Attraction
Hoysala work from 1117, cut in soapstone, which holds detail granite will not. The forty-two bracket figures under the eaves are what people come for. Still a working temple, so shoes off, and expect a queue at festival times.
Attractions in Belur & Halebidu
2 places to see, with what each one is and how long it takes.
Attraction
A colossal twin-structured temple complex wrapped in over two hundred metres of continuous, horizontal exterior stone scroll friezes.
Elsewhere in Karnataka
Not in Belur & Halebidu — these are in other towns across the state.
Attraction
About seventy feet, dropping through a private coffee estate and seen from a suspension bridge rather than from the base. Full in the monsoon and a trickle by March.
Attraction
The stone chariot is a Garuda shrine rather than a vehicle, and its wheels once turned. The musical pillars in the hall are now roped off — too many people struck them. Come at opening; this is the most visited thing in Hampi.
Attraction
The 17 m monolithic statue of Bahubali atop Vindhyagiri hill.
Attraction
The royal palace: three storeys of carved mahogany ceilings, stained-glass pavilions and museum rooms of rare weapons.
Attraction
A Tudor-style royal palace with grand interiors and grounds.
Attraction
The towering 100-foot-high historic entrance gateway decorated with intricate silver work doors and multi-tiered structural reliefs.
Viewpoint
The grassland summit with the Sarvajna Peetha shrine and panoramic cloud-sea sunrise views.
Attraction
One of the world's tallest Shiva statues beside a sea-facing temple.
Viewpoint
The famous stretch flanked by sea and river simultaneously.
Attraction
Geologically rare columnar basalt formations on the islands.
Experience
A cliff trail connecting Om, Half Moon and Paradise beaches.
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Viewpoint
Karnataka's highest peak, a popular sunrise trek with sweeping Western Ghats views.
Attraction
Namdroling, the largest Nyingma centre outside Tibet, with three gilded figures about sixty feet tall in the main hall. Foreign nationals need a protected-area permit for Bylakuppe, which catches people out.
Attraction
A historic 240-acre garden with a glasshouse and rare trees.
Experience
Boat dives to the coral-rich waters off Netrani (Pigeon) Island.
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Attraction
The one temple in Hampi that never stopped functioning, with a fifty-metre gopuram over the bazaar street. The temple elephant is walked down to the river to be washed each morning, which is worth getting up for.