Major Tourist Centers Of Karnataka

Nandi Hill Station is in Chikballapur district.

Explanation: Chikballapur district of Karnataka state is home to the ancient hill fortress called Nandi Hill which is also a famous tourist spot.

Niagara of Karnataka is Gokak waterfalls.

Explanation: Gokak waterfall, Belgaum is known as the Niagra of Karnataka.

Ibrahim Roza, a prilgrimage is located in Vijayapura city.

Explanation: Ibrahim Roza also called the ‘Taj Mahal of the South’ is located within the Bijapur Fort in the city of Vijayapura.

The beach near Gokarna is Om.

Explanation: Gokarna, a small temple town along the western coast of India in Karnataka has several scenic beaches, one of which is Om beach.

The City of Palaces is Mysuru.

Explanation: Mysuru is not only the cultural capital of Karnataka, it is also called the ‘City of Palaces’ as it has several examples of it.

Tourism by definition is the commercial operation of holidays and visits to places of interests. The advantages from tourism occur for both the visitor as well as for the locals whose place is being visited. The traveller or visitor gets to learn about different cultures, traditions etc that enriches their lives and provides a change in from the daily tedium. The locals of the tourist spots gain valuable economic benefits through setting up businesses like hotels, restaurants, touring facilities that cater to the tourist. Tourism creates a variety of jobs allowing employment for the locals. The income generated from tourism can be further used for economic and social development.

Any place which has a natural, cultural or historical significance, natural or built beauty, and which offers leisure and amusement to the visitors is called a tourist spot. Since travellers visit these places for a limited time period, there are several basic facilities that need to exist to make it comfortable for the travellers. The basic facilities include places for food like restaurants, bathrooms or public toilets and places to stay overnight like lodges and hotels. These basic facilities also allow employment of the locals.

The Chikkamagaluru district, in Karnataka, India is home to the Kudremukh hill station which is also a small mining town located in the eponymous mountain range. It is a part of the Western Ghats with rolling hills and evergreen forests. As part of the Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary, Kudremukh range was declared a tiger reserve and is home to diverse assemblage of endangered large mammals. This increased the importance of the Kudremukh hill station as a tourist spot. The area also has several large waterfalls and coffee estates making it an ideal holiday destination.

The preservation of habitat specifically for animals is called a wildlife sanctuary. It is a protected area where limited human activity is allowed. The state of Karnataka is biodiversity hotspot and is rich in a variety of flora and fauna. In order to protect this diverse range of flora and fauna along with the forests, the government has declared several areas as wildlife sanctuaries. There are eighteen wildlife sanctuaries in Karnataka, of which the following are the most important –

a) Animal wildlife sanctuaries -

•Muthodi

•Bandipur

•Nagarhole

•Dandeli

•Bhadra

b) Bird wildlife sanctuaries –

•Ranganathittu

•Kokkare

•Bellur

•Mandagadde

•Gudavi

The state of Karnataka is a world-famous tourist destination owing to its varied geography and long history. It has the second largest number of nationally protected monuments and several have been declared as world heritage sites by UNESCO. Several dynasties like the Kadambas, Hoysalas, Chalukyas and the kings of Vijayanagar have ruled over Karnataka. They have left their imprint through various architectural sites and important contributions to the culture prevalent in the state. The historical places of Karnataka include the world heritage sites at Hampi and Pattadakal. Other areas of historical importance include Belur, Halebid, Somnathpur, Badami, Aihole, Gol Gumbuz of Vijayapura, Lakkundi, Banavasi, Basaralu, Belligave, Mysuru, Srirangapatna etc. Along with the historical areas, Karnataka also has several forts that showcase the history of the region. These include Fort of Bidar, Vijayapura, Kalaburagi, Hampi (Vijayanagar), Keladi, Chitradurga, Madhugiri, Nandi Hills, Pavagada, Manjrabad, Ucchangidurga, Kavaledurga, Parathagadha, Srirangapatna, the coastal forts of Bahadurgadha, Basavarajadurga, Devagadha Kurmagadha etc.

1. Biligirirangana hills – b. Chamarajnagar

Explanation – Located on the south eastern border between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu The Biligirirangana Hills, commonly called BR Hills, fall in the Yelandur, Kollegal and Chamarajanagar talukas of Chamarajanagar District of Karnataka.

2. Jogi Betta – b. Chitradurga

Explanation – Jogi Betta hills is a hill station and a tourist spot in the Chitradurga district of Karnataka.

3. Yana – a. Uttara Kannada district

Explanation – Yana, a village known for its rock formations is situated in the Uttar Kannada district of Karnataka.

4. Anshi – e. National Park

Explanation – Anshi National Park adjoining the Dandeli wildlife sanctuary is located in the Uttara Kannada district of the state of Karnataka.

5. Ranganthittu – c. Bird sanctuary

Explanation – Ranganthittu houses the largest bird sanctuary in the state of Karnataka.

List of hill stations in Karnataka according to district

List of wildlife sanctuaries in Karnataka according to district

Do it yourself.

The state of Karnataka is a world-famous tourist destination owing to its varied geography and long history. It has the second largest number of nationally protected monuments and several have been declared as world heritage sites by UNESCO. Several dynasties like the Kadambas, Hoysalas, Chalukyas and the kings of Vijayanagar have ruled over Karnataka. They have left their imprint through various architectural sites and important contributions to the culture prevalent in the state. The tourist places in Karnataka can be divided under the following groups:

A) World Heritage Sites

Hampi, Bellary District: The site of the capital of Vijayanagara (1336) and formerly the seat of the Vijayanagar Empire. Foreign visitors in the 15th and 16th centuries described Hampi as being bigger than Rome. The city was destroyed and deserted in 1565 by marauding Moghul invaders and its ruins now lie scattered over a 26 sq. km area south of the river Tungabhadra.

Group of 8th-century CE monuments,Pattadakal: Located on the banks of the river Malaprabha, Pattadakal was the second capital of the Chalukyas and contains examples of 7th- and 8th-century temple architecture.

B)Hill Stations of Karnataka:

The Hill stations in Karnataka are generally unexplored and more pristine than better known ones in South India.

List of hill stations in Karnataka according to district

C) Waterfalls of Karnataka:

Karnataka has a number of waterfalls. Jog Falls of Sagara Taluk is one of the highest waterfalls in Asia. Some well known waterfalls are Varapoha Falls, Magod Falls, Lalgulli Falls, Sathodi Falls, Unchalli Falls, Lushington Falls, Shivaganga Falls, Ulavi Falls, Irupu Falls, Sivasamudram Falls near Shivanasamudra, Balmuri Falls, Gokak Falls, Abbe Falls, Achakanya Falls, Chunchanakatte Falls, Hebbe Falls, Kallathigiri Falls, Sogal Falls, Godachinamalki Falls etc. Gokak Falls, Ghataprabha River, near Gokak, Belgaum district: It drops from 52 metres over a sand-stone cliff in a gorge. It is known locally as "mini Niagara" Hydro Electric Power has been harnessed at the falls since 1887 to run a cotton mill. Temples near the falls date from Badami Chalukyas to later Chalukya times and Vijayanagara periods. A suspension bridge crosses the river.

D)Wildlife Sanctuaries of Karnataka

The preservation of habitat specifically for animals is called a wildlife sanctuary. It is a protected area where limited human activity is allowed. The state of Karnataka is biodiversity hotspot and is rich in a variety of flora and fauna. In order to protect this diverse range of flora and fauna along with the forests, the government has declared several areas as wildlife sanctuaries. There are five national parks in Karnataka. They are : Rajiv Gandhi National Park in Nagarahole, Bandipur, Bannerughatta, Kudremukh and Anshi National Park. There are eighteen wildlife sanctuaries in Karnataka, -

The state is home to the largest concentration of Asian Elephants along Kabini River in Nagarahole and Bandipur parks. These two parks also hold among the most viable population of the highly endangered Indian Tiger.

The varied Fauna of Karnataka

E) Historical Places:

The state of Karnataka is a world-famous tourist destination owing to its varied geography and long history. It has the second largest number of nationally protected monuments and several have been declared as world heritage sites by UNESCO. Several dynasties like the Kadambas, Hoysalas, Chalukyas and the kings of Vijayanagar have ruled over Karnataka. They have left their imprint through various architectural sites and important contributions to the culture prevalent in the state. The historical places of Karnataka include the world heritage sites at Hampi and Pattadakal. Other areas of historical importance include Belur, Halebid, Somnathpur, Badami, Aihole, Gol Gumbuz of Vijayapura, Lakkundi, Banavasi, Basaralu, Belligave, Mysuru, Srirangapatna etc. Along with the historical areas, Karnataka also has several forts that showcase the history of the region. These include Fort of Bidar, Vijayapura, Kalaburagi, Hampi (Vijayanagar), Keladi, Chitradurga, Madhugiri, Nandi Hills, Pavagada, Manjrabad, Ucchangidurga, Kavaledurga, Parathagadha, Srirangapatna, the coastal forts of Bahadurgadha, Basavarajadurga, Devagadha Kurmagadha etc.

F) Places of Pilgrimage:

Karnataka has many pilgrimage centers like Dharmasthala, Udupi, Sringeri, Horanadu, Kollur, Gokarna, Ulavi, Sirsi, Sravanabelagola, Kudala Sangama, Melukote, Adichunchunagiri, Karkala, Devaragudda, Mylarakshetra, Bande Nawaz Darga of Kalaburagi, Ibrahim Roza of Vijayapura, Mallikrahan Darga of Sira, St.Philomena Church in Mysuru, Rosario Cathedral in Mangaluru etc.