid?

By Air: Mangalore Airport is located at the distance of 185 Kms from Halebid and connects to various cities and towns in India, taxis are available from airport to Halebid town, and Bangalore International Airport is located at the distance of 235 Kms from Halebid.

By Train: Hassan Railway Station is the nearest railway station to Halebid, located at the distance of 32 Kms and connects to distinct cities and towns in India.

By Road: Halebid is located on the National Highway 234 and it connects to various towns and cities in Karnataka and government of Karnataka ply public and tourist buses to Halebid frequently from the corners of the state.

Hotels in or around Halebid:

Halebid is renowned for the historical monuments and temples and it is a small village but provides good accommodation facilities. Hotels in Halebid are classified into Budget, Deluxe and Luxury, Budget hotels cost from Rs. 300 to 1,000 and Deluxe Hotels cost from Rs 1,200 to 2,000 and luxury hotels cost from Rs 2,000 and above and provides all the facilities. Some of the prominent hotels in Halebid are listed below:

• KSTDC Mayura Shantala
• The Green Pastures
• Sumukha Residency
• Vishnu Krupa Lodge
• Vishnu Regency
• Shanthi Bhavan
• Sumuk Hotel
• Gayathri Bhavan
• The Green Pastures
• Hoysala Village Resort
• Suvarna Regency
• Stay Simple Riverdale
• Southern Star Hotel
• Sri Krishna Hotel
• Mayura Velapuri Hotel
• Mallige Residency
• Ashrita Hotel
• Gopis Farm

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Well, if you are a tourist who has done some research on India before he comes here, you will already know that one of favorite places for history buffs is the state of Karnataka. Though you have a city like Bangalore that is considered to be a main Information Technology hub, Karnataka stills holds its place as one of the best heritage destinations in India. Bringing out the complete flavor of the true traditional India in all its colors, Karnataka mesmerizes not only the international tourists but also the domestic tourists.

And when it comes to the best heritage destinations in Karnataka, how can we ever forget the name of Srirangapatna? Originally spelt as Srirangapatnam, this place is a mark to the great era of Tipu Sultan and Hyder Ali. Located in the Mandya district on the Mysore Highway coming from Bangalore, this is a must see place of Karnataka. The beauty of the town is that it is enwrapped within the river Cauvery and that separates it from the other places. It is a place of great historical, cultural and religious importance. If you are new to the state of Karnataka and want to taste the flavor of old and young India, you have to visit here, after Bangalore.

What you find in Srirangapatna is a question now. It sure sounds to be a small town, but it bears the bravado and glory of the great Hyder Ali and his legendary son, Tipu Sultan, who fought single-handed with the British with his legendary sword. Even the place where he fell dead is delineated with an obelisk. Within the main fort, you will be able to find the museum and the famous Sri Ranganathaswamy temple.

This is one of the oldest and most important Vaishnavi temples in the whole of the southern India. It was initiated by the rulers of the Ganga dynasty during the ninth century. It was renovated by the rulers of Vijayanagar and Hoysala dynasties. This temple is dedicated to the Lord Vishnu (Ranganatha). You will find these at the three pilgrimages, viz. Antya Ranga, Madhya Ranga and Adi Ranga. Even the western flowing section of the river Cauvery is considered to be sacred waters and pulls tourists from far and wide.

Haven’t you heard of the Masjid-E-Ala or the Jamia Masjid? This is the first monument that Tipu Sultan built. With around ninety-nine names of Allah carved on the wall of the monument, this is built in the middle of the 18th century. The spacious domes coupled with the minarets are what add to the mystical charm of the monument.

Amidst the famous Lal Bagh garden, you will come across the Gumbaz. Standing on a high plinth, this is the mausoleum of Tipu Sultan and his parents, Hyder Ali and Fatima Begum. You will love to watch the scenic beauty around from the verandah, surrounded by polished pillars. The typical dome shape, ivory inlaid windows and doors, carved stoned windows, and the favorite tiger stripes makes this monument a must watch for every tourist visiting Srirangapatna.

Would you like to see the prison that led to fear of the British? This is where Colonel Baird, Captain Rulay, Colonel Braithwaite, Lindsay, Samson and Frazer were imprisoned. Even the cannon ball that fell from the ceiling during a war is being kept with utmost care.

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You must have traveled Halebid, haven’t you? Of course, you have. You have traveled Belur, haven’t you? Yes, you have. But have you visited the ‘poor cousin’ of these two places? Don’t you know of what I am speaking? I am speaking of Somanthapura. Once, a place under the rule of the mighty Hoysala kingdom, Somanthapura comes with some absolute marvel of Hoysala temple architecture and that’s why it is one of the best heritage destinations in Karnataka.

Even in this age, when Karnataka is evolving as one of the most significant Information Technology hubs in the world, it is still being regarded highly as a great historical tourist destination. Not many places in India have been able to retain the rich historical and regal flavor that we once had. Not many places have been able to preserve the cultural and traditional heritage of what we boasted so highly. Karnataka is one place in the south India that really marks for its rich historical and cultural heritage. If you are someone who wants to know India a bit better, you have got to visit Karnataka.

Here you will find the prints of the great Hoysala dynasty who ruled during the 13th century. Somanthapura is a tiny village on the Kaveri riverbanks, on the southwest of the state of Karnataka. This village was discovered by popular army commander Somnath. Since he founded the place, he named it after his name. This has all been inscribed in Kannada script.

Somanthapura boasts of one of the most important monuments that convey the excellence of the Hoysala temple architecture. Even if you haven’t heard about Somanthapura, you must have heard of the Kesava temple, built in the year 1268AD. This temple was built just when the Hoysala kingdom was reaching its peak glory. Though it is not so famous as the Belur and the Halebid, but the temples of the Somanthapura better represent the brilliance of the temple architecture. That’s why it is called the poor cousin of Belur and Halebid.

The outside of the temples have star-shaped folded walls, with lots of exquisite figurines of gods and goddesses on it. It also has scenes depicted on it from the Hindu Puranas. The inside of the temples are even more beautifully carved and printed with figures of animals, birds, dancing girls and so forth. The temple is stellar shaped and have three copiously decorated pinnacles, coupled with one common Navaranga on a plinth.

Inside the inner sanctum, you would have previously found the idols of Janardhana, Keshava and Venugopala. Unfortunately the idol of Kesava is missing, but you can get a look at the rest two.

Somanthapura is not that much of a famous place, but it is one of the best heritage destinations in Karnataka. And remember, it is already a great tourist destination for the international tourists

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Ah, we are speaking of one of the most famous heritage centers of the world and that is Pattadakal. It is about a distance of 500 kilometers from Bangalore and about 22 kilometers from Badami. What do you find in Pattadakal? What makes Pattadakal so special? It is its architectural excellence! It is the paradise for any art historian. With lots of varied styles, this place looks as if it has been carved by God’s own hands. And how come this small relatively unknown place is so beautifully decorated with some of the most wonderful temples out there? Who chose this place? It is what the rulers of the Chalukyan dynasty decided to do, of course, when she shifted their capital to Pattadakal.

Located in the Bagalkot district of northern Karnataka, just near the banks of the Malaprabha River, this place is a living attestation of the Chalukyan architectural brilliance and value. During the 7-8th century, they built around 10 breathtaking examples of temples all around the place as if they were trying to experiment and each of their experiments turned out to be exemplars for the future generation, some form of legacy they set and a new standard they reached.

Four of the main temples are built on the Dravidian (south Indian) style of architecture and four shows a Nagara (north Indian) style of architecture. The Papanatha temple shows a hybrid sort of style. One important characteristic of this place is the sand, which is red in color. And this is why Pattadakal has been named as Kisuvolal, which means red stone.

The main tourist attraction of the place is the Virupaksha temple. Built on a Dravidian style of architecture, it marks the glory of victory of Vikramaditya’s II over the Pallava dynasty in 735 CE. It is extremely beautiful and more beautiful than the others are. The temples were named as Lokeshwara (after Lokadevi) and Trilokeshwara (after Trilokadevi). Later on, they were renamed as Virupaksha and Mallikarjuna respectively. It has nicely carved images and figurines of Ugra Narasimha, Nataraj, Gajendramoksham, Ravananugrahamurthy and Shiva. It is considered to be a replica of the Kailashanatha temple (Kanchi). In fact, this is the largest temple inside the complex.

But then there are precious others such as Sangameshwara temple. The oldest of all, Sangameshwara temple was built by the King Vijayaditya. It is a similar structure as the Virupaksha temple with a inner sanctum, passage and hall. You will find some nice Narasimha and Nataraj figurines carved around on the walls.

If you loved the Virupaksha temple, I bet you will love the Mallikarjuna temple, a smaller version of the former. Trilokadevi built it in the year 745 CE and gave it an excellence artistic historical touch with the ceilings of Nataraj, Parvati and Gajalakshmi, pillars carved of the scenes depicting life of Lord Krishna, and several sculptures of Ugra Narasimha and Mahishasuramardhini.

You will also find the north Indian styled Kasivisveshwara temple to be an appeal to the eye. This was the last early Chalukyan art for that matter. Well, this was built by the Rashtrakuta dynasty. Another one built by the Rashtrakuta dynasty is the Jain temple, in the 9th century. With some excellent sculptures and carvings, this is a beauty to look at.

One of the most beautiful of all is the Papanatha temple. It was started in the north Indian Nagara style but was later shifted to the south Indian Dravidian style. Have you seen the Navabrahma temples (Alampur) built by the Chalukyas (Badami)? It bears a strong resemblance with that. It also has sculptures of the scenes of Mahabharata and Ramayana. You will also love the Jain basadis and the Galaganatha temple, which has a special curvilinear shikhara.

And when you have visited Pattadakal, how can you miss the popular dance festival? Then you have the Virupaksha temple car festival held around March. You will get a feel of the south Indian flavor.

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Name one place that is famous for sandalwood, ivory, silk and wooden carved furniture – It has to be the Mysore of Karnataka. Located a few kilometers from Bangalore, this magnificent city (also the second largest city in the whole state of Karnataka) lies near the Chamundi Hills. It is one of the best-known tourist destinations in India. The most charming thing about it is its mystic appeal. It may have grown modern over the time, but nonetheless the mystical antique charm is still intact. Yet it is renowned for its silk and sandalwood, and that it deserves to be.

Mysore was the capital city of the famous Wodeyar dynasty since the fourteenth century and it was until India got its freedom from the British. For a brief time, it was ruled by Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan, but the Wodeyars again conquered it back from that. And since then, Mysore has always been some kind of fantasyland for all of us. It welcomes tourists from within India and from other parts of the world. It has been hailed as the city of awesome temples, cool shady avenues, high imposing buildings and beautiful gardens. How can we forget the soothing atmosphere of Mysore? Lying at a level of around 770m over sea level, this place enjoys a very soothing and calm climate, neither too hot nor too cold.

The name Mysore comes from the word ‘Mahishashura’ or ‘Mahisur’. It is supposed to be the town of a demon king who lived here. The goddess Chamundeshwari killed the atrocious buffalo headed monster ‘Mahisur’. This place is very rich in history and culture. It dates back to the age of the Mahabharata. We find proofs of the Ganga dynasty who ruled here from the second to the tenth century. Then you have the Cholas, Chalukyas, Hoysalas, Vijayanagar dynasty and then the Yadu dynasty at last in the 13th century.

If you are looking for a great tour to the India’s past, you should visit this place. You will find the Mysore Palace. You will love this mansion of a building, built on a rare Indo-Saracenic style and has seven arches just on the entrance. It is of three storeys but the tower goes up to five storeys and it is about 150ft high. The general people can only see the Gombi Thotti, Kalyana Mandapam, Amba Vila and Durbar Hall. The Kalyana Mandapam is extremely beautiful with lots of scenes of the Dasara festival printed on the walls. You will love the stained glass ceiling with the peacock design. Then there’s the Durbar Hall with some of the most wonderful pictures of the royal family painted by Raja Ravi Varma. On the first floor itself, you get the Amba Vilas with exquisite designs on doors and walls.

How can someone miss the sight of the sumptuous royal throne build fully of gold pillars and umbrella?

Are you willing to cover the 1000 steps to see the Chamundi deity? It is in the famous Chamundi hills. You will also find a giant statue of the demon ‘Mahishashura’ and the Nandi bull as well.

Built by Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV, the Brindavan Gardens stand as a mark of beauty and purity to the tourists. Fraught with pretty flowerbeds, pools, fountains, these place rocks at night when it is illuminated.

Daria Daulat Bagh is one place that you should visit. It contains the memories of the brave Tipu Sultan. It roars of the bravado of Tipu Sultan against the British. Even the place where he fell dead is delineated. Then there’s the museum, the tomb of Tipu Sultan.

It is called one of the best heritage destinations in Karnataka for a reason. When you go out shopping, the sandal soaps, and the incense sticks, silk saris are enough to mesmerize anyone.

You should also visit the Jagan Mohan Art Gallery. Some of the best paintings and sculptures are to be found here.

When it is art, architecture and education, Mysore is the best heritage destination in Karnataka.

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