Sirsi

Sirsi is a city in the North Kanara district of Karnataka. It's a hill station that is full of lsuh, green forests and beautiful waterfalls.It's located quite close to Hubli, which is the closest large city. Sirsi has a river flowing right through- named Aghanashini. It is born in Sirsi actually- in a place called Donihalla. This river is notable because it forms a lot of waterfalls along it's path across the city. 

Sirsi is a very culture-oriented city. It's really famous for Yakshagana- the dance drama art form that is really popular in Karnataka. Yakshagana involves music, dance, acting, dialogue, stories, costumes and much more. It's elaborate and colourful and Sirsi is quite famous for the same. Traditionally, Yakshagana started late at night and went on for the entire duration of the night, but nowadays, the performance has been shortened to a large extent. If you are lucky, you might be able to see a Yakshagana performance live. Dollu Kunitha is another folk dance that is really popular in Sirsi and it is performed during the Marikamba Jathre and Bedara Vesha. Holi is also celebrated with a lot of pomp and show, with a huge carnival organized for the same. 

Sirsi is popular for a lot of popular tourist spots. It's famous for the Marikamba Temple, which was built in the 17th century. There is a famous procession, called the Marikamba Jathre, that is held every alternate year. 

It's incredibly popular and it draws lacks of worshippers from around the country. Some other popular temples in the area include Maha Ganapathi Temple and Shri Gopalakrishna Temple. The Madhukeshwar temple in Banavasi is also popular.

Sodhe (also known as Sonda or Swadi) is considered to be a holy place by both Hindus and Jains. It's about 15 km away from Sirsi but you should not miss it. Jamiya Masjid and the Sultani Masjid are some of the most popular malls as well. St Anthony's Chruch ins Sirsi is the main church for the Christians in the area. It's the largest one, located in the center of the town.

Sirsi is incredibly popular for it's umpteen number of falls.Some of these popular falls include Shivaganga Falls, Mattighatta Falls, Burude Falls, Benne Hole Falls, Ganesh Paalu, Pancha Linga, etc.

Sirsi is linked to the major cities in the state through the state highways. The nearest railhead is at Talguppa and the Major Railhead is Hubli - but Sirsi is accessible by train as well. The nearest airport is Hubli or Belgaum (2 and a half and 5 hours away ,respectively).

The best time to visit Sirsi is during the months between October and February. This is right after the monsoons so the area is incredibly beautiful. You should avoid going here during the monsoons as this region receives one of the heaviest rainfall in the entire world. Sirsi hotels are small and unassuming, most of the time, but most of them are rather good and home- like. There aren't a lot of restaurants in Sirsi, but some of the best ones include Hotel Samrat, Hotel Sarkar, Hotel Bhavani and Hotel Krishna Bhavan.