Karnataka

 Ranked the 4th most popular tourist state in the country, Karnataka has a bouquet of attractions to offer you. Expanded from Belgaum in the North to Bangalore in the south, it has something to offer to everybody; from beautiful landscapes to rich cultural heritage, serene beaches and scrumptious food, Karnataka is indeed a world in itself! The Malayalis, the Tamilians, Konkanis, Kannadigas, even the Muslims and Christians have made Karnataka their home.

It has the second highest number of protected monuments in India, Hampi being one which houses the maximum of them, was the capital of Vijayanagar Empire. The world’s largest monolith structure, the statue of Lord Gomteshwar in Shravanabelagola sees tens of thousands of pilgrims during Mahamastakabhisheka festival every 12 years. Apart from history, Karnataka is also rich in nature’s bounty and wildlife. It has 5 National Parks and over 25 wildlife sanctuaries of which Bandipur and Nagarhole national parks are most famous. Bengaluru, the capital of the state and the “Silicon Valley of India” is known as the city of startups and IT companies and attracts thousands of tourists every year. Coorg is one of the top destinations in Karnataka for its coffee plantations. Mysore, famous for the Mysore Palace, Hampi, famous for the ruins of Vijayanagara Empire and Chikmagalur, a hill station in the Malnad region of Karnataka are a few other popular places among the tourists.