"Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions" ~ Dalai Lama

Gulbarga was the capital of the Bahmani Kings from 1347 A.D. to 1428 A.D. The Jami or Jumma Masjid located inside the old fort was built by a Moorish architect around the 15th century, in imitation of the great mosque in Cordova, Spain. Uniquely built, it has a huge dome canopying the entire era, four smaller domes and 75 smaller ones.

Bande Nawaz's Dargah and the Sharana Basaveshwara temple have turned this town into a pilgrim centre.

Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation runs the Hotel Mayura Bahamani here.

Karwar
Adjoining the border to Goa is this natural harbour. The Arab traders called it Bait-e-Kol, the Bay of Safety, as it has a chain of 5 islands protecting it from storms.

Karwar enjoys an excellent beach. Kurmagad island, which is extremely picturesque has an old fort and a shrine. A launch will take you there.

Gokarna
An ancient centre of Shaivism, Gokarna is situated at a distance of about 55 kms from Karwar. The `Atmalinga' in the Mahabaleshwara temple here has an interesting belief woven around it - Ravana, the demon king of Ramayana obtained the Atmalinga after a severe penance.Thereafter, Ganapathi tricked him into putting it down and he was never able to lift it up again.

Nearby (30 kms) is Yana, a huge natural cave with a Bhairava Linga.

Gokarna has a tourist department guest house atop a hill overlooking the sea.

Maravanthe
Moving southwards, on the coastal highway is Maravanthe which offers scenic beauty at its best. The highway is flanked by the Arabian Sea and the Sauparanika river against the backdrop of the Kodachadri Hills. At sunset, the crimson and gold of the sky are reflected both in the sea as well as the river. What a canvas it creates!

Little further up is the Belekal Theertha Falls near Baindur.

Udupi (58 kms from Mangalore)
It is an important pilgrim centre and is associated with Madhavacharya, the great exponent of Dvaita school of philosophy. The ancient Krishna temple has a charming idol of Krishna and is known for the ecstasy evoked in devout minds. The Paryaya festival is held once in 2 years when the management of the temple changes hands amongst the 8 Mutts set up by Madhavacharya. This is a colourful spectacle drawing devotees from far and near.

Malpe beach (6 kms) is a quiet beach and is an ideal place for a swim. Sail across to St.Mary's island with its huge formations of basalt rocks, palm groves and a frothing sea - a perfect setting for a painter.

Venur, Mudabidri and Karkala are eloquent testimony to the fact that for more than 2000 years Karnataka has been the pivotal point for Jainism.

While Karkala has a 13 metre high statue of Bahubali Mudabidri has a 1000 pillared shrine called Chandranatha Basti. It is the oldest of 18 bastis found here. Built in 1430 A.D., it has a priceless collection of jewel studded icons of Jaina Thirthankaras and also a magnificent array of exquisite figures in jade, emerald, amethyst etc.

These places can conveniently be visited with Mangalore as the base.

(Information courtesy Karnataka Tourism Department)