Eternal India Encyclopedia

ETERNAL INDIA encyclopedia

A GREAT DESTINATION

River drops 253 metres in four distinctly separate falls known as the Rani, the Rocket, the Raja and the Roarer. The best time to see them is just after the monsoon. Even in the dry season they are superb. Udupi : Further up the coast from Mangalore is Udupi, where the 13th century Sri Krishna Temple is located. Malpe : Only 5 km from Udupi, Malpe has a good beach, swim- ming and fishing. Maravanthe : There's another good beach here, 9km from Coon- dapur. Kollur, 30 km from Maravanthe, is a famous pilgrimage centre. Mookambika temple was founded by Shankaracharya. Ankola : There's a beach at this small village. Near Ankola the village of Gokama is an important pilgrimage place because of the Mahabaleshwara temple. Karwar : Only a short distance south of Goa, 56km north of Gokarna, Karwar has excellent beaches. OTHER PLACES IN CENTRAL KARNATAKA Chitradurga : On the Bangalore-Hampi road Chitradurga has a famous fort of the Naik Pallegars of the 17th and 18th centuries. Harihar : On the Bangalore-Hubli railway link, Harihar has a Hoysala temple dating from 1223 A.D. The image in the temple is of Harihar, half-Shiva, half-Vishnu. Sringeri : In the coffee-growing hills of Chikmagalur, near Harihar, Sringeri is the first of the four maths or centres of religious learning founded by Shankaracharya. Hampi : 13 kms from Hospet. Was once the capital of Vijay- anagar, one of the largest Hindu empires in Indian history. Among the sights to be seen in Hampi are the Vittala temple, Hazarama temple, Virupaksha temple and the palace area with its Dasara temple, Lotus Mahal, Queen's Bath, Watch tower and the Elephant stables. Tungabhadra dam: Is the largest masonry dam in the world. It is 24 metres long and 49 metres high and has created a lake some 370 square km in area. The dam is used to generate electricity and to irrigate Bellary and Raichur in Karnataka and Cuddappah and Kurnool districts in Andhra Pradesh. Badami, Pattadakal and Aihole. These three small villages were once the capital cities of the Chalukyas who ruled the greater part of the central Deccan between the 4th and 8th centu- ries. Some of the earliest and first Dravidian temple architecture can be seen here. The main attractions of Badami are the five rock-cut cave temples, all connected by flights of steps. Bijapur : Full of ruined and still-intact gems of 15th to 17th century Muslim architecture - mosques, mausoleums, palaces and fortifications. Its world famous monument is the Gol Gum- baz. Its dome is the second largest in the world, after St. Paul's in Rome. It has a whispering gallery which can repeat any sound ten times over. Jami - e- Masjid : This is another finely proportioned building with graceful arches, a fine dome and a large innei courtyard containing fountains and a reservoir. It is quite a large monument covering an area of 10,800 square metres and has room for 2250 wor- shippers. Bidar : This little visited town in the extreme north-east comer of the state was the capital of the Bahmani Kingdom from 1428 and later of the Barid Shahi dynasty. It has an impressive 15th century

Belur & Halebid : The sculptural decoration on these superb temples rivals the temple of Khajuraho and Konarak. The outside walls and much of the interior are covered with an endless variety of Hindu deities, sages, stylised animals and birds and friezes depicting the life and times of the Hoysala rulers. The Hoysaleswara temple at Halebid was started in 1121 A.D. There is also a smaller temple, the Kedareswara, at Halebid. At Belur, the Channakeshava temple was built in 1117 A.D. by King Vishnuvardhana. Belur was the capital of the Hoysala Empire before it was shifted to Halebid. Sravanabelagola : This is one of the oldest and most important Jain pilgrimage centres in India and site of the huge 17 metre (57 ft) high statue of Lord Bahubali (Gomateshvara) said to be the world's tallest monolithic statue. It overlooks the small town of Sravanabelagola from the top of the rocky hill known as Indragiri and is visible even. at a distance of 25 km. The word 'Sravanabelagola' means the monk on the top of the hill'. It is a Digambara or 'sky-clad' Jain shrine. During the spectacular Mahamastakabhisheka ceremony, which takes place once every 12 to 14 years Sravanabelagola be- comes a Mecca for thousands of pilgrims and tourists from all over India and abroad. The climax of the Mahamastakabhisheka in- volves the anointing of Lord Bahubali's head with thousands of pots of coconut milk, yoghurt, ghee, bananas, jaggery, dates, al- monds, poppy seeds, milk, gold coins, saffron and sandalwood from the top of a scaffolding erected for the purpose. Coorg : Until 1956, when it was included in Karnataka, Coorg was a separate mini-state. A mountainous area, Coorg is in the south- west of Karnataka bordering with Kerala. Mercara : The capital of Coorg stands 124km west of Mysore. There is a fort here which has played an important part in Karna- taka's history, and also the Omareswara temple. This region is green, scenic and fertile and an important coffee-growing area. Mangalore : At one time Mangalore was a port of great im- portance and was the major seaport and ship building centre of Hyder Ali's kingdom. Even today it is a major centre for export of coffee and cashewnuts. The Sultan's Battery, the old lighthouse and St. Aloysius College Chapel are all worth seeing. AROUND MANGALORE Dharmastala: A little south of the Mangalore - Belur road, about halfway between the two there are a number of Jain bastis at Dharmastala, including the famous Manjunatha Temple. There is also a 14 m-high statue of Lord Bahubali which was erected in 1973. Venur : Mid-way between Mangalore and Dharmastala, 41 km from the latter, Venur has eight bastis and the ruins of a Ma- hadeva temple. An 11-metre-high statue of Lord Bahubali stands on the South bank of the Gurupur River, where it was installed in 1604. Mudbidri : At this site 22 km from Venur there are 18 bastis, the oldest of which is the Chandranatha temple with its 1000 richly carved pillars. Karkala : A further 31 km north of Mudbidri are several important temples and a 13 metre-high statue of Lord Bahubali, which was completed in 1432. Jog Falls : 348 km north-west of Mysore at the terminus of the Birur railway line, Jog Falls are the highest in India The Sharavati