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Why visit Kārkala
Townapedia lists 2 museums and landmarks, 2 parks and trails, 12 places to eat, 3 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Weather in Kārkala
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Kārkala
Karkala (Kannada: [kɑːɾkəɭə]) (Tulu: [kɑːɾlə]) is a town and the headquarters of eponymous Karkala taluk in the Udupi district of Karnataka state in India. It is well known as an important center of Jainism, with several ancient basadis (Jain temples) and the iconic 42-foot monolithic statue of Bahubali (Gommateshwara) dating back to the 15th century. Karkala lies near the foothills of the Western Ghats, and has a number of natural and historical landmarks, and is a major tourist and transit destination due to its strategic location along the way to Hebri, Sringeri, Kalasa, Horanadu, Udupi, Kollur, Subrahmanya and Dharmasthala.
From the Wikipedia article Karkala (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Travel tips from other travellers: Kārkala on Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks2
Parks, trails and playgrounds2
Restaurants and cafes12
nofiltŕ (Art Café)
Cafe · Coffee Shop, Burger, Sandwich, Tacos, Wraps, Coffee, Herbal Tea, Mocktails · 1.8 km
For the unfiltered you
S. No. 21 , D. No.. 6-287/20 , Athri Emerald Near Sarvajna Circle , Taluk Office Road, Karkala
Tue-Sun 11:00AM - 10:00PM
Sangam Restaurant
Restaurant · Breakfast, Chicken, Chinese, Coffee Shop, Curry, Diner, Fish · 3.1 km
Karkala Padubidri Road
History
Karkala dates back to the beginning of the 10th century. The town was called Pandya Nagari during the period of Jain rule.
The Alupas were the first to rule the region who were Originally Jain rulers, and their rule was followed by the Santaras, who were the feudatories of Alupas for many years. The town attained political and cultural importance from the time of the Kalasa-Karkala kingdom that was established by King Bhairava between 13th and 16th centuries.
The royal family of Karkala rose to prominence from the time of the rule of the Hoysalas. During the Vijayanagara period this family reached new heights of glory as their kingdom extended over a wider area comprising Sringeri, Koppa, Balehonnur and Mudigere in Chikamagalur and most of the Karkala taluk.
King Veera Bhairava constructed the basadis at Karkala and endowed land and money to numerous temples and basadis. Ramanatha and Veerapandya were his two sons and Ramanatha died early during his father's time. So in his memory, a scenic lake called Ramasamudra was created, which still survives to this day.
From the History section of Karkala on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay3
Churches and places of worship7
Shopping2
Gas and EV charging3
Schools, colleges and libraries4
Healthcare7
Map of Kārkala
43 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Mangalore International Airport (IXE) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 31 km away.
- Sānūru 4 km south, about 4 min by car
- Mūdbidri 16 km south, about 16 min by car
- Tālipādi 22 km southwest, about 22 min by car
- Manipura 23 km northwest, about 23 min by car
- Mūlki 26 km southwest, about 26 min by car
- Nadisāl 25 km west, about 25 min by car
- Udupi 30 km northwest, about 30 min by car
- Mangaluru 36 km southwest, about 36 min by car
- Kāsaragod 80 km south, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Chikmagalūr 85 km east, about 1 h 30 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB.
Reviews, tips and questions
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- The great manustamba, Shravan Nayak k, CC BY-SA 4.0
- St. Lawrence Shrine (Karkala), Kensplanet, CC BY 3.0
Page built November 3, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.