Ooty (Udamangalam) – Queen of Hill Stations
This is located in the Western Ghats zone at an altitude of 2240 mtrs. It is the headquarters of the Nilgiri District, where the two mountain ranges meet. Udhagamandalam , popularly called as OOTY by the tourist, is the Queen of Hill Stations. Centuries ago this was also called as Oththai-Kal [single stone] Mandu [ Mund is a name of Toda Village]. The British started calling it as Ootacamund.

Coffee and Tea Plantations and trees like Conifers, Eucalyptus, Pine and Wattle dot the hill side in Udhagamandalam and its environs. Summer temperature is maximum of 25 C and a minimum of 10 C . During the Winter it is minimum 5 C and a maximum of 21 C when it is slightly warmer. This area was inhibited by the tribals called TODA long before any body could venture into this region.

Curiously enough, this slice of paradise remained unknown even during the periods of the great Southern Dynasties. It was the Britons who ventured into the riches of the regions during early 1800’s. Development and modernization took after their arrival to Udhagamandalam. This was the Summer Capital of the Madras Presidency during the British Rule. Coonoor – 19Kms, Kothagiri – 31 Kms are the other smaller nearby hill stations.The Town population is 88,430(2011 census) and Nilgiri District population is 7,33,394(2011 census).

Kodaikanal – Princess of Hill Station
Legend starts with Lieutenant Ward, an Englishman, who climbed up from the Kunnavan village of Vellagavi to Kodaikanal in 1821 for a survey of Mountain Ranges of Palani. In 1834, J.C Wroughten, the then Sub-Collector of Madras and C. R. Cotton, Member – Board of Revenue – Madras Presidency went up the hills from Devadanapatti and built a small bungalow at the head of Adukkam pass near Shenbaganur. The visit of Dr.Wite in 1836 and his observation about the Hill Station attracted Botanists to Kodaikanal. First two houses named Sunnyside and Shelton, on the South Lake Road, were built between 1844-1845 by American Missionaries. Six more such American families migrated to Kodaikanal. Exotic location at 7000 feet above the Plains brought them up here.

Yelagiri
Yelagiri Hill is at an 1410 meters altitude, and one of the most popular hill stations of Tamil Nadu. Situated amidst four mountains well known for its salubrious climate prevailing throughout the year. Tribal people live in villages of these hills. Human settlement started around 200 years ago.

Travel by the winding Ghat road that has 14 hairpin bends, you can reach the Yelagiri hilltop. The ride offers panoramic breath taking views of the hills and its surroundings. The seventh bend is significant, since it offer the view of the slopes of the mountain and the green forests . The highest point in Yelgiri is the Swamimalai Hill, standing tall at 4,338 ft and a popular destination for trekkers.

Yercaud – A Jewel of the South
Yercaud is situated at an altitude of 4970 feet , on the Shevaroys Hills of the Eastern Ghats, located in Salem District of Northern Tamil Nadu. Because of the abundance of Trees and that happened to be near the Lake made the locals to call this area as Yeri – Kaadu meaning Lake Forest. Later on the name turned out to be YERCAUD and it is also called as Jewel of the South. Yercaud Taluk spreads in an about 382.67 Sq.km area which includes the Reserve Forest also. While rest of this region, including the predominantly short and rocky hills of the Eastern Ghats welcomes all with its cool climate. The temperature never rises above 290 and does not drop down below 130 degrees. Yercaud is less expensive than either Udhagamandalam or Kodaikanal. Yercaud population is 36,863 (2011 census) .

Trekking in Nilgiris
The Nilgiris are a trekker’s paradise. Landscaped by nature, the hills abound in trek for lovers of nature. There are treks and treks in whichever direction you turn and from whichever point you start. A trek can be full of thrill, excitement and adventure and a way of seeing and enjoying nature in all its beauty and splendour.

Udhagamandalam (Ooty) offers several trek routes, which vary in distance, altitudes and trkterrain. There is a base camp at Parsons valley, from where one can start trekking to various points within Western Ghats. The down hills of Western Ghats on the North ends up with meeting the extensions of Eastern Ghats, where the sprawling Mudumalai Sanctuary lies which opens vistas for adventure tourists.

Trekking pamphlets are available with the Nilgiri Wildlife and Environment Association (NWLEA). There are guides who have sound knowledge of certain areas. If necessary, their services may be hired. And for further details contact the Tourist Information Office at Charring Cross, Ooty.

Hang-Gliding courses are also organised during March to May every year, with the assistance of the Department of Tourism. Contact the Tourist Officer, Ooty for assistance.

Angling Goad Trout, Carp and mixed water fishing is possible in various streams and lakes of Ooty. The Assistance Director of Fisheries issues the fishing license.

11 colorful, vibrant and prestigious festivals are celebrated all over Karnataka and the most famous one is Dasara (Dussehra), on which day the Mysore Palace is decorated and the entire city of Mysore comes together to pay homage to the guardian goddess. The Hampi Festival celebrated in the month of November remembering the Vijaygarha Kings.

The Tulu Sankramana Coorg Festival or Theerthodbhava is a festival of joy in celebration of Goddess Cauvery which is ideally celebrated in the month of October. Believers and followers from all around the world come to take the holy dip in the waters and seek the blessings of the deity. Pattadakkal Dance Festival is an extravagant festival of dance celebrated at the temples of Pattadakkal which is 135kms away from Hampi and is celebrated in the month of January.

The Vairamudi Festival, celebrated in the month of March is in the worship of Lord Vishnu where the idol is decorated and decked up with a diamond-studded crown and brought outside of the Mysore palace. Buffalo Race otherwise known as Kambala is one festival that has been followed and continued in Mangalore and Udupi mainly apart from other surrounding regions, up until today since the days of the royal Kings, as a royal sport.

These races are held typically from November to March. Hoysala Mahotsava is another dance festival celebrated in grandeur in the month of March in Belur and Halebidu, portraying the vivid Hoysala culture of Hoysala rulers, temples, culture and architecture.

Karnataka clearly is a state that holds witness to history extensively and to be able to understand the significance and enjoy the beauty, festivals and art forms have so many stories to portray and as tourists, this is how you experience this state that is filled with so many surprises.

Dasara
Mysore (September / October)
Mysore Dasara is a Royal Festival Celebrating victory of Truth over Evil. Legend has it that the Goddess Chamundeeswari or Durga slew the demon Mahishasuran on Vijayadashami day.

Dasara is a 10-day festival in the region culminating on Vijayadashami or tenth day. The day marks the successful conclusion of the preceding nine days. Vijayadashami is also a day of victory of the King and his subjects, be it in a battle or day-to-day governance. The preceding nine days of Navarathri have celebrations starting only after six days. The sixth day is in honour of goddess Saraswathi. Eight day is dedicated to Durga and Ninth day is for Lakshmi, goddess of wealth. On tenth day a grand spectacular Procession is held which starts from Mysore Palace and ends in Bannimantap.

During Dasara, the entire City is gaily decorated and illuminated. The Palace and other important buildings are illuminated. Cultural programmes by famous artists are arranged in the Palace along with Sports, Wrestling, Poet’s meet, Food Festival, Film Festival witnessed by a large number of people. Dasara Exhibition is arranged in the Doddakere Maidana, by the Karnataka Exhibition Authority, where the public and private sector industries, leading business establishments, Government departments put up their stalls to promote industrial and corporate business for months.

Tula Sankramana (Kaveri Sankramana)
Coorg (October)
Tula Sankramana festival normally takes place in mid-October and is one of the prominent and sacred festivals of the Coorgs. Tula Sankramana is celebrated at Talakaveri the birth place of river Kaveri. On Tula Sankramana day a fountain from a small tank fills the holy tank at Talakaveri. People from all over the state gather at this place to dip in this holy water or Theertha. The Theertha is collected in bottles and reaches every home throughout Coorg. This Theertha is preserved in all Kodava homes. A spoonful of this water is fed to the dying, in the belief that they will attain moksha and gain entry to heaven.

Hampi Festival
Hampi (January / February)
Hampi Festival is the largest festival at Hampi. Generally they are scheduled for 3 days during the first week of November. The celebrations typically packed with shows of music, dance puppet shows fireworks and a pomp procession as the grand finale showcasing the cultural richness of the place. Of late items like rock climbing, water sports and rural sports also has been included in the schedule. The programs are state sponsored and the admission is free. In local language the Hampi Festival is referred as Vijaya Utsav or Hampi Utsav.

Vairamudi Festival
Melkote (March)
An important pilgrim centre Melkote in the Mandya district with several kalyanis, aesthetically and historically significant monuments housed all set to celebrate the Historical Vairamudi festival scheduled to be held on March 22.The temple town not only attracts devotees but also favorite destination for the tourists and it was estimated about one million tourists annually.

Even though the pilgrim centre mainly for the SriVeershanavas, however, the tourists and devotees will not miss who visit to the Sugar district.

Kambala
(Buffalo Race), Southern Coastal Karnataka ( November – March)
Kambala, or traditional buffalo racing, is a hugely popular pastime among villagers along the southern Karnataka coast. Kambala events are usually held between November and March, usually on weekends. Parallel tracks are laid out in a paddy field, along which buffaloes hurtle towards the finish line. In most cases the man rides on a board fixed to a ploughshare, literally surfing his way down the track behind the beasts.

The Kambala races began almost 1000 years ago as a commemoration to the Gods for a better harvest and possibly a source of entertainment for the villagers. Today, almost 150 pairs of buffaloes and their owners take part in the 3­­­ to 4-month-long festival where different races are held over a two-day period. This includes running on a slushy 160-metre track in record time or even creating the highest slush wave.

Karaga
Bangalore (March / April)
Karaga is one of the oldest and widely celebrated festivals of Karnataka. Karaga festival depicts the rich cultural and religious heritage of Karnataka. It is celebrated in honour of the Goddess Shakti. The festival is held at the famous Dharmarayaswamy temple in Bangalore. The festival starts on the full moon day of Chaitra that falls in March/April. The festival derives its name from an earthen pot in which the Goddess Shakti is invoked. The celebrations last for 9 days, starting from the full moon day.The highlight of the festival is a grand procession that is held in honour of Goddess Shakti on the full moon night.

The celebration of Karaga festival in Karnataka can be traced back to over five centuries. It is believed that the festival originated in the Tigala community, a Tamil-speaking community of gardeners in Southern Karnataka. The Tigala community has been carrying forward the tradition of the festival for several centuries.

Kadalekayi Parishe
Bangalore (November)
Kadalekaye Parishe, also known as Peanut festival, it is a traditional followed for more than five millennia by Kannadigas and the migrants who embraced the culture, still creates magic. The fair falls in the month of November. It is held in order to celebrate the first groundnut crop of the year. As a part of the celebrations, the farmers of the city visit the Bull temple to seek blessings of God. The more than a kilometre stretch from Ramakrishna Mutt till the Bull Temple with vendors, buyers, devotees and tourists is testimony to the fact that tradition is kept alive.

The fair begins on the eve of Karthika Somawara (last Monday of Hindu month of Karthika) and is called the chikka parishe (small fair) followed by the dooda parishe (big fair) on the next two days. On every full moon day a bull would charge into the groundnut fields and damage the crop. The farmers then offered prayers to Basava Nandi to stop this and pledged to offer their first crop

Huthri
Coorg (November / December)
Huthri is a traditional harvest festival of Karnataka widely known for the variety of dances and folk songs which are performed on the day of the festival. This harvest festival is celebrated in different parts of the state during the months of November-December. Huthri is celebrated by the Kodava community of Kodagu. The celebration starts of the season’s rice harvests with ceremony, music, traditional dances and much feasting for a week, beginning on a full-moon night. ‘Nerekattu’, tying of the crop, take place at the temple and the first crop would be cut after the puja. The tradition is strictly followed that the rituals would begin in homes all over Kodagu only after it began at Igguthappa temple.

Banashankari Fair
(February / March)
Banashankari Fair is held as a religious cum cultural festival, at the temple precincts every year on the occasion of the Rath yatra, for a period of about three weeks starting from the Rath yatra. Pilgrims from across Karnataka and also the neighboring state of Maharashtra belonging to different religious beliefs, congregate here in large numbers to celebrate the festival.

Maha Mastakabhisheka
Shravanbelagola (Every once in 12 years, next one in 2030)
Mahamasthakabhisheka, the head anointing ceremony is performed once in 12 years to the 57 feet high monolithic statue of Lord Bahubali at Shravanabelagola in Karnataka. One of the highlights of the event is the head anointing that is held for 9 days. The event is held under the leadership of His Holiness Sri Charukeerthi Bhattarakha Swamiji of Shravanabelagola. The anointing last took place in February 2006, and the next ceremony will occur in 2018

Bengaluru Habba
(December)
Bangalore Habba is one of the biggest cultural festival in Bangalore. A signature festival of the state of Karnataka. The city plays host to exquisite performances from varied fields of art, dance, music, theatre and much more. The Habba will also attempt to capture the spirit of Incredible India through the Khadi and Handloom exhibitions, art and flower instillations, folk/theatre festivals and more. Rock and jazz performances, fashion shows and chamber concerts will add to the grandeur of the Habba. The 10-day long festival will bring together young artists from all over Karnataka, celebrating various art forms.

The performances are slated to held across various venues in the city like Chowdiah Memorial Hall, Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, National grounds, UB City, Seva Sadhan, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Rangashankara, Taj Hotels etc. The Habba is a great platform to encourage young artists and give them an opportunity to showcase their talent, and share the stage with stalwarts.” The vision behind the Habba says Padmini Ravi, Trustee of Artistes’ Foundation for the Arts (AFFA) that spearheads the event, has been “to provide aesthetic entertainment to a wide cultural, social and demographic cross-section of people. We wish to ensure that various art forms continue to have an impact on our culture and traditions.”

Experience Spirituality
Karnataka consists of a population of diverse culture and religion. The state is spread over with some of the most beautiful churches, temples, and masjids. Each architecture has beautiful engravings and significant history worth the knowledge.

Karnataka is popularly known for its strong Hindu culture mainly because of the history of rulers. Places like Srirangapatna, Murdeshwar and Hampi are the ultimate destinations for a religious pilgrimage. Be it the 123 feet statue of Lord Shiva or the Anjaneya Hills or Sri Ranganatha Swamy temple, Karnataka always proves to be so rich in religious values and culture. Each of them, centuries old and so captivating.

Famous Spiritual Places

St.Aloysius College	Murudeshwara	Polali Rajarajeshwari
Talakad	Koti Lingeshwara	Infant Jesus Church
Jumma Masjid	Kukke Subrahmanya	St.Philomena’s Cathedra
Yellamma Temple	Dharmasthala	Gangadeshwara Temple
Basavakalyan	Bylekuppe	ISKCON Temple
Veeranarayana Temple	Udupi

Experience The Cuisine
Food is the way to anyone’s heart and food in Karnataka especially is like a tour through various delicious flavors and spices. It is a combination of sweet and spice and everything nice. Just like the rich heritage are the delectable dishes/cuisines of Karnataka with their staple food items being Ragi and rice.

Karnataka is known for its homely feeling and so is their food, bringing to you the taste of authentic and traditional Kannadiga cuisine. Be it the sumptuous Mysore Masala Dosa or the appetizing Kundapura Koli Saaru from Mangalore or the mouth-watering Udupi Sambar, you have a plethora of food choices to indulge in.

So if you come across dishes like Ragi Mudde and Soppina Saru or Chow Chow Bath or the most famous Obbitu and Holige, remember, you are going to be diving deep into the most mouth-watering and healthy dishes that signify the distinct flavors of Karnataka.

Cuisine
Karnataka is a gracious host and offers a spread that appeals to every palate. Traditional Kannadiga cuisine is typically South Indian with a little bit of sweetness for added measure. But that doesn’t begin to sum it all. The feast of the land includes Udupi, Mangalorean, Kodava and yes, Kannadiga, which again is a journey in itself – it varies with the geographical features. Even cereals vary and consumed in every imaginable and unimaginable form.

To the uninitiated, some of the preparations might come across as bewildering, but no less delicious. Add to this, a highly evolved sweet tooth, and you get the deliriously wonderful concoctions, which are like nothing else in the world. With Karnataka, the pudding is the proof itself, and you see where the state gets its signature gusto from.

Mangalore
A hallelujah of seafood, spicy fish delicacies like kane fry (lady fish), rice-based preparations, and a wide variety of fruits are perennial favourites on the Mangalorean menu. Epicures believe that fresh coconut, chillies, and the Mangalorean mind together create culinary magic. Mangaloreans love rice in all forms – red grain rice, sannas (idli fluffed with toddy or yeast), pancakes, rice rottis, kori rotti (a dry, crisp, almost wafer-thin rice rotti which is served with chicken curry as a delicacy,) and neer dosa. Patrode, a special dish prepared by steaming stuffed colocasia leaves, is a delicacy not to be missed. Akki rotti, or rice rotti, is a favourite not only in Mangalore but also in Malnad and Kodagu.

Malnad
Malnad cuisine is fusion of Kodava and Mangalorean fare. Key preparations include the midigayi pickle (tender mango,) sandige, avalakki (beaten rice) and akki rotti made of rice flour.

Udupi
The ubiquitous masala dosa has its origins in Udupi, and a whole school of South Indian vegetarian cuisine takes its name from this town. This is ‘pure’ vegetarian food, sans onions or garlic. Pumpkins and gourds are the main ingredients, while sambar is prepared with ground coconut and coconut oil as its base. Rasam, a spicy pepper water, is an essential part of the menu, and so are jackfruit, colocasia leaves, raw green bananas, mango pickle, red chillies, and salt. Adyes (dumplings), ajadinas (dry curries) and chutneys, including one made of the skin of the ridge gourd are specialities.

Kodava
Kodava cuisine is all-out meat and gravy hedonistic and is as distinctive as their costumes, customs and festivals. Pandi curry (pork curry) and Kadumbuttu (rice dumplings) are arguably the most delectable dishes in the Kodava repertoire. The succulent koli curry (chicken curry), nool puttu (rice noodles), votti (rice rotti) and bembla curry (bamboo shoot curry) are also worth trying.

North Karnataka
The people of North Karnataka have a taste for wheat and jowar rottis (unleavened bread made of millet), a delicacy best savoured with a variety of chutnies or spicy curries. Apart from the jowar rottis and the trademark yenne badanekayi(brinjal curry), North Karnataka fare boasts a wide range of rottis to choose from: Jolada rotti, thali peet, khadak rotti and sajja rotti (bajra rotti). These rottis are accompanied by side dishes like yenne badanekayi, kaalu palya, soppu palya, usli (made from spicy sprouted gram) and jholka (made from channa dal flour). The best North Karnataka sweets are Dharwad peda, Gokak khardantu, Belgaum khunda, shenga holige and yellu holige, besides the local hoornada holige.

Bijapur Biriyani
Bijapur offers an exotic culinary treat to travellers. Most famous among them is Dosa Pandi curry with raita, korma curry or a sour dish made of brinjal. The carefully selected range of spices, which are hand ground, and the aromatic Basmati rice, give it an unforgettable flavour and fragrance.

Breakfast
As far as standard breakfast eats are concerned, you can choose from the popular uppittu (roasted semolina laced with chillies, coriander leaves, mustard and cumin seed), idli-sambar (steamed rice cake and curry), thatte idlis (flat idlis), masala dosa (pancake with curried potato filling), set dosa, rava dosa, puri palya, uthapam, vada sambar or kesari bhath (a sweet made of semolina and sugar laced with saffron) and lots more.

Traditional fare
The traditional culinary fare of Karnataka is a sumptuous spread that includes several essential menu items. These include protein-rich cereal salads like kosambri, palyas (warm vegetable salads made out of parboiled vegetables chopped fine and tossed with desiccated coconut, green chillies, curry leaves, and mustard seasoning), gojju (a vegetable cooked in tamarind juice with chilli powder in it), tovve (cooked dal without too much seasoning), huli (a thick broth of lentils and vegetables cooked together with ground coconut, spices, tamarind, and chilli powder) and pappad. A complete range of rice-based dishes, including chitranna (rice with lime juice, green chilli, turmeric powder sprinkled with fried groundnuts and coriander leaves,) vangibhath (spiced rice with eggplant,) and pulliyogare (rice flavoured with tamarind juice and spiced with groundnuts) form an integral part of the traditional repertoire. The most distinctive Karnataka dish, however, is the celebrated bisibelebhath, a unique combination of rice, dal, tamarind, chilli powder, and a dash of cinnamon. In rural areas, ragi mudde (steam-cooked finger millet rolled into large balls) served either with mutton curry or soppina saaru forms the staple diet.

Desserts
To end your meal, you may wish to indulge in sweets like chiroti (a light flaky pastry sprinkled with granulated sugar and soaked in almond milk,) Mysore pak, obbattu or holige (a flat, thin, wafer-like chappati filled with a mixture of jaggery, coconut or copra and sugar, and fried gently on a skillet) and shavige payasa (made of milk, vermicelli, sugar, and cardamom pods).

Experience Heritage
Did you know that two famous heritage sites in Karnataka are considered part of the Seven Wonders of India? The relics of Karnataka are considered to be so prestigious and renowned with Hampi being known as UNESCO’s world heritage site.

Shravanabelagola on the other hand which is about 160kms from Bangalore and is the other heritage site, famously known for the Gomatheshwara Statue that has 650 odd steps to reach the religious place. Apart from these two are other places like Belur and Halebidu that bear testimony to the distinct architectural style of Hoysala Rulers. Today, out of 1500 temples that were built, only 100 survive.

Hoysaleshwara Temple, Garuda Pillar, the Chennakesava Temple provide an immense contribution towards Kannada art culture and literature. Other temples, forts, monuments in and around that speak and portray the beauty of Karnataka, the culture, the values, the pride of the ancestors, the famous Mysore Palace in its majestic glory is all a treasure trove of history indeed.

Famous Heritage Sites

Halebeedu	Bangalore Palace	Bijapur	Somnathpur
Bidar	Kolar	Badami	Pattadakal
Aihole	Belur	Srirangapatna	Hampi
Bellary Fort	Gulbarga	Chitradurga	Mysore Palace
Bangalore Fort	Tipu’s Palace

Experience Beaches
Most tourists are well aware of Mangalore for it’s serene beaches namely, Malpe and Panambur beach of the others, but now, here is another place not many know about but has become one of the ultimate beach retreat places.

Call it our little Goa or the replica of Goa, about 5 hours away from Mangalore is Gokarna. This place sees many foreign travelers every month and why not? If you are looking to go on a pilgrimage or to spend some sea time at the Om Beach and Kudle Beach, well, this is the ultimate destination.

Famous Beaches

St.Mary’s Island	Karwar	Murdeshwar
Kaup	Marwanthe	Suratkal
Gokarna	Malpe

Experience The Wild
Karnataka is widely known mainly for the famous Bandipur National Park but did you know there are totally 27 various Wildlife Sanctuaries and National Parks spread across the state? Karnataka gives huge importance to preserving the wild and wildlife and these sanctuaries are proof of the same.

Starting all the way from Bandipur National Park to Bannerghatta National Park and extending further. They also offer a wide range of options for luxurious jungle resorts. Kabini is one such place that is about 1 hour away from Mysore is an absolute treat to the eyes.

Surrounded completely by greenery and close to Nagarhole National Park and Tiger Reserve, this uncommon place offers you so much to explore in the wild and be one with nature.

Famous Wildlife Sanctuaries

Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary	Bandipur National Park	Someshwara Wildlife Sanctuary
Kokkrebellur Pelicanry	Dubare Reserve Forest	Bannerghatta National Park
Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary	Ranoji Bear Sanctuary	Adichunchanagiri Peacock Sanctuary
Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary	Gudavi Bird Sanctuary	Ranibennur Blackbuck Sanctuary
Kudremukh	BRT Wildlife Sanctuary	Rajiv Gandhi National Park
Anshi National Park	Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary

Experience Tranquility
Fall in love with some of the most breath taking and transcendent locations of nature and experience true tranquility that you have most longed for.

Be it the Jog Falls or the coffee plantations in the Scotland of India (Coorg) or the spectacular view of the Sunrise at Nandi Hills, Karnataka is where your bucket list is set to begin. When it comes to adventure and exploring inches of Karnataka, there are so many places you will find as you keep visit each place.

Surrounded by hill stations, cities and places that have exquisite architecture, you will come across some breath-taking falls, mountains and hills that you can trek through, water bodies you can drive around like Tungabhadra river, Cauvery River or Agastya Lake, or you can be part of the mountain biking and hiking groups that have some interesting activities always lined up. Karnataka is so beautifully surrounded by nature and related places that are both thrilling and spectacular.

There is places that are so uncommon which is why Karnataka is the ultimate destination to experience the best of nature.

Famous Exotic Nature Locations:

Coorg	Kemmanagundi	Chikamagalur	BR Hills
Kalhatti Falls	Iruppu Falls	Kodachadri	Agumbe
Kudremukh	Nandi Hills	Gokak Falls	Lalguli Falls
Sathodi Falls	Abbey Falls	Jog Falls	Onke Abbe
Magod Falls	Kundadri	Hebbe Falls	Mulliyana Giri

Art Forms
The art of story-telling comes from passion and creativity. It is embedded within and it is portrayed so naturally and beautifully. Be it drama, dance, music or storytelling, you can witness vivid diversity in terms of cultural dress, traditional dance forms, social and cultural history and so on.

Yaskhagana is a classic folk play that falls under the theatrical art forms of coastal Karnataka. There are totally 12 art forms of which Yakshagana is undisputedly the poster-child of the art forms, it’s lesser known counterparts are equally enthralling in their own way.

Gamaka is a unique music form based on Karnataka Sangeetha while other dance forms like Boodkali (Coorg), Dasaratha (North Karnataka) seem to have lost their value over the years. Dance forms like Veeragase and Kamsale portray the culture of Karnataka and Dollu Kunitha is a special dance form that makes use of colored drums, performed by male shepherds of the Kuruba community making it looking vibrant and lively.

The names of certain dance forms, Devare Thatte Kunitha, Yellammana Kunitha, Sugi Kunitha, to name a few, are derived from either the deity they worship or a symbol or the instruments they use. Apart from the above, Karnataka embraces the most distinguished classical dance form of India, Bharathnatyam and others such as Kuchipudi and Kathak.

Yakshagana
The “celestial song” or ‘Yakshagana’ is the most enchanting amalgamation of dance, music and literature. This traditional theatre form with a history of over 400 years is known for it extemporaneous dialogue delivery. Bhagavatha, the main storyteller accompanies a group of musicians – ‘chande’ and ‘mavdale’, as they weave mythological stories helped by hued costumes and dynamic dance forms.

Dollu Kunita
The Dollu Kunita is a powerful drum dance accompanied by acrobatic movements, synchronized group formations and the occasional screams. The shepherd community of Kurubas performs the dance to honour their deity, Beereshwara, a form of the Hindu god, Shiva. A major attraction for any religious festivals in villages, about a dozen artistes move with vigour to the rich vibrations of the Dollu or the drum.

Beesu Kamsale
Beesu Kamsale is a vigorous dance form closely associated with the rituals of Malle Mahadeswara worship and employs a great blend of aesthetic sublimity and martial agility. A cymbal-like disc, the ‘Kamsale’ is played in rhythm with the songs exalting the glory of the Lord Mahadeswara.

Somana Kunita
Somana Kunita is a religious, ritualistic dance performed by two or three artists with elaborate masks. Known as Somas, they were entrusted with the task of guarding the village deities and also worshipping them. The stories related to the birth of the Somas forms the crux of the performance.

Krishna Parijata
This traditional folk theater form revolves around Lord Krishna, and his fight with Indira over the Parijatha tree. Known for their frequent witticisms, they are mostly open-air performances. Simple plots and dialogues, spontaneity of the performers and impromptu improvisations make Krishna Parijata a great attraction to the audiences.

Chowdike Mela
The devotees of Yellama, the patron goddess of the rural folk of North Karnataka, perform Chowdike Mela. ‘Chowdike’, a unique stringed instrument, partners their mesmerizing praise of the Goddess. The singers usually dedicate their entire lives solely to singing the heavenly glory.

Goravara Kunita
This religious dance is performed by the devotees of Shiva, the Hindu God. Attired in fur cap made of bearskin and black and yellow clothing, they sway to the esoteric tunes of the flute and the ‘Damaruga’, a hand-held drum. Accompanying their trance-like movements, are songs handed down through generations, replete with deep mystic meanings.

Veeragaase
Veeragase gets its name from the Hindu legendary warrior, Veerabhadra, where dancers narrate the story of Daksha Yajna. Attired in colourful garb and traditional headgear, the dancers carry a wooden plaque of Veerabhadra in their left hand and a sword in their right. The dance sometimes involves a ritualistic piercing of a needle across the tongue.

Puja Kunita
Puja Kunita is the dance of worship performed to propitiate the Goddess Shakti. The dancer carries a five feet frame made out of bamboo called Puje, wrapped with beautiful saris and flowers, during the performance. Devoid of any stories, the dancers provide visual exclusivity by their acrobatic movements.

Ummattaattu
Ummaattaattu is the traditional dance form of Coorg made famous by the beautiful Kodava women. Adorned in the traditional red brocade Sari, jewellery and red vermilion on the forehead, they dance in circles to the rhythms of hand-held brass cymbals. Accompanied by singing, the dance form – performed to appease Goddess Cauvery – is usually part of festivals, weddings, etc.

Jagghalige Kunita
A large percussion instrument made from the wheels of a bullock cart, wrapped with buffalo hides called ‘Jagghalige’ is largely used in this folk art. Usually involving about 15 people, the dancers march to the pulsating beat of the giant drums. Jagghalige Kunita is performed during festivals like Ugadi and Holi.

Suggi Kunita
A Harvest festival dance, Suggi Kunita is performed mostly by the farming community. Artists in beautiful costumes and wooden headgear adorned with carved birds and flowers dance to the tune of drums with sticks and peacock feathers. They enhance the dance sometimes, by their own signing.