The lesser known bylanes

Tourist places like the Kamal Basadi, Sufi Mosque, Ramakrishna Mission Ashram and the Veer Soudha here have all become favourite spots among the visitors, who are visiting these places as part of tours organised by Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC) during the Kannada meet. 

KSTDC had organised tours in three circuits for the benefit of the delegates and other people visiting the city for the WKC. Vehicles were plying for the Belgaum city tour, as also for a tour package to places like Gokak Falls, Savadatti, Navilutirtha dam and Kittur Fort.

There was also a tour package to Badami, Banashankari temple, Pattadakallu, Aihole and Kudala Sangama.

While visitors had heard of many of the other places on the circuit, the monuments in the city were not known to most of the visitors.

Kamal Basadi, the 10th century archaeological monument in the premises of the fort here, left the visitors speechless. Artifacts, idols and the dome of the temple in the shape of a lotus attracted them.

The Sufi mosque is another attraction in the fort premises. Veera Soudha, a monument for the freedom movement and the 1924 session of the Indian National Congress presided over by Mahatma Gandhi, inspired patriotic feelings.

KSTDC Manager (Operations) S M Havaldar and Information Assistant Sidde Gowda said, all the three circuits were a hit, but the visitors made a beeline to the city circuit.

Visitors expressed the desire to visit the popular spots within the city after sunset to explore their beauty when they were illuminated. During the past three days, vehicles ran three trips each on the three circuits and all the vehicles were packed to full capacity, Gowda said.

Most of the visitors were from the State and international tourists were yet to approach KSTDC, he said.