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Aihole
 Cradle
Of Indian Architecture Located 43 Kms from Kudala
Sangama, Aihole was the ancient capital of Chalukyas.
Famous as the cradle of "Indian Architecture",
Aihole has over a hundred temples scattered around
the village.
There are about 125 temples divided into 22 groups
scattered all over the villages and nearby fields.
Most of these temples were built between the 6th
& 8th centuries and some even earlier. --
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Badami
 The
capital of the Early Chalukyas, Badami is picturesquely
situated at the mouth of a ravine between two rocky
hills, Badami is famous for its cave temples - all
hewn out of sand stone on the precipice of a hill.
The largest and most ornamental is the third cave
temple dedicated to Vishnu.
Overlooking the cave temples is a reservoir dotted
with temples dedicated to Vishnu and Shiva. --
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Belur
 Southern
Banaras Belur, the temple town is located 34 kms
from Hassan. Famous for its exquisite temple, Belur
is known as the Dakshina Varanasi or Southern Banaras.
The serenity of Belur is attributed to the celebrated
Chennakesava Temple built by the Hoysala King Vishnuvardhana
in 1117 A.D to commemorate his conversion from Jainism
to Vaishnavism.
The main structure of the temple, which is star-shaped,
is a homogenous architectural unit on a raised platform.
Inside, even in the darkness, you can see the hand-lathe
turned shining pillars, each unique in its own splendoure.
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Bijapur
 The
ancient town of Bijapur, dotted with mosques, mausoleums,
palaces and fortifications, was the capital of the
Adil Shahi Dynasty. Once the capital of the Adil
Shahis, it was a city that "exceeded anything
of its kind in Europe".
Even today, it retains its dignity and royal grandeur.
Still strongly Muslim in character, Bijapur has
many places of historical, cultural and architectural
interest. Even though many of the structures were
damaged by Aurangazeb, Bijapur remains a must-see
town. -- back
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Halibid
 Located
17 kms from Belur, Halebid was known as Dwara Samudra,
the wealthy capital of the Hoysalas. The great city
of Dwarasamudra flourished as a Capital of the Hoysala
Empire during the 12th & 13th centuries.
During the reign of Veeraballala II, the grandson
of Vishnuvardhana, it reached the greatness of its
zenith. Veeraballala II extended his empire from
sea to sea between the Cauvery & Krishna rivers.
Halebid has several strikingly beautiful Hoysala
temples and Jain shrines
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Hampii
 Hampi,
the land of surprises was founded in the middle
of 14th Century by two local princes, Hakka &
Bukka. The Vijayanagar Empire came to be celebrated
for its might and wealth and as a show piece of
imperial magnificence.
Vijayanagara is such that the pupil of the eye has
never seen a place like it... " So eulogized
Abdul Razaq, a Muslim envoy who visited Hampi. --
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Mysore
 Located
770m above sea level and 140 Kms from Bangalore,
Mysore, the imperial city, was the erstwhile capital
of the Wodeyars. Also known as the city of Palaces,
Mysore has never failed to mesmerise the tourists
with its quaint charm, rich heritage, magnificent
palaces, beautifully laid-out gardens, imposing
buildings, broad shady avenues and sacred temples.
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Pattakadal
Situated on the left bank of the Malaprabha River,
Pattadakkal is a World Heritage Centre. The town
has 10 major temples representing early Chalukyan
architecture.
This place reached its pinnacle of glory under the
Chalukyas from the seventh to the ninth centuries
functioning as a royal commemorative site. The biggest
temple here, dedicated to Virupaksha, has a massive
gateway and several inscriptions.. --
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Sravana
Belagola
 The
Most Revered Jain Pilgrimage Wedged between two
stark rocky hills, the legendary pilgrim centre
of Shravan Belagola and shrine of the Jains since
early times is 150 km from Bangalore, 52 km from
Hassan and 80 km from Mysore. Shravanbelagola is
one of the oldest and most important Jain pilgrim
centres in India.
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Srirangapatnam
The name translates to "the city of Sri-Ranga" the
main deity of this tempe town. This town is an island
in the river Kavery and was the old capital o the
ruler Tippu Sultan - nicknamed the Tiger of Mysore.
At the heart of this twn is the temple dedicated
to Sri Ranga, whom Tippu used to worship (though
h was a muslim by faith). The granite statue in
reclining posture is both long a is part of three
such unique temples. The other two similar stutues
can beseen in Tiruvananthapuram (capital of Kerala
State) and Srirangam (Tamil Nadu).The town is full
of forts, palaces and ruins, standing testimony
to the fiercewarrior that Tippu Sultan was, as the
King of Mysore in the 18th century. Two lines of
fortification, separated by water between them and
also beingan island in the river Kavery, made his
capital an extremely tough target for-the British
to fight with -- back
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