About Karnataka
Karnataka is derived from the word “Karunadu” which means a land of black soil. It is a state situated in south of India. This land is blessed with a long coastline and bio diverse rich western ghats abundant in exotic flora and fauna. Karnataka is rewarded with very fertile plains and soil, strong river system, minerals and human resources. Karnataka is a prosperous land with its own literature, art, culture and has religious, spiritual and historically famous pilgrimage centers.
Mysore is called the city of palaces and was the erstwhile capital of wodeyar kings. It is a popular city with many tourist attractions like Mysore palace, Mysore Zoo, St Philomena’s Church, Lalitha Mahal Palace, Chamundi Hills, Brindavan Gardens, Krishnaraja Sagar Dam and Government Silk Factory. Many popular hills stations and temples which can be reached from mysore are Nanjangud shiva temple, Somanathpur Chennakeshava Temple, BR Hills, Male Mahadeshwara Temple and Bandipur National Park. Srirangapatna another historical town close to mysore has several attractions like Tippu Sultans palace, Ranganatha swamy temple, the Tomb of Hyder Ali, Daria Daulat, Nimishamba Temple and Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary.
Madikeri also known as coorg is a picturesque hill station with rolling hills of coffee estates, dense jungles and unique culture and language of their own. Some of the places to visit around Coorg are Abbey falls, Eruppu Water falls, Bhagamandala and Nararahole National Park. Chickmagalur is another popular hill station in western ghats with popular peaks like Baba budan giri and kemmannugundi hills. Horanadu and Sringeri are holy pilgrimage centers in chickmagalur.
Belur, Halebedu and statue of Shravnabelagola in Hassan depict the rich sculptural heritage of Karnataka. Hampi is an ancient city included in the World Heritage sites by UNESCO is famous for Virupaksha temple,Vithala Swamy temple and Irugappas Basti.
Mangaluru, Udupi, Karwar, Gokarna and Kumuta are popular cities with beautiful beaches and pilgrimage centers.
The land of Karnataka offers plenty of attractions and experiences for the traveler.