World of Books and Travel

Coimbatore is an industrial city in Tamil Nadu, South India, located at the foot hills of the Nilgiri Hills. Read more about Coimbatore here.

We reached the historical Bijapur city in Karnataka State, South India early in the morning and we had enough time to go around. The main attractions here are the Gol Gumbaz or Gola Gummata, which is the tomb of Mohammed Adil Shah. It is also the second largest tomb in the world. Other main attractions are Jumma Masjid and the Ibrahim Roza. Learn more about Bijapur here.

There are several flights to India, from different parts of the world. To know more about this please check here. They often have great deals. See the fantastic deal of yatra.

It was a great day for me to have a darshan of Lord Krishna at Udupi, in Karnataka State. Udupi is just 60 kms away from Mangalore in the coastal region of Western Ghats. According to legends, Sri Madhvacharya, the great Sanskrit Philosopher and saint, installed the idol of Lord Krishna and sanctified the place in 13th century. The temple is built in Dravidian architecture. Learn more about Udupi Krishna temple here. After our darshan we decided to spend some time in the nearby beach - Malpe Beach. This beautiful beach is just 6 kms away.

Recently I had a visit to the famous Murudeshwara Temple of Karnataka. The huge idol of Lord Shiva and the tall rajagopura are amazing. Murudeshwara beach is another great tourist attraction there. This picturesque place is a marvelous tourist destination.

We reached Narasimha Jhara Cave temple Bidar (Karnataka) as early as 7.00 a.m. and waited there to open until 8 a.m. The shrine inside the temple (immediately after you get in) Inside the cave The cave is electrified and air-conditioned. We had to walk through water (above waist length) for about 300 meters, to have a darshan of the Lord at the end of the cave, which is believed to be swayamboo. It was really a thrilling experience. Lots of bats were flyling on the roof top of the cave. We were told that they do no harm to the devotees. Outside the temple - People waiting to have a holy bath in the spring which comes out through the Nandi's mouth. Entrance to the temple If proper maintenance is done this unique place can be developed into a great tourist spot and more people can have the thrilling experience of walking through the water, in the cave.

As our shadows lengthened we reached our next destination - Pattadakkal, a World Heritage Centre. All were with full excitement to be there. Pattadakkal, the second capital of the Chalukyan kings, is located 29 kms from Badami, along the bank of the river Malaprabha. Built in 7th and 8th centuries, Pattadakkal was served as the royal coronation site. Pattadakkal is a World Heritage Center today. The temple complex is dotted with 10 major temples representing both north and south Indian architecture. Pattadakkal is also famous for its Music and Dance Festival organized annually by the Government of Karnataka, held in in the month of January. Many renowned and upcoming dancers take part in this festival. The dances are inspired by the different inscription and images carved on the temple walls. During the festival, a craft mela is also organized.