Monuments in Karnataka, Karnataka Tourism

Introduction

The ancient monuments of Karnataka rank prime among the manifold tourist attractions of the state. Of the 3600 centrally protected monuments in India, 609 are located within the state of Karnataka. These historical palaces and forts are reminiscent of the glory and splendor of the ancient past. Ruins of the Karnataka monuments have continued to fascinate art lovers and philosophers for centuries. The ancient South Indian dynasties like the Cholas, Chalukyas, Hoysalas, etc. greatly patronized art and architecture. Most of the buildings and monuments built by the erstwhile rulers of these dynasties are inlaid with intricate works of art. The historical monuments of Karnataka are evocative of the sculpting and architectural excellence of the royal past. Most of these monuments were built to make for strong defense against enemy and also to give shape to the immense passion of the ancient kings towards art and architecture.

Enlisted below are some major monuments of Karnataka.

• Mysore Palace
  Located in the heart of Mysore City, Mysore Palace or the Maharajah's Palace is one of the most attractive monuments of Karnataka. Built in Indo-Saracenic architectural style, the palace is revered for the exquisite carvings and works of art that it houses.
  
  
• Bangalore Palace
  Built by a Wodeyar king in 1887, the Bangalore Palace flaunts the Tudor style of architecture marked by Gothic windows, battlements and turrets. Inspired by the Windsor Castle in London, Chamaraja Wodeyar was believed to have built this palatial structure largely out of wood.
  
  
• Srirangapatna Fort
  This historical Fort is famed as the place from where Tipu Sultan fought the British soldiers with his legendry sword. An obelisk within the Fort indicates the spot where he finally fell, betrayed by his own men.
  
  
• Gomateshwara Statue Sravanabelagola
  A famous Jain pilgrim center, Sravanbelgola - 158 km away from Bangalore, houses the colossal monolithic statue of Jain saint – Gomateswara. This huge statue standing atop a hill has been carved out of a single block of granite.
  
  
• Ugra Narasimha Statue Hampi
  The Ugra Narasimha Statue is located at Hampi – the ancient seat of Vijayanagar Empire in Karnataka. The statue is a huge rock idol cut to form the image of Narasimha.
  
  
• Ibrahim-Roza Bijapur
  The beautiful tomb Ibrahim-Roza, located in Bijapur, is believed to have been built in the early 17th century by Ibrahim Adil Shah II for his queen, Taj Sultana.
  
  
• Daria Daulat Bagh (Summer Palace) of Tipu Sultan
  Built in 1784, the Summer Palace of Tipu Sultan is an Indo-Islamic structure evocative of Tipu's immense passion for greenery and open space.
  
  
• Bidar Fort
  Famous among the monuments of Karnataka, Bidar Fort is an imposing fortress, the main gateway of which is believed to have been originally built by Bahamani Sultan Ahmad Shah Wali in 1429 AD.
  
  
• Gulbarga Fort
  This majestic fort, originally built by Raja Gulchand was later refurbished by Ala-ud-din Bahmani. The fort encompasses an imposing mosque, which resembles the mosque of Cordova in Spain.