Gokarna   Udupi   Mookambika Temple   Dharmasthala   Murudeshwar   Iskcon Temple (International Society For Krishna Consciousness)   Shravanabelagola   Mudabidri   Venur   Karkala   Sringeri   Inam Dattatreya Peetha   Talacauvery   Banavasi   Khwaja Bande Nawaz Durgah-Gulbarga   Sharanabasaveshwara Shrine   Basavakalyan   Gurudwara Nanak Jhira Sahib-Bidar   Banashankari   Koodalasangama   Yellamma Temple   Siddhaganga   Shivaganga   Devarayanadurga   Nanjangud   Melkote   Talakad             GOKARNA This coastal town draws Hindu pilgrims, Sanskrit scholars, and beach buffs alike. Apart from its famed beaches and the Centre for Sanskrit Learning..   UDUPI Approximately 60km from Mangalore is the Vaishnavite pilgrimage town of Udupi. This was the sanctum of Madhwacharya, the great Sanskrit philosopher. It is as much renowned for its chefs, cuisine, and restaurants as it is for its Krishna Temple and various mutts.   MOOKAMBIKA TEMPLE 130km from Mangalore, amid the green canopy of the Western Ghats, lies the village of Kollur. Here, the Mookambika Temple, one of the seven most sacred spots of the coastal region, is dedicated to the goddess of emotional power and strength. The temple has a gold plated crest and copper roofs. Adi Shankaracharya, the great philosopher, is said to have visited this temple to perform penance.   DHARMASTHALA Besides the many Jain basadis and a museum, the centrepiece of this temple town is a 39ft. monolith statue of Lord Bahubali. Dharmasthala, situated 65km east of Mangalore, in Belthangady taluk of Dakshina Kannada district, is a remarkable example of communal harmony and religious and cultural tolerance.   MURUDESHWAR Located on the main Mangalore-Karwar highway, Murudeshwar is sandwiched between the picturesque Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea. Its main attractions are its beach, an awesome Shiva statue, and a Shiva Temple built with Chalukya and Kadamba sculptures in the Dravidian style of architecture. The temple is located on a hillock which offers a magnificent view of the sea.   ISKCON TEMPLE (International Society For Krishna Consciousness) Visit this ornate temple just 10km west of Vidhana Soudha in Bangalore. Built on a hillock with granite, marble, and Korean glass, this huge cultural complex was established to promote Vedic culture and spiritual learning. It houses various deities, including Krishna, Balaram, and Radha. The annual Rath Yatra (chariot procession) of Krishna and Balaram draws a crowd of millions.   SHRAVANABELAGOLA A short 148-km drive from Bangalore takes you to Shravanabelagola, a prominent Jain pilgrim centre in Hassan district. Shravanabelagola is home to Asia's largest monolithic statue - Lord Gomateswara here towers 58ft., looming atop the picturesque Vindhyagiri Hill.     MUDABIDRI Mudabidri is known as the 'Jain Varanasi' of South India. There are 18 Jain basadis in Mudabidri; the oldest of them is the 15th century Chandranatha Basadi, also known as the Thousand Pillars Basadi. The main entrance, which faces the east, opens onto a superb monolithic pillar in front of the doorway.     VENUR The town is famed for its eight basadis and the ruins of a Mahadeva Temple. An 11m high Bahubali statue, dating back to 1604, stands on the Southern bank of the Gurupur river.     KARKALA The towering 42ft. monolith of Gomateshwara standing atop a granite outcrop on the outskisrts of the town is the main attraction here. The Chaturmukha Basadi, completed in 1586, has four identical Jain tirthankara images facing in four different directions.     SRINGERI It is believed that this town was named after Rishyashringa, who figures in the famous Indian mythological epic Ramayana as the chief priest at the sacrifice of King Dasaratha.     INAM DATTATREYA PEETHA Situated on the Baba Budangiri range is the Inam Dattatreya Peetha, a shrine venerated by Hindus and Muslims alike. The range is also called Chandra Drona Parvatha as it resembles a crescent..     TALACAUVERY Set amidst the picturesque Brahmagiri Hills is the source of the Cauvery river with the Talacauvery Temple built around it. On Tulasankramana day (October 17th) thousands of pilgrims flock to the river's birthplace to witness the miraculous rise of the fountainhead..     BANAVASI Nestling deep in the forests of the Western Ghats on the border of Uttara Kannada and Shimoga districts, this temple town is located on the Vardha river and is known for its rice, sugarcane, arecanut, spices, and the famous Banavasi pineapple. This is where the eminent poet Pampa wrote his poems.     KHWAJA BANDE NAWAZ DURGAH-GULBARGA The tomb of the great Sufi saint Khwaja Bande Nawaz, a magnificent building in the Indo-Saracenic style, holds pride of place in the hearts of Muslim devotees. Thousands of Hindus and Muslims visit the durgah each day to pay homage to the saint. It is the venue of an annual urus (festival) attended by nearly one hundred thousand people, both Muslims as well as Hindus. At festivals held on the 15th of every lunar month, you can see devotees spontaneously dancing like the dervishes in the Sufi shrine at Konya in Turkey.   SHARANABASAVESHWARA SHRINE Dedicated to the Hindu saint and reformer Basaveshwara, the temple is a popular year-round pilgrim centre for Hindu devotees. A chariot festival which draws thousands of pilgrims is held in Basaveshwara's honour near the Gulbarga tank.   BASAVAKALYAN Once the capital of the Kalyana Chalukyas and the centre of a great social and religious upheaval in the 12th century, Basavakalyan in Bidar district is famed for its cultural heritage.     GURUDWARA NANAK JHIRA SAHIB-BIDAR Legend has it that Guru Nanak halted at Bidar at a time when the area was reeling under a severe drought. The Muslim saints requested him to invoke the blessings of the divine in order to obtain water. The crystal clear stream that still flows out of a rock near the Gurudwara is believed to be God's answer to the Guru's prayers.   BANASHANKARI En route to Badami is a quaint hamlet that takes its name from the goddess Banashankari. Built in the Dravidian style, the temple is dedicated to Banashankari, a form of Parvati highly revered by the weaver community.   KOODALASANGAMA Situated at the confluence of the rivers Krishna and Malaprabha in Bagalkot district, this pilgrim centre is famed for its Chalukyan-style Sangameshwara Temple. Koodalasangama is associated with the great 12th century poet and reformer Basaveshwara. Basavana Bagedwadi, 30km from Koodalasangama is a well known piligrim centre and the birth place of Basaveshwara.   YELLAMMA TEMPLE Situated atop a hill near Soundatti in Belgaum, the Renuka Devi Temple, popularly called the Yellamma Devi Temple, is mainly visited by pilgrims from Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh.   SIDDHAGANGA Siddhaganga, a famous pilgrim centre, has a hilltop temple dedicated to Siddhalingeshwara. At the entrance of this temple six shrines can be seen. The Veerashaiva Mutt, an important educational and pilgrim centre, is close by.   SHIVAGANGA This four-faced hill (1368m) resembles a Nandi from the east, a Ganesha from the west, a linga from the south, and a cobra from the north. An arduous climb takes you to the two main shrines, Gavi Gangadhareshwara Cave Temple and Honnadevi Temple. You can stop to rest midway between the two at Patalaganga, a natural spring.   DEVARAYANADURGA Set amidst hills and dense forests, Devarayanadurga is dotted with hilltop temples like the Yoganarasimha and the Bhoganarasimha. It is also famed for Namada Chilume, a holy natural spring, and the Mahalakshmi Temple at Goravanahalli.   NANJANGUD An important pilgrim centre on the banks of the Kapila river, famous for the massive Nanjundeshwara Temple. Built in the Dravidian style, this temple is one of the biggest of its kind in Karnataka. The town takes its name from the temple.   MELKOTE Melkote is an important religious centre. The Cheluvarayaswami Temple, built in the 12th century, enjoyed the patronage of the Mysore Maharajas as well as Tipu Sultan. The temple gopuram is rose-coloured and has lions' heads facing north, south, east and west. The cloister-area pillars display ornate carvings. The Vairamudi festival is held here between March and April, when the temple deity is adorned with jewels belonging to the former Maharajas of Mysore.   TALAKAD Situated on the banks of the river Cauvery, the Kritti Narayana Temple, also known as the Vaideshwara Temple is completely buried beneath sand dunes. The temple comes to life when it is excavated once every 12 years during the Panchalinga Darshan.