Karnatic Golf Tour

Arrive Bangalore

After breakfast transfer to Play golf at Karnataka golf club.

Founded in 1973, the Karnataka Golf Association course designed by Peter Thompson is a 18 hole Championship course, with a Club House of 30, 000 sq. ft. in a 126 acres area next to the HAL airport. With a challenging 18 hole, 7228 yard, Par 72 layout the course was redesigned in 2008 & is now one of the toughest courses to play in the country. With water in play on 16 holes, Tifdwarf greens & a mature tree line it’s a course that can challenge the best of the golfers.

Rest of the day at leisure. Overnight at hotel.

After breakfast, enjoy a city tour of Bangalore including following,

Bangalore Palace – The Bangalore Palace was built in 1887 by Chamaraja Wodeyar depicting the Tudor-style. Windsor Castle was the brainchild, behind the construction of this Palace. The construction has fortified towers and its interiors are elegant carved of wood. The palace is complete with Gothic windows, battlements and turrets. It remains closed on Sundays
The Bull Temple, located in Basavanagudi is one of the oldest temples in Bangalore. The temple is dedicated to Nandi, the bull, which is the mount of Lord Shiva. Nandi, the awesome monolithic deity of the Bull Temple, attracts visitors, tourists and devotees from all parts of the country and outside. Lalbagh Botanical Garden – The gardens are said to be laid out by Haidar Ali and his son Tipu Sultan as a summer garden in the 18th century, has numerous flowers, hundred year old trees from many countries and the lotus Pond.

Drive past the Vidhan Sabha – Vidhana Sabha is a noble building built exclusively of Bangalore granite. It is a testimonial to temple architecture. The building is Bangalore’s best known landmark. It is 46 meter high. City Museum (Closed on Wed & Public holidays) – City Museum that was opened in 1886, one of the oldest in the country Has 18 galleries including Neolithic finds from the Chandravalli excavations, and from the Indus Valley, especially Mohenjodaro antiquities Also antique jewelry, textiles, coins, art, miniature paintings and geology

Overnight at the hotel.

After breakfast, drive to Mysore, on the way enjoy visit of Srirangapatnam –

Srirangapatnam was the capital of the Mysore State under Tipu Sultan. As a result there are a number of historical monuments related to the life and times of Tippu Sultan. After the death of Tippu Sultan in 1799AD the British shifted the capital back to Mysore.

The Daria Daulat Palace, the Palace of Tippu Sultan in Srirangapatnam is a beautiful Palace built mainly of teakwood. The walls of the Palace are covered with colorful frescoes that represent the reign of Tippu Sultan and the different battles that he fought. Tippu built the Masji-e-Ala or the Juma Majid at Srirangapatna as well. This mosque has tall lofty minarets that dominate the skyline of Srirangapatna. The Ranganathaswamy temple in Srirangapatnam is very famous. It has the idol of Lord Vishnu as Ranganatha reclining on the serpent Ade Shesha.
The tombs of Tipu Sultan, his father Hyder Ali and mother Fathima Begum are laid out in the Gumbaz. The Gumbaz is a major tourist attraction because of its architecture and craftsmanship. It has enormous ebony door inlaid with ivory. The dungeons of Srirangapatna where the British soldiers were held captive also attract tourists. One should visit Tippu’s Fort, where he launched his attack on the British and died there fighting them.

Later continue drive to Mysore
Mysore is rightly known as the “Cultural capital of Karnataka”. It is a scenic town located in the state of Karnataka and is also the second largest city in the state following the capital city of Bangalore.

Arrive Mysore and transfer to the Hotel. Overnight at the hotel

Suggested hotels: Radisson Blu Plaza, Lalita Mahal (Soon to be Taj Hotel), Grand Mercure.

After breakfast, enjoy a Game of golf at the Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar Golf Club – Faced with the extinction of golfing activity in Mysore, 8 visionary people got together and formed the Jayachamaraja Wadiyar Golf Club. The Race Club acceded to the Clubs request for permission to use the course. The new Club had not only the maintenance of the course in mind but also the promotion of the game. The Club began a membership drive and soon had over a hundred members.

The Club affiliated itself to the Indian Golf Union and other golf clubs. JWGC has actively promoted golf – from a handful of local golfers in 1985, the club now has over 160 regular golfers from the city alone. A bright future awaits the 850 members and visiting golfers from around the world.

Rest of the day will be at leisure. Overnight at the hotel

After breakfast, after breakfast enjoy excursion to Somnathpur Temple – Somnathpur temples in Karnataka are the windows to the rich historical past of Karnataka. As soon as you lay eyes on these temples you will notice that there is an exceptional kind of stillness in the temples making them eternal.

Later return back to the city and enjoy the sightseeing of Mysore.

Visit Maharaj Palace, once a seat of the government, the Maharaja’s palace in Mysore is the epitome of grandeur and extravagance that was during the British Raj. In 1897 the old wooden palace was completely burnt down in a fire mishap during the princess’s marriage. So a new palace had to be built to match the royal stature of the Wodeyars of Mysore who had succeeded in making Mysore state, the model state of British India.

Afternoon you can also enjoy visit of the Devraja Market – Devraja Market is an apt place to get a flavor of the local people’s (Mysoreans as they are called) daily life. With more than 100 years of history, this market is well knitted into the heritage of Mysore.
Overnight in the Hotel.

After leisurely breakfast drive to Chikmagalur.

CHIKMAGALUR – literally means youngest daughters’s town. It was given as dowry to the youngest daughter of Rukmangada, the chief of Sakrepatna. Another part of the town was presented to the elder daughter and came to be known as Hiremagalur.

On arrival in Chikmagalur, transfer to hotel. Overnight at the hotel
Suggested hotels: The Serai, Chikmagalur, Taj’s Ama Private Luxury Villas, Gateway Chikmagalur.

After breakfast, enjoy a Game of golf at the Chikmagalur Golf Club

Lush green hills surround Chikmagalur (1, 434 mts) and blend into Western Ghats. This is where the famed Indian Coffee originated, where the highest peak Mulaiyanagiri (1,925mts) in Karnataka nestles cosily with Babubudanagiri hills. A constant clamour by visitors, who
have fallen head over heels for Chikmagalur Golf Club, has been for a place to stay.

In keeping with their wishes, the club now has elegant and stylish rooms in a five star grade and has become the talk of the town.

Rest of the day will be at leisure. Overnight at the hotel.

After breakfast enjoy excursion visit to the Twin towns of Belur & Halebid
Twin temple towns of Belur and Halebid for a glimpse of Hindu temple art at its glorious best

The most outstanding temple in Belur is the Chenakeshava, a monumental edifice that took 103 years to build, possibly because of the intricate details and the myriads of friezes and sculptures that embellish the temple walls. Scenes from the epics, elephants in battle and sensuous dancers come alive in stone. The 42 ‘madanikas’ or celestial dancers were inspired by Queen Shantaladevi, who is said to have epitomized beauty. The Hoysala architects had an eye for detail and such wizardry with their chisels that the earrings on the lobes of the dancers can rotate and beads of perspiration glisten in the hair of some.

About 16 km away from Belur is Halebid, the other temple town, equally magnificent but not as well preserved. Halebid was the capital of the Hoysalas till the Delhi Sultanate destroyed it in the early 14th century after attacks. The Hoysaleshwara temple survived the pillage but it somehow managed to remain incomplete even after 87 years of uninterrupted construction. The temple is dedicated to Shiva and has two enormous Nandi bulls at the entrance. Visit the Hoysaleswara Temple & Kedareswara temples in Halebid

Later return back to the hotel Overnight at Chikmagalur.

After breakfast drive to Bangalore, on the way enjoy visit of the Sravanabelagola, a great centre for Jain culture is situated at a distance of about 100 kms from Mysore and is famous for its colossal statue of Gomateshwara who is also referred to as Lord Bahubali.

Carved out of monolithic stone, the imposing 17 metres high statue of Gomata towers stands in majestic splendour and is visible even from a distance of 20 kms. Starkly simple, the beautifully chiselled features of the statue embody serenity. His perfect lips are turned out at the corners with a hint of a smile, viewing the world with detachment.

Sravanabelagola means ‘the monk on the top of the hill’ and hermits, mystics and ascetics have journeyed and lived there since at least the third century BC. In those early times the hill was thickly wooded and hermits could feed themselves from the forest. In the mid-tenth century AD temples began to be built and the site grew to be one of the most important pilgrimage sites of the Jain religion. At 58 feet 8 inches high, it is the tallest freestanding statue in the world. You must climb barefoot, which poses a problem when the granite heats up, so get there early.

Check in at hotel in Bangalore on arrival. Overnight.

In time transfer to International Airport to board flight for onward journey / back home

(Check out time is 1200 Hrs)