Shimoga, Karnataka

Waterfall
Originally uploaded by samsudden.

The town of Shimoga is located on the banks of Tunga River. It is an important industrial and commercial center now in the State of karnataks. Shimoga District has a population of 1.6 million people and is considered the heartland of Kannada language and culture.

Shimoga District is mostly dependent on its rich agricultural pastures for income. Paddy is the most commonly grown produce. Tourism to Jog falls, Balligavi, Gudavi, Ikkeri, Keladi and Banavasi are the second main cash earners. Handicrafts from Sagara and Soraba also bring in some income.

Chitradurga, Karnataka

Chitradurga Fort_ 006
Originally uploaded by Vinayaka C A.

Chitradurga features bold rock hills and picturesque valleys, huge towering boulders in unimaginable shapes. It is known as the "stone fortress" (Kallina Kote). The landscape looks like a giant's playground, with boulders thrown around, forming silhouettes against the sky.

The place is renowned for its kallina Kote which was built in parts by the Palegar Nayakas, Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan

Hassan, Karnataka

Feet of Jain monolith
Originally uploaded by deen.

This quiet and peaceful town is a convenient base to visit Shravanabelagola, Belur and Halebid. Hassan offers a wide variety of accomodations. It is well-connected by road and rail to Bangalore, Mysore and Mangalore.

Shravanabelagola is 51 kms southeast of Hassan. This is one of the most important Jain pilgrim centers. A 17 m high monolith statue of Lord Bahubali is located here.

Coorg (Kodagu), Karnataka

Bath time!
Originally uploaded by MalayalaM.

Kodagu (Coorg) is a district of Karnataka state in southern India. It has a population of over half a million people. Twenty percent of the people of this area belong to the Kodava community. They are of unknown origin, and are ethnically distinct from any other people in the area.

Enlistment in the Indian army has been common among the Kodavas. The most famous son of Kodagu is Field Marshal Kodandera Madappa Cariappa the first Commander-in-Chief (as a general) of the armed forces of free India. He was elevated to the honorary title of Field Marshal at the age of 83. In addition, General Kodendera. S. Thimmaiah, of the same clan as K.M. Cariappa, also became a commander in chief.

Mangalore, Karnataka

IMG_2986manglore
Originally uploaded by visithra.

The main port city of Karnataka, Mangalore is known for its beaches and temples. The city is full of tiled-roof houses, made of local hard red clay, Mangalore tiles. The landscape is full of coconut palm trees.

Mangalore city was named after the local deity Mangaladevi. The city was the capital of Alupa dynasty till 14th century. In 1,520 AD, the Portuguese took over Mangalore from Vijaynagara rulers.

Bidar, Karnataka

R I C E. Bidar
Originally uploaded by Claude Renault.

The capital of the Bahmani Sultanate from 1425 till the breakup of the Deccan Sultanate in 1518, Bidar was absorbed by the Sultanate of Bijapur in 1619. Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb conquered the Sultanate in 1686. Bidar became part of Nizam of Hyderabad's dominions from 1724 to 1948, when Hyderabad was merged with the Indian Union.

Hyderabad was partitioned along linguistic lines in 1956, and Bidar became part of Mysore state, later renamed Karnataka.

Chamarajanagar, Karnataka

Chamarajeshwari temple
Originally uploaded by Dr Vivek M.

Chamarajanagar was part of Mysore district and became an independent district in 1998. It is the southern-most part of Karnataka and has five talukas and five educational blocks. A characteristic feature of the district is the large population of scheduled caste and tribe. It has 461 villages and 120 gram panchayaths.

Bijapur, Karnataka

Bijapur
Originally uploaded by sacarmic.

Yusuf Adil Shah created Bijapur with great architecture during the seventeenth century. The city was established in the 10th and 11th centuries by the Chalukas of Kalyani. Bijapur came under the Kiljis of the Delhi Sultanate, during the 13th century. Bahmani Sultanate of Gulbarga conquered the state in 1347. The city was called Vijapur or Bijapur.

The rule of Adil Shah dynasty ended in 1686 when Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb conquered Bijapur. In 1724 the Nizam of Hyderabad declared his independence in the Deccan. Bijapur came under his domain. Nizam suffered a defeat by the Marathas in 1760 and ceded the region to the Maratha Peshwa. British East India Company took over Bijapur in 1818 and clubbed it with the princely state of Satara.

Hampi, Karnataka

Mansanta
Originally uploaded by Biloejoen ( Arabic for:"With these eyes").

Hampi is situated on the banks of Tungabhadra River and formed one of the cores of the capital of Vijayanagara empire. Hampi was spelt as Hampe earlier and was identified as Kishkinda, the monkey kingdom, in mythological referance.

Hampi is a village in northern Karnataka and is within the ruins of Vijayanagara, the former capital of the Vijayanagara empire. Hampi is also called "The City of Ruins".

Hospet, Karnataka

Tungabhadra Dam
Originally uploaded by yoginisd.

Hospet is a small town in Bellary District, in North Karnataka. The town is in close proximity to the ruins of Vijaynagara Kingdom. Hampi, the site of the medieval empire, is situated 12 km from Hospet. It serves as a transport and accomodation center for the tourists visiting the ruins.

Hospet is developing as a major mining center as the surrounding areas are rich with iron ore mines. The Tungabhadra Dam harnesses the waters of the Tungabhadra River.

Mysore (Palace), Karnataka

Mysore Palace
Originally uploaded by kingshuk.

Mysore is well known for its palaces and the demon king Mahishasura. The Goddess Chamundeshwari destroyed the demon after ten days of heroic struggle. The nine day Navaratri festival celebrates this victory. The name Mysore is derived from Mahishuru which in turn comes from Mahisha.

Hubli, Karnataka

Hubli_Murudeshwar21
Originally uploaded by sp_ace1.

Hubli-Dharwad is a twin city in the state of Karnataka. Hubli City, situated about 20 km east of Dharwad, is the commercial center of the district. Cotton and groundnuts are the major crops of this area.

Hubli is an important industrial center, with more than 1,000 small and medium sized industrial units. It is also an important railway wagon workshop. Hubli is the zonal headquarters of South Western Railway.

Belgaum, Karnataka

Itty Bitty Plane
Originally uploaded by C.Ko.

Belgaum city was built by Ratta dynasty in 12th century AD. Bichiraja, a Ratta officer, built the Belgaum fort in 1204 AD. The city served as the capital of Rattas during the early part of 13th century before this dynasty was replaced by Yadava Dynasty of Devagiri.

Belgaum, also known as the "Bamboo Village", is located in the north-western part of Karnataka. Its proximity to the coast and strategic position near Portuguese Goa, promoted the British to establish an army cantonment and a training center.

Bangalore, Karnataka

Commercial Street
Originally uploaded by The World Through My Eye.

Bengalore is much more than just the fifth-largest metropolis in India. This vibrant city of 6 million people has become the 'Silicon Valley of India' and the name "Bangalore" is a code word for 'outsourcing'. The city is a power house of software exports from India to the rest of the world.

Kempe Gowda I, established the modern city of Bangalore in 1537. He built a mud fort in the city and established it as a province of the Vijayanagara Empire.

The city enjoys a mild climate which is very attractive to people from other parts of India.

Bellary, Karnataka

Bellary - Karnataka!
Originally uploaded by Nicholas Devarajan.

This is the place where Rama, while searching for Sita, met Sugreeva and Hanuman. Goddess Durugamma is also called Balari and this city takes its name Bellary from that.

The district of Bellary came under the Sultanate of Bijapur in 1565. This territory was conquered by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in 1685. Bellary was placed under the authority of the Mughal governor of the Deccan called the Nizam. Once the Nizam broke away from the Mughals in 1724, he traded Bellary district with the British, in return for military protection.

Gulbarga, Karnataka

DSC00193
Originally uploaded by VinayN.

Gulbarga was the capital of the Bahmani Kings from 1347 A.D. to 1428 A.D. The jami or Juma Masjid located inside the old fort was built by a moorish architect around the 15th century, in imitation of the great mosque in Cordova, Spain. Uniquely built, it has a huge dome canopying the entire area, four smaller domes and 75 smaller ones.

Chikmagalur, Karnataka

33-coffee.jpg
Originally uploaded by byronic501.

The come-back constituancy of Indira Gandhi, the former Prime Minister of India, Chikmagalur is well known for coffee production. The other commercial crops are pepper, cashew and areca nut. The district is rich in iron. Chikmagalur is surrounded by the Baba Budangiri hills and dense forest.

We had an opportunity to do a photo shoot, back in 1974, for the Coffee Board in Bangalore. Unfortunately no pictures or documentation has survived the last three decades.

Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala

image008[1]
Originally uploaded by watchlist_in.

Formerly known as Trivandrum, the "Ever Green City of India" is the capital of Kerala. Thiruvananthapuram has a population of 750,000 people and is the largest city in Kerala. The city is home to some prominent institutions like the Vikram Sarabhai Space Center.

Thiruvananthapuram is located on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland. It is characterized by its undulating terrain of low coastal hills with wide clean roads and busy commercial alleys. It was the trading post for spices like the rest of ancient Kerala.

Kottayam, Kerala

Most of India's natural rubber originates from the plantations of Kottayam. This important commercial center is surrounded by some of the most beautiful scenery with Western Ghat Hills to the east and the famous Backwaters to the west. Kottayam is also the most mountainous region of the state.

Kovalam, Kerala

Pulling in the nets
Originally uploaded by sallylondon.

Kovalam beach is known as the "Paradise of the South". The beach is just 10 miles from Trivandrum, the capital of the state of Kerala. Kovalam is one of the best beaches in India, picturesque, evergreen, surrounded with coconut trees and very safe during the toughest weather.

The Ayurvedic massage of Kovalam is very popular. The Kovalam beach offers fresh seafood and good accomodation.

Kozhikode (Calicut), Kerala

Beach Hotel @ Calicut, Kerala
Originally uploaded by skasuga.

Formarly known as Calicut (Kalikut), Kozhikode is supposed to be the Arabic name of Kalikut. This is the place where Vasco da Gama landed in 1498. Kozhikode is the third largest city in the southern state of Kerala. The population of the city is estimated at 800,000 people.

In 1766, Hyder Ali of Mysore captured Kozhikode and much of northern Malabar Coast.

Kannur, Kerala

Theyyam
Originally uploaded by Michael L.

Vasco da Gama came to Kannur in 1498 and shortly thereafter it became a Portuguese settlement. They built the Saint Angelo's Fort north of Kannur in 1505. Dutch took over the area in the mid 17th century and then the British captured it in 1783.

The old name 'Cannanore' was the typical anglicised version of the Malayalam name Kannur. The district is a major center of Theyyam, a ritual dance of Northern Kerala.

Ernakulam, Kerala

IMG_3279ernakulam
Originally uploaded by visithra.

Ernakulam is derived from the Tamil word Erayanarkulam which means 'Lord Shiva's abode'. The city is the commercial capital of Kerala, served by an international airport, fine communication facilities, excellent accommodation, modern amenities and a lot of attractive tourist places.

Ernakulam district was formed on 1st April 1958 by carving out areas out of Travancore-Kochi_Malabar kingdoms. Major portion of the district is from Kochi Kingdom. Ernakulam is the most urbanised part of Kochi.

Kollam, Kerala

DSCN1166
Originally uploaded by ablogger.

Kollam is India's cashew trading and processing center. It is one of the oldest ports on the Malabar coast. The 8 hour boat ride between Kollam and Allappuzha is the longest and most enchanting experience on the backwaters of Kerala.

The food in Kerala is simple, clean and is served on banana tree leaves. The people of Kerala are highly educated and have a communist government for better part of it's independent history.

Kochi (Cochin), Kerala

sunset in Kochi and chinese fishing nets
Originally uploaded by dalva.

Kochi was the first princely state to join the Indian Union willingly. It is one of the principal seaports of the country. The city has a population of approximately one and a half million people. Kochi is located in the district of Ernakulam.

Thrissur, Kerala

Pooram
Originally uploaded by pravee.

Thrissur Pooram festival is the most colorful and spectacular temple festival of Kerala. The city of Thrissur is located in the center of Kerala. It is the fourth largest city in Kerala with a population of half a million people. Thrissur may be called the golden capital of India. A hundred kilograms of gold is sold in the city, every day.

Thrissur gained importance during the reign of Raja Rama Varma in 1790. He ascended the throne of the State of Kochi. Thrissur became the capital of Kochi Kingdom for a brief period.