Karnataka 2015
(vero;2016-April-15)
Karnataka is one of our favourite states in India. The place has a great mix of Hindu and Muslim people and cultures, friendly inhabitants, not many tourists on the roads and plenty to see in terms of architecture. We did not stay in Bangalore, but loved every bit of Mysore. Smaller towns, such as Hassan and the ones we toured during our Nindia13 trip are particularly appealing. As you may know, we are not beach-people, so we kept away from the coast and cannot report on that part of Karnataka (maybe next time as everybody seems to agree that beaches there are top notch).
Make sure to check our photo gallery for pictures of the architectural wonders of this region: the temples of Belur and Halebid, Shravana Belagola, Mysore and Srirangapatnam.
Hampi
We enjoyed Hampi so much in 2013 that we decided to visit again. Our photo gallery dedicated to Hampi shows some highlights of the area.
Hassan for the temples of Belur and Halebid/Shravana Belagola
We used Hassan as a base to visit the temples of Belur and Halebid. The town has nothing special to boast for, but we enjoyed it very much: people were utterly friendly and easy-going, the market busy and colourful, many clothing and jewelery shops, it was a pleasure to be there, to stroll around the streets, watch everyday life go by: India at its best. And of course, the temples at Belur and Halebid were magnificent, some of the best we have seen so far.
On our way to Mysore, we stayed for one day/night in Shravana Belagola, a pleasant stop-over and a high place of pilgrimage for Jains. We found the place very quiet, in a nice landscape reminiscent of Hampi and its boulders, with chatty people around. Climbing up the hills to the temples in the sun was quite an affair, since we had to go bare foot on the burning granite boulders: hot hot hot! We stayed in one of the pilgrim bungalows of the local Jain association: a cheap room with kitchen (!) for 250 Rs.
Most tourists visit this part of Karnataka on whirlwind tours from either Mysore or Bangalore. Spending more time in this region was certainly a very good idea, so much more that the journeys from one place to the other were most enjoyable. The buses travelled on minor roads, passing small villages with well kept houses in bright colours: green, lime, red, blue. We liked the ones in green/red tones particularly. Or the lime coloured ones? So difficult to say! The fields were well tended, we saw coco and banana plantations, goats and cows wandering around, carts driven by bullocks were slowing us down, it was all very peaceful and picturesque, for once we found the bus journeys much too short!
Mysore and Srirangapatnam
It would be difficult not to like Mysore. The Amba Vilas Palace is a must-see (we recommend the audio guide), and the city in itself is interesting enough with its big and lively markets. The broad avenues and squares in the centre give an airy feeling of space, which is unfortunately spoilt by too many tuk-tuks and speeding buses which make walking around the monumental area quite unpleasant.
On the other side, it was a bliss to wander around the many outlying districts where people live and work. At first sight, one could get the idea that it is more a muslim city: there are many mosques, the men wearing their white caps and many veiled women stick out in the crowd, but if you look well, you will see that there are also many Hindus, the Christian cathedral of St Philomena is open and in use (we thought of Cologne when admiring its tall soaring towers), we had the feeling of a very diverse and very friendly/welcoming population. Losing ourselves in the small lanes of different neighbourhoods, we could observe people pursuing all kind of trades, long disappeared in the West and so interesting to watch, things that make travelling such an exciting experience.
More touristy, the flower market was particularly impressive with its abundance of colours and fragrances. It is bustling with porters carrying huge sacks full of flowers and buds on their heads, vendors are assembling colourful guirlands, chatting and joking with each other. In fact, it is more a wholesale market, although private people also come there to do their shopping, but this can explain the profusion of flowers on sale.
Last but not least, Mysore served us as a base to visit Tipu Sultan's palace in Srirangapatnam, a great outing. Check our Mail from 22 Mar 2015 to read our impressions of the monuments and don't forget our photo gallery.
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$updated from: Blog.htxt Mon 04 Mar 2024 16:04:41 trvl2 (By Vero and Thomas Lauer)$