Hampi most searched heritage site in Karnataka

Bangalore: The world-famous Hampi heritage site in Karnataka is the most searched historical place in the state, search engine Google said on Wednesday.

"There has been a growing interest on Hampi among tourists after it emerged as the top searched historical site in Karnataka," Google India said in a statement here. Listed by Unesco in 1986 as a World Heritage Site for its splendid architecture and rock monuments, Hampi is located about 340 km from Bangalore on the banks of the Tungabhadra river in Bellary district.

Built by the mighty Vijayanagara empire from 1336 to 1570, the Hampi ruins spread over 26-km are a favourite locale of international and domestic tourists, pilgrims, historians and connoisseurs of art. Its beautiful sculptures remained one of the top queries on the search engine.

"As Hampi is well-known for its architectural, historical, political, cultural, traditional and religious legacy, an increasing number of tourists have been hopping on to the internet to find more information about its various facets," the statement said.

Amba Vilas Palace in Mysore, about 140 km from here, was the second-most famous heritage site searched in the state. "The majestic palace, built by the Wodeyar dynasty, has been searched the most by Karnataka, followed by Kerala and Tamil Nadu," the statement said.

Built during the late 19th and early 20th century, the palace in the state's cultural capital has beautiful carvings and works of art from the world over. Top queries for it were about its timings and images. Other famous places of historical importance in the state searched are Gol Gumbaz, the mausoleum of Mohammed Adil Shah built in the 17th century in Bijapur, 520 km from Bangalore, and the Bahubali monolith at Shravanabelagola in Hassan district, about 140 km from Bangalore.

"Gol Gumbaz and Bahubali have been searched for their regal structures, which reflect the success of Deccan architecture and attract many tourists especially from nearby states," the statement added.

The Badami Cave temples, comprising four caves on a hill cliff in Bagalkot district, 510 km from Bangalore, also made its presence felt on the search charts, attracting huge traffic although less popular than other historical destinations.

"With large amount of searches for historical places in the state, Karnataka is fast growing as a popular tourist state among both foreign and domestic tourists, especially in view of the digital generation from the state looking for regular weekend hangouts," it said.