 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
Monuments
[ Badami Caves | Bidar Fort | Bull Temple | Gulbarga Fort | Kudremukh | Jamalabad Fort | Mysore Palace | Tipu's Fort ] Badami Caves
Overlooking the cave temples is a reservoir dotted with temples dedicated to Vishnu and Shiva. Also a must are the Bhutanath temples that lend their name to the lake beneath the cave temples. The main attractions of Badami are the four caves found there. The first cave is made of red sandstone, dates back to 578 A.D. One has to climb up 40 odd steps to reach the colonnaded verandah, a hall with numerous pillars and a square shaped sanctum hollowed in the control back wall. Column shafts are masterfully crafted. On the ceiling one can see the paintings of amorous couples like Shiva and his consort Parvati, and a coiled serpent. The 18-armed lord Nataraja can be seen in 81 dancing poses.
The facade of the third cave is nearly 70 feet wide. On the plinth one can see the carvings of ganas. The artistic designs of this cave is worthy to see and glorifies the Deccan art. The other attractions to be looked carefully in this cave are the high relief of Vishnu with a serpent, Vishnu as Narasimha Varaha, Harihara and Vishnu as Trivikrama. The fourth cave is a Jain cave. The construction of this Cave started in the 6th century and completed after nearly 100 years later then the earlier three caves. Here one can see the carvings of the Tirthankara Parshavnatha with a serpent at his feet; Mahavira in a sitting posture also can be seen in the shrine.
The imposing fort of Bidar is a magnificent fort, the main gateway of which was originally built by Bahamani Sultan Ahmad Shah Wali in 1429 AD. Further improvements to the citadel were carried out by the Barid Shahi Sultans. Ahmad Shah Wali (1422 - 35) the ninth Bahamani Sultan decided to shift his capital from Gulbarga to Bidar for reasons of health. Palaces, pavilions and seraglios; lush gardens, decorated fountains and perfumed baths have all the trappings of an Arabian Nights fantasy when Bidar was ruled by the Bahamanis and the Barid Shahi Sultans of the Deccan. Sprawled on a plateau 2,200 feet above sea level and overlooking the Manjira River Valley, cool and exhilarating Bidar was most certainly a part of ancient Vidharba mentioned in the Mahabharata.
The temple is busy always with some ceremony that is on all the time at the temple premises. On weekends, musicians present their concerts at the temple.
This mosque is the only one of its kind in the entire country. Several tombs of the Bahmani Sultans can be found in the eastern outskirts of the town. The imposing fort of Gulbarga has witnessed many a battle and suffered many an onslaught. Razed to the ground by Krishna Devaraya of Vijaynagar, it rose like a phoenix when Adil Shah undertook its repair with booty captured from Vijaynagar.
Overlooking the Arabian Sea, the broad hills are chained to one another with deep valleys and steep precipices. As yet 'undiscovered' by tourists, Kudremukh is a secluded hill station, which retains much of its pristine, natural beauty. And a holiday here can be truly delightful. Lush green forests interspersed with rivers, grassy slopes, captivating cascades and rare orchids providing an idyllic background for trekking. Kudremukh is trekker's territory with the richness of its flora and fauna waiting to be discovered. Situated 1,894.3 m above sea level, Kudremukh is rich in iron ore deposits. The Kudremukh Iron Ore Company conducts mining operations and transportation of the ore as slurry, through a pipeline to the port at Panambur near Mangalore. This has given new life to the region and converted this isolated tract into a humming modern township without taking away its natural beauty. Jamalabad Fort
The palace has now been converted into a museum, which treasures the souvenirs, paintings, jewellery, royal costumes and other items, which were once possessed by the Wodeyars. It is said that the palace displays the largest collection of gold items, quantity wise. The Durbar hall of the palace has an ornate ceiling and many sculpture pillars which are said to have been painted with gold. The walls of the palace are painted with pictures of the Dassera processions and these paintings are painted in such a manner that from any angle you can see the procession coming towards you. The royal throne of the Wodeyars is displayed during the Dassera festival. The palace was originally built of wood, which got burnt down in 1897 AD and was rebuilt in 1912 AD. The Palace Lit-up : This profusely decorated and gilded palace is illuminated every Sundays and on holidays. Tipu's Fort Situated opposite the city market, Tipu's Fort is known for the beautifully carved arches in Islamic style on the gate walls. Originally built in mud by Kempe Gowda in 1537 AD, the fort was extended and fortified by Tipu Sultan. Kempe Gowda built a brick and mud defence structure on this site in 1537 AD. In the 18th century, it was solidly rebuilt in stone by Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan. It's a sturdy, little fort, though much of it was destroyed during the wars with the British. The fort is well known for the well-preserved Ganapathi Temple within its precincts and it still attracts many devotees. One of the temple's outer walls carries an exquisite carving of Sri Krishna playing his flute. In this fort, Tipu's father Hyder Ali imprisoned David Baird along with a number of British army officers.
|
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
Badami
is an interesting place to visit in Karnataka what with its artificial
lake, ancient temples, Museum and Hindu and Jain caves carved in
the Sandstone hills. The largest and most ornamental is the third
cave temple dedicated to Vishnu. 
The
second dedicated to lord Vishnu depicted here as a dwarf or 'Trivikrama'
of awesome dimensions with one foot mastering the Earth and the
other the sky, It is atop a sandstone hill. Vishnu here is depicted
as a dwarf . Another form of Vishnu portrayed here is as 'Varaha'
or as a boar. Then there is a frieze endearingly depicting Vishnu
as Lord Krishna. 
Bidar
Fort
Bull
Temple
Gulbarga
Fort
Kudremukh
Mysore
Palace