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Karnataka Travelogue - One State Many Worlds as said!!

Karnataka Travelogue - One State Many Worlds as said!!
A land blessed with many fascinating worlds. Discover ageless monuments, world heritage sites, lush green forests, amazing wildlife, exotic bird sanctuaries, spectacular waterfalls, romantic hill stations, timeless temples, pristine beaches, exhilarating adventure sports and vibrant art & culture. As you traverse through the length and breadth of Karnataka, be spellbound by every facet of this amazing land.
Karnataka - One State Many Worlds
Karnataka - One State Many Worlds
Get astonished by the geological wonders at Yana and St Mary's Island, which will make you ponder how amazing our planet is. Go on an educative tour over the largest and most popular Zoo in India, Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens or the Mysore Zoo.

Rock Formations of Yana, Uttara Kannada
Rock Formations of Yana, Uttara Kannada
St Marry's Island
St Marry's Island
Get thrilled by a long list of waterfalls, may it be the Jog falls of Shimoga which is the second-highest plunge waterfalls in India or the mesmerising Hebbe Falls.
Apart from Abbey falls, Kodagu has to offer many other clean waterfalls right from the virgin forests of western ghats such as Iruppu Falls, Mallali Falls & Chelavara Falls.
Mesmerising Mallalli Falls, Coorg
Mesmerising Mallalli Falls, Coorg
Bharachukki and Gaganachukki falls of Mandya are one of the largest and most popular ones in Karnataka.

Uttara Kannada district has a number of fascinating waterfalls including Unchalli Falls, Magod Falls, Sathodi Falls and Vibhooti Falls.
Untouched Waterfalls of Uttara Kannada District

Some of the other popular ones include the Gokak falls & Godachinmalki Falls of Belgaum, Sirimane falls & Kadambi falls of Chikmagalur, Hidlumane Falls & Koodlu Theertha Falls of Shimoga.

A treasure trove for heritage sites:

Karnataka is home for a number of heritage monuments mostly developed during the Chalukya, Hoysala and Vijayanagara reign.
Hoysala Monuments: The Architecture of Hoysala monuments are of an Independent style. Hoysala monuments are one of the most intricate and artistic, mostly constructed during 10th and 11th century A.D.

Finest examples of Hoysala Architecture today are the Chennakesava Temple at Belur, Kesava Temple at Somanathapura, the Hoysaleswara Temple at Halebidu and Ishvara temple at Arasikere.

Sculptures of Halebid, 1121 C.E
Sculptures of Halebid, 1121 C.E
Want more on Hoysala Architecture?? Click below links

Chalukyan Monuments: Chalukyan monuments can be found in Badami, Pattadakal, Aihole, Lakkundi and Dambal. Some of them are as old as 5th century A.D. Pattadakal is designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Badami Cave temple - 6th century
Badami Cave temple - 6th century
Want more on Chalukya Architecture?? Click below links

Vijayanagara Monuments: The Vijayanagara ruins are at Hampi in Bellary district, which is also a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Vittala Temple Complex, Hampi - 15th century AD
Vittala Temple Complex, Hampi - 15th century AD
Want more on Vijayanagara Architecture?? Click below links

Islamic architecture: Bijapur has some of the popular Islamic style monuments including the Gol Gumbaz and Ibrahim Roza.
                           
Jain Monuments of Shravanabelagola: They are over a thousand years old, most prominent among them is the statue of Gomateshwara, which is one of the tallest monolithic statues in the world.
Palaces of Mysore: Mysore is popular for its royal palaces, most popular is the Mysore Palace which is also one of the most beautiful and highest visited Palace in India. Some of the other popular ones include the Lalitha Mahal Palace and Jaganmohan Palace.
Mysore Palace Illuminated
Mysore Palace Illuminated
Home for Wildlife:
Karnataka is home for 5 national parks & 18 wildlife sanctuaries, and the total geographical area of the state is covered with over 20% of forest area(Notified Forests and Deemed Forests of Karnataka).
The total cover of reserved forest in Karnataka is 29,550 km² which is about 15% of the total area of Karnataka state at 191,976 sqkm.
Elephant at Bandipur
Elephant at Bandipur
Karnataka is home for highest number of tigers in India, about 406 tigers, which is about 18% of total tigers in India as per Tiger census of 2014. There are 5 tiger reserves in Karnataka.
Karnataka is also home for largest number of Wild Elephants in India which is about 5648-6488 elephants, constituting about 20% of total elephant population of India according to Estimation of Wild Elephant population in the year 2012 held by Project Elephant (PE) launched by the Government of India.
There are over 1,129 Leopards in Karnataka, which is the second highest Leopard population in India, only after Madhya Pradesh.


Get into the wilderness over a safari ride, into one of these Wildlife Sanctuaries or head out to Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary to capture some of the exotic migratory birds on your cameras.
Spoonbill at Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary
Spoonbill at Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary
Mesmerising Hill Stations:
Karnataka is Blessed with rich biodiversity, unpolluted and less explored hills, covered with thick forests, spectacular waterfalls, and misty clouds. The Western Ghats of Karnataka are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The beautiful sunrise at Agumbe or the enchanting sunset at Jeenukallu gudda, is what you cannot afford to miss. Agumbe receives second highest rainfall in India and is also having one of the largest concentration of King Cobras.
Sunset at Jeenukallu Gudda, Yellapur
Sunset at Jeenukallu Gudda, Yellapur

 The scenic & soothing Coorg is the most popular hill station of Karnataka, and also the most preferred summer destination.
Mandalpatti, Coorg
Mandalpatti, Coorg
The breathtaking views and panoramic shola-grassland slopes of Chikmagalur make it a heaven for trekkers. Mullayanagiri being the Highest peak in Karnataka, Kemmanagundi & Kudremukh are the other two popular hill stations in Chikmagalur District. Kodachadri & BR Hills are also gaining popularity in the recent past.
Beaches:
Kapu Beach, Udupi
Kapu Beach, Udupi
The west coast stretching from Mangalore to Karwar has some of the finest and cleanest beaches in India. Most popular ones are the Om beach and Kudle beach of Gokarna, Udupi’s Kaup/Kapu Beach, Panambur Beach in Mangalore and Murudeshwar beach.

Tourism in Karnataka has everything to offer for all your travel desires.
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Location: Karnataka, India

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