There are two popular temples in the temple town of Udupi which are generally visited by most of the pilgrims coming to see Krishna in Udupi. These are the temples of Mahakali and Janardana located in Ambalapady. The existence of these two temples together is itself considered rare, apart from…
The history of Udupi is integrally connected with a small but great centre of spiritual importance, known as Pajaka Kshetra. Situated only 11 kms. north-east of Udupi, this little known locality is a part of the Kunjaru grama, locally called as ‘Pajeyi’ in the Tulu language. This village has been…
Udupi, a flourishing town on the west coast of Karnataka, very near Mangalore, is the seat of Lord Krishna and a holy pilgrim centre for all Hindus, particularly for the Madhva followers. It is famous for the Krishna temple, which was established here by Sri Madhvacharya, the propounder of Dwaita…
Once the capital of Gangas and Cholas, ancient Talakad is situated on the left bank of the river Cauvery in Mysore district. There are five famous shrines of Lord Shiva, besides several others, popularly known as ‘Pancha Linga’ and one Vaishnava temple dedicated to Kirthi Narayana, which is said to…
Tippu Sultan, though called an intolerant bigot, by some historians incorrectly, had unusual respect and devotion to the Sringeri Math and its Swamiji. Twenty three letters written by Tippu Sultan addressed to Sri Sachchidananda Bharati Swamiji, the contemporary Guru of Sringeri, have come to light during the recent repairs to…
The beautiful little town of Sringeri, an ancient seat of religious learning, is situated at a distance of about 90 kms. west of Chickmagalur in Karnataka state, on the left bank of river Tunga. It is hallowed by the sacred memory of Adi Shankara, the great exponent of Advaita system…
Sringeri, a beautiful little town on the banks of river Tunga, in Chikmagalur district of Karnataka, nestles at the foot of the Western Ghats, in the midst of fields of paddy and climbing palms of coconut and areca, and timber trees. It was once a city with epic associations. The…
Somanathapur temple, not to be confused with Somnath temple near Veraval in Sourashtra, which was pillaged by Mohammad of Ghazni, is a temple of great architectural and sculptural beauty. It is located in a small village, about 40 kms. east of Mysore City in Karnataka. Situated on the right bank…
Yallamma temple is situated on a hillock, about 5 kms. from the town Savadatti near Dharwar of Karnataka. It is a popular place of pilgrimage for many devotees and families of Karnataka and Maharashtra. Every day, pilgrims visit the temple of Yellamma with great devotion. The full moon days during…
Nandi has also a picturesque hill by the side of the town. It is also famous for its ancient monuments and temples and particularly as a popular summer resort. The high granite hill is encircled by Gopinatha Gudda, Brahma giri and Chennakeshava Betta. Nandi is the highest place in the…
Nandi is a small town at the bottom of the well known hill resort, Nandi Hills, situated at a distance of about 60 kms. north-east of Bangalore, and is famous for the ancient Shiva temple, popularly known as Bhoganandishwara. The temple as it appears today, is composite. The Chollas, the…
On the outskirts of Mysore City, is a rocky hill rising to a height of 1063 metres above sea level. Owing to it isolated position and precipitous sides, it renders the position of Mysore city conspicuous. The oldest temple on this hill is that of Mahabaleshwar, which was endowed by…
Melkote, the celebrated place of Sri Vaishnavites, is very near Mysore city on the road to the famous Jain shrine at Shravanabelagola. Picturesquely situated on the rocky hills of Yadugiri at a height of about 1200 metres above sea level and overlooking the Tirumalasagara and the Cauvery valley, it is…
Kolhapura ‘Adi Maha Lakshmi’, popularly known as ‘Kollur Mookambika’, is an ancient sacred Sri Kshetra and a famous Siddhi Kshetra, whose mythological lore runs back to millenniums. It is an enchanting place in the midst of a t hick forest, encircled by mountain ranges all round, with line natural beauty.…
Notable among the dynasties which have left their deep impression in South India is the Chalukyan dynasty which allowed diversity of religious sects, Buddhism, Jainism, Shaivism, etc., to influence art and archaeology, with the result that this region became an active centre of treat to architectural development. The Chalukyan style…
Hampi, or ‘Pampa’ as it was known centuries ago, stands on the southern bank of river Tungabhadra in Hospet taluk of Bellary district of Karnataka. A World Heritage centre, Hampi, is the most beautiful and captivating of all ruins in Karnataka. It is full of delightful surprises comprising of ancient…
Halebidu, meaning ‘Old camp’, the famous capital of the Hoysala line of kings between the 11th and 14th centuries, is very near Belur, and has developed into a famous tourist spot. It was founded in the 11th century before Belur came to prominence and was known as Dorasamudra, Dwarasamudra or…
Gadag, a prosperous town of importance in Dharwad district of Karnataka, was known in the ancient days by various names, as Kratuka, Kratupura, Kardugu, Galadugu and Gadagu. It was also known as ‘Maha Agrahara’. One of the inscriptions found in the region mentions that Gadag was a part of Belavola, a…
The Biligiri Rangan Hills, popularly called as the B.R.Hills in short, are situated near Mysore of Karnataka, and the place has an ancient temple dedicated to Ranganatha. ‘Biligiri’ in Kannada means ‘white hill’ and from the plains the hill range looks greyish, enveloped by white clouds. Surrounded by thick forests…
Temples in South India have achieved marked excellencerecogni sed universally. The modern world, which places considerable importance on the achievements and benefits of technology, often finds it hard to comprehend the exemplary work that has gone into the making of beautiful temples and monuments by the sweat of the brow…
The period starting from the 5th century till the 8th century A.D., witnessed a brisk temple building activity around Aihole, Badami and Pattadakal – all in the Bijapur district of Karnataka. The movement initiated several significant forms of temples, which later developed into characteristic Nagara and Dravidian styles. Of the…
The region neighboring the southern parts of Badami in the Bijapur district of Karnataka begins from the Sitimati hills. The landscape is typically that of gnesiss and granite, with irregular rock exposures separated by black soil. Locked in-between two gorges, Badami was the flourishing capital in the Chalukyan days, as…
On the left bank of Malaprabha river lies the world heritage centre of Pattadakal. Like Aihole and Badami, Pattadakal is noteworthy for its beautiful early Western Chalukyan temples. They belong to the time of Vikramaditya II (whose art loving queen Trailokyamahadevi reverently named the deity after herself). Pattadakal, or ‘Pattada…
Situated picturesquely at the foot of two hills and a beautiful expansive tank, Badami is a small town in Bijapur district of Karnataka, which is now an important tourist centre. Badami, under the name of Vatapi was the capital of the Chalukyas in the sixth century. It is famous lor…
Off the beaten track of modern progress, situated in Bijapur district of Karnataka, on the banks of the Malaprabha river, is a squalid little village known as Aihole, originally known as Ayyavole. The place name has a legendary origin and is associated with Parashurama, who having destroyed the whole race…
