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The Hoysala Kings ruled most part of Karnataka, the Southern state of India from 10th to 14th century. These Kings were great patrons of Art, Architecture and commissioned some of the best stone temples ever built. Belur-Halebidu, in Hassan district of Karnataka, go together like twin cities. Separated only by a short drive, both were home to the Hoysala dynasty for three centuries (mid-11th to mid-14th century). The Belur and Halebidu temples are cut from the soft stone called chloritic schist. It allowed for very fine detailing, evident in the intricately carved temple walls. As representations of South Indian styles they are comparable only to the temples at Khajuraho. Of special interest are the engineering techniques used in assembling the temple, particularly the locking systems that used grid locks, interlocks, and the pin & socket system. They were used for attaching separately carved panels onto the walls and ceilings, achieving a continuous and inseparable appearance ...

Melukote in Karnataka, southern India, is one of the sacred places of the Hindu religion. The place is also known as Thirunarayanapuram. It is built on rocky hills, known as Yadugiri, Yaadavagiri and Yadushailadeepa, overlooking the Cauvery valley. Melukote is about 51 kms from Mysore and 133 kms from Bangalore. Melukote is the location of the Cheluvanarayana Swamy Temple. On the top of the hill is the temple of Yoganarasimha. It is believed that the image of Yoga Narasimha temple was installed by Prahlada himself. Krishnaraja Wodeyar III presented a gold crown to Lord Yoga Narasimha. Many more shrines and ponds are located in the town. Melukote is home to the Academy of Sanskrit Research, which has collected thousands of Vedic and Sanskrit manuscripts. Early in the 12th century, the famous Srivaishnava saint Sri Ramanujacharya, who hailed from Tamil Nadu, stayed at Melukote for about 12 years. It has thus become a prominent centre of the Srivaishnava sect. The raja gopuram (e...

Shravanabelagola is a Jain pilgrim destination located in the Hassan district of Karnataka state, Southern India. It is at a distance of 157 kms from Bangalore and is a popular day outing spot. There are ancient monuments in and around Shravanabelagola. There are monuments of rare excellence and skill, executed by the illustrious Gangas and Hoysalas who had a profound sense of duty and ardent devotion to religion. The finest monuments are found in two sacred hills, Vindhyagiri and Chandragiri. The town is small and you can easily walk between the major attractions. Vindhyagiri hill is about 150 m (470 feet) above the ground and is one solid rock. It must be climbed barefoot. Most tourists use the main steps from the town consisting of triple flights of about 660 steps to the top, cutout in the rock. People of all ages climb these steps; however they are steep and it can be a hard climb. The 17 m (58 ft) high monolithic stone statue of the Lord Gommateshwara, also referred to as Ba...

Bagalkot or Bagalakote is a city in Karnataka state of India. It is situated on the branch of River Ghataprabha about 530 kms northwest of state capital Bangalore. The legendary Chalukya Dynasty ruled Bagalkot District once upon a time, in northern Karnataka. Occupying a distance of 6593 sq. km, Bagalkot District is flanked by Bijapur district in the north and Gadag district in the south. Bagalkot presents itself as a gateway to a number of day trips – notably to Badami Caves (covered earlier in this blog). Others include Kudalasangama and Almatti Dam. Kudalasangama is an important center of pilgrimage for Lingayats. It is located about 15 kilometres from the Almatti Dam. The Krishna and Malaprabha rivers merge here and flow east towards Srisaila (another pilgrim center) in Andhra Pradesh. The holy resting place of Basavanna, the founder of the Lingayat sect of Hindu religion along with a Linga, which is believed to be self-formed, is here. A temple has been built here in Chaluk...

Bijapur, officially known as Vijayapura, is the district headquarters of Bijapur District of Karnataka state of India. It is also the headquarters for Bijapur Taluka. Bijapur city is well known for its historical monuments of architectural importance built during the rule of the Adil Shahi dynasty. Bijapur is located 530 km northwest of the State Capital Bengaluru and about 550 km from Mumbai, and 384 km west of the city of Hyderabad. A historic city epitomizing the Deccan’s Islamic era, dusty Vijapura tells a glorious tale dating back some 600 years. Blessed with a treasure house of mosques, mausoleums, palaces and fortifications, it was the capital of the Adil Shahi kings from 1489 to 1686, and one of the five splinter states formed after the Islamic Bahmani kingdom broke up in 1482. Despite its strong Islamic character, Vijapura is also a centre for the Lingayat brand of Shaivism, which emphasises a single personalised god. In an introduction to an album of Bijapur published ...

Nestled amid the Himalayan Ranges, Sri Hemkund Sahib is a sacred pilgrimage revered by thousands of Sikhs every year. Literally meaning ‘Lake of Snow’, this holy pilgrimage site is perched at an altitude of 4329 m above the sea level and lies in the backdrop of snow – clad mountains. This place of worship and pilgrimage site is in Chamoli district, Uttarakhand, India. It is approached from Gobindghat on the Rishikesh-Badrinath highway. The main town near Gobindghat is Joshimath. The shrine is also known as Gurudwara Shri Hemkunt Sahib and can be reached by trekking through numerous waterfalls, thick forest and captivating views of the Himalayas. The gurudwara is open only for a few months and closes down during the extreme winter months. Visited by a myriad of devotees from all around the globe, it accounts for the highest Gurudwara of the Sikh community. A Hindu shrine dedicated to mythological hero Lakshmana is attractive for Hindu Pilgrims. This temple is built on the banks o...

Here's the new Fresh Cuts - Episode 78! The latest in EDM - Big Room / Dutch / Future / Funky House music hits. Enjoy! Tracklist - 1. Loge21 - Groove404 2. Jewelz & Sparks - Gucci Moves 3. Bart B More & Chocolate Puma - Rising Up (Rockefeller Remix) 4. MOTi & LDN Noise - My House 5. Estelle - American Boy (Brooks Remix) 6. Orjan Nilsen - Shriek 7. Blasterjaxx & DBSTF - Wonderful Together 8. Avicii - Tough Love (Tiesto Remix) (TUNE OF THE WEEK) 9. Toby Green - Smoke 10. KC Lights - SOL 11. Dimitri Vangelis & Wyman x Dzeko - The King 12. Marco V - Caramel 13. Tube & Berger - Guess Who's Jack 14. Sandro Silva, Broz Rodriguez & Calixto - Story Of A Violin 15. Don Diablo - The Rhythm 16. KSHMR & Yves V - No Regrets (KAAZE Remix) 17. Armin van Buuren & Luke Bond - Revolution 18. Dubvision vs Vigel - Rescue Me 19. DJ Snake, J Balvin, Tyga - Loco Contigo (WILL K Remix)

Ahmedabad (also called Amdavad, Ahmadabad or Ahemdavad), Gujarat’s major city, grows on you. Yes, during peak hours with traffic, noise, and air so thick you can chew it, the place can be a little overwhelming, but it’s well worth taking the time to get to know this remarkable city. It wins you over with its wealth of architecture – from centuries-old mosques and mausoleums to cutting-edge contemporary design. Then there’s the fascinating maze of an old quarter, excellent museums, fine restaurants, a bustling street-food scene and the tranquility of the Sabarmati Ashram (Gandhi’s former headquarters). It was the capital of Gujarat until the establishment of Gandhinagar, though a lot of people still believe the former to be the capital. The city has seven bridges which connect the historic city to the modern or the commercial part of the city. It is known for its handicrafts, theme-based restaurants and traditional cuisine. Ahmedabad city has witnessed the rule of different dynastie...

Not many people know that Karnataka, India has two UNESCO world heritage sites – Hampi & Pattadakal – both located in North Karnataka. Pattadakal, together with Aihole and Badami Caves are major centers of historically important Chalukya monuments. The Chalukya empire ruled from Aihole, Badamai and Pattadakal and you can see architectural marvels in Red sandstone. The beginning of temple architecture in India may well have started from here. Aihole (pronounced “Eye-ho-lé”), also referred to as Aivalli, Ahivolal or Aryapura, is a historic site of ancient and medieval era Buddhist, Hindu and Jain monuments in north Karnataka dated from the fourth century through the twelfth century CE. Located around an eponymous small village surrounded by farmlands and sandstone hills, Aihole is a major archaeological site featuring over one hundred and twenty stone and cave temples from this period, spread along the Malaprabha river valley, in Bagalakote district. Aihole is 22 miles (35 km) f...