(DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - India

498-499-IND_DPS.indd 499 29/04/14 7:13 pm

500  SOUTHWESTERN INDIA

0 A Walk through Old Goa

A magnificent complex of cathedrals, churches and
monasteries, spread along a 1.5-km (1-mile) stretch,
marks the site of Old Goa, the Portuguese capital until
the mid-18th century. The walk through this area, now a
UNESCO World Heritage Site, takes in two of Goa’s most
important religious monuments, the Basilica de Bom
Jesus and the grand Sé Cathedral, and ends on Holy Hill,
where some of Goa’s oldest churches are located. Most
of these buildings, designed by Italian or Portuguese
architects, encompass a range of European styles, from
sober Renaissance to exuberant Baroque and
Portuguese Manueline (see p505). 4 Sé Cathedral
This is thought to be Asia’s
largest church. The gilded
e Our Lady of the Rosary high altar has six splendid
This church was built on panels depicting the life of
top of Holy Hill in 1526 by St Catherine of Alexandria.
Alfonso de Albuquerque.
He had watched Yusuf Adil 7 The Chapel of St Catherine Old Goa
Ferry Terminal
Shah’s defeat in 1510 from This chapel, like Our Lady of the Rosary, was M a n d o v i R i v e r
this very spot and vowed built to celebrate Albuquerque’s victory in
to build a church here. 1510, and served as Goa’s only cathedral
until the Sé Cathedral was built.


Our Lady of
The Mount

R U A D I R E I TA
Panaji
R U A D A S N A U S D E O R M U Z
w Royal Chapel
of St Anthony
St Anthony, Portugal’s Holy Hill
national saint, was also
considered the Captain MAHATMA College of
GANDHI
St Paul
of the army. CIRCLE
Pillory
0 Convent of q Church and
St Monica Monastery of
This convent, dating to St Augustine
the mid-17th century, The 46-m (151-ft)
houses Asia’s first high laterite belfry
Museum of Christian dominates the
Art, which was relocated remains of what
from Rachol (see p508). was once India’s
largest church.

9 Church and Convent
of St John of God
Rebuilt in 1953, this
convent dates back to 1685
when it was built by the
Order of the Hospitallers of
St John of God to tend
to the sick.
For hotels and restaurants in this region see p701 and pp715–16


500-501_EW_India.indd 500 26/04/17 11:47 am
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Starsight template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.7)
Date 24th April 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm

G OA  501

2 Gateway of Adil Shah’s Palace
The gate, comprising a lintel and basalt VISITORS’ CHECKLIST
pillars, is all that survives of Adil Shah’s
palace, also used as the viceroys’ Practical Information
residence from 1554 to 1695. North Goa district (Tiswadi
taluka). 9 km (6 miles) E of Panaji.
n GTDC, Old Goa Residency,
behind Police Station, near MG
Statue, (0832) 228 5327. _ Feast
of St Francis Xavier (3 Dec). The
Archaeological Survey of India’s
booklet on Old Goa is available
1 Viceroy’s Arch at the Archaeological Museum.
Over 1,000 ships a year brought new arrivals
to Goa in the 17th century. They passed under Transport
£ Karmali, 9 km (6 miles) S of
this laterite archway, built by Francisco da
Gama (viceroy 1597–1600). Old Goa. @ or taxi from Panaji.





7 The Chapel of St Catherine Old Goa
Ferry Terminal
This chapel, like Our Lady of the Rosary, was M a n d o v i R i v e r
built to celebrate Albuquerque’s victory in
1510, and served as Goa’s only cathedral
until the Sé Cathedral was built.


Our Lady of
The Mount

R U A D I R E I TA
Panaji
R U A D A S N A U S D E O R M U Z
3 Church of St Cajetan
Holy Hill Built by Italian friars in 1651,
this church is renowned for
MAHATMA College of the exuberant woodcarvings
GANDHI St Paul
CIRCLE
0 metres 200 on its high altar and pulpit.
Pillory 0 yards 200
8 Basilica de
Bom Jesus
(see pp502–503).






6 Church of St Francis
of Assisi
Built by the Franciscan friars in
5 Archaeological Museum 1521, this is one of Old Goa’s
A bronze statue of the poet Luis Vaz most important churches. Its
de Camões holding his epic Os Lusiadas carved and gilded main altar
(see p491) stands in the museum, now depicts the crucified Jesus, four
housed in the converted convent of Evangelists, St Francis, and
St Francis of Assisi, adjoining the church. Our Lady with the Infant Jesus.




500-501_EW_India.indd 501 26/04/17 11:47 am

502  SOUTHWESTERN INDIA


Old Goa: Basilica de Bom Jesus
The Basilica de Bom Jesus is revered by Roman Catholics
all over the world, since it houses the mortal remains of
Goa’s patron saint, Francis Xavier. It was the first church Doorway to
in South Asia to be granted the status of Minor Basilica, the Sacristy
by Pope Pius XII in 1946. Built by the Jesuits in 1594, this An exquisitely
grand Baroque structure blends Corinthian, Doric, Ionic carved wooden
door leads to
and composite styles in its magnificent three-tiered the sacristy.
façade. The Duke of Tuscany, Cosimo III, donated the
elaborate tomb of St Francis in exchange for the pillow
that lay under the saint’s head. The tomb took the
Florentine sculptor Giovanni Foggini ten years to build;
it was finally assembled in 1698. The adjoining Professed
House (1589) was used as the priests’ quarters until it
was damaged by a fire in 1633.




















. Main Altar
The gilded reredos has a
statue of St Ignatius of Loyola
and another of the Infant
Jesus. Local craftsmen, used
to decorating temples, made
plump, typically Hindu looking
cherubs on the altar.
St Francis Xavier (1506–1552)
Francis Xavier was sent to Goa by the Portuguese king,
Dom Joao III. He arrived in May 1542, aged 36, and worked
tirelessly over the next few years, converting nearly 30,000
people. He died while on voyage off
the coast of China in 1552, and was
temporarily buried on an island. When
his body was dug up three months
later to transfer his bones, it showed
no signs of decay. A year later, when
his remains were enshrined in the
Basilica in Goa, his body was still in
pristine condition. This was declared a
miracle, and in 1622 he was canonized.
Expositions of his relics take place
St Francis Xavier, every ten years or so, the last one Catholic nuns at
Art Gallery was in 2014–2015. the entrance to
the Basilica
For hotels and restaurants in this region see p701 and pp715–16


502-503_EW_India.indd 502 26/04/17 11:47 am
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Starsight template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.7)
Date 24th April 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm

G OA  503

. Tomb of St Francis Xavier VISITORS’ CHECKLIST
The marble-and-jasper tomb
has four bronze plaques Practical Information
depicting scenes from the North Goa district (Tiswadi taluka).
saint’s life. Built in a mixture Rua das Naus de Ormuz, Old Goa.
of Italian and Indian styles, the Tel (0832) 228 5790.
silver reliquary containing Open daily. ^ during mass. m
the sacred relics is surmounted 5 7am, 8am & 6pm Mon–Sat
by a cross with two angels.
(Konkani); 8am, 9:15am & 6pm
(Konkani), 10:15am (English) Sun.
Art Gallery & Professed House.
Open daily.



KEY
1 Chapel of the
Blessed Sacrament
2 Altar of Our Lady of Hope
3 Altar of St Michael
Sacristy 4 Basalt Stone Tablet features the
Jesuit motto, IHS or Iaeus Hominum
Salvator, means “Jesus the
Saviour” in Greek.










. Wooden Pulpit
The figures of Jesus
and several Evangelists
are beautifully carved
on the pulpit.


















Façade
This is the only Goan church not covered in
lime plaster. Its original coat was removed
in 1956, exposing the soft red laterite beneath.
Each of the three doorways and six windows is
flanked by elegant pillars and basalt detailing.




502-503_EW_India.indd 503 26/04/17 11:47 am

504  SOUTHWESTERN INDIA


Exploring Old Goa
Portugal’s Goa Dourada (“Golden Goa”) was once a vast city,
inhabited by more than 30,000 people. In the 16th century, it
attracted missionaries and soldiers, merchants and horse-traders,
and its elegant palaces and mansions were much praised by
contemporary visitors. However, by the mid-18th century,
a series of epidemics and the silting up of the Mandovi river
forced the viceroy to move his residence downstream to
Panaji (see pp490–93). Thereafter, decline set in and, by the
19th century, the city was finally abandoned and its houses
demolished. Today, Old Goa is a mere shadow of its former self,
but the few churches and cathedrals that remain are considered
to be among Goa’s most significant monuments.
R Church of St Cajetan worthy of their mighty empire, Rows of pillars on either side of the central
E of Viceroy’s Arch. Open daily. Francis Coutinho (viceroy, nave, Sé Cathedral
In the 17th century, Pope 1561–4) envisaged a magnificent
Urban III sent Italian priests cathedral that would be the of Alexandria, with panel
from the Theatine largest in Asia. paintings depicting scenes
Order to Golconda The result is the from her life. Two of the eight
(see pp670–71). When Renaissance-style Sé chapels, the Blessed Sacrament
refused entry, they Cathedral, designed and the Cross of Miracles, have
settled in Old Goa. in the 16th century delicate filigree work on their
Here, in 1651, they by Julio Simao and screens. The font, used by
erected a church Ambrosio Argueiro, St Francis Xavier to baptize
dedicated to their and built over 80 converts, is near the entrance.
founder, St Cajetan, years. Its 30-m (98-ft) The sacred relics of his body,
designed along the Detail of altar, Church high Tuscan-style kept in the Basilica de Bom
lines of St Peter’s in of St Cajetan façade was flanked Jesus (see pp502–503), are brought
Rome. The distinctive by two square bell to the cathedral during the
dome and interior, laid out in towers, only one of which expo sitions held every ten years.
the shape of a Greek cross, survives. In it hangs the
embody the majesty of Italian Golden Bell, known for E Archaeological Museum
Baroque. The adjacent its melodic tones, which Convent of St Francis of Assisi.
monastery is today a college rang out during the dreaded Tel (0832) 228 5333. Open Sat–Thu. &
of theology. auto da fé trials, held in the Once Goa’s largest monastery,
cathedral’s front square. the Convent of St Francis of
R Sé Cathedral The interior, with intricate Assisi (built in 1517) now houses
Senate Square. Tel (0832) 228 4710. Corinthian detailing, has a the Archaeological Museum.
Open daily. 5 7am, 7:30am Mon–Sat 76-m (249-ft) long central A huge bronze statue of Alfonso
(Konkani), 6am Sat (Eng), 7:30am, 10am nave. As many as 15 altars grace de Albuquerque, moved from
& 4pm Sun (Konkani). the interior, but the pièce de Panaji, dominates the entrance
Ordered by the government résistance is the gilded high hall. Among the objects of
in Portugal to build a church altar, dedicated to St Catherine interest are a finely carved
















From right to left, Sé Cathedral, the Church of St Francis of Assisi and the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary in Old Goa
For hotels and restaurants in this region see p701 and pp715–16


504-505_EW_India.indd 504 26/04/17 11:48 am
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.6)
Date 12th July 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm

G OA  505


image of Vishnu and a Surya and was developed during R Church of Our Lady
statue, dating to the Kadamba the reign of King Dom Manuel of the Rosary
period (11th–12th centuries), (r.1469–1521). A pair of Holy Hill. Open daily.
and stone inscriptions navigator’s globes With its castle-like turrets
in Marathi and Persian, and a Greek cross and simple altar painted with
relics of earlier ruling (the emblem of all baskets of flowers, this is one of
dynasties. Other Portuguese ships) Goa’s earliest Manueline-style
exhibits include Hindu embellish the door. churches. The tomb of Dona
sati stones, a model of The superb Baroque Catarina, wife of Garcia de Sá
São Gabriel (the ship interior has floral (viceroy from 1548-9) and the
in which Vasco da Memorial among frescoes on the walls first Portuguese woman to
Gama sailed to India St Augustine’s ruins and ceiling, and the migrate to Goa, also lies here.
in 1498), and a bronze floor is paved with
statue of St Catherine in the the sculpted tombstones of Further Afield
courtyard. The Portrait Gallery Portuguese nobility. The gilded A few buildings of interest lie in
on the first floor has 60 paintings altar has figures of St Francis Old Goa’s southeastern corner.
of Goa’s viceroys and governors. and Christ. Other noteworthy Marking the end of the Rua
features are the pulpit, which is Direita, Old Goa’s main street, is a
R Church of St Francis carved in floral designs and the desolate basalt pil lar on a raised
of Assisi painted panels in the chancel, platform, the remains of the
W of Sé Cathedral. Open daily. which depict various scenes terrible Pillory. Criminals and
Built by the Franciscan friars from the saint’s life. heretics were strung up here as
in 1521, and rebuilt in 1661, this punishment, in the centre of
church has a beautifully carved R Church and Monastery the city square. Close by, on the
doorway (taken from the original of St Augustine road to Ponda, lies the College
building). This is a rare example of Holy Hill. of St Paul. Founded by the
the Portuguese Manueline style, Once the largest church in India, Jesuits in 1541, it had 3,000
which uses many nautical motifs, with a grand five-storeyed students, making it the largest
façade, St Augustine’s now lies in Jesuit school in Asia. It also
ruins. Erected by the Augustinian housed Asia’s first printing press.
order in 1512, the Gothic-style St Francis Xavier stayed and
church was abandoned in 1835, preached here; the chapel
and its roof caved in seven years further up the road was also
later. Excavations begun in 1989 used by him, and was later
revealed eight chapels, four altars, dedicated to his memory.
wall sculptures and more than The Church of Our Lady of
100 splendid granite tombstones. the Mount, built in 1510, sits on
According to contemporary top of a hill and is reached by a
descriptions, the church also had lane that leads off the Cumbarjua
grand staircases and galleries, Road. Built by Alfonso de
and a library that rivalled the Albuquerque after his victory
one in Oxford (England), in the over Yusuf Adil Shah, the church
17th century. Today, all that offers magnificent views over
Façade with two octagonal towers, remains of St Augustine’s is its Old Goa’s towers and turrets.
Church of St Francis of Assisi soaring bell tower (see p500).
The Goa Inquisition
At the request of Francis Xavier (see p502), a tribunal of Jesuits
arrived in 1560 and took over Adil Shah’s secondary palace (of
which few traces now remain), to the south of Sé Cathedral. Their
mission was to curb the libertine ways of the Portuguese settlers
and convert “infidels”. During the Inquisition
in 1567, all Hindu ceremonies were banned,
temples were destroyed and Hindus forcibly
converted. Those who refused were locked
away in the dungeons of the “Palace of the
Inquisition” (as Adil Shah’s palace was known)
to await the auto da fé (acts of faith) trial. The
condemned were burnt alive in front of a
congregation of dignitaries. Over the next
200 years, 16,000 trials were held and
Mural of a thousands were killed, and it was not until
prose lytizing priest 1812 that the Inquisition was finally dissolved. Altar in the Church of Our Lady of the
Rosary, on Holy Hill




504-505_EW_India.indd 505 26/04/17 11:48 am

506  SOUTHWESTERN INDIA


w Ponda sanctum, and the prayer halls
are decorated with ornate
South Goa district (Ponda taluka). 28 km European chandeliers.
(17 miles) SE of Panaji. * 22,700. @
_ Urs of Shah Abdullah (Feb). The Shantadurga Temple,
3 km (2 miles) southwest of
The town of Ponda is a busy Ponda at Kavlem, is Goa’s most
commercial centre, and its main popular shrine. Built by Shahu,
sight is the Safa Shahouri the grandson of the Maratha
Mosque, 2 km (1 mile) to the chief Shivaji (see p475), the russet
west. Built by Ibrahim Adil Shah and cream coloured temple has
(a successor of Yusuf Adil Shah) an unusual pagoda-style roof,
in 1560, it is a rectangular dominated by a five-storeyed
structure, with window arches, octagonal lamp tower, unique
topped by a slanting tiled roof. to Goa. Grand chandeliers
A ritual tank to the south has the hang from the gilded roof
same designs as those on in the huge central hall, and
the mihrabs (arched niches). embossed silver screens shield
Ponda also lends its name the main sanctuary, which
A 17th-century painting of St Cecilia, to the taluka (sub-district) holds the silver deity of
patroness of church choirs, Pilar of the same name, which is Shantadurga (a form of Shiva’s
renowned for its numerous consort Parvati), brought from
q Pilar Hindu temples, tucked away Mormugao taluka. Also of
in thick forests. As the interest are the huge rathas
North Goa district (Tiswadi taluka).
12 km (7 miles) SE of Panaji. @ Portuguese expanded their (chariots) that are used
territory in central Goa, they during the Jatra in January
Set on a hilltop, Pilar Seminary destroyed over 550 temples. (see p497). The Shri Ramnath
was originally built by the Hindu priests fled with their Temple, a short walk away,
Capuchins (a Franciscan order) religious artifacts to regions is noted for the grand silver
in 1613, on the site of an old that lay outside Portuguese screen embossed with
Hindu temple. Abandoned control, especially the area animal and floral motifs,
in 1835, when all religious around Ponda town, where in front of its sanctum.
orders were disbanded, it was they built new temples Its linga, originally from
reopened by the Carmelites in in the 17th and Loutolim, is worshipped
1858. In 1890, the Society of 18th centuries. by devotees of both Shiva
Pilar set up a mission college More than half of and Vishnu.
here, and classes are still held Goa’s population is Brass lamp tower, The Shri Nagueshi
in the old seminary building. Hindu, and Goan Shri Mahalsa Temple Temple, 4 km
The adjoining Church of Our temples, unlike those (2 miles) west of
Lady of Pilar has an elaborately elsewhere in India, are a Ponda at Bandora, dates to
carved stone doorway with fascinating blend of European 1780, though a temple may
a figure of St Francis of Assisi Baroque, Muslim and Hindu have stood here earlier. Built for
above it. Inside is a statue of architectural styles. Their basic the worship of Nagesh (Shiva as
Our Lady of Pilar, brought here plan remains Hindu, but often Lord of the Serpents), it is one
from Spain. The tomb of Agnelo Muslim domes replace the usual of the oldest temples in this
D’Souza (seminary director, shikharas (spires) over the main region. Its entrance hall has
1918–27) lies adjacent to the
church. The New Seminary,
built in 1946, stands close by.
Its museum displays Christian
art, Portuguese coins and a
stone lion, the symbol of
the Kadamba dynasty.
E Museum
Tel (0832) 221 8521. Open daily (Sun
and public hols by appointment).
Environs
Goa Velha, 2 km (1 mile)
southwest of Pilar, marks the site
of Govapuri, the port-capital
of the Kadamba rulers between
the 11th and 13th centuries, of
which few traces now remain. The large 18th-century water tank at the Shri Mangesh Temple
For hotels and restaurants in this region see p701 and pp715–16


506-507_EW_India.indd 506 26/04/17 11:48 am
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.6)
Date 12th July 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm

G OA  507


carved wooden friezes depicting
scenes from the epics Ramayana
and Maha bharata (see pp30–31).
The 18th-century Shri
Lakshmi Narasimha Temple is
situated in Velinga village, 5 km
(3 miles) northwest of Ponda. Its
majestic image of Narasimha,
Vishnu’s man-lion incarnation
(see p683), was brought here
from Mormugao in the 1560s.
Surrounded by forest, it is one
of Goa’s most attractive temples,
with a sacred tank and an
elaborate gateway. A tower The Kadamba-period Tambdi Surla Temple, set on the banks of a stream
standing close by houses the
temple’s musicians during raised, with painted images of e Tambdi Surla
the annual Jatra festival, gods set in niches. South Goa district (Sanguem taluka).
held here in May. A short distance to the 73 km (45 miles) E of Panaji. Taxis from
Dedicated to Vishnu, the northwest, at Priol, lies Goa’s Panaji or Ponda are the best option.
Shri Mahalsa Temple is 7 km wealthiest temple, the 18th-
(4 miles) northwest of Ponda, in century Shri Mangesh Temple, Hidden away in the forests of
Mardol village. The main deity dedicated to Shiva. The Tambdi Surla, stands the oldest
(either a female form of Vishnu courtyard has a sacred tulsi existing Hindu temple in Goa,
or his consort Lakshmi) was (basil) plant growing in a bright dating from the Kadamba
taken from Verna. The temple’s green urn, a characteristic period (between the 11th and
distinguishing feature is an Goan feature. There is a 13th centuries). Built
exceptionally tall brass pillar, 21 large sacred tank and a in black basalt and
tiers in all, rising from a figure of seven-storeyed lamp dedicated to Shri
Kurma (Vishnu’s incarnation as a tower. Dance-dramas Mahadeva (Shiva),
turtle), with Garuda (his vehicle) are performed here the temple probably
perched on top. The pillar during the Jatra survived because of its
symbolizes Mount Kailasa, festivities in April and Detail, Tamdi remote location. The
which, according to Hindu May. A vividly painted Surla Temple symmetrical structure
mythology, was placed on elephant on wheels is made of stone slabs
Kurma’s back and used to churn stands at the entrance to the fitted neatly into each other,
the primordial ocean. The white and yellow temple. without using mortar. Set on
original shrine is a wooden Inside, 19th-century Belgian a low plinth, the entrance hall
structure with a sloping roof, chandeliers hang from the has ten pillars, and the shikhara
and the entrance porches have ceiling, while the main sanctum (spire) above the sanctum has
carvings of musicians and has a linga trans ferred from a miniature relief and fine
warriors. Its main hall has Mormugao. The childhood carvings of Brahma, Vishnu,
intricately carved pillars, while home of Lata Mangeshkar Shiva and his consort, Parvati.
the central part of the ceiling is (b.1929), India’s most famous
singer of film songs, was Environs
near the temple. The Bhagwan Mahaveer
About 4 km (2 miles) Sanctuary, 20 km (12 miles)
northeast of Ponda town, southeast of Tamdi Surla,
near the village of Khandepar, covers an area of 240 sq km
is a cluster of Hindu Rock-cut (93 sq miles) and is home to
Caves from the 10th–13th leopards, deer and the Indian
centuries, with carved lotus bison. The 600-m (1,969-ft) high
decorations on the ceiling, Dudhsagar Waterfalls on the
simple door frames and Goa-Karnataka border are its
niches for oil lamps. main attraction. The small
A few spice gardens that Bondla Sanctuary, 30 km
grow aromatic spices such (19 miles) east of Tambdi Surla,
as cardamom, nutmeg and is known for its variety of birds.
cinnamon, make interesting day
trips from Ponda. The Pascoal O Bhagwan Mahaveer
Plantation, 8 km (5 miles) east, Sanctuary
and the Savoi Spice Garden at Open daily. &
A procession during the Shigmo Jatra, Savoi Verem, 12 km (7 miles) O Bondla Sanctuary
at the Shri Mahalsa Temple north, are easy to reach. Open Fri–Wed. &




506-507_EW_India.indd 507 26/04/17 11:48 am

508  SOUTHWESTERN INDIA


hill, the building has a Rachol Seminary also housed the
grand fort-like façade, renowned Museum of Christian
flanked by imposing Art, established in 1991 by the
watch towers. The Indian National Trust for Art and
seminary’s vast entrance Cultural Heritage (INTACH) and
hall is covered with the Gulbenkian Foundation of
impressive murals and Portugal. The entire collection
opens on to a central has been relocated to the
courtyard, surrounded Convent of St Monica in Old Goa
by cloistered rooms made (see p500), and has been set up
of solid teak, each one in the Chapel of the Weeping
with an adjoining wood- Cross, adjacent to the convent.
panelled study. The grand Its impressive collection of
staircase is adorned 17th- and 18th-century religious
with Hindu sculptures, objects includes silver and ivory
excavated from the ancient ornaments, ornate clerical robes,
Hindu temple on the site processional crosses and holy
of which the seminary water sprinklers. Particularly
was constructed. This charming is a portable altar for
leads to the first floor travelling missionaries, with
Altar, Church of St Ignatius Loyola, Rachol and the library, which has candle stands and a mass kit.
a rare collection of Latin
r Rachol and Portuguese books, and
portraits of Goa’s archbishops. t Margao
South Goa district (Salcete taluka). Attached to the seminary
52 km (32 miles) SE of Panaji. @ South Goa district (Salcete taluka).
is the Church of St Ignatius 33 km (21 miles) SE of Panaji.
The small hamlet of Rachol Loyola, dedicated to the * 87,700. £ @ n Margao
occupies the site of an old eponymous saint. It has an Residency, (0832) 271 5528.
fortress built by the Bijapur ornately carved-and-gilded _ Feast of the Holy Spirit (May).
sultans (see p546) and ceded altar with a painting of
to the Por tuguese in 1520. St Constantine, the first Margao (Madgaon), Goa’s
A laterite archway and a Roman emperor to convert second most important city
dry moat are the only to Christianity. According after Panaji, is the admin istrative
remnants of the bastion – to legend, a few bone and commercial capital of the
once fortified with fragments and a vial of South Goa district. This bustling
100 cannons – that used his blood were brought town also serves as the area’s
to guard the southern to Rachol in 1782, and are main trading centre for local
borders of the Portuguese supposedly enshrined near fish and farm produce.
territories. The pretty Church the entrance. The choir stall The town square, Praça
of Nossa Senhora das has delicate murals of the Jorge Barreto, has the large,
Neves (Our Lady of the founding saints of various colonial Municipal Building,
Snows), in the village, religious orders. On which houses the library on its
was built in 1576. Silver the first floor balcony southern side, and a pop ular
Today, Rachol reliquary is a beautiful 16th- café called Longinhos nearby.
Seminary, built in century pipe-organ Just behind the Municipal
1606, is probably the most from Lisbon. Until mid-2001, Building, to the south, are
important of Goa’s seminaries.
First established in Margao in
1574, and known as the College
of All Saints, the earlier seminary
included a hospital, a school for
the poor and a printing press.
It was relocated here after the
Margao institution was des troyed
in a Muslim raid in 1579. For
generations, this was Goa’s
most prestigious educational
institution, both for secular
and religious studies, offering
a seven-year course in theology
and phi losophy, to prepare
young seminarians for the
priesthood. Spectacularly
located on the summit of a Hilltop Seminary and Church at Rachol
For hotels and restaurants in this region see p701 and pp715–16


508-509_EW_India.indd 508 26/04/17 11:48 am
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.6)
Date 12th July 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm

G OA  509


Margao’s lively bazaars, selling
the day’s catch of fish and
fresh fruit and vegetables.
The Covered Market, close
by, sells just about everything,
including piles of soap flakes,
pulses, dried fish, pickles, spicy
pork sausages, tamarind,
flower garlands, jaggery and
crockery. A row of shops to
the north sells locally brewed
wines, and the lane just
outside the market has a
number of cloth merchants.
Abbé de Faria Street, The red and white Municipal Building, Praça Jorge Barreto, Margao
winding north from the town
square, is lined with some well- lime-plaster. The grand interior cannot enter the tiny chapel
preserved colonial mansions, has a stucco ceiling, a gilded at the top, the views across
and leads to Margao’s old pulpit decorated with Margao’s rooftops of the entire
Latin Quarter. Its central carvings of the apostles, a southern coast are spectacular.
square, Largo de Igreja, is Rococo altar, and elegant
also surrounded by colourful Baroque altar-pieces in the P Sat Burnzam Gor
18th- and 19th-century town transepts. Just behind this 8 Only by prior appointment;
houses, with tiled roofs, church, Agostinho Lorenço contact Mrs de Silva.
wrought-iron balconies and Street leads east to the
balustrades. In the centre imposing mansion Environs
of the square called Sat Burnzam The pretty villages around
is a monumental, Gor, or “Seven Gables” Margao have a number of
16th-century cross, (see p510), named after colonial country mansions,
overlooked by the the original seven dating to the prosperous period
towering Baroque gables or pyramidal from the 18th to the 19th
Church of the Holy crests on its roof. It centuries, when local landlords
Spirit. Built in 1565 is the only surviving began to profit from Portugal’s
on the site of a Monumental cross in example of a house control over the maritime trade
ravaged Hindu Largo de Igreja with pyramidal routes from Africa to Malacca
temple, the church roofs in Goa. Built in (in Malaysia). Many of these
and the adjoining Jesuit College 1790 by Ignacio da Silva from homes were also owned by
of All Saints were ransacked his earnings as the viceroy’s Goans, who held high posts
numerous times by Muslim sec retary, the house has huge, in the Portuguese government
raiders. While the seminary impressive salons filled with and were granted land in
was moved to Rachol, the richly carved rosewood exchange for their services.
church was rebuilt in 1675. Its furniture and priceless porcelain, Loutolim, 10 km (6 miles)
whitewashed façade is flanked and its private chapel was the to the northeast, was once
by two towers topped by first that was permitted in Goa. an important Portuguese
domes and embellished with From the intersection lying east administrative centre, and has
lanterns, though its side walls of the church, a road winds up a cluster of stately homes, all
have been left unusually bare of to Monte Hill. Although one situated fairly close to the main
church square. The Goa
Tourism office, and the Houses
of Goa museum, (0832) 241
0711, located at Salvador do
Mundo, can organize visits
to these buildings. Chandor,
13 km (8 miles) east of Margao,
has the palatial Braganza
house, Goa’s largest private
dwelling (see pp512–13).
Chinchinim, 10 km (6 miles)
south of Margao, and
Benaulim, 6 km (4 miles)
southwest of Margao, also have
fine mansions, with typical
Goan balcaos (porches) and
Fresh prawns, sardines, mackerel and salmon, Margao bazaar terracotta-tiled sloping roofs.




508-509_EW_India.indd 509 26/04/17 11:48 am

510  SOUTHWESTERN INDIA


Goa’s Colonial Mansions

Goa’s countryside is dotted with grand colonial mansions, built by the wealthy land-
owning Goan gentry, who prospered in the 18th and 19th centuries. The homes of these
local aristocrats were built in the traditional style of the region, with central courtyards,
deep porches and window shutters made of oyster-shell. The furniture and interior decor,
however, were largely European. Today, the Belgian chandeliers, Venetian cut-glass and
gilded mirrors, Baroque-style rosewood furniture and Chinese porcelain, all displayed
inside, provide a fascinating picture of the tastes and lifestyles of a vanished era.

A typical
pyramidal
balcao, or
porch, graces
the entrance
of the
Figueredo
House in
Loutolim.
Chairs were
often placed
under the
Oyster-shell window shutters line the balcao, as it
façade of Sat Burnzam Gor (“Seven Gables”) was customary
in Margao. A unique feature of 16th- and to socialize at
17th-century Goan architecture, oyster the front door.
shells were used in place of glass panes
and effectively kept out the heat and glare.










This antique rosewood
carving from Goa’s grandest
mansion, Braganza House in
Chandor (see pp512–13), is a
typical example of Indo- European-style salons, such as the regal ballroom in the Dr Alvaro
Portuguese Baroque. Loyola Furtado Mansion in Chinchinim, built in 1833, have crystal
chandeliers and elegant furniture.

Where to See Panaji
Goan Houses NH66
Loutolim
Loutolim has four houses of
interest – Salvador da Costa Majorda
House, Roque Caetan Miranda NH66 Zuari
House, Figueredo House, and Margao Curtorim
Casa dos Mirandos, which is Colva
the finest. Margao has the
Sat Burnzam Gor, Chinchinim Chandor
has the Loyola Furtado Arabian
Sea
Mansion, and Chandor Chinchinim
Carved antique furniture at the Casa has the Braganza House. Cavelossim Palolem
dos Mirandos For more details, see p509.

For hotels and restaurants in this region see p701 and pp715–16


510-511_EW_India.indd 510 26/04/17 11:55 am

G OA  511


u Colva Bogmalo Beach, 20 km (12
miles) northwest of Colva, is a
South Goa district (Salcete taluka). popular venue for wind-surfing.
6 km (4 miles) W of Margao. @
n GTDC Colva Residency, (0832) 278 Tourism has spilled over from
8047. _ Fama de Menino Jesus (Oct). Colva to the quiet fishing village
of Benaulim, 2 km (1 mile)
Colva’s proximity to Margao south, whose roads are lined
makes it an ideal summer retreat with small guesthouses,
for Margao’s residents. It is one restaurants and bars. Varca
of South Goa’s oldest and most Beach, 5 km (3 miles) further
developed beach resorts, and south, has many plush hotels,
its 25-km (16-mile) long sandy as well as a parish church
beach, from the Mormugao with an imposing façade.
peninsula in the north to Mobor
in the south, is the longest A thatch-roofed beach shack,
uninterrupted stretch in the state. i Cavelossim Palolem Beach
Today, Colva draws vast South Goa district (Salcete taluka).
numbers of visitors, who spend 15 km (9 miles) S of Margao. @ o Palolem
the day enjoying the lively South Goa district (Salcete taluka).
atmosphere of its many beach A favourite with Indian 37 km (23 miles) S of Margao. @
shacks, set high on stilts and celebrities, Cavelossim has
backed by shady palms. These an enchanting 2-km (1-mile) Famous for its spectacular
serve delicious grilled lobster stretch of sand. It also has a sunsets, this bay is enclosed
and other seafood specialities. golf course, luxury resorts and by a rocky outcrop at one end,
Numerous top-end and excellent seafood restaurants, and Canacona Island, a good
mid-range hotels stand on the such as the Seaways Bar. The campsite, at the other. Palolem’s
main beach road, ornate Church of remote location, away from the
while the southern the Holy Cross, crowded beaches of central
extremities have is situated in a Goa, makes it an ideal for a
more pristine pretty square. quiet holiday. Among its
stretches. Fisherfolk attractions are the boat rides
haul in their catch Environs offered by fishermen, who take
on the beachfront, Mobor, 5 km visitors out to sea for dolphin-
which also plays A cheerful waiter, Mobor (3 miles) south watching trips.
host to full-moon of Colva, is an
rave parties. idyllic spot, with its backdrop Environs
Standing a short distance from of hills and the pretty fishing Southern Goa is for the most
the sea, Colva’s Church of Our village of Betul nestling near part isolated and unspoilt by
Lady of Mercy, built in 1630, has the Sal river. The Leela Beach tourism. Agonda, 7 km (4 miles)
an attractive Baroque interior and Resort is located here. Cabo north of Palolem, is even quieter
houses the famous statue of da Rama (“Cape Rama”), the than its neighbour. Galgibaga,
Menino (baby) Jesus, holding pro montory just south of 8 km (5 miles) south of Palolem,
an orb and a flag, revered for its Betul, is named after Rama, has a beautiful stretch of virgin
miraculous healing powers. hero of the Ramayana, who sand, shaded by eucalyptus trees
supposedly hid here during rather than palms. The remote
Environs his 14-year exile (see p31). Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary,
Majorda, 7 km (4 miles) north It has the ruins of a Hindu 18 km (11 miles) west of
of Colva, has a wide beach fortress that fell to the Palolem, is worth visiting
dotted with luxury hotels. Portuguese in 1763. for its tranquil beauty.














Visitors cycling on the sands at Colva, Goa’s longest beach




510-511_EW_India.indd 511 26/04/17 11:55 am

512  SOUTHWESTERN INDIA


y Braganza House

The awesome scale of Braganza House, and the
magnificence of its interior, make it Goa’s grandest colonial
mansion. This 17th-century building is still occupied by
two branches of the Braganza family. The descendants
of Antonio Elzario Sant’Anna Pereira occupy the east wing,
while Francisco Xavier de Menezes Braganza’s descendants
live in the west wing. Both men received royal titles and
a coat of arms from the king of Portugal in the late 19th
century. The top floors of their private apartments have the
splendid ballroom, library and chapel, and fine collections
of 18th-century furniture and Chinese porcelain. Dining Hall
A long table fills the first floor dining
. The Chapel hall of this sprawling mansion.
The Baroque-style chapel has a
diamond-encrusted fingernail
of St Francis Xavier on its altar.













KEY
1 The East Wing is owned by
the Braganza Pereiras.
2 The Guest Bedroom is
dominated by a large rosewood
four-poster bed. At its foot is a
rosewood two-seater.
3 The West Wing is occupied
by the Menezes Braganzas.
4 The Library has Goa’s finest
private collection, with over 5,000
leather-bound books.












. The Ballroom
A rosewood armchair with the Braganza
coat of arms and a gilded mirror are in the
mansion’s grandest room. The walls as well
as the floors are of marble, and chandeliers
hang from its floral- patterned zinc ceiling.
For hotels and restaurants in this region see p701 and pp715–16


512-513_EW_India.indd 512 26/04/17 11:48 am
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Starsight template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.7)
Date 24th April 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm

G OA  513


Menezes Braganza Salon VISITORS’ CHECKLIST
A collection of exquisite
Chinese porcelain is Practical Information
displayed in one of the Church Square, Chandor
salons, where a large (Salcete taluka). 20 km
vase takes pride of place.
(12 miles) E of Margao.
Tel (0832) 278 4201.
Admission to both wings only
by prior appointment.
& Donations appreciated.
Transport
£ @
Portrait of Francisco Xavier
de Menezes Braganza
A portrait of the grandfather of
renowned journalist, Luis de Menezes
Braganza (see p491), hangs in the
ballroom of the west wing.


























Entrance


0 metres 10
0 yards 10
. The Hallway
A long and elegantly furnished hallway
lies just behind the façade of the house.
It is lined with 28 bay windows and
overlooks a well-maintained garden.




Stairway
The monumental double staircase forms
the core of the house, connecting the lower
entrance level to the furnished top floors.




512-513_EW_India.indd 513 26/04/17 11:48 am

514-515_EW_India.indd 514 26/04/17 11:48 am
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Single-page city intros template “UK” LAYER
(Source v1.3)
Date 5th December 2012
Size 125mm x 217mm

SOUTHWESTERN INDIA  515


KARNATAKA

Extending from the Arabian Sea and the fertile forested ridges of the
Western Ghats, with their thriving plantations of coffee, spices and fruit,
to the drier, boulder-strewn region of the Deccan Plateau, Karnataka’s
scenic diversity is striking. Equally varied are its historical monuments.
These range from the 6th- to 8th-century Hindu temples at Badami,
Pattadakal and Aihole, the earliest to be found in South India, to Tipu
Sultan’s 18th-century European-style island fort at Srirangapattana, and the
extravagantly turreted early 20th-century palace in Mysuru. Other sights
include the superb temples at Halebid and Belur, the colossal Gommateshvara
monolith at Sravana Belgola and the magnificent ruins of Hampi, the site of the
great citadel of Vijaya nagar. In northern Karnataka are the medieval citadels of
the Deccan sultans at Bijapur, Gulbarga and Bidar, with their walls enclosing
mosques, audience halls and royal tombs.

Sights at a Glance
Towns, Cities & Districts f Bijapur Historic Sites
1 Bengaluru g Gulbarga 2 Talakad
5 Mysuru h Bidar 4 Srirangapattana
6 Kodagu 9 Halebid
q Mangalore 0 Belur
e Barkur u Chitradurga
r Bhatkal i Hampi
t Gokarna a Badami
o Gadag NH9 s Pattadakal
p Belgaum Solapur d Aihole
NH218 Temples & Holy Places
Firuzabad 3 Somnathpur
Sangli 7 Melkote
Kolhapur 8 Sravana Belgola
w Udipi
y Sringeri
Krishna
NH218
Panaji Tun gabhadra 0 kilometres 100
N H 4A 0 miles 50
NH63 NH13
Hubli
Tungabhadra Bellary
Reservoir
NH63 Hospet Key
National highway
NH4
Major road
Davangere •
Anantapur
Minor road
NH206
NH13 Major railway
Linganamakki Shimoga State border
Arabian Reservoir
Sea
NH7
Tumkur
NH206
Mudabidri NH207 NH4 Chittoor
NH17
NH48 Kolar
Hassan
Ullal Vellore
NH209 NH7 NH46
Krishnagiri NH45
Kaveri
NH212 NH67 Dharmapuri
Salem
The ancient Virupaksha Temple in Hampi For keys to symbols see back flap
514-515_EW_India.indd 515 26/04/17 11:48 am

516  SOUTHWESTERN INDIA

1 Bengaluru Y Cubbon Park
Cantonment. Open daily.
Often described as Asia’s Silicon Valley because of its thriving Laid out in 1864 by Richard
information technology industry, Bengaluru is India’s fifth- Sankey, the chief engineer of
largest and fastest-growing city. Until its high-tech boom Mysuru, and named in honour
began in the late 1980s, it was known as the Garden City, with of the commissioner, Cubbon
Park extends over 135 ha
greenery flourishing in its pleasant, temperate climate. Today, (334 acres). Its partly formal
with a growing population of young professionals, it has landscaping imaginatively
acquired a vibrant, cosmopolitan air. Bengaluru was founded integrates natural rock
in the 16th century by a local chieftain, Kempe Gowda, but outcroppings with groves
derives its name from the Kannada word benda kaluru, or of trees and giant bamboos.
The park is liberally dotted
“boiled beans”, which an old woman gave a 10th-century with statues, such as that
Hoysala king when he turned up hungry at her doorstep. of the 19th-century ruler
Chamarajendra Wodeyar
P Vidhana Soudha Speaker’s Chair made of (r.1868–94), overlooking
Dr Ambedkar Rd. rosewood from Mysore. the pond near an
Closed to the public. The building looks octagonal, cast-iron
Built of granite and porphyry, spectacular on Sunday bandstand. There are
this imposing building houses evenings and public also marble statues of
the Secretariat and the State holidays, when it is Queen Victoria and
Legislature of Karnataka. beautifully illuminated. Edward VII. In the middle
Constructed in 1956 after the of the park, a red-
transfer of power from P Attara Kacheri painted, Neo-Classical
the ruling Wodeyar dynasty Opposite Vidhana building known as the
to the central government, Sabha. Open Mon–Fri Sheshadri Iyer
it was designed by Kengal (restricted entry). Memorial houses
Hanumantaiah, the then-chief This graceful, two- a public library.
minister, who intended it to storeyed building Chamarajendra Wodeyar
“reflect the power and dignity with Corinthian E Government
of the people”. It is capped by a columns was completed in Museum
20-m (66-ft) dome, which is 1864 and housed the Public Kasturba Gandhi Rd.
surmounted by the four-headed Offices from 1868 until 1956. Open 10am–5pm Tue–Sun. &
Ashokan lion, symbol of the These were later moved to Venkatappa Art Gallery: Tel (080) 2286
Indian state. With Rajasthani the Vidhana Soudha, and this 4483. Open 10am–5pm Tue–Sun. &
jharokhas, Indo-Saracenic pillars building became the High Established in 1866, this is one
and other decorative elements, Court. On the ceiling of its of the oldest museums in the
the Vidhana Soudha exemplifies Central Hall is a portrait of Sir entire country. Housed in a red
the Neo-Dravidian style of post- Mark Cubbon, commissioner stucco Neo-Classical building
Independence Bengaluru. The of Mysuru from 1834 to 1861. with Corinthian columns, it
woodwork inside is noteworthy, Behind the building is an has three sections, with a fine
especially the sandalwood door equestrian statue of him collection of wooden sculptures
to the Cabinet Room, and the by Baron Marochetti. and exotic paintings.
Garden City
The Cantonment in Bengaluru
was established in 1809, to
house British troops quartered
here during the 19th century.
With its orderly streets,
houses with characteristic
“monkey-top” eaves, and its
lawns, trees, flowers and
shrubbery, Bengaluru was A corner of Cubbon Park
eventually christened the
“Garden City of India”. Two
large parks, Cubbon Park and Lalbagh, along with numerous
smaller ones such as the Kensington Gardens, act as the lungs of
this verdant city. These gardens provide a welcome retreat from
Bengaluru’s crowded streets and give a refreshing sense of space.
The city is particularly charming in January and August, when
The magnificent Vidhana Soudha, housing dahlias, marigolds and roses bloom in abundance.
the Karnataka Secretariat
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp701–702 and pp716–17


516-517_EW_India.indd 516 26/04/17 11:55 am

K ARNA T AK A  517


deer- and goat-skin, and VISITORS’ CHECKLIST
fine sculptures from the
Satvahana, Hoysala and Practical Information
Vijayanagar periods. Bengaluru district. 1,033 km
(642 miles) S of Mumbai.
R St Mark’s Cathedral * 4,292,500. n Govt of India
Mahatma Gandhi Rd. Tourist Office, 48 Church St,
Open Mon–Sun. (080) 2558 5417; Karnataka
This simple, Neo-Classical Tourism House, No. 8,
cathedral was completed Pappanna Lane, St Mark’s Rd,
(080) 4132 9211.
in 1812 and consecrated
Mysore painting from Venkatappa by the Bishop of Calcutta Transport
Art Gallery in 1816. An elegant, cream- k 40 km (25 miles) NE of city
coloured structure, it has an centre, then bus or taxi. £ @
The Venkatappa Art Gallery, imposing portico in front and
named after K Venkatappa, an apsidal recess at the rear.
an early 20th-century artist A shallow dome marks converted into a formal
patronized by the Wodeyar the internal crossing. garden with axial paths.
rulers of Mysuru, forms one Spread over 13,700 sq m
wing of this museum. In P Bengaluru Palace (147,466 sq ft), the palace
addition to a number of works N of Vidhana Soudha. Tel (080) 2336 fell into disrepair after 1949
by Venkatappa himself, the 0818. Open Mon–Sat. & when it was at the centre
gallery has watercolours and Built in 1880 at the exorbitant of an ownership dispute
paintings made in the Mysore cost of one million rupees, between the government
style. These works still retain the Bengaluru Palace was and the ruling Wodeyars.
a greenish coating, imparted modelled on Windsor Castle, It has since been restored
by a finishing rub with jade. complete with fortified towers to the Wodeyars and is now
The gallery also has a collection and turreted parapets. It stands rented out as a popular venue
of leather puppets made of amid undulating lawns, partly for wedding functions.
Bengaluru City Centre
1 Vidhana Soudha 4 Government Museum
2 Attara Kacheri 5 St Mark’s Cathedral
3 Cubbon Park 0 metres 800
0 yards 800

Airport
Bengaluru 40 km (25 miles)
Palace Ulsoor
SHIVAJI Lake
NAGAR
P A L A C E R O A D Vidhana Attara Cricket C U B B O N R O A D St Andrews K K A M A R A J R O A D DICKENSON RD
I N F A N T R Y R O A D
D R A M B E D K A R R O A D
Soudha
Church
Vidhana
Soudha Kacheri Stadium
Cubbon
Cubbon Park Parade
Park Ground
Bus Station M A H A T M A MG
POST OFFICE RD Museum KASTURBA GANDHI RD Cathedral C H U R C H S T R E E T
2 km (1 mile) Government St Mark’s Road U L S O O R R D
S T M A R K ' S R O A D
Sheshadri Iyer
Memorial
N I R U
3.5 km (2 miles) MUSEUM ROAD B RI GA DE R OA D G A N D H I R O A D
K AST URB A G AN DH I R OA D VITTAL MALLYA ROAD G R A N T R D F M C A R I A P P A R O A D St Patricks
L A V E L L E R O A D
Church
ROAD
DISTRICT OFFICE
Railway Station P A T H U N G A R O A D
All Saints
J C RD R A J A R A M M O H A N R O Y R O A D G E N T H I M M A I A H R O A D Church V I C T O R I A R D
Tipu Sultan’s Palace,
Gavi Gangadhareshvara Temple Lalbagh
For keys to symbols see back flap
516-517_EW_India.indd 517 26/04/17 11:55 am

518  SOUTHWESTERN INDIA

Exploring Old Bengaluru conceived as a venue for
horticultural shows. Surrounded
In spite of rapid development, vestiges of the city’s historic past by champaka trees and pencil
are still found in the streets of Old Bengaluru, south of the city cedars, the Glass House has
centre. In contrast to the relentless modernization of the rest played host to several visiting
of Bengaluru, this area contains monuments from the period dignitaries. A biannual Flower
Show is still held here.
of the Gowdas to that of Haider Ali and Tipu Sultan, and bears The entrance to the park is
witness to the city’s history from the 16th to the 19th centuries. marked by an equestrian statue
of Chamaraja Wodeyar of Mysore.
P Tipu Sultan’s Summer from the Haider Ali– Another popular attraction is the
Palace and Fort Tipu regime. surreal Floral Clock, surrounded
Albert Victor Rd. Tel (080) The Venkataramana­ by Snow White and the seven
2670 6836. Open 8am– swamy Temple, dwarfs; this was a gift from
5:30pm daily. & nearby, dates from Hindustan Machine Tools.
Within the original the early 18th cen­
citadel, a mud­brick tury and was built by  Gavi Gangadhareshvara
fort built by Kempe the Wodeyar kings. Temple
Gowda in 1537, lies Dahlia bloom, W of Lalbagh. Open daily.
Tipu Sultan’s Palace, Lalbagh Y Lalbagh _ Makar Sankranti (Jan).
dating from about Lalbagh Rd. Tel (080) 2657 One of Bengaluru’s oldest temples,
1790. Made mostly out of 0181. Open daily. & free 6–9am & Gavi Gangadhareshvara was built
wood with finely embellished 6:30–7:30pm daily. 0 _ Flower inside a natural cave in
balconies, pillars and arches, Show (Jan & Aug). Gavipuram by Kempe Gowda in
this two­storeyed structure, a Regarded as one of the most the 16th century. Legend has it
replica of the Daria Daulat Bagh richly diverse botanical gardens that Kempe Gowda built this
in Srirangapattana (see pp520– in South Asia, Lalbagh, in the temple in gratitude after being
21), served as a summer retreat southern part of the city, was laid released from his five­year
of Tipu Sultan. He endearingly out by Haider Ali in 1740. Spread imprisonment by Rama Raya.
called it Rashk­e­Jannat, or the over 97 ha (240 acres) of parkland, Highlights include granite
“Envy of Heaven”. Although many of its tropical and subtropical pillars, two of which support
now dilapi­dated, it is still a plants were brought here by huge discs representing the sun
hauntingly atmo spheric place Haider Ali’s son, Tipu Sultan. Later, and the moon, while the other
retaining the original elegant John Cameron, the Gardens’ two are topped by a Nandi
teak pillars. Superintendent in the 1870s, and a trident. Devotees gather
The palace housed the imported several more rare species here during the Makar Sankranti
public administrative offices from Kew Gardens in London. festival to witness a unique
from 1831, until they were Cameron was also responsible phenomenon – the evening
shifted to the Attara Kacheri for initiating work on Lalbagh’s sun’s rays passing between
in 1868 (see p516). It now has famous Glass House, modelled Nandi’s horns and falling on
a museum with artifacts on London’s Crystal Palace and the linga inside the cave.























The spacious 19th-century Glass House at Lalbagh, with its intricate cast-iron frame
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp701–702 and pp716–17


518-519_EW_India.indd 518 26/04/17 11:48 am
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.6)
Date 12th July 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm

K ARNA T AK A  519


The Glitter of Gold

The ancient seers of India referred to gold by many names – synonyms for life, longevity,
and beauty. Indians considered this metal auspicious and believed that wearing gold
ornam ents would ensure a long life. Craftsmen traditionally drew inspiration for their
designs and motifs from nature, and also from the splendid temples with their ornately
carved façades. The Kolar and Hatti mines in Karnataka were the repositories of the
largest deposits of gold in ancient India. Due to the high price of gold, craftsmen
mastered the technique of beating a minuscule quantity of gold into thin sheets
and then transforming them into exquisite jewellery.


Bangles










Hair Earrings
ornament
Decorative Ornaments
Gold ornaments were designed to
be worn on practically every part
of the body, from the crown of the
head to the tips of the toes, to
decorate and protect the wearer.
Plants, animals and astral bodies A Lady, a late 19th-century painting by Raja Ravi Varma
inspired many of the shapes. showing a woman in her finery


A large cobra head, set with rubies,
emeralds and diamonds and edged
with emerald beads, is tied to a plait
to prevent it from unravelling. The
snake form, as a symbol of fertility,
occurs in many ornaments.







Temple deities are
often adorned with
ritual ornaments.
These pieces display
some of the forms
and techniques Pavan Sara, a necklace made of coins,
used by ancient is a piece of jewellery found all over
Indian jewellers, and the country. As an instrument of
show the evolution savings, the coins were redeemed
of their craft. for cash when the need arose.





518-519_EW_India.indd 519 26/04/17 11:48 am

520  SOUTHWESTERN INDIA


through a doorway with 4 Srirangapattana
an open portico, where a Mandya district. 16 km (10 miles)
slab records Somnatha’s N of Mysuru. Tel (08232) 238 377.
generous donations. Unlike £ from Mysuru. @ from Mysore.
the other Hoysala temples Autos and cycles available.
at Halebid and Belur (see
p527), this is well preserved Known to the British as
and has complete towers. Seringapatam, this island
The temple has three star­ fortress in the Kaveri river enjoys
shaped shrines that lead historical significance as the
off a pillared hall; both the site of the battles between
shrines and the hall stand the British and Tipu Sultan, the
on a high plinth. The “Tiger of Mysore”. The British
basements of the inner finally stormed the citadel in
sanctums and hall are 1799, killing Tipu and consolida­
profusely carved with ting their power in South India.
animal and floral patterns, Today, none of the structures
while images of deities within the fort survives, barring
under foliage canopies the bridges across the two arms
occupy the walls above. of the Kaveri river, from which
Devotees congregating at the The interior of the hall is the bathing ghats and the
Vaidyanatheswara Temple, Talakad remarkable for its splendid ramparts can be seen.
columns and the elaborate To the east and the south,
2 Talakad ceilings, which display lobed a broad moat surrounds the
motifs, pendant buds and polygonal bastions and turreted
Mysore district. 45 km (28 miles)
SE of Mysuru. @ _ Panchalinga looped bands. parapets that
Darshana (every 12 years). The three were built
shrines house by the French
The historic city of Talakad, fully modelled, engineers who
situated on the north bank of life­size images were employed
the Kaveri river, now lies partly of Krishna by Tipu. The
buried under shifting sand playing the Mysore Gate
dunes. From the 5th to the flute (south) Insignia engraved on a and Elephant
10th centuries it was the capital and Janardana, horse-cart, Srirangapattana Gate, to the
of the Ganga dynasty (see p526), a form of Vishnu south, are
but only two modest temples (north). The Krishna image in flanked by guardrooms. Sultan
survive from that period. The the western shrine is a modern Battery, the dungeons where
largest edifice at this site is the replacement of the original. Tipu used to keep British
12th­century Vaidyanatheswara Also in Somnathpur is the prisoners, is to the north; nearby
Temple, dedicated to Shiva. ruined granite Panchalinga is the Water Gate, where Tipu
Nearby is the more modest Temple, built in 1268 as a was killed.
Kirti Narayana Temple, where memorial in honour of The Sri Ranganatha Temple,
the 3­m (10­ft) high image Somnatha’s family. after which the island is named,
of Vishnu is still worshipped. is a large complex that was
A festival, the Panchalinga  Keshava Temple substantially restored in the
Darshana, is celebrated here Open daily. & 19th century. The inner sanctum
at intervals of 12 years.

3 Somnathpur
Mysuru district. 36 km (22 miles)
E of Mysuru. @
One of the finest repre sentations
of Hoysala architecture (see
p528), the Keshava Temple is
the highlight of this obscure
little village. Built in 1268 by
Somnatha, a general of King
Narasimha III, its design is
attributed to the celebrated
sculptor and architect,
Janakacharya. The temple
is accessed from the east, Representations of Hindu deities at the Keshava Temple
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp701–702 and pp716–17


520-521_EW_India.indd 520 26/04/17 11:55 am

K ARNA T AK A  521


Festivals in
Karnataka
Banashankari Temple
Fair (Jan/Feb), Badami.
This 20-day festival
combines religious rites
with the excitement of
a funfair. An annual cattle
fair, specializing in white
bulls, is held at the
same time.
Royal Dasara (Sep/Oct),
Mural depicting a battle at the Daria Daulat Bagh, Srirangapattana Mysore. This grand
10-day festival, known
enshrines an image of the depicts courtly scenes. The carved as Dussehra in North
reclining Vishnu and is wood work and the elegant India, celebrates the
approached through pillared painted floral designs on the wall victory of the goddess
halls and an open courtyard reveal Mughal influence. The Chamundeshvari (Durga)
with a lavishly gilded palace is now a museum, over the buffalo demon,
lamp column. with paintings, maps Mahisha sura; it owes its
The fort’s eastern end and Tipu memorabilia origin to the Mahanavami
festival (see p534). A royal
has the Jama Masjid, on display. Further elephant carrying an
erected by Tipu in south, past the Church image of the goddess
1787. It has an elevated of the Abbé Dubois leads a splendid display
prayer chamber. (where the learned of military bands, sports
The Daria Daulat French Jesuit priest and and parades, while religious
Bagh, Tipu Sultan’s author lived between ceremonies worship the
summer palace, built 1799 and 1823) and the elephant, the horse and
in 1784, stands in the British Cemetery, is the weapons such as the
middle of a beautiful Snake shrine, Gumbaz – the tombs State sword. Firework
garden near the river, a Srirangapattana of Haidar Ali and Tipu displays, concerts and
short distance south of Sultan. The walls of the wrestling matches liven
the fort. Each of its sides has chambers are decorated with up the evenings. A
three arched openings in the the tiger-stripes motif (bubri) descendant of the former
centre and the whole palace is favoured by Tipu. The ebony- ruling Wodeyars plays a
surrounded by a pillared verandah. and-ivory doors were a gift from pivotal part, and the famous
The east and west walls of the the viceroy, Lord Dalhousie, in golden throne, generally
not on display, is used for
verandah are both covered with 1855. The sangam (confluence) the rituals.
murals, restored in 1855. On the of the two arms of the Kaveri
west wall are scenes of battle, river is further south. Hampi Festival (Nov),
one of which illustrates Haidar Hampi. Well-known dan cers
and musicians from around
Ali’s victory over the British at E Daria Daulat Bagh Museum the country participate in
Pollilur (1780), while the east wall Tel (08326) 252 045. Open daily. & this lively event.
Tipu Sultan: “Tiger of Mysuru”
Tipu Sultan, the ruler of Mysuru, stands head and shoulders
above the many Indian rulers who were his contemporaries.
He was a shrewd diplomat, expert soldier,
excellent scholar and accomplished poet,
and his military and administrative skills
were complemented by his dream of a
modern industrial state. The latter found
expression in his cultivation of European
contacts and employment of French
engineers. The Sultan’s main adversaries
were the British, who had conquered part
of his father Haider Ali’s territory and
wealth in the first two Mysore Wars (1767–9
and 1780–84). Tipu waged two further wars
against them, culminating in the fall of
Portrait of Tipu Sultan Srirangapattana in May 1799, where he Participants at the Royal Dasara
(1750–99) died fighting. festival, Mysore





520-521_EW_India.indd 521 26/04/17 11:55 am

522  SOUTHWESTERN INDIA

Mysuru: Amba Vilas Palace

The magnificent Amba Vilas Palace, a
treasure house of exquisite carvings and
works of art from all over the world, was
built by the Wodeyar rulers. The main
block of this Indo-Saracenic building, with
domes, turrets, arches and colonnades,
was designed by Henry Irving in 1898.
It replaced an earlier structure that was
destroyed by a fire. During weekends
and festivals, thousands of light bulbs
enliven the palace’s stern grey exterior.
Public Durbar Hall
This richly decorated gold-and-turquoise hall, on
the second floor, exudes royal splendour. A series
of paintings on the rear wall shows the goddess
Durga in her various forms.











Amba Vilas Hall
The Private Durbar Hall is smaller
than, but as sumptuous as, the Public
Hall. It is roofed with stained glass
imported from Glasgow. The central
part of its ceiling is supported by
cast-iron columns and arches.

5 Mysuru 1793, levelled the old city and musical instruments, ceramics
built the present town. Today, and ivory. On its top floor is a
Mysuru district. 140 km (87 miles) SW
of Bengaluru. * 2,641,000. ~ 10 km Mysuru is an important cultural splendid collection of musical
(6 miles) S of city centre. £ @ centre, with the largest university instruments, as well as mag nifi-
n KSTDC Transport Wing, Hotel in Karnataka. It is also renowned cent paintings by the renowned
Mayura Yatri Niwas, 2 Jhansi Laxmi Bai for its ivory work, silk-weaving, 19th-century artist from Kerala,
Rd, (0821) 242 3652. _ Vairamudi sandalwood incense Raja Ravi Verma.
Festival (Mar/Apr), Feast of St Philomena and carvings. Near the northwestern
(Aug), Royal Dasara (Sep/Oct). Several elegant public corner of Amba Vilas Palace
buildings, erected under the is Krishnaraja Circle, where a
Situated among fertile fields, and Wodeyars, enhance the wide, statue of Krishnaraja Wodeyar
skirted by wooded hills, Mysuru tree-lined streets. In the heart of
was the capital of the Wodeyar the city is the Amba Vilas Palace.
rulers, who were governors To its west is Jagan mohan
of southern Karnataka under Palace, built in 1861 to mark
the Vijayanagar kings. The the coronation ceremony of
Wodeyar dynasty ruled almost Krishnaraja III. It partly obscures
uninterrupted from 1399 until a Neo-Classical structure,
Independence, except for the now the Chamarajendra
38-year rule of the Muslim Art Gallery, which
warlord Haider Ali and his son, houses an interesting
Tipu Sultan, in the 18th century collection of disparate
(see p521). Modern Mysuru is the objects including
creation of Tipu Sultan, who, in antique furniture, The crouching Nandi on Chamundi Hill
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp701–702 and pp716–17


522-523_EW_India.indd 522 26/04/17 11:48 am
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.6)
Date 12th July 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm

K ARNA T AK A  523


VISITORS’ CHECKLIST
Practical Information
Ramvilas Rd.
Tel (0821) 242 2620.
Open 10am–5:30pm daily.
& 8 0 ^
_ Royal Dasara (Sep/Oct).




The magnificent Amba Vilas Palace, Mysuru
Golden Throne
Originally made of fig-wood overlaid with
ivory, this jewelled throne was later plated
with gold and silver. It is now brought out
only during the Dasara celebrations.
Seating gallery for
viewing the annual
Mysore Royal Dasara
procession (see p521).
















stands beneath a pavilion. The Mysuru, is Lalitha Mahal Palace, Krishnaraja Wodeyar. The numerous
Sayyaji Rao Road that leads out built in 1930. Formerly a private fountains are illuminated every
from this circle is the principal royal guest house, it is now a evening with beautiful multi-
shopping centre of the town. hotel. About halfway up the coloured lights.
A short distance away is the hill is the Nandi monolith, dating
Government House, the seat of to 1659. Carved out of a single
the British Residents from 1805. boulder, it is 7.5 m (25 ft) long
Nearby, the Cathedral of St and 5 m (16 ft) high. The richly
Philomena, with a stained-glass decorated bull is depicted
interior, is a Neo-Gothic structure crouching. The Chamundeshvari
that was completed in 1959. Temple, at the summit of the
In the western part of the city hill, was built in the 17th century
is the Neo-Classical Manasa by the Wodeyars and was
Gangotri, the campus of Mysore later refurbished. It houses a
University. The Oriental Research beautifully decorated idol of
Institute here houses a collection Chamundeshvari, the family
of Sanskrit manuscripts, while the deity of the Wodeyar kings.
Folklore Museum has one of the
most important ethnographic Environs
collections of South Indian toys, The picturesque Brindavan
puppets and household objects, Gardens are 16 km (10 miles) to
as well as two wooden chariots. the north of the city. This popular
On the way to Chamundi Hill, picnic spot was laid out below Striking façade of the Cathedral of
8 km (5 miles) southeast of the Krishnaraja sagar Dam by St Philomena




522-523_EW_India.indd 523 26/04/17 11:48 am

524  SOUTHWESTERN INDIA


Wildlife Sanctuaries of Karnataka

The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, encompassing six contiguous wildlife sanctuaries, spans
the states of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Created to protect the extraordinary
biodiversity of the last surviving tracts of tropical evergreen and deciduous forests of
the Western Ghats, it includes the area over which the notorious sandalwood smuggler
and bandit, Veerappan, once held sway. This reserve, along with the adjacent Mudumalai
Sanctuary (see p608), forms one of the most important migratory corridors for animals
such as the Asian elephant and the Indian bison. These parks are within convenient
reach of Bengaluru (see pp516–18) and Mysuru (see pp522–3).














The Ranganthittoo Bird Sanctuary covers 675 sq km
(261 sq miles) of riverine islands in the middle of the Kaveri
river and attracts a large number of water birds during the
nesting season, especially from June to November.
The Nagarhole
Wildlife Sanctuary’s
profusion of rivers
and swampy
grasslands keep it
green all year.
Bandipur, declared a Established in 1983,
wildlife sanctuary in 1931 the park has 645 sq
by the then Maharaja km (249 sq miles)
of Mysore, has many of deciduous
chausingha (four horned vegetation. Its
antelope), and is also a wildlife includes the
Project Tiger Reserve (see bonnet macaque.
p293). It spreads over 875 It is located around
sq km (338 sq miles). 50 km (31 miles)
from Mysore.

The BRT Wildlife Sanctuary, east of the Nilgiri
Biosphere Reserve, is a corridor between the Ranganthittoo
Western and Eastern Ghats. Covering an area Bird Sanctuary
of 540 sq km (208 sq miles), it supports a variety Mysore • Kaveri
of birdlife, including storks. Lakshmantirtha
Nagarhole Kabini KARNATAKA
Wildlife Sanctuary Nugu
Nugu Gundal
Kabini Reservoir BRT Wildlife
Reservoir
Sanctuary
Bandipur
Wildlife Sanctuary
KERALA TAMIL NADU
Locator Map
Wildlife Sanctuaries




524-525_EW_India.indd 524 26/04/17 11:55 am

K ARNA T AK A  525


of brick buildings in the Nisargadhama, 27 km (17 miles)
Indo-Saracenic style set from Madikeri, is a beautiful
in courtyards surrounded forest retreat on a riverine
by pillared verandahs. Other island on the Kaveri. The
notable monuments in bamboo cottages built here
Madikeri are the Royal by the forest department are
Tombs of Raja Dodda Vira, ideal for viewing wildlife.
his wife and his son, Linga Talakaveri, 45 km (28 miles)
Raja II. Curiously, these southwest of Madikeri, at an
display a distinct Islamic altitude of 1,276 m (4,186 ft),
influence, with onion- is the source of the Kaveri, one
shaped domes, minarets of India’s nine sacred rivers
and trellis work. (see p604); there is a small shrine
Kodagu remains pleasantly built around the spring. At
cool all year round, and the Bhagamandala, 36 km (22 miles)
hills are at their most lush southwest of Madikeri, the Kaveri
after the heavy monsoon meets its two tributaries, Kanike
showers when they make and Sujoythi. Several shrines dot
for delightful hikes. The walk the area near the confluence –
up to Abbey Falls, 8 km also the site of the striking
Coffee plantation in Madikeri (5 miles) from Madikeri, Bhandeshvara temple, built
is popular and takes trekkers in the Kerala style (see p25).
6 Kodagu through forests and coffee
plantations. Kodagu is renowned
Kodagu district. 120 km (75 miles)
SW of Mysuru. @ n Department of for its sprawling coffee plantations,
Tourism, Madikeri, (08272) 228 580. first introduced in the mid-19th
_ Keil Poldu (Jun–Sep), Cauvery century by the British. The
Shankaramana (Oct), Huthri (Nov). Kodava people bought back
their land after Independence,
Picturesquely set amid the but several estates still retain
forested mountains of the their British names. Kodagu
Western Ghats, the district produces some of the world’s
of Kodagu (or Coorg) was an finest varieties of mild coffee;
independent state until it was in fact, it is Karnataka’s richest
incorporated into the newly district because it accounts for
formed state of Karnataka in the majority of coffee exports
1956. Madikeri, the district from the state. Coffee bushes
headquarters, situated 1,500 m are grown in the benevolent
(4,921 ft) above sea level and shade of large trees such as oak
surrounded by rolling coffee and rosewood, and in mixed
and orange plantations, is a plan tations with crops of oranges, The Talakaveri shrine, a place of great
charming hill town, and a pepper vines and cardamom. religious significance
convenient base from which
to explore Kodagu.
Madikeri (or Mercara) was The Kodavas
once the capital of the Hindu The people of Kodagu, known as Kodavas, are a distinct ethnic
Lingayat kings, who ruled for group, and have their own language, Coorgi. The Kodavas are
over 200 years from 1600, proud of their martial origins, and the country’s armed forces have
except for a brief period when had a fair number of generals from this
Tipu Sultan seized power. The community. They may no longer live in
Fort, at the centre of the town, the huge four-winged homes called
was built by the third Lingayat ain mane, but their many traditional
king in 1812. Within its stone festivals, celebrated with great elan, still
ramparts, it contains the simple, bring them together. Coorgi weddings
unpretentions palace of the are unique, in that there are no priests,
and they are solemnized by elders. The
Lingayat rulers, along with a men dress in traditional kupyas, or long
temple, an old church, a black coats tied at the waist by a gold-
museum and the local prison. and red-tasseled sash, while women
The famous Omkareshvara wear Coorgi-style saris with pleats
Shiva Temple, situated in a at the back. Their distinctive cuisine
hollow east of the Fort, was includes tangy pork curry served
built by Linga Raja II in 1820 and with rice dumplings.
dedicated to Vishnu and Shiva. A Kodava couple in traditional dress
The temple complex consists
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp701–702 and pp716–17


524-525_EW_India.indd 525 26/04/17 11:55 am

526  SOUTHWESTERN INDIA

7 Melkote another cluster of bastis
established by the 10th- to
Mandya district. 54 km (34 miles) N of
Mysuru. n Tourist Office, (08232) 238 12th-century Ganga kings and
377 @ _ Vairamudi (Mar/Apr). their powerful ministers. The
Neminatha Basti, commissioned
A picturesque hill town of by Chamu ndaraya, enshrines
shrines and monasteries, an image of Neminatha, the
Melkote is a major pilgrimage 22nd tirthan kara. The adjoining
centre for devotees of Vishnu; Chandr agupta Basti has
it is also associated with miniature panels carved
Rama nuja, the renowned Hindu on perforated stone screens
philosopher and social reformer depicting epis odes from the
who died in 1137. Ramanuja is life of Bahubali and his royal
worshipped along with Vishnu disciple, Chandr agupta.
in the Narayana Temple, in the A 5-m (16-ft) high sculpture
southern part of town. South of Parsvanatha, the 23rd
of the temple stands a solitary tirthankara, is enshrined
gopura, while perched on the in another nearby basti.
summit of a hill to the northeast The head-anointing ceremony at Every 12 years, Jainism’s
of the town, is the small Sravana Belgola most important festival, the
Narasimha Shrine, overlooking spectacular Mahamastaka-
the large Kalyani Tank. facing statue of the naked bhisheka (head-anointing
Daily life in Melkote revolves saviour stands on an anthill ceremony) is held here. The
around temple rituals, and the staring impassively ahead. festival commemorates the
tradition of religious learning Entwined around his legs and consecration of the Bahubali
introduced by Ramanuja survives arms are creepers, indicating monolith, and attracts thousands
in its many institutions, of which the length of time he stood of monks, priests and pilgrims.
the Academy of Sanskrit Research immobile in meditation. An A special scaffold is erected
is most famous. inscription at the base records behind the statue, so that priests
its consecration in AD 981 by can ritually bathe the god with
Chamundaraya, the powerful milk, water from the holy rivers,
minister of Rajamalla IV, one ghee, saffron, sandalwood paste,
of the Ganga kings. vermilion and flower petals.
The town, which lies at the At the ceremony held in 1993,
base of the hill, has a large tank a specially hired helicopter
as well as a number of Jain flew overhead, showering the
temples (bastis). Perhaps the statue with 20 kg (44 pounds)
most interesting of these is the of gold leaf, 200 litres
matha, near the steps leading (352 pints) of milk, marigolds
to Indragiri Hill. The walls of its and jewels, to the delight of
courtyard have a series of vivid the assembled crowds.
Narasimha Shrine overlooking the Kalyani 18th-century murals illustrating
Tank at Melkote the past and present births of Environs
Parsvanatha, the 23rd tirthankara, The village of Kambadahalli,
as well as scenes from the annual 15 km (9 miles) east of Sravana
8 Sravana Belgola fair held here. Some fine Jain Belgola, is another Jain
bronzes are displayed in the settlement. The 10th-century
Hassan district. 140 km (87 miles)
W of Bengaluru. @ n Tourist sanctuary that opens off the Panchakuta Basti houses a
Office, (08176) 257 254. courtyard. On Chandragiri Hill, trio of tirthankaras in three
_ Mahamastakabhisheka (every to the north of the town, is separate shrines.
12 years; last one was in 2006).
This small town, situated
between two granite hills,
Indragiri and Chandragiri, is
the most important Jain site
in South India. It is dominated
by the colossal 17.7-m (58-ft)
high monolithic Statue of
Gommateshvara, also known
as Bahubali, son of the first Jain
tirthankara (see p400). On the
summit of the 143-m (469-ft)
high Indragiri Hill, the north- Chandragiri Hill, as seen above Sravana Belgola
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp701–702 and pp716–17


526-527_EW_India.indd 526 26/04/17 11:48 am
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.6)
Date 12th July 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm

K ARNA T AK A  527

0 Belur
Hassan district. 17 km (11 miles) SW of
Halebid. £ Hassan, 34 km (21 miles)
SE of town centre, then bus or taxi. @
n Tourist Office, (08177) 222 209.
One of the jewels of South
Indian architecture, Belur’s
Chennakeshava Temple was
built in 1117 by Vishnu vardhan
to commemorate the Hoysala
triumph over the Cholas
(see pp50–51). At the end of the
A columned Nandi pavilion in the Hoysaleshvara Temple, Halebid town’s main street, a towered
gopura, erected by the kings
9 Halebid skin of the elephant demon he of Vijayanagar (see p534) in
had slain, Krishna playing the the 16th century, marks the
Hassan district. 213 km (132 miles)
W of Bengaluru. £ Hassan, 34 km flute and Krishna holding up entrance to the temple. Inside
(21 miles) S of town centre, then bus Mount Govardhan, on the south is a spacious paved courtyard,
or taxi. @ Cycles available on hire. face of the southern sanctuary. surrounded by subsidiary
n Tourist Office, (08177) 273 224. On the north face of the northern shrines and colonnades. In the
sanctuary is a splendid Nataraja centre is the main temple, a
Set amid a lush agricultural (Shiva as the Lord of Dance) and single star-shaped sanctuary
landscape ringed by distant hills, a panel depicting a crouching opening onto a columned hall
this isolated site was the Hoysala multi-armed, multi-headed fronted by a screened porch.
capital in the 12th Ravana creeping up The entire surface of the
and 13th centuries. on Shiva and Parvati grey-green schist structure is
While the palace has seated on Mount covered with richly textured
yet to be excavated, Kailasa. Set on the relief carvings. The lintels have
the stone ramparts plinth on which the foliate frames running between
that once temple is raised is a open-mouthed aquatic
surrounded the three-dimensional monsters (makaras) with
city can still be composition of a exuberantly foliated tails. The
seen. Outside these warrior plunging stone grilles that filter light
ramparts, to the his sword into a into the porch are raised on
east, is the vast leonine beast with friezes of elephants, lotus
tank known as a ferocious head, stems, garlands and amorous
Dorasamudra, which A magnificent seated interpreted as the couples. Brackets fashioned
was also the city’s Nandi at Halebid dynastic symbol of as female dancers, musicians
original name. the martial Hoysala and huntresses, standing
Today, the principal attraction rulers. The landscaped garden in gracefully under perforated
of Halebid is the Hoysaleshvara front of the Hoysaleshvara trees, support the sloping
Temple, begun in 1121 by King Temple serves as an eaves above the grilles. Many
Vishnuvardhana, but never Archaeological Museum. A bear the artists’ signatures, a
finished. This structure comprises panel here shows a majestic sign of their elevated status
a pair of identical temples, each seated Ganesha. A short distance under the Hoysalas. Even
with its own east-facing linga south of the complex is a group finer bracket figures can be
sanctuary opening on to a hall of 12th-century Jain bastis. seen inside the temple.
and a screened porch. Each
temple is also preceded by a E Archaeological Museum  Chennakeshava Temple
pavilion with a huge statue of Tel (08177) 273 227. Open 8am–5pm Tel (08177) 222 218. Open daily.
Nandi, the bull-vehicle of Shiva. Sat–Thu. ^ & ∑ asi.nic.in Closed to non-Hindus.
As the two halls are joined
together to create a spacious
columned interior, the temples
function as a single monument.
The outer walls are elevated on
friezes of naturalistic and fanciful
animals, interspersed with
animated carvings of scenes from
the Ramayana and Mahabharata
(see pp30–31). Among the finest
wall panels here are those of
Shiva dancing on the outstretched Belur’s Chennakeshava Temple, in the centre of a large courtyard




526-527_EW_India.indd 527 26/04/17 11:48 am

528  SOUTHWESTERN INDIA


Hoysala Art and Architecture

The temples of the Hoysala kings (12th–13th centuries) and their powerful ministers
are among the wonders of South Indian art and architecture. They embody a fusion of
the curving towers (shikharas) of North India with the columned mandapas of the south,
and are characterized by their unique star-shaped plan and their rich surface decoration.
The dense imagery of the basement friezes and wall panels, sculpted with religious
and mythological scenes, as well as the exquisite bracket figures, are fashioned
out of grey-green schist, a material that permits beautifully intricate carving.


Gods seated with
their consorts, such
as this remarkable
rendering of the
Lakshmi-Narayana
theme from Belur,
are carved in full Flowing foliate patterns, derived from lotus
detail and set into stems and leaves, run continuously around the
the outer walls of basements of Hoysala temples.
Hoysala temples.






Bracket figures,
fashioned as beautiful
female dancers, are
the highlights of
Hoysala temples. This Mandapa interiors have spacious aisles lined
sculpture of a female with massive, highly polished lathe-turned
drummer from Belur columns, with undulating profiles and sharp
has an engraving of ridges. A good example is this magnificent Nandi
the artist’s signature. pavilion opposite the main shrine at Halebid.
The Somnathpur Temple
The perfectly proportioned triple-sanctuaried Keshava Temple at
Somnathpur (see p520), built in 1268, was the last of the great Towers over
Hoysala temples. Hoysala sanctuaries
have small spires
arranged in tiers.
The stepped
outlines of the
plinth echo
the complex
star-shaped Miniature
plan of shrines flank the
the sanctuary. entrance steps.

















528-529_EW_India.indd 528 26/04/17 11:48 am
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.6)
Date 12th July 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm

K ARNA T AK A  529


Environs 13th-century Vaishnava teacher,
The pleasant beach Madhava, is believed to have
resort at Ullal is just 12 km founded the temple by installing
(7 miles) south of the city. an image of Krishna he had
Numerous Jain temples rescued from a shipwreck. Parked
and monasteries dot outside the temple are the
the villages around festival chariots with dome-like
Mangalore. The finest towers made of bamboo and
is the elaborate 15th- covered with colourful textiles.
century Chandranatha After passing through the
Basti at Mudabidri, entrance gate, pilgrims bathe
35 km (22 miles) to the in the tank before entering the
northwest. Dominating main sanctuary with its silver
the summit of a hill at doors and viewing window.
Karkala, 18 km (11 miles) Surrounding the square are other
further north, is the 13-m temples and the eight mathas
(43-ft) high Gommateshvara associated with the Krishna
monolith (1432), an Temple, built in the typical
obvious imitation of the Kanara style with wooden
Terracotta-tiled rooftops in Mangaluru larger and earlier one at verandahs and sloping roofs.
Sravana Belgola (see p526). Udipi also lends its name to
q Mangaluru The 16th-century Chaturmukha the inexpensive eateries that
Basti, a perfectly symmetrical originated here. Catering to
South Kanara district. 357 km (222
miles) W of Bengaluru. * 399,000. temple with a central chamber a local clientele, the menu
~ 20 km (12 miles) N of city centre, enshrining 12 tirthankaras, concentrated on traditional
then taxi or bus. £ @ n Karnataka stands at the base of the hill. South Indian vegetarian food,
Tourism, Hotel Indraprastha, Light The pilgrimage town of such as the masala dosa and idli
House Hill Road, (0824) 244 2926. Dharmasthala, 75 km (47 miles) (see pp558–9). These restaurants,
to the east, is well known for its with their affordable rates, quick
This thriving port on the Shiva temple. Its Gommateshvara turnover and simple but good
estuary of the Netavati and statue was installed in 1973. food, are now found all over India.
Gurpur rivers is the largest city
in Dakshina (South) Kannada, Environs
the coastal district famous for its w Udipi About 5 km (3 miles) west of
coffee, cashew nut and pepper Udipi district. 58 km (36 miles) N of Udipi is Malpe Beach, where
plantations. Rich harvests of Mangaluru. * 113,100. £ fishing boats can be hired for
these crops have attracted n Tourist Office, Krishna Building, excursions. Manipal, 4 km
traders through the ages. Arab Car Street, (0820) 252 9718. (2 miles) to the east, is an
merchants first came here in _ Pargaya (Jan), Chariot Festival (Aug). industrial and educational
the 13th and 14th centuries, centre. The House of Vijaya nath
and were later followed by the All roads in Udipi lead to the Shennoy in Manipal, now a
Portuguese and the British. large open square in the city museum. It is an example of a
Mangaluru today, presents a centre, where the Krishna traditional home, with a fine
panorama of terracotta-roofed Temple is located. This is the collection of everyday objects.
houses, whitewashed churches, focal point of all activity, spiritual
temples and mosques, nestling and commercial, in this bustling E House of Vijayanath Shennoy
amid groves of coconut palms. pilgrim town. The famous Open Mon–Sat.
Among its historic monuments
is the old watchtower, known as
Sultan’s Battery, built of laterite
in 1763 by Haider Ali of Mysuru
(see pp522–3).
Mangalore’s 19th-century
churches include the domed
Church of the Most Holy Rosary
and the Jesuit College of St
Aloysius. Situated at the foot of
Kadiri Hill, 3 km (2 miles) north
of the city, is the 17th-century
Manjunath Temple, with some
superb bronze images of the
Buddha, dating to the 10th–
11th cen turies and installed
in the porch. Priests performing rituals during the Chariot Festival at Udipi
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp701–702 and pp716–17


528-529_EW_India.indd 529 26/05/17 11:44 am

530  SOUTHWESTERN INDIA


Environs
Tucked away in the forested
hills at Kollur, 35 km (22 miles)
southeast of Bhatkal, is a shrine
dedicated to the goddess
Mukambika. This is a very
popular pilgrimage.
India’s highest waterfalls, the
Jog Falls, lie 60 km (37 miles)
northeast of Bhatkal. They
can be seen at the head of
the Sharavati river, framed
by jagged pinnacles of rock.

Shop selling religious paraphernalia at Barkur t Gokarna
e Barkur r Bhatkal North Kanara district. 200 km
(124 miles) N of Mangaluru. £
Udipi district. 71 km (44 miles) North Kannada district. 165 km (103 n Tourist Office, Main Rd, Karwar,
N of Mangaluru. £ miles) N of Mangaluru. * 31,800. £ (08382) 221 172. _ Shivratri (Feb/Mar).
_ Navaratri (Sep/Oct). _ Navaratri (Sep/Oct).
Spectacularly situated by
The coastal town of Barkur was Located along a picturesque the Arabian Sea, Gokarna is a
a flourishing port in the 15th highway that follows the favourite with visitors in search
and 16th centuries until its river coastline, this town was an of sun, sea and sand. A charming
silted up. Today, the town’s important port during the little town with two principal
main attractions are its many 16th and 17th centuries. The streets and clusters of traditional
temples with their typical many beautiful Jain and Hindu tile-roofed brick houses, Gokarna
sloping terracotta-tiled roofs. stone temples found here date is also an important centre of
The largest is the from those days Sanskrit learning.
Panchalingeshvara of prosperity. The Mahabaleshvara Temple,
Temple, situated at Standing in the at the western end of the main
the southern end town’s main street, was destroyed by the
of town. Devotees street are the Portuguese in 1714 and then
gather at the Chandranath eshvara rebuilt later in the 18th cen tury.
stepped tank near and Parsvanatha In the sanctuary is a stone linga,
the temple for a bastis. Situated 2 km encased in brass and placed on
ritual bath before (1 mile) to the east, a coiled stone serpent. The floor
worshipping at the Detail of a stone on the other side of the hall in front has an
two east-facing panel, Bhatkal of the highway, intricate engraving of a giant
linga shrines. The is the Khetapai tortoise. Shiva’s birthday (Feb/
other temples include one Narayan Temple, built in Mar) is celebrated here with
dedicated to both Shiva 1540. Its sanctuary and hall are great fanfare. The two great
and Ganesha, and the enclosed within stone screens temple chariots lead a procession
smaller Someshvara and fashioned to imitate wood. through the town’s narrow
Somanatheshvara temples. Finely sculpted guardian streets, while priests chant
figures flank the doorway. hymns in praise of Shiva.
Environs
The little hamlet of Mekkekattu,
8 km (5 miles) north of Barkur, Beaches Around Gokarna
has shrine of painted bhuta Long stretches of beautiful, unspoilt beaches extend along the
figures (local spirits). These are western coast from Gokarna to Karwar, a seaside town 60 km
copies of the originals, which (37 miles) to the north. South of Gokarna are the Half Moon and
were removed to New Delhi’s Paradise beaches, while nearer
Crafts Museum (see pp84–5) Karwar are the lovely Binaga and
and the Folklore Museum in Araga beaches. The gently
Mysuru (see p523), after the curving bays, fringed by palms,
shrine’s renovation in the are still occupied by small fishing
1960s. The vividly painted deity villages where life revolves around
Nandikeshvara, (the winged the sea and the daily catch.
bull) stands in the lower shrine Tourism remains unknown and
while his consort occupies the only a few simple shacks offer Waves breaking against rocks at a beach
upper one. Fierce guardian basic food and shelter. near Karwar
deities crowd a side chamber.
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp701–702 and pp716–17


530-531_EW_India.indd 530 26/04/17 11:48 am
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.6)
Date 12th July 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm

K ARNA T AK A  531

u Chitradurga
Chitradurga district. 200 km
(124 miles) NW of Bengaluru.
n Kamana Bhavi Extension, 8th
Ward Fort Rd; (08194) 234 466. £ @
Located at the base of a rugged
chain of hills, this town was a
prominent outpost of the
Vijayanagar Empire (see pp534–5).
Later, in the17th–18th centuries,
it became the head quarters of
a line of local chiefs known as
Bedas, until it was occupied by
Haider Ali (see p521) in 1799 and
The two-storeyed Vidyashankara Temple at Sringeri then by the British.
The Fort, defined by walls of
y Sringeri matters, while the mathas huge granite blocks, rises above
still function as centres of the town. A series of three gates
Chikmagalur district. 100 km
(62 miles) NE of Mangaluru. £ @ spiritual learning. leads to the irreg ular inner zone,
_ Navaratri (Sep/Oct). Standing on a paved terrace strewn with striking granite
are two temples overlooking the boulders. There are several small
The small settlement of Sringeri, Tunga river, which is crammed temples here, as well as a number
tucked away in the forested with sacred fish. The smaller of ceremonial gateways erected
ranges of the Western Ghats, is temple, dedicated to Sharada, by the Bedas. The platforms and
today an important pilgrimage a popular form of the goddess pavilions within the compound
centre and one of the most Saraswati, is the principal desti- of the Sampige Siddheshvara
powerful seats of orthodox nation for local pilgrims. Next Temple mark the spot where
Hinduism in South India. to it is the 16th-century the Bedas were crowned. The
This was where Vidyashankara remains of rubble and mud-built
Shan karacharya, Temple, where the granaries and residences, and
(see p652), the Shankaracharya is a large circular well can be
great 9th-century worshipped in the seen nearby.
philosopher and form of a linga.This In the town below, the local
social reformer, stone structure, which Government Museum displays
established the first Floral offerings at stands raised on a artifacts from surrounding sites.
of his four mathas; Sringeri’s temple high platform, is laid On the main street, the 17th-
the other three are at out on an almost century Ucchalingamma Temple
Joshimath in the Himalayas (see circular star-shaped plan. Friezes should not be missed.
p191), Puri (see p316) to the east depicting the many forms of
and Dwarka (see p431) to the Shiva and Vishnu embellish T Fort
west. Today, his successors (also the faceted walls. The hall that Open daily. &
known as Shankaracharyas) precedes the inner sanctum has E Government Museum
wield tremendous influence in massive piers carved as rearing Tel (08194) 224 202.
both religious and temporal yalis (mythical leonine beasts). Open 9am–5pm Tue–Sun. ^


















The fort at Chitradurga, with gateways and shrines dotting the boulder-strewn landscape
A spectacular view of the magnificent Mysore Palace



530-531_EW_India.indd 531 26/04/17 11:48 am

532-533-IND_DPS.indd 532 29/04/14 7:05 pm

532-533-IND_DPS.indd 533 29/04/14 7:05 pm

534  SOUTHWESTERN INDIA


i Hampi

A UNESCO World Heritage Site on the south bank of the
Tungabhadra river, Hampi boasts the evocative ruins of
Vijayanagar or the “City of Victory”. The capital of three
generations of Hindu rulers for more than 200 years, Hampi
reached its zenith under Krishnadeva Raya (r.1510–29) and
Achyuta Raya (r.1529–42). The site, which comprises the
Sacred and Royal Centres, has a superb location, with rocky
ridges and granite boulders acting as natural defences. King’s Balance
The urban core of the city was fortified and separated from Ruling kings were weighed on
the Sacred Centre by an irrigated valley, through which this balance against gold or
grain, for distribution
ancient canals and waterways still run. to the Brahmins.




KEY
Vitthala Temple
1 Krishna Temple was erected (see pp536–7)
by Krishnadeva Raya in 1513 to
commemorate his victory over
Odisha. It is no longer a place
of worship.
2 The Queen’s Bath, an open-air
structure, seems to have been
designed for royal recreation. Canal
3 The Mahanavami Platform
was used by kings during the
Mahanavami festival (see p521),
and for pre-war ceremonies.

Tiruvengalanatha
Temple
Bazaar Street Matanga Hill

Tungabhadra




Hemakuta
Hill







. Virupaksha Temple
The ancient temple of
Virupaksha, dedicated to
the goddess Pampa and her . Narasimha Monolith
consort Shiva, is dominated Carved out of a single boulder in
by a 53-m (174-ft) high 1528, this awe-inspiring image of
gopura. This is the principal Vishnu shows him in his half man-
place of worship in Hampi. half lion incarnation (see p683).
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp701–702 and pp716–17


534-535_EW_India.indd 534 26/04/17 11:48 am
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Starsight template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.7)
Date 24th April 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm

HA MPI  535


Chariot Festival
The bustling Bazaar Street VISITORS’ CHECKLIST
is the main centre of activity
and the venue for the Practical Information
colourful Chariot Festival. Bellary district. 364 km (226 miles)
The temple chariot carries NW of Bengaluru.
the main deity through Tel (08394) 228 537.
n Bazaar St. 8 Virupaksha
the streets so it can be
publicly honoured. Temple: Open daily. Lotus Mahal:
& also covers the Vitthala
Temple. _ Chariot Festival (Feb),
Hampi Festival (Nov). Foreigners
must register at Virupaksha
Temple Police Station.
0 metres 500
0 yards 500 Transport
£ Hospet, 13 km (8 miles)
W of site. @







Elephant Stables
An imposing structure of 11 chambers, this once housed the
royal elephants. Especially noteworthy are the polygonal roofs,
alternating with smooth or ribbed domes.
Canal










. Lotus Mahal
A skilful blend of Hindu and
Islamic architecture, this
Hospet building may have served as
Great a socializing area for the
Hazara Ramachandra Bath
Temple women in the royal family.
Ruined Palaces












Stepped Tank
Archaeological This small, square tank with multiple steps was fed by a
Museum water chute, part of an extensive “hydraulic system” that
brought water to the Royal Centre.




534-535_EW_India.indd 535 26/04/17 11:48 am

536  SOUTHWESTERN INDIA

Hampi: Vitthala Temple

The grandest of all the religious monuments in the Sacred
Centre, the Vitthala Temple represents the high point of
Vijayanagar art and architecture. Though its founder remains
unknown, it was enlarged in the 16th century by two of
Vijayanagar’s greatest rulers, Krishnadeva
Raya and Achyuta Raya. Preceding
the main shrine is the great open
hall, or mahamandapa, built on
a low platform and supported by
intricately carved pillars. This was . Yalis
the gift of a military commander in Leaping yalis (mythical
1554, just 11 years before the city leonine beasts), many with
was sacked and abandoned. riders, adorn the outer piers
of the temple.










Reconstruction of
the Tower
This shows the pyramidal Relief
vimana (tower), over the A niche in a stone
main sanctuary of the Vitthala pillar has a superb
Temple, as it looked when it rendering of Garuda,
was built in the 16th century. the eagle mount
of Vishnu.

Exploring Hampi Lakshman carved on to a village of Kamalapuram, where
The fabled city of the Vijaya nagar boulder inside the sanctuary. the Archaeological Museum is
kings (see pp534–5), covering The bathing ghats here are located. En route is a gateway
an area of around 20 sq km considered to be the holiest with a damaged façade of
(8 sq miles), sprawls across a at the site. windows and battlements.
spectacular barren and boulder- Beyond lies the Temple of The road that runs south
strewn landscape. Achyuta Raya, one of the major from Hampi village, through
The Sacred Centre, on Hindu complexes at Hampi, the Sacred Centre, leads up
the southern bank of the dating from 1534 and dedicated Hemakuta Hill, scattered
Tungabhadra river, is dominated to Tiruvengalanatha, the form with numerous pre- and early
by the impressive Virupaksha of Vishnu that is venerated at Vijayanagar shrines, many with
Temple. It is dedicated to a form Tirupati (see p682). Its perfect small pyramidal towers. A large
of Shiva (Virupaksha), known plan of two concentric image of the elephant god,
here as Pampapati (the “Lord enclosures, each entered Ganesha, carved on a boulder,
of Pampa”), and commemorates by a towering
his wedding to Pampa, the gopura to the
goddesss of the Tungabhadra. north, is clearly
In front is the colonnaded visible from the
Bazaar Street that dates mainly summit of
from the 16th to the mid-17th Matanga Hill.
centuries, when it teemed with The riverside
pilgrims and travellers in search path continues
of exotic wares. A path beside to the Vitthala
the river leads past the Temple, from
Kodandarama Temple, with where a road
its figures of Rama, Sita and proceeds to the Lush greenery around Matanga Hill
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp701–702 and pp716–17


536-537_EW_India.indd 536 26/04/17 11:48 am
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.6)
Date 12th July 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm

HA MPI  537


VISITORS’ CHECKLIST
Practical Information
E of the Sacred Centre.
Open daily. & free on Fri.







Vitthala Temple
This striking temple with its elaborate
mandapas (columned halls) is dedicated to Musical Columns
Vitthala, an incarnation of Vishnu the Preserver, Small hollow columns
the second god in the Hindu Trinity. emit different tones
when lightly tapped.








Chariot
. Chariot
This shrine in front
of the temple is
dedicated to
Garuda and is
Frieze Detail fashioned as a
This panel depicts a trio of celestial stone chariot.
nymphs riding on parrots.

marks the top of the ridge. Environs
Further south is the Krishna The historic village of Anegondi
Temple, erected in the early lies on the opposite bank of the
16th century during the reign Tungabhadra river. Until a bridge
of Krishnadeva Raya. It is entered under construction becomes
through a massive, though partly oper ational, it can be reached
ruined gopura. The colonnaded only on the coracles that have
street to the east now runs plied the river for centuries.
through fields of sugarcane, An important settlement
while the square tank nearby before the establishment of
still stores water. As it continues Vijayanagar, Anegondi’s-now
south, the road travels past the dilapidated palaces, temples
tremendous Narasimha Stone A coracle ferrying people across the and bathing ghats still preserve
Monolith, a representation of Tungabhadra river vestiges of their former glory.
Vishnu’s man-lion incarnation The Kalyan Mahal, a palace-like
(see p683). Around the temple are building remi niscent of Hampi’s
Fortified walls enclose the excavated remains of palaces, Lotus Mahal (see p535), stands
Royal Centre. At the latter’s baths and a hundred-columned in the central square. Nearby
core is the superb Hazara Rama audience hall, while to its north are a temple and a 14th-
Temple, built by Deva Raya I, are the Elephant Stables and century gateway. The massive
a Vijayanagar king of the 15th the Lotus Mahal. walls and rounded bastions of
century. Its outer walls are Anegondi’s citadel enclose the
covered with friezes that depict E Archaeological Museum rocky hills lying west of the
ceremonies of the Mahanavami Kamalapuram. Tel (08394) 241 561. main town. Anegondi is also
festival. Reliefs of episodes from Open 8am–5pm Sat–Thu. & ^ of interest for its traditional
the Ramayana can be seen here. ∑ asi.nic.in mud-clad houses.




536-537_EW_India.indd 537 26/04/17 11:48 am

538  SOUTHWESTERN INDIA























An outer wall of Gadag’s Someshvara Temple, with temple towers in relief
o Gadag Environs p Belgaum
The small village of Lakkundi,
Gadag district. 450 km (280 miles) NW Belgaum district. 502 km (312 miles)
of Bengaluru. £ @ n Hotel Durga, 11 km (7 miles) southeast of NW of Bengaluru. £ @ n Tourist
Vihar Complex. ( daily. Gadag, has temples dating from Office, Ashoka Nagar, (0831) 247 0879.
the 11th–12th centuries, built
An important cotton-collection of grey-green chloritic schist. This bustling city, on the
centre, the sleepy little town Surrounded by mud houses, border with Maharashtra, was
of Gadag comes to life during a number of such temples are an important garrison town
the cotton season in May tucked away down under the British. Even today,
and June. During these narrow streets. Jain Basti, the cantonment, with its
months, the cotton the largest temple, has bungalows and barracks, has
market hums with a five-storeyed tower. a significant military presence.
activity and is well Its basement is adorned Earlier, in the 16th and 17th
worth a visit. with friezes of elephants centuries, Belgaum was a
A number of late and lotus petals. Lathe- provincial centre under the Adil
Chalukyan monuments turned columns are Shahi rulers of Bijapur (see pp546–
(11th–12th centuries) in seen on the porch. 7), the Marathas of Pune (see
the city indicate its historic The nearby Kashi p475), as well as the Mughals,
past. Standing to the Vishvanatha Temple when they occupied this part of
south is the Trikuteshvara has a pair of sanctuaries Karna taka. The Fort to the east
Temple, remarkable for its Sculpted figures facing each other across is unusually elliptical in layout
three sanctuaries facing a a common porch. Relief and its stone walls incorporate
common, partly open hall. carvings of a pair of makaras or many reused temple blocks.
Inclined slabs that serve as aquatic monsters, sitting on the The Safa Mosque nearby
balcony seats are deco rated walls, are typical motifs of was built in the first half of the
with figurative panels, and are late Chalukyan art. 16th century by Asad Khan, the
overhung by steeply angled governor of Belgaum. The town
eaves. Inside the hall, the columns also has three temples that date
have figures arranged to the late Chalukyan period.
in shallow niches. The east
sanctuary accommodates
three lingas, while the one
to the south is dedicated to
the goddess Saraswati.
In the middle of the city
stands the Someshvara Temple.
Though abandoned and now
in a dilapidated state, its intricate
carvings are fairly well preserved.
Look for the doorways to the
hall – these have densely carved
figures and foliation. The elliptical fort at Belgaum
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp701–702 and pp716–17


538-539_EW_India.indd 538 26/04/17 11:48 am
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.6)
Date 12th July 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm

K ARNA T AK A  539


Performing Arts of Karnataka

Karnataka has a rich and vibrant performing arts tradition. Story telling, with the help
of media such as paintings and leather puppets, was among the most popular folk
entertainments in the northern and northeastern part of the state, and in neighbouring
Andhra Pradesh, before the advent of the cinema. Itinerant folk performers would
delight rural audiences with stirring tales of good and evil, based on mythological
episodes. A number of dance-dramas, such as the Yakshagana, developed in South
Kanara, the region of Karnataka that borders Kerala. As in Kathakali (see p661),
Yakshagana actors dress in awe-inspiring costumes to perform a heavily mimetic
dance, while the singer recites the story to the accompaniment of music.
Karnataka’s Leather Puppets
Huge figures made of goatskin are punched with holes of
various shapes to allow light to filter through, thus creating the
interplay of light and coloured shadow, so essential to shadow
theatre. The chief puppeteer recites the story, while his
assistants provide musical accompaniment.
Perforations on
the figure allow
Figures are etched on the light to pass
prepared skin with a sharp through.
instrument, then cut along
the outline and coloured.
Bright colours
and outlines
are combined
to create
striking effects.

The chief puppeteer
manipulates the puppet with A stick is attached
the help of an attached stick. for manipulation.

Performances
take place at
night. A light is
placed behind
a thin cotton
screen, so that the
audience, sitting
in front, sees the Hanuman, the Monkey God, a major character
moving shadows. in the Ramayana
Yakshagana
This folk dance-drama originated in the early 16th century. An all-
male cast consisting of about 20 actors and musicians act out a
repertoire that is inspired mainly by episodes
from the great epics (see pp30–31), especially
the Mahabharata. All-night performances,
organized at the behest of a wealthy patron
on special occasions, take place in the open,
and no particular props are needed.
Yakshagana’s spectacular costumes are
A man creating the enhanced by tall headgear, a profusion of Actors performing a scene from
elaborate headgear ornaments and elaborate make-up. the Mahabharata






538-539_EW_India.indd 539 26/04/17 11:48 am

540  SOUTHWESTERN INDIA

a Badami

Dramatically situated within a horseshoe of red sandstone
cliffs, overlooking the green waters of a large lake,
this historic town was the capital of the powerful early
Chalukya kings, who ruled the Deccan during the 6th–7th
centuries AD. These rulers also held sway at Pattadakal
(see pp542–3) and Aihole (see pp544–5). Among the rock-
cut and structural monuments, the most richly decorated
are the cave temples, which are carved into the cliff on
the southern side. Of these, Cave 1 is dedicated to Shiva,
Caves 2 and 3 to Vishnu, and Cave 4 to the Jain saints.
Columned verandah,
Cave 3
A linga sanctuary
is carved into the
rear wall.























CAVE 1
A flight of steps in this cave leads up to
a pillared verandah, behind which is a
square, columned hall with a small
sanctuary carved into the rear wall. The
highlights here are the Nataraja panel
and the carved panels on the ceiling.
Cave 2
This Vaishnava cave
has a superb frieze
of Varaha, the boar
incar nation of
Vishnu, on one end
of the porch. The
ceiling is adorned
with images of Cave 3
celestial couples, The verandah of this large and beautiful cave has
the lotus motif an enormous four-armed figure of Vishnu seated
encircled by fish on Adisesha, the serpent whose five hoods spread
and symbols of protectively over his crown. At his feet is the bird
the swastika (sacred Garuda, his mount. This is the only cave with an
symbol for Hindus). inscription, dated AD 578.
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp701–702 and pp716–17


540-541_EW_India.indd 540 26/04/17 11:48 am
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.6)
Date 12th July 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm

K ARNA T AK A  541


Exploring Badami VISITORS’ CHECKLIST
Most of Badami’s temples are
situated on the imposing cliff Practical Information
that lies north of the man-made Bagalkot district. 480 km
Agastya Lake. The boulder- (298 miles) NW of Bengaluru.
strewn landscape and the large n Karnataka Tourism,
lake acted as natural defences Hotel Mayura Chalukya.
of the site. Standing on the Tel (08357) 220 117
embankment is the 11th-century Caves: Open daily. & 8
Yellamma Temple, with its multi- Archaeological Museum:
Tel (08352) 220 157. Open Sat–Thu.
storeyed tower. Further away, & _ Temple Festival (Jan/Feb).
Nataraja Panel inside the village, is the
This 12-armed dancing Shiva Jambulinga Temple, dating Transport
is one of the earliest and finest to AD 699, with triple shrines £ @
depictions of the Nataraja dedicated to Brahma, Vishnu and
in Karnataka. Shiva opening off a common
mandapa. The Bhuta natha of early structural
Temple is scenically located architecture under the
at the end of the lake and Chalukyas. Diminutive
was built in several scenes of Krishna
phases. The core holding up Mount
shrine, with a Govardhana, and
pyramidal tower, is Narasimha in
from the 6th–7th the throes of
centuries, while disembowelling
the porch, which The tower of the Upper his victim, are
is embellished Shivalaya Temple carved intricately
with angled eaves on the walls.
and overlooking the water, dates Perched on top of an isolated
to the 11th century. Several boulder near the main road north
boulders lying around the of the town, is the Mallegitti
temple have reliefs of a sleeping Shivalaya Temple, a well-
Vishnu, and a seated Jain figure. preserved 7th-century structure.
Lesser shrines nearby show the Perforated stone windows flank
pyramidal layered towers that are sculptured panels of Vishnu and
typical of the late Chalukya style. Shiva, topped with garlands.
The Archaeological Museum,
on the north side of the lake, Environs
displays a magni ficent triangular A popular Devi shrine, facing
panel depicting Brahma a large tank dating from the
surrounded by elaborate foliage; 18th century, is situated at
this piece must have once Banashankari, 5 km (3 miles)
surmounted a free-standing east of Badami. At Mahakuta,
portal. Other items of interest 8 km (5 miles) to the east, a
include a squatting female group of 7th-century temples
divinity with a lotus head, and built in contrasting North- and
two panels showing Shiva – South-Indian styles (see p24), are
spearing a demon and shooting clustered around a small tank.
arrows as he rides along in
a chariot.
Steps ascend through
a rugged gorge to the
7th-century Upper
Shivalaya Temple that
crowns the cliffs rising to
the north of the town. Only
Cave 4 the walls of the passageway
Standing and seated Jain
tirthankaras cover the walls and the multi-storeyed
and columns in Cave 4, on top tower capped with a
of a cliff. Some of these were square-domed roof still
added in the 11th and 12th stand; the mandapa in front
centuries, when this part of has been dismantled. Its
Karnataka was governed by a simple basement mouldings
later line of Chalukya rulers. and wall pilasters are typical The Bhutanatha Temple overlooking the tank




540-541_EW_India.indd 541 26/04/17 11:48 am

542  SOUTHWESTERN INDIA

s Pattadakal

The sacred complex at Pattadakal is picturesquely situated on
the banks of the Malprabha river. A UNESCO World Heritage
Site, its superb 8th-century temples offer a fitting climax to
the artistic achievements of the Chalukya kings, as seen in
nearby Badami (see pp540–41) and Aihole (see pp544–5). While
these towns were important ancient settlements, Pattadakal,
with only a small resident population, was mainly used for
royal festivities and coronation ceremonies.
Exploring Pattadakal cut tiers of horseshoe­shaped
The main temple complex motifs and a ribbed finial. The
at Pattadakal is situated in Kashi Vishvanatha Temple,
landscaped gardens next which lies to the west,
to the small village. dates from the mid­8th Shiva appearing out of the fiery linga,
Constructed in a century and further Virupaksha Temple
combination of the illustrates the
North Indian and developments in The incomplete hall in front has
South Indian the North Indian been restored.
temple styles temple style. Its The largest temples are the
(see p24), these faceted tower is twin Virupaksha and Mallik­
spectacular entirely covered arjuna temples to the south.
structures reveal with a mesh Both are dedicated to Shiva
a great deal The modest Galaganatha Temple, design of and were constructed in AD 745
about the evolu­ built of sandstone interlocking by two sister queens of the
tion of temple horseshoe­arched powerful Chalukya king,
architecture in South India. motifs. The columns inside Vikramaditya II, to commemorate
the small vestibule preceding the his victory over the Pallava
North Indian-style Temples sanctum are carved with a rulers of Tamil Nadu. These
Characterized by their curved variety of mythological scenes. temples represent the climax
towers (shikharas) over the of early Chalukya architecture
inner sanctum, North Indian­ South Indian-style Temples and are said to be based on
style temples are exemplified South Indian temple towers the Kailasanatha Temple in
in the Kadasiddeshvara and (vimanas) rise in a stepped Kanchipuram (see p586). They
Jambulinga temples, which pyramidal formation, as in also served as the inspiration
are situated near the entrance. the Sangameshvara Temple, for the colossal Kailasanatha
These are unassuming sandstone the earliest in the complex. It monolith at Ellora (see pp480–82).
structures with damaged wall was erected by the Chalukya Today, the Virupaksha
sculptures and curving tiered king, Vijayaditya, who died Temple is the only functioning
towers. The larger but in AD 733 before the structure shrine in this complex. In front
incomplete Galaganatha was completed. Its multi­ is a Nandi pavilion with a
Temple nearby has a well­ storeyed tower is capped magnificently carved bull
preserved tower with sharply with a square domed roof. covered by a cloth. The temple


















The twin Virupaksha and Mallikarjuna Temples, Pattadakal
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp701–702 and pp716–17


542-543_EW_India.indd 542 26/04/17 11:48 am
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.6)
Date 12th July 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm

K ARNA T AK A  543


the Nandi pavilion in front of VISITORS’ CHECKLIST
it, are incomplete.
A path from the Virupaksha Practical Information
Temple gateway along the river Bagalkot district. 22 km (14 miles)
leads to the Papanatha Temple. NE of Badami. & _ Pattadakal
This early 8th-century temple Dance Festival (Jan).
was extended several times, Transport
as can be seen in the unusual £ Badami, 24 km (15 miles)
arrangement of double halls SW of town. @
leading to the sanctuary, and
in the later addition of
Nataraja, ceiling panel from the passageway walls with porches and a Dancing Shiva (Nataraja),
Papanatha Temple on three sides. The exterior in the inner hall.
combines South Indian-style
itself consists of a spacious, pilastered wall niches with Jain Temple
columned hall with triple North Indian-style mesh To the west of the village,
porches leading to the linga patterns and curvi linear is a 9th-century Jain Temple
sanctum, surrounded towers. Battle scenes from built by the Rashtrakuta
by a passageway. The ornately the Ramayana (see p31), carved rulers, who succeeded the
carved pillars and ceilings on the east wall, conclude with Chalukyas in the middle of
portray mythological and Rama’s coronation, shown the 8th century. A
religious stories. The finest on the column of the spacious open porch
reliefs are on either side of the main porch. Both the with peripheral lathe-
east porch and include one halls have central turned columns
of Shiva as lingodbhavamurti, aisles, with pot is overhung
appearing out of a fiery linga, and foliage with angled
and a depiction of Vishnu as motifs carved eaves. Some
Trivikrama, traversing the on the capitals. remarkable
Universe in three steps. Ornate brackets carvings of life-
The Mallikarjuna Temple, and beams size elephant
though identical, is smaller support ceiling torsos are placed
and more compact. The panels, the finest beside the
interior hall has a number of of which show doorway that
Shaivite sculptures. The walls a coiled naga Battle between Arjuna and Shiva, leads into the
surrounding the temple, and (snake) deity Virupaksha Temple inner hall.
Aihole
Malprabha

9

8
11
3 4
10
2 7
5
6

1
Plan of Pattadakal
1 Entrance 7 Virupaksha
2 Jambulinga 8 Nandi Pavilion
3 Galaganatha 9 Museum
4 Sangameshvara 10 Village
5 Kashi Vishvanatha 11 Papanatha 0 metres 100
6 Mallikarjuna 0 yards 100
Badami

For keys to symbols see back flap


542-543_EW_India.indd 543 26/04/17 11:48 am

544  SOUTHWESTERN INDIA





















The Gaudar Gudi with the Ladkhan Temple behind it, Aihole
d Aihole columned halls with interior The road, going downhill, follows
sanctuaries, lies to the south. the curving fortifications and
Bagalkote district. 44 km (27 miles)
NE of Badami. £ Badami, 46 km The temple to the southeast, passes the Jyotirlinga Group,
(29 miles) SW of town, then bus or probably the first to be built, until it ends at the Durga Temple.
taxi. @ _ Ramalinga Temple Chariot has superbly carved ceiling To the north of the Durga
Festival (Feb/Mar). panels portraying the Hindu Temple is the Chikki Gudi,
Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and with exquisitely carved columns,
Time seems to have stood still in Shiva. A similar trio of ceiling beams and ceiling panels. A
this small, dusty town, situated panels can be seen in the path to the right, leads to the
on the Malprabha river, about Hucchapayya Math, lying a small Hucchimalli Gudi, with
14 km (9 miles) downstream short distance beyond. a North Indian style tower, and
from Pattadakal (see pp542–3). A stepped path leads to the an unusual icon of Karttikeya,
Fortifications encircle much of top of the hill southeast of Shiva’s son, carved on the
the town. Within are ancient the town, passing by a two- ceiling of the front porch.
sandstone temples of varying storeyed Buddhist temple. At Nearby lies the rock-cut
types, some of which were used the summit of the hill stands the Ravala Phadi Cave, dating to
as dwellings and are named serene Meguti Temple built in the late 6th century. Its interior
after their former inhabitants. AD 634, the earliest dated is enhanced with splendid
The temples are associated structural monument in carvings of Hindu divinities.
with both the early and later Karnataka. The temple’s clearly These include a Dancing Shiva
Chalukya rulers of Badami articulated basement, plastered in a subshrine; Ardhanarishvara,
(see pp540–41), and date from walls and eaves show the South Harihara and Shiva with Ganga,
the 6th to the 11th centuries. Indian style of temple architec- on the walls of the main hall;
Most visitors begin their tour ture (see p24) in its earliest phase. and Varaha and Durga in the
of Aihole at the Durga Temple. An impressive seated Jain figure antechamber preceding
Nearby is a small complex with is installed in the sanctuary. the small linga sanctuary. Tiny
the Ladkhan Temple. This Prehistoric megalithic tombs are shrines and a fluted column
building is recognizable by the located to the rear of the temple. stand in front.
tiers of sloping slabs that form
the roof the spacious hall as well
as the adjoining entrance porch.
River goddesses and amorous
couples are carved on the
columns of the porch, while
images of deities can be seen on
the side walls of a small chamber
at the rooftop level. The adjacent
Gaudar Gudi comprises a small
sanctuary set within an open
mandapa, with balcony seating
on four sides. The ruined Chakra
Gudi is near the stepped tank.
The Kunti Group, a quartet of
temples conceived as open The exuberant Dancing Shiva relief in the Ravala Phadi Cave
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp701–702 and pp716–17


544-545_EW_India.indd 544 26/04/17 11:48 am
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.6)
Date 12th July 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm

K ARNA T AK A  545


Aihole: Durga Temple VISITORS’ CHECKLIST
The largest and finest monument at Aihole, the Durga Practical Information
Temple is also the most unusual because of its apsidal N of Archaeological Museum.
Open daily. & covers all
sanctuary surrounded by an open colonnade. The temple main temples.
is elevated on a lofty plinth, with steps at one end leading
to a porch with elaborate carvings of sensuous couples and
guardians on its columns. Other sculptural masterpieces,
of Shiva with Nandi, Narasimha, Vishnu with Garuda, Durga
and Harihara, are placed in the niches lining the colonnade.
The interior of the hall is plain by contrast, and the circular
plinth within the sanctuary is empty. The temple’s name is
a misnomer, as the identity of the image that was
once worshipped here remains unknown.
The semicircular sanctuary of the
Naga Ceiling Durga Temple
A ceiling panel in the mandapa The entrance porch
depicts a naga with a coiled has columns
serpent body. embellished with
intricate carvings.



























The capstone
(amalaka), a ribbed
disc, has fallen down
from the tower.



Shikhara
Little remains
of the tower Column Carving
Durga that once rose This depiction of an
This niche shows above the amorous couple, carved on
a multi-armed inner sanctum. one of the columns in the
Durga slaying the porch, is a masterpiece of
buffalo demon. Chalukyan art.




544-545_EW_India.indd 545 26/04/17 11:48 am

546  SOUTHWESTERN INDIA


f Bijapur the Citadel is the
double-storeyed Asar
Bijapur district. 530 km (329 miles)
NW of Bengaluru. * 246,000. £ @ Mahal, built in 1646
n Karnataka Tourism, Station Rd, as the hall of justice,
(08352) 250 359. _ Bijapur Music and later converted
Festival (Feb/Mar), Gagan Mahal Urs into a sacred reliquary
Festival (Sep). to house two hairs
of the Prophet.
After the fall of the Bahmanis Chambers on the
(see p548), the Adil Shahi sultans upper level are
emerged as the principal rulers decorated with
of the Deccan in the 16th and murals depicting
17th cen turies. Their capital, floral themes and
the fortified city of Bijapur, was courtly scenes with
protected by ramparts with European-style
prominent bastions, and many figures. A short
of the original cannons are still distance away is
in place. The Malik-i-Maidan the elegant Mihtar
(“Lord of the Plain”), reput edly Mahal, from the
the largest cannon of the period period of Ibrahim II
in India, still guards the western (1580–1626) and
entrance. Within the fort’s walls The arcaded prayer hall of the Jama Masjid entered through
are splendid mosques, palaces a triple-storeyed
and tombs built by a succession miniature pavilion called the Jal gateway. Balconies projecting
of enlightened rulers. Mandir. A short distance to the over the street are supported
north are the Gagan Mahal, the on angled struts carved as if
T The Citadel audience hall of Ali Adil Shah I, they were made of wood. The
The Citadel, in the heart of with an arched façade facing gateway leads to a small mosque.
the city, is defined by its own an open space, and the Anand The grandly conceived Jama
fortified walls and surrounded Mahal, or the “Palace of Joy”, Masjid, to the southeast, was
by a wide moat. The south where the ladies of the begun by Ali Adil Shah I in 1576,
gate, the only one seraglio lived. Other but never finished. The marble
surviving, leads into fine structures include floor of the capacious prayer
what was once the the Mecca Masjid, hall has been divided into
palace complex. This a charming little some 2,250 rectangular bays
ceremonial centre of mosque to the east to resemble prayer mats. Even
Bijapur, surrounded by of the Citadel, and today, the mosque attracts
arcades, is known as Medallion at Karimuddin’s Mosque more than 2,000 worshippers
the Quadrangle, and Jama Masjid near the south gate, during Friday prayers. To the
is today occupied by built with temple north and west are more tombs
municipal offices. To its materials pillaged in 1310 by and mosques, including the
northwest stands the Sat Alauddin Khilji (see p52). Taj Baoli, a large square tank
Manzil, the seven-storeyed surrounded by steps.
pleasure palace from the top T Outside the Citadel
of which the whole city could The walled city, outside the  Ibrahim Rauza
once be seen. Of this, only five Citadel, is scattered with Open daily. & Extra charges
storeys now remain. It overlooks monuments built by the Adil for photography.
an exquisitely ornamented Shahi sultans. To the east of This exquisite mausoleum, often
described as the finest Islamic
building in the Deccan, was
built by Ibrahim II for his wife.
However, he predeceased her
and is buried here too. The
funerary complex consists of a
tomb and a mosque, raised on a
plinth in the middle of a formal
garden. A huge tank nearby is
named after his wife, Taj Sultana.
The walls of the tomb, as seen
within an arcaded verandah, are
embellished with superb callig-
raphic and geometric designs.
The tomb chamber is roofed by
Ibrahim Rauza, the beautifully proportioned tomb of Ibrahim II a flat vault with curving sides.
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp701–702 and pp716–17


546-547_EW_India.indd 546 26/04/17 11:48 am
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.6)
Date 12th July 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm

K ARNA T AK A  547

Bijapur: Gol Gumbad VISITORS’ CHECKLIST

Bijapur’s most celebrated building, the Practical Information
monumental tomb of Muhammad Adil Shah Station Rd.
(r.1627–56), second son and successor of Ibrahim Tel (08352) 204 737.
II, is commonly known as the “Round Dome”, or Gol Open daily. & free on Fri.
Autos & cycles available.
Gumbad. The slightly bulbous dome, the largest in
the world after St Peter’s in Rome, rises on a base
of petals to form a fitting climax to the whole The dome is nearly 43 m (141 ft)
in diameter. It is carried on eight
composition. Completed in 1656, the tomb Circular over lapping arches with
gallery
stands in the middle of a formal garden. On intervening pendentives. The
the west side is a small mosque with five circular Whispering Gallery, over
arches flanked by slender minarets. which the dome is raised, has
remarkable acoustics.
A bulbous dome
on a petalled base
Minaret tops the minaret.

























The mihrab bay is
within a part-octagonal
projection, to the west. The
Tomb of walls are overhung by richly
Muhammad carved stone brackets with
Adil Shah. tiers of lotus buds.

Deccani Painting
The Muslim rulers of the Deccan, especially
of Golconda (see pp670–71) and Bijapur,
during the 14th and 15th cen turies,
encouraged art and established a Deccani
School of Painting. This was influenced first
by direct contact with Central Asia and Persia,
and later by the Mughals. At the court of
Entrance Arch Bijapur, elements of European Renaissance
The entrance façade has and Persian art were assimilated into the
a wide, lofty arch in the classical Indian tradition, to create a Chand Bibi Playing Polo,
centre, pierced with small distinctive Deccani style. a Deccani painting
windows on either side.




546-547_EW_India.indd 547 26/04/17 11:48 am

548  SOUTHWESTERN INDIA


with small chambers now
converted into dwellings. This
leads to a series of gateways
shielded by walls that protrude
outwards from the fort walls.
To the west of the fort are the
derelict tombs of the early
Bahmani sultans.
Another 14th-century
monument is the Shah Bazaar
Mosque, to the north of the
fort. Its domed entrance cham-
ber leads into a courtyard with
a prayer hall beyond. A street
from here proceeds westwards
The vaulted hall of the Jama Masjid at Gulbarga to an arcaded portal flanked
by lofty minarets. Behind this
g Gulbarga known, was a Sufi mystic from portal lies the Dargah of Sheikh
the Chishti sect (see p380). He Sirajuddin Junaydi, a simple
Gulbarga district. 160 km (99 miles)
NE of Bijapur. * 428,000. £ @ fled from North India and sought tomb with arcaded recesses
n Gulbarga Tourist Office, (08472) refuge here at the court of Firuz and a flattish dome.
220 644. _ Urs (Mar). Shah Bahmani, a pious and
enlightened ruler. His simple Environs
This small provincial town tomb stands in the middle of The picturesque ruins of
contains some of the earliest a large, sprawling complex Firuzabad, the palace city
examples of Islamic architecture comprising a group of lesser founded in 1400 by Firuz Shah
in Karnataka. These date to tombs, mosques and madra sas, Bahmani on the east bank of the
the 14th and 15th centuries, and is a major pilgrimage centre. Bhima river, are located 28 km
when Gulbarga flourished as The Dargah of Shah Kamal (17 miles) south of Gulbarga.
the capital of the Bahmani Mujarrad, another saint who lived The massive stone walls with
sultans (see p53), the first of in Gulbarga, lies further south. quadrangular bastions and arched
the great Muslim kingdoms A complex of seven royal gateways define an approximately
to dominate the Deccan. tombs, known as the Haft square zone, almost 1,000 m
The Dargah of Gesu Daraz Gumbad, lies to the west of the (3,281 ft) wide. The best preserved
(d.1422), to the northeast of the dargah. Firuz Shah Bahmani, structures are the Jama Masjid
present town, is one of South who also died in 1422, is buried and a two-storeyed audience hall.
India’s holiest Muslim shrines. here in the largest and most Among the remains are the royal
Khwaja Gesu Daraz, or Bande elaborate of all the mausoleums. baths (hamams), with pyramidal
Nawaz, as he was affectionately Immediately west of the city are vaults and fluted domes, said to
the desolate ruins of the be the oldest in the Deccan.
forbidding fort, almost
circular and protected
by a wide moat. Little of h Bidar
the royal centre remains Bidar district. 120 km (75 miles) NE of
intact today. Near the Gulbarga. @ Autos & cycles available.
entrance gateway is the
Bala Hisar, a solid keep Bidar became the Bahmani
dating from the 17th capital in 1424, when Firuz Shah’s
century, when the Adil brother and successor, Ahmad
Shahis (see pp546–7) Shah, moved his court here. With
occupied the city. the collapse of the Bahmani
The most interesting dynasty at the end of the 15th
structure, however, is century, control of the region
the large Jama Masjid passed into the hands of the
nearby. Built in 1367, Baridis. The city was included
to commemorate in the World Monuments
Gulbarga’s status as the Fund in 2014.
capital, this is one of Bidar’s Fort, built in 1428 by
the earliest mosques Ahmed Shah Bahmani, occupies
in South India, and the a promontory that is defended
only one without an by double rings of walls and a
open courtyard. To its moat partly carved out of the
Devotees at the gateway to the Dargah of Gesu rear is the 14th-century bedrock. A trio of arched gates,
Daraz, Gulbarga Bazaar Street, lined one with polychrome tilework,
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp701–702 and pp716–17


548-549_EW_India.indd 548 26/04/17 11:48 am
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.6)
Date 12th July 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm