Karnataka Heritage South Complete Guide 2026: Mysuru, Srirangapatna, Shravanabelagola, Belur, Halebidu
Browse more guides: India travel | Asia destinations Karnataka Heritage South Complete Guide 2026: Mysuru, Srirangapatna, Shravanabelagola, Belur, Halebidu TL;DR I spent three weeks crossing southern Karnataka in early 2026, and the region rewired how I think about Indian heritage travel. The headline news is that the Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas, covering Belur Chennakeshava Temple, Halebidu Hoysaleswara Temple, and Somnathapur Keshava Temple, joined the UNESCO World Heritage list in September 2023. Karnataka now holds five UNESCO sites: Hampi (1986), Pattadakal (1987), Western Ghats (2012), the Hoysala temples (2023), and the older Hampi monument zones. Mysuru is the natural base, with the 1912 Indo-Saracenic Mysore Palace, Chamundi Hills at 1,065 metres, Brindavan Gardens, the Mysore Zoo, and the 10-day Dussehra Naadahabba every September or October. From there, day trips reach Srirangapatna, Tipu Sultan's capital from 1750 to 1799, with Dariya Daulat Bagh, the Gumbaz t...