The South Indian state of Karnataka is known for preserving ancient heritage for ages. It is a state which is blessed with diverse landscapes. On one side you have the coast and on the other, you have rivers and lakes. Here you can see the most fascinating ancient monuments, palaces, forts, and excavated ruins of ancient civilization. Along with this, Karnataka is a state of India that is rich in many types of pilgrimage and religious places. The religious places here attract pilgrims from every corner of the country. Tourists from all over the country come to Karnataka to see temples, mosques, churches, and gurudwaras. Today, in this episode, we are going to give you information about some major pilgrimage centers of Karnataka where there is a gathering of tourists. Let's know about them...

Murudeshwar
Murudeshwara is a very famous temple in Karnataka dedicated to Lord Shiva. The idol of Shiva situated in this temple has the status of being the second tallest idol in the world. Because of this lakhs of tourists visit this place every year and like to visit the temple as well as explore the nearby tourist places. The temple is quite popular and also serves as a contact point for the scuba diving spot Netrani. It serves to connect the people of Karnataka as well as Kerala. Along with Karnataka, tourists from Kerala also come to celebrate picnics at this place. The beaches spread around Netrani Island and the adventure activities that take place are quite good, it attracts tourists from far and wide. You will have a beautiful experience of religious pilgrimage as well as adventure activities like snorkeling and scuba diving when you come to this place.

Virupaksha Temple
This iconic temple is also a part of the Group of Monuments at Hampi. It is dedicated to Lord Shiva, who is worshiped as Virupaksha, the consort of Goddess Pampa Devi. This temple is one of the few that is still used in worship at Hampi, thus making it an important pilgrimage center in the kingdom. The annual chariot festival in February and the marriage festival of Virupaksha and Pampa in December are the best times to visit this temple.

Shravanabelagola
Shravanabelagola is a major attraction of Karnataka which is famous for the idol of Lord Gomateshwara also known as Bahubali idol. The statue is 58 feet tall and has been carved out of a single granite block. It is believed to be the tallest monolithic stone statue in the world. The statue attracts many tourists and travelers from all over the world every year. This place is a very important pilgrimage site for Jains, and you can find many Jain temples in this area. Lord Gomateshwara was the son of Lord Adinath, the first Jain Tirthankara. Apart from this amazing idol, this place also has some beautiful hills to see. The Chandragiri and Vindhyagiri hills surround the place and offer many interesting routes for trekking and camping around the area. If you are lucky, you can witness the Mahamastakabhisheka of Lord Bahubali, which happens once every 12 years.

Badami
Badami is one of the major pilgrimage centers of Karnataka. Badami Agastya Lake, situated in a valley of red stone, is known for sandstone cave temples, and beautiful forts. The royal capital of the Chalukyas, Badami is one such unique place that will take you a while to visit. The place is home to several examples of Dravidian architecture. The Badami Caves have three Hindu temples and one Jain temple, which attract a large number of tourists every year. You must visit Badami once during your trip to Karnataka.

Pattadakal
Pattadakal is a small village located in the state of Karnataka. Pattadakal is also known by other names as Raktapura or Pattadakallu. Here about ten small and big temples were built during the seventh to eighth century with beautiful carvings of mythological times. Of the ten temples built during the Puranic times at Pattadakal, nine are associated with Hinduism, while one other temple is associated with Jainism. A group of temples like Papanath Temple, Galagnath Temple, Sangameshwar Temple, etc. are situated here only. After visiting Pattadakal, do not forget to visit all these temples here.

Talakad
Talakad, situated on the left bank of the Kaveri River, is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Karnataka. So much is the recognition of this place that Talkad is called the Kashi of the South which is adorned with five holy Shivalingas. While visiting this place, you can also visit Kirti Narayan Temple, Mallikarjuna Temple, and Pathaleshwar Temple, the main temples of Talkad. This is the reason why thousands of people visit this place every year. This small but enigmatic city has once witnessed the rise and fall of many great kingdoms including the Cholas, Pallavas, Gangas, Vijayanagara, and Hoysalas. If you are thinking of visiting any religious place in Karnataka then you must visit Talkad.

Udupi
Udupi, which is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Karnataka, is a coastal city which is known for its tourist places as well as sea shores. But this place has a lot to offer to people with a religious interest other than just a stroll. Being situated at a distance of just 60 km from Mangalore, this place also gives good connectivity to the people. At this place, you can explore the tourist places, pilgrimage, and culture of Udupi. The beauty of this place with the Arabian Sea on one side and the Western Ghats on the other makes this place second only to Bangalore and Mangalore as a pilgrimage destination. The Krishna temple situated at this place is the main attraction of Udupi which makes it a major religious place. Dating back to the 13th century, this Sri Krishna temple houses an idol of Lord Krishna and attracts many pilgrims.

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