Hubli
PLACES OF INTEREST
Bhavanishankar Temple:
This Chalukyan Temple with the image of Sri Narayana is flanked by the ten incarnations of God.
Asar
It was built by Mohammed Ali Shah in about 1646 to serve as a hall of justice. The building was also used to house two hairs from the Prophet's beard. Women are not allowed inside.
Nrupatunga Betta
This is a beautiful picnic spot on the Unkal Hill in Hubli
Siddharoodha Math
A holy place just 2 Kms away from the heart of the city.
Unkala Lake
It is a beautiful spot to picnic for a day - just 3 Kms
Navilteerth
A beautiful nature gifted spot on the way to Ramadurga, 53Kms. away from Hubli.
Sathodi & Mathodi Falls
A place for Trekking & to enjoy the nature gifted falls, 85kms. on Hubli - Karwar Highway.
Sykes Point
Situated 84 Kms from Hubli. A place to watch beauty of nature and sun set- a picnic spot.
Ulavia
It is a holy place where Shri Chennabasaveshwar Temple is situated. Located near Dandeli, 98 Kms. from Hubli.
Hampi
Brief description:
The austere, grandiose site of Hampi was the last capital of the last great Hindu Kingdom of Vijayanagar. Its fabulously rich princes built Dravidian temples and palaces which won the admiration of travelers between the 14th and 16th centuries. Conquered by the Deccan Muslim confederacy in 1565, the city was pillaged over a period of six months before being abandoned.
Bijapur
Think of Bijapur and the first thing that comes to mind is the Gol Gumbaz - the tomb of Mohammed Adil Shah.
Gol Gumbaz boasts of the second largest dome in the world. 44 meters in diameter, this dome forms a highly sensitive echo-chamber. The slightest whisper echoes seven times over and the tick of a clock held at one end can be distinctly heard at the opposite end - 125 feet away ! But there's a lot more to Bijapur.
On the western outskirts of the city lies the mausoleum of Ibrahim Adil Shah II - Ibrahim Roza, said to have inspired the Taj Mahal in Agra. Embracing 1,16,300 square feet is the Jumma Masjid - "one of the finest mosques in India".
Here, in a beautiful mihrab -covered by a heavy curtain - are verses of the Quran, beautifully inscribed in letters of gold. Malik-e-Maidan - the largest medieval cannon in the world - is fourteen feet long, weighing about 55 tons.
Legend has it that if you touch the gun and make a wish, it will come true ! Bijapur is full of such legends. Liked the one surrounding Afzal Khan's Centaph. It is said that Afzal Khan started the construction of his own tomb in his lifetime. But eventually could not be buried here.
You could spend days exploring Bijapur. Wandering around the Arakilla, the Anand Mahal, the Mehtar Mahal, the Bara Kaman, the Gagan Mahal, the Amin Durgah, the Assar Mahal, the Chota Asar, the Faroukh Mahal, the Jahz Mahal, the Jod Gumbaz? Listening to the quaint Deccan dialect.
Badami
Badami Travel Guide
The capital of the Early Chalukyas, Badami (also known as Vatapi), is picturesquely situated at the mouth of a Ravine between two rocky hills.
Rock-cut cave temples, gateways, forts, inscriptions, sculptures that seem to come alive under your eyes? Badami has to be seen to be believed. Climb a flight of steps to reach the ancient caves all hewn out of sand stone on the precipice of a hill.
There are four caves here. The first three belong to the Vedic faith and the fourth cave is the only Jain temple in Badami.
Enter the first cave temple past Shiva's door keepers and there he is ! The eighteen armed Nataraja striking 81 dance poses !
The largest and most ornamental is the third cave temple dedicated to Vishnu. Here are some splendid carvings of the Hindu Pantheon. Narasimha the half-man half Lion avatar of Vishnu Hari Hara, the composite god who is half-Shiva and half-Vishnu. Vishnu Narayana sitting as well as reclining on the snake Shesh or Ananta (Eternity )? There are also some painting on the ceiling and wonderful bracket figures on the piers.
A little to the east of this shrin, on top of a cliff is a Jain temple. Here you will find many Jain deities and a huge figure of Parshwanatha.
Overlooking the cave temples is a reservoir dotted with temples dedicated to Vishnu and Shiva. Also a must are the Bhutanatha temples that lend their name to the lake just beneath the cave temples.
Belgaum
The District Headquarters, Belgaum is a picture of contrasts. On one side is the old town area where the cotton and silk weavers still create magic with their fingers. And on the other the modern, bustling, tree lined Cantonment built by the British.
In the heart of Belgaum, near the bus terminus is the Fort. At the Entrance are two shrines, one devoted to Ganapathi and another to Durga. Inside the Fort are two bastis in the Late Chalukyan style. Of these, the more famous is the Kamala basti, built in 1204.
Come out of the Kamala basti and you will find another ruined Jain Temple to its right. Co-existing harmoniously with these temples are two ancient mosques the Safa Masjid and the Jamia Masjid. Near the 16th century Jamia Masjid is a Dargah of Khanjar Wali. Step out of the Fort and you have a wide choice of temples and churches to visit. The Kapileshwara temple said to be the oldest, the Ananthashyana Temple, the Maruti Temple and the temples of Shiva, Vithoba, Dyamavva and Military Mahadeva. Belgaum also has some very impressive churches. St. Mary's Church, St. Xavier's Church (the oldest), St. Anthony's Church, the Cathedral of Our Lady and the Methodist Church.
No story of Belgaum is complete without a mention of Kittur Rani Chennamma. One of India's first freedom fighters, the queen's heroic resistance is still commemorated locally in song and story. Her stature stands sentinel over Belgaum at a prominent square.
Another historical site is the Pampa Sarovara, built specially for the 1924 All India Congress Session which was presided by Mahatma Gandhi. Belgaum also has some well laid out parks.
The Sambhaji Udyan, the Nath Pai Park and the Shivaji Udyan. Perfect place to relax in. To put your feet up and let your imagination soar free
