Yana - North Canara

Yana is located at a distance of 25 km from Kumta, a coastal town and 40 km from Sirsi. Yana is located in the lush evergreen forests of the Western Ghats in Uttara Kannada district.
The Bhairaveshwara Shikhara and the Mohini Shikhara or peaks are the main attraction of Yana. These unique rock formations have made Yana a popular destination for pilgrims, trekkers, and nature lovers.The Bhairaveshwara peak is about 120 meters and the Mohini peak is about 90 meters from its base. These two peaks are solid composition of black crystalline limestone.As per the mythology, Lord Vishnu (as Mohini) killed an evil demon, Basmasura at this place.A cave temple dedicated to Lord Shiva is found at the base of the Bhairaveshwara shikhara. Water drips from the projecting rocks over the Shiva linga, and people call this water as Gangodbhava.

The cave temple at Yana is the most popular destination. This is known as the shrine of Bhairaveshvara. You need to walk 3 km into the dense forest, before you come across spectacular black limestone jagged rock formations known as Bhariraveswara Shikhara and Mohini Shikhara.The cave temple lies below these peaks and a 'shivlinga' and a bronze idol of 'Chandika' are enshrined inside the large cave.
Yana is natural wonder, where two giant rock formations have sprung up; from nowhere on the top of mountains. It has probably happened due to molten lava or a meteor having struck the earth. The rock formations are huge; 120 and 90 meters high from their base. They are named as Bhairaveshawar Shikhar and Mohini Shikhar.
In case you are travelling to Murudeshawar or Gokarna; we recommend this place as a must visit. It is on Kumta – Sirasi road, some what 16 km inside forest. The road goes through lush green trees and at places it is just a dust track. Once you are at base camp; it’s a trek upwards of approximately 2 km; which takes close to 1 hr 30 mins for average persons. There is temple at top and you can get water, tea, snacks etcThe idol of Goddess Parvathis is found at the base of the Mohini Shikara.

Where to stay:

There is no accommodation at Yana. It is suggested to stay at Kumta or Sirsi.

Distances from Yana

Kumta: 25 km, Sirsi: 40 km, Bangalore: 500 km

Dharmasthala

Situated on the banks of river Nethravathi and surrounded by the lush green forests and hills of Malnad, Dharmasthala is known for it's beautiful surroundings and Sri Manjunathaswamy Temple. In Dharmasthala, charity is a way of life, extended to all without discrimination. Sri Dharmasthala which is one of the sacred places in South India and is a famous pilgrim centre. It is situated in the village of Dharmasthala, in Beltangady Taluk of South Kanara district about 75 kms from Mangalore.

Originally this place was called Kuduma, it has rich history of over 800 years. The History of this place says that, one day about 800 years ago, angels in the form of human beings came to house of pious people, Barmana Heggade and his family. The couple received the visitors with joy and respect. Impressed with the hospitality and the treatment given by the family, the angels appeared in their dream and promised to stay at Kuduma. They also ordered Barmana Heggade to give donations and food for the needy everyday. As per the wish of the angels Barmana Heggade built temples forKalarahu, Kalarkai, Kumarswamy and Kanyakumariand performed the rituals and ceremonies from time to time.

Sometime later when Annappa Swamy, the messenger of the angels brought Shivalingam from Kadri in Mangalore, Heggade built a temple of Manjunatha Swamy and installed the Kadri's Shiva Linga there.

Henceforth, several ceremonies were held together forManjunatha Swamy, Chandranatha Swamy and the angels. Kuduma became Dharmasthala, the place where Dharma is a way of life.Now Dharmasthala is beautiful city with modern houses, magnificient buildings and tourist bungalows. There are many educational institutions providing basic and higher educations.

Even after several years, the Heggade family have continued to serve the place with donations etc.Some of the prominent in the Heggade dynasty are Kumarayya Heggade, Manjayya Heggade (the second), Chandayya Heggade, Rathna Verma Heggade.

Jog Falls - Shimoga

Jog Falls ,created by the Sharavathi River falling from a height of 253 meters (829 ft) is the highest plunge waterfall in India Located in Shimoga District of Karnataka state, these segmented falls are a major tourist attraction. It is also called by alternative names of Gerusoppe falls, Gersoppa Falls and Jogada Gundi. Jog is situated 30 kilometres away from Sagara,(Shimoga Dist)

River Sharavathi splits up into four different tracks which are named in accordance with their perceived trajectories. Going from left to right,the names and the reasons for naming are:
Raja (King): Named so because of its apparently 'dignified' and 'serene' fall.
Roarer: This stream appears out of a mass of rocks, making a tremendous amount of noise.
Rocket: Consists of a large volume of water streaming out of a small opening at a very high speed.
Rani (Queen): also called Lady: The stream has a winding, twisting trajectory, said to resemble the movements of a female dancer.

Best Time to visit:August-December is considered the season of best flow and the best time to visit

Nearest railway station: Shimoga

Nearest Airport: Mangalore / Hubli

How to Reach:

You can reach Jog Falls directly by availing of buses to Jog from Bangalore. Alternatively, from Bangalore you can take a bus to Sagara, from where local bus to Jog is available

From Sagar - 30kms

From Shimoga -104 kms
From Bangalore- 379 kms

Where to stay:

There are many hotels in Jog. One can also stay in sagar and visit Jog.
KSTDC (Karnataka Govt) owns a hotel which is recommended

Hotel Mayura Gerusoppa,,Jog Falls, Shimoga District - 577 435 Karnataka, India.
Tel : 91-08186-4732

Horanadu - Annapoorneshwari Temple

Horanadu is a hindu holy city located in Chickmagalur district, Karnataka, India. The deity at the Annapoorneshwari Temple at Horanadu is Annapurneshwari. The idol of goddess Annapurneshwari was established in 1973 in the temple.

The name "Annapoorneshwari" means "Feeding one and all". The uniqueness of this temple is everybody who visit this temple are provided with food (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner) and place to sleep in the temple premises. Shri Bheemeshwara Joshi is the present Dharmakartaru of Annapoorneshwari temple.

Distances from Horanadu:1. Kalasa: 7 Kms 2. Chikmagalur: 100 Kms (District head quarters) 3. Sringeri: 75 Kms 4. Bangalore: 330 kms

Nearest Airport: Mangalore

Nearest Railway Station: Shimoga

How to reach Horanadu:Horanadu is well connected by roads various KSRTC & Private Buses ply daily to Horanadu from various places.

Where to stay:Boarding and lodging facility is provided by Temple trust. Temple guest houses are available to stay. If rooms are not available, devotees can keep their bags and luggages at luggage room and sleep at temple premisis.

Postal address:Adi-Shaktyatmaka Shree Annapoorneshwari Temple

Horanadu, Chikmagalur District,Pincode: 577181

Pooja Timings:

1) Morning 6:30 AM – 9:00 AM

2) Noon 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM

3) Evening 7:00 PM – 9:30 PM

Meals Timings:

Noon 12:30 AM – 2:30 PM

Night 8:00 PM – 9:45 PM

Badami

Badami is the epitome of Karnataka's love towards art and architecture. This north Karnataka site is known for its beautifully carved cave temples, artificial lake, museums and rock-cut into the cliff face of a red sandstone hill of 6th & 7th Century. This village is located at the beginning of a ravine in the midst of red sandstone hills in northern Karnataka. Badami is an excellent tour option in case you like to explore the remains of the distant past in the form of caves, temples and forts, other monuments and ruins that remind you of the grandeur, lifestyle and ways of the past. Travel to Badami can be the ideal holiday choice.

Badami was at one time the capital of the Chalukyas. The Pallavas, who had been defeated by Pulakesi II, later captured and destroyed Badami to avenge their defeat. Badami was also in the possession of the Vijayanagar Kings, the Adil Shahis, the Savanur Nawabs, the Marathas, Hyder Ali and finally the British who made it part of the Bombay Presidency. A number of annual temple festivals are held in towns near Badami. The annual temple festival, held at Banashankari, in the month of January-February is worth visiting; so are the Virupaksha Temple Car Festival and Mallikarjuna Temple Festival held in Pattadakal during March-April.

How to Reach Badami

Air: The nearest airport is Belgaum (150 kms)

Rail: Badami is on the Hubli-Sholapur rail route. There are six daily trains from Badami to Bijapur. The railway station is 5 km from the town.

Road: There are buses to and from Bijapur, Bagalkot, Hospet, Hubli, Bangalore and Kolhapur. The distance of Badami from Hubli is128 km and from Bijapur 132 kms

Local Transport: Cycle Rickshaws, Tongas, City Bus Service

Prime Attractions in and Around Badami
There are several places of tourist interest in Badami that you may tour during your stay in Karnataka. Rock–cut cave Temples, Gateways, Forts, Inscriptions, Sculptures that seem to come alive before your eyes. There are several monuments in Badami that were constructed during the 6th and 7th centuries. However, the town is best known for its cave temples, cut into the cliff face of the red sandstone hill and connected by flights of steps. They display the full range of religious sects, which have grown up on Indian soil. Two of them are dedicated to Vishnu, one to Shiva and the fourth is a Jain temple.

There's also one natural cave, which is a Buddhist One of the many masterpieces to be found in these caves is the famous, 18-armed Nataraja (Shiva) who if observed closely, strikes 81 poses. Cave 4, the last cave, is the only Jain Temple in Badami. The 24th Tirthankara-Mahavira, is seated in a uniquely comfortable pose here, against a cushion in the inner sanctum. Also a must see are Bhutanatha temples that lend their names to the lake just beneath the cave temples. Take a dip in this green tranquil waters as it is said to have the healing properties. On the other bank of the ancient Bhutnatha lake, astride whose shores the caves stand, is the shrine of Nagamma, the local serpent goddess, within a massive tamarind tree. Nearby, are two Shiva temples. Within the inner sanctum, on the edge of the water, He sits in a rare pose, leaning back, in all his awesome majesty.

The archaeological museum of Badami has Nandi, Lord Shiva's bull, at its entrance. This museum is closed on Fridays. It houses superb examples of local sculptures, including the remarkable Lajja-Gauri images of fertility cult, which flourished in the era. Badami Fort is strategically situated on top of the hill, enclosing large granaries, impressive temples on top of the northern end of the hill. Malegitti Shivalaya, perhaps the oldest temple of the lot, is dedicated to the benign aspect of Shiva as the garland maker. Placed on the summit of a rocky hill, the temple is built of stone, finely joined without mortar and with Dravidian tower. The lower Shivalaya has a Dravidian tower of which only the sanctum remains now. Around Badami there is the Naganath Temple, which is 10 Kms away and located in a forest on the way to Mahakuta. It is one of the early Chalukyan temples dedicated to Shiva.

Hampi

Saint Vidyaranya established the seat of Vijayanagara empire in 1336 A.D, with the help of his devotee disciplesHakka and Bukka. The empire later became famous for its support towards renovation/reconstruction of temples through out India. It also became renowned for re-establishment of Indian culture, its support for music, art and literature. With the prime purpose of caring for the people and their welfare, this empire stretched physically covering Karnataka, Andhra and Maharashtra and became a by-word for golden rule.

HAMPI, the seat of the famed VIJAYANAGARA empire was the capital of the largest empire in post-mogul India, covering several states. The empire reigned supreme under Krishnadevaraya, the Emperor. The Vijayanagara empire stretched over at least three states -Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh. The destruction of Vijayanagar by marauding Moghul invaders was sudden, shocking and absolute. They reduced the city to ruins amid scenes of savage massacre and horrors beggaring description.

Although in ruins today, this capital city once boasted riches known far beyond the shores of India. The ruins ofHampi of the 14th Century lies scattered in about 26 sq. km area, amidst giant boulders and vegetation. Protected by the tempestuous river Tungabhadra in the north and rocky granite ridges on the other three sides, the ruinssilently narrate the story of grandeur splendor and fabulous wealth. The splendid remains of palaces and gateways of the broken city tells a tale of men infinite talent and power of creativity together with his capacity for senseless destruction.

Strewn over a large area (about nine square miles) the ruins at Hampioffers to the tourist a remainder of the greatest land in the whole world. Every rock, every path and every monument at Hampi speak the same language; a language of glory and beauty.

In March 2002, the Government of India has announced that Hampi would be developed as an international destination centre. The State Govt will constitute a Hampi World Heritage Area Management Authority for integrated development and conservation of Hampi.

Hampi is a World Heritage Centre

Hospet is the main town providing the getaway for Hampi. In April 2002, Karnataka officially set up the Hampi World Heritage Area Management Authority with wide-ranging powers, as well as a State Level Advisory Committee.

Local Sights

Most of the ruins are along the road leading from Kamalapura to Hampi.Three kms down the road, on a commanding site, stands the temple of Malyavanta Raghunathaswamy.It is built in the Dravidian style. Strange-looking fishes and marine monsters carved along its outer walls are worth noticing.

The Hampi Bazaar, 35 yards wide and nearly 800 yards long was known to be a "very beautiful street with very beautiful houses".

The Virupaksha Temple rises majestically at the western end of the famous Hampi Bazaar. The temple has a 120 feet tall tower on its eastern entrance. The temple contains the shrines of Shiva, Pampa and Bhuvaneswari.Parts of this temple are older than the Vijayanagar kingdom itself. The work of this style dates back to the 11th or 12th century.

Nearby is the 6.7m tall monolith of Ugra Narasimha. An inscription nearby states that it was hewn from a single boulder in 1528 during the reign of Krishnadeva Raya.

Vithala Temple Complex
The most splendid monument of Hampi is undoubtedly the Vithala Temple Complex with its 56 musical pillars.

To the east of the hall is the famous Stone Chariot with stone wheels that actually revolve. In front of the shrine stands the great mantapa. Resting on a richly sculpted basement, its roof is supported by huge pillars of granite, about 15 feet in height, each consisting of a central pillar surrounded by detached shafts, all cut from one single block of stone. Several of the carved pillars were attacked with such fury that they are hardly more than shapeless blocks of stones and a large portion of the central part has been destroyed utterly.

Nearby is the 'Purandra Dasara Mantapa' which has been also declared a protected monument.

House of Victory.
It was built when Krishnadeva Raya came back from his victorious expedition against the King of Orissa. The spaces between the rows of the plinth-mouldings here are most elaborately and elegantly carved. The kings of Vijayanagar used to sit on a grand throne in the House of Victory and witness the nine-day Dasara festival.

Westwards from the House of Victory, leading through two ruined gates, the path leads to the Hazara Ramaswamitemple. This temple is believed to have been the private place of worship of the royal family. The chief attraction of the temple is the series of scenes from the Ramayana carved on two of the inside walls of the mantapa. The genesis of the place known today as Hampi dates back to the age of the Hindu epic Ramayana when it was the site of Kishkinda, a monkey kingdom.

King's Balance

Hampi is also full of surprises: like the King's Balance where kings were weighed against grain, gold or money which was then distributed to the poor, the Queen's Bath, a swimming pool, 50 ft.long and 6 ft.deep, with its arched corridors, projecting balconies and lotus-shaped fountains that once sprouted perfumed water, the two-storeyed

• Lotus Mahal: shaped like a lotus flower from top, this two-story structure has beautiful arc ways set in geometric regularity. It was an air-cooled summer palace of the queen.
• Elephant Stables: This huge stable, a beautiful example of Hindu-Muslim style of architecture, housed about 11 elephants in separate compartments.
• Pushkarini Tank
• Mahanavami Dibba: The foundation of a lion story wooden structure from which the royalty viewed Hampi with pomp, colour and revelry during the Mahanadu festival. This platform has beautiful carvings.
• Mustard Ganesh: This is a 9 feet tall single stone statue which is also known as Sasivikalu Ganesha.
• Noblemen’s Palace: This place was recently discovered and they suspect this was for aristocrats and high-ranking officials.

Daroji Bear Sanctuary is very near Hampi. Though the sanctuary is relatively new, which began in 1994 in the eastern plains of Karnataka, it has proved to be a suitable habitat for the Indian Sloth Bears in a span of few years.

Local Festivals: The Vijayanagar Festival organized by the Government of Karnataka in December recreates the grandeur of the bygone era.

Essentials

How to get there

• Air
  1. The nearest airstrip at Tornagallu in Sandur Taluk which is 32 kms. from Hospet. Bangalore based air-charter operator, Taneja Aerospace and Aviation Ltd (TAAL), has launched sightseeing charter flights toHampi and Mysore in Oct 2002. Contact Anjan Rao at 98440-27699 for further details.
  2. The second nearest airport is Bellary (74 kms)
  3. Other convenient airports are at Belgaum (190 kms) and Bangalore (353 kms).
• Rail: Hospet is the nearest railway station (13 kms). Hospet is linked by rail to Bangalore, Bijapur,Hubli and Guntakal. Book your train ticket online .
• Road: Hampi is 350 kms from Bangalore. KSRTC Buses ply regularly from Hospet.

Best time to visit: October to March

Where to Stay
You could use Hospet as your base to visit Hampi.

• Hampi Boulders Resort , +91-22-24042211, Email: bouldersresort@nivalink.com
  
• Hotel Mayura Vijayanagar, Thungabadhra Dam Hospet, Tel: +91-8394-48270
• Hotel Priyadarshini, Station Road, Hospet, Tel: +91-8394-48838.
• Hotel Malligi, 6/143, J. N. Road, Hospet - 583 201. Phone: +91- 839 4228101, Fax : +91 839 4227038, Email :malligihome@hotmail.com
• Hotel Mayura Bhuvaneswri, Kamalapur, Hampi. Tel: +91-8394-51374
• KSTDC Cottages.Tel: +91-8394-8108

Coorg- Karnataka

Fast Facts Altitude 1,100 metres Languages Kodava, Kannada, Malayalam Best time to visit April-November Introduction Noted for its scenic beauty, Coorg is a beautiful hill resort in Karnataka. If you are looking for a picture post card hill resort that is enveloped in mist as you open your eyes in the morning, Coorg is the place to be in. Dotted with lush coffee plantations and sandal wood trees, Coorg offers a perfect blend of sight and smell. Coorg is also referred at Kodagu. History Not much is known about the history of Coorg, however the region was ruled by Lingayat and Kodavas. In 1785, Tipu Sultan reined the region. Later Coorg came under the British. Places to visit Coorg has a number of beautiful villages that present a picture post card look. There are a number of picnic spots in Coorg that include the beautiful Abbey Falls. Most of the wonderful places are located near Madikeri, the district headquarter, which is located at an altitude of over 5,000 feet above sea level. Tadevendamol, the highest peak in the region is best for trekking. The peak offers beautiful view of the Arabian Sea in the distance. Nagarhole National Park is an ideal place for wildlife enthusiasts. Coorg also has few temples that one can visit. Located on the confluence of the Cauvery and Sujyothi, the Bagamandala Temple is built in traditional Kerala style. The Omkareshwara Temple dedicated to lord Shiva is another beautiful temple that you can visit. The temple is about 200 years old. Raja's Seat, at a short distance from the center of the town is wonderful spot that presents panoramic view of the area. It is believed that kings of Kodagu used to come here to see the sunset. Visiting time One of the beautiful hill resorts in south India, Coorg can be visited from November to April. Sites nearby There are a number of beautiful tourist spots around Coorg that you can visit during your tour to Coorg. Capitol Village just five kilometres from Coorg is a beautiful spot. Other places that you can visit include Mysore, Bangalore, Hassan and Mangalore. How to reach Bangalore is the nearest airport, which is 196 kilometres from Coorg. The nearest railway station is Mysore, which is at a distance of 55 kilometres.