Karnataka's pilgrim Centres are excellent examples of its rich cultural heritage and attract thousands of devotees all through out the year. This has been a school of thought for many Philosophers and Philosophies.
Most of the temples in Karnataka were built during the reign of Vijayanagara dynasty and Hoysala dynasty. Not only are they hugely sanctified and sacred, their architectural elegance and grandeur are second to none.There are temples that are so grand and exquisite, it is said that even gods refused to stay in them as they found it too beautiful to stay in. With the magnificence they possess, temples of Karnataka have also become a great tourist attraction.Some temples like Mookambika Temple in Kollur are situated in nature's lap, surrounded by picturesque surroundings. Far from chaos of cities, such temples provide the divine feeling, that one comes for looking on a pilgrimage in Karnataka.
Major Pilgrimage Sites
Badami: Of the structural temples in Badami, the Dattatreya temple and the Mallikarjuna are noteworthy.
Mysore: Chamundi Hill is one of the landmark tourist attractions of Mysore.Chamundeeswari, or Durga is the fierce form of Shakti who vanquished the demon Mahishasuran. A colorful image of the demon greets visitors as they reach the summit of the hill.Also on this temple are several images of Nandi (the bull mount of Shiva). The best known of these is the collossal Nandi on the 800th step on the hill. This Nandi is over 15 feet high, and 24 feet long. It was created during the reign of Dodda Devaraja, who also built the steps leading up the hill.
Lord Manjunatha temple is a famous pilgrim center. Sri Dharmasthala which is one of the sacred places in South India is well known to all pious people. It is situated in the village of Dharmasthala, in Beltangady Taluk of Dakshina Kannada district.
Stavanidhi:It is 5 Kms from Nipani town and 60 Kms from Belgaum. There are 4 Jain temples at stavanidhi. The huge idol of Brahamadev is very miraculous. The people of all faith visit the temple of Bhramdev to fulfill their desires. There is a temple dedicated to devi padmavati between the main road and the tirth temple.
Gokarna: Cow's Ear- for that's what `Gokarna' actually means- is a mundane way of describing a place as pretty as this. Named for the ear-shaped confluence of two rivers, Gokarna, is noted more as a pilgrimage centre than as a beach.ituated in coastal Karnataka is 453 kms from Bangalore and about 55 kms from Karwar.It is described as a Shaiva Centre, as important as Kashi and Rameshwar. History has it that the Atmalinga brought by Ravana got struck here and his efforts to extricate it resulted in his throwing the coverings of the Linga to Dhareshwar, Gunavanteshwara, Murdeshwar and Shejjeshwar temples.
Katil is another place of Religious significance. Katil is 30 Kms from Mangalore, on the banks of the river Nandini. It has a famous temple dedicated to Durga Parameshwari.
Kollur, 80 kms from Udupi, is one of the most important places of pilgrimage on the west coast attracting pilgrims from all over India. The temple dedicated to the Divine Mother, Sri Mookambika, stands in the valley of the great Kodachadri peak.
Kukke Subrahmanya Temple is about a 100 KM from Mangalore and can be easily reached by buses or taxis. The temple is situated in the heart of the village. Nature reveals herself in all her unhidden beauty in the rivers, forests and mountains which the temples is surrounded by.
Shringeri, 100kms from Udupi, is a wellknown centre of pilgrimage situated on the banks of the river Tunga and at the foot of the Sahya mountain - a part of the western ghats, in Chikmagalur district of Karnataka. It is as sacred as Kashi, Rameshwaram, Puri, Dwaraka, Tirupathi, Srisailam, Srirangam, Pandharpur, Badrinath and Pashupathinath. Regarded as one of the most sacred Hindu pilgrimages in South India, Sringeri was the abode of Shankaracharya, the great 9th century philosopher and social reformer.
Shravanabelagola:One of the holiest Jain pilgrimages, Shravanabelagola is synonymous with the colossal monolithic statue of Jain saint Lord Gomateshwara.
Udupi is a divine shrine in the coastal region of Western Ghats. Situated about 60 kms from Mangalore, it is a fairly large and upcoming town that was sanctum of Madhvacharya, the great Sanskrit Philosopher. The famous temple here, has a fascinating idol of Lord Krishna that is richly adorned with jewels.Another attraction of this temple is the 'Kanakana Kindi' -a small window through which Lord Krishna is believed to have given darshan to his ardent devotee, Kanakadasa. There are three temples in Udupi; Chandreshwara, Anantheshwara and Sri Krishna temple. Chandreshwara and Anatheshwara are the most ancient temples of Udupi.