Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Karnataka & Bengaluru Highlights
Be bowled over by the grandiose
royal palace
(
Click here
) in Mysore
Savour aromatic coffee while recharging your soul in the cool highlands of the
Kodagu Region
(
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)
Drink yourself under the table, or stab into top-notch global cuisine in
Bengaluru
(
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)
Stroll peaceful manicured grounds of exquisite 16th-century Islamic architecture in
Bijapur
(
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)
Marvel at the gravity-defying boulders, and wander among the melancholic ruins of
Hampi
(
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)
Chill the hell out on Om beach in
Gokarna
(
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)
Spy on lazy tuskers and listen to exotic birds in the forests bordering the serene
Kabini Lake
(
Click here
)
History
A rambling playfield of religions, cultures and kingdoms, Karnataka has been ruled by a
string of charismatic rulers through history. India's first great emperor, Chandragupta
Maurya, made the state his retreat when he embraced Jainism at Sravanabelagola in the 3rd
century BC. From the 6th to the 14th centuries, the land was under a series of dynasties
such as the Chalukyas, Cholas, Gangas and Hoysalas, who left a lasting mark in the form
of stunning caves and temples across the state.
In 1327 Mohammed Tughlaq's army sacked Halebid. In 1347 Hasan Gangu, a Persian
general in Tughlaq's army, led a rebellion to establish the Bahmani kingdom, which was
later subdivided into five Deccan sultanates. Meanwhile, the Hindu kingdom of Vijay-
anagar, with its capital in Hampi, rose to prominence. Having peaked in the early 1550s, it
fell in 1565 to a combined effort of the sultanates.
In subsequent years the Hindu Wodeyars of Mysore grew in stature and extended their
rule over a large part of southern India. They remained largely unchallenged until 1761,
when Hyder Ali (one of their generals) deposed them. Backed by the French, Hyder Ali
and his son Tipu Sultan set up capital in Srirangapatnam and consolidated their rule.
However, in 1799 the British defeated Tipu Sultan and reinstated the Wodeyars. Historic-
ally, this flagged off British territorial expansion in southern India.
Mysore remained under the Wodeyars until Independence - post-1947, the reigning ma-
haraja became the first governor. The state boundaries were redrawn along linguistic lines
in 1956 and the extended Kannada-speaking state of Mysore was born. It was renamed
Karnataka in 1972, with Bangalore (now Bengaluru) as the capital.
