One State Many Worlds

India is blessed with a mixed landscape ranging from frigid mountains to rainforests, deserts, plains, flat terrain, hills and plateaus. With a coast stretch running for over 7000 km, India lies on the peninsula that protrudes into the Indian Ocean, making it a cynosure of all eyes, ones which travel high distance on top and some which globe-trot on a simple school-atlas. One can imagine, how pale a look the subcontinent would have worn, if it was without India. The 7th most largest country in the world has everything to offer, and it's not all that amusing to know why people from abroad cash in their money to have a look at what our nation offers, both in natural and cultural aspects. We have come across the exotic Alps of Switzerland, the sub-zero forests in Canada, the flat mountain ranges of Mexico, the Southern Alps of New Zealand, the Great Barrier Reef of Australia and the Atacama Desert of Chile. But when it comes to diversity, it's India all the way. To have such a varied pattern of land distribution in an area of just over 3 million sq.km is fantastic!

The northern half of India comprises to a large extent of arable land, courtesy the mega rivers Ganges and Yamuna and innumerable rivulets and streams. These are rivers which have a history of thousands of years, perenially flowing as the water from Himalayas melts down to gush forth. It was primarily for this reason that Aryans migrated here and flourished with agriculture. Coming South, we have an excellent mix of conditions which make the plateau, a complete showcase for visitors and travellers. Being encompassed with water bodies on all the three sides, the peninsula comprises of palatial Western Ghats stretching its grasp from north Maharashtra to down bottom Kerala, scenic Eastern Ghats bordering all the way from West Bengal to Tamil Nadu, and not to forget the Vindhya and Satpura ranges in the heart of the plateau. What more can a person eager with his mountain expedition paraphernalia can ask for?




Amidst all these, Karnataka has got a large share in its offerings. The three important geographical zones in the state are The Hilly Malnad region/Western Ghats, The coastal Karavali region and the Bayaluseeme region of plain plateau. Rivers Kaveri, Krishna, Tungabhadra and Sharavathi are the prominent ones, catering to the growing water and irrigation needs of people here. With about 20% of the land area covered with forests, most of it in the Western Ghats, the state has rich sources of natural resources, flora and fauna. The average rainfall is about 1100 mm, with the differences showing in Malnad region and Bayaluseeme range. Soil shows a significant distribution and variety, with almost 11 different types of soil being recorded. And to talk of temperature, the variation is well pronounced, from 2-3 deg.C to 45-46 deg.C. You just cannot afford to pack off your sweaters or T-shirts once and away.........

Come with your bags packed with all the travelling stuff, you would least like to sit forlorn when Karnataka offers you so many tourist destinations. No matter what kind of a person, he/she always finds a wide bracket of options which include ancient sculptures, temples of famous realms, modern-buzz-choc-a-bloc cities, serene forests, calm meadows, old ruins, dry plains and long stretch of coast-line.

Lots of dynasties ruled over the region in the past, with The Badami Chalukyas, The Hoysalas and The Vijayanagar Empire being the most notable ones. Many ancient monuments are situated at historic places like Pattadakal, Aihole, Badami and Bijapur. Virupaksha temple at Pattadakal (the other one's at Hampi) and the sylvan ancient caves at Badami are agreeably the major edifices of the era passed by, with inscriptions in Sanskrit scripted on them. Coming to Hampi, now recognized as the World Heritage Site by UNESCO, we get to see the impressive ruins of the past, along with the most memorable Ugra Narasimha temple and the Vittala temple. At Bijapur, the hub of Urdu and Persian literature, we have the world famous Gol Gumbaz sepulcher which is the world's second largest dome. Down south at Mysore, we have a place which defines Karnataka by its style. It was here that the formers vassals and chiefs of Vijayanagar empire chose to start an own dynasty. The famous Mysore Palace, which hosts the pompous Dasara (which is the official festival of the state) is a must-watch, showcasing the full glory of Karnataka in its true splendour. Other famous historic places include The Fort at Chitradurga, ancient sculptures at Belur and Halebeedu, artistic old ruins at Srirangapatna. Places of public interest also include Sringeri temple, Shravanabelagola Monolith, Sirsi, Dharmasthala, Kollur temple, Subramanya temple, Kudalasangama, Udupi Krishna temple, Murudeshwar temple, MM Hills, BR Hills, Kemmannugundi hills and Kudremukh Hill Station, near Chickmagalur.

Coming to the more scenic Western Ghats, one must not fail to catch a glimpse of Sharavathi river, which falls from a height of 829 feet to create a visual-treat for spectators gazing in awe. Sheer beauty. You would love to go on mountain-climbing if shown places like Mullayyangiri, which is the acme of a peak in Karnataka, standing tall at 1925 metres. For a person who hasn't been on a high, he must take a short trip to Yana, an elysian destination, a breath-taking one, very hard to describe, no words at all........! Perhaps He Himself created it, just nothing can explain how beautiful it can get. It is surrounded by two little falls, Magod and Satod, beautiful ones, which make a good trip for a couple of days.

The coast line, stretching off from Karwar all the way Mangalore has got some interesting places to visit. Temples at Gokarna, Murudeshwar are flocked by throngs of people, all round the year. Maravanthe, Malpe and Ullal are the more known beaches. A light house beach at NITK, Suratkal is a great place to be, with a tall light-house stationed here, adding colour to the college nearby which houses close to 2390 students.

There are several other less known picnic spots in the state which deserve attention. Dandeli, near Karwar, is a good place for forest buffs wildlife freaks. And more of little places near a lovely little town of Sakleshpur in Hassan district, more easily approachable from Bangalore and Mysore via road and rail, has got plenty to offer. Nearby places see lots of trekking and visitors who would like to take some time off the busy humdrum routine at the office.

And for those who would love to visit Karnataka, take a long leave, for it's not a place to be seen within a short period of time. It's got an entire gamut in store. One State, Many Worlds........