CM Basavaraj Bommai unveils Seven Wonders of Karnataka

This is the day to rejoice and celebrate the pride of Karnataka. Just as the world marvels at the beauty of the landmark Seven Wonders of the World, our land of Karnataka now boasts of its own Seven Wonders. The list is finally out! Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has announced the ‘Seven Wonders of Karnataka,’ which represent the best of the state’s land and water, forest and sea, faith and science, architecture and sculpture, and history and heritage. The Seven Wonders showcase only the very best that this state has to offer.

The declaration of the Seven Wonders was made by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai at a glittering event. In the ceremonial event, the chosen wonders were awarded a state certificate, which was received by the respective district commissioners.

The Seven Wonders of Karnataka are as follows:

1. Hirebenakal Rock Tombs: Dating back tothe period between 800 BC and 200BC, it is estimated, this prehistoric site in Koppal district’s Gangavati taluk, is declared to be the ‘Mega Stone Age Wonder’.
2. Hampi: Built between 14th and 16th century, Hampi stands as the stellar example of Vijayanagara

Empire’s glorious rule. Still standing beautiful in Vijayanagara district, Hampi has been declared the

‘Architectural Wonder’.

3. Gomateshwara: The 57-feet tall towering statue of Gomateshwara was built in the 10

th century atop the Vindhyagiri Hill in Hassan district’s Shravanabelagola. It has been declared as a

‘Philosophical Wonder’.

4. Gol Gumbaz: Built by Sultan Mohammed Adil Shah during the 17th century in Bijapur (now

Vijayapura), the massive Gol Gumbaz has been declared the ‘Architectural Science Wonder’.

5. Mysore Palace: Dating back to the 19th and 20th century, the world-famous Amba Vilas Palace,

which was envisioned by the Wodeyar Dynasty was declared as the ‘Royal Heritage Wonder’.

6. Jog Falls: Considered among the most beautiful waterfalls in India, water gushes from a great

height of 830-feet in Shimoga district’s Jog Falls. This world-famous visual treat has been declared a

‘Natural Wonder on Land’.

7. Netrani Island: Symbolic of love itself, this heart-shaped island on the Arabian Sea off

Murudeshwar in Uttara Kannada district has been declared a ‘Natural Wonder onWater’.

Addressing the gathering on this occasion, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said that the ‘Seven Wonders of Karnataka’ has created a fresh tourism model for the state. I have already set in motion the preparation of a detailed development plan for Hirebenakal, which is a part of this stellar list of wonders. The District Commissioners of each of the seven wonders are asked to submit a blueprint development report to upgrade the facilities at these places.

The Seven Wonders of Karnataka were scooped out after a year of persistent effort and hard work.

CM Bommai requested that the list of 5,000 nominated places be handed over to the government. These places would be used as the blueprint for creating a state tourism promotion plan, he assured.

He expressed appreciation for the meticulous process of nomination, whittling down and finally arriving at the Seven Wonders of Karnataka. He lauded the project team for sowing the seeds for a great initiative. He asked that the project not stop here but rather continue as an annual event. By doing this, said the CM, more precious and lesser-known places are likely to emerge. These are not just tourism locations but excellent opportunities to impart the true stories of our rich history, heritage and culture, said Mr. Bommai.

Karnataka state tourism minister Anand Singh said, “Since I have taken the state tourism office, a number of development programmes have been initiated in tourism hotspots. Still, there is much more to do. The project of the Seven Wonders of Karnataka should be eternally kept alive. But, the legislative assembly elections are upon us shortly. It is the nature of politics for parties to change and power to shift hands.

There should be a commitment to continue protecting and promoting important tourism centers. In this, public cooperation is most important. It doesn’t matter who is in power, the district commissioners and tourism department officials should undertake the responsibility unfailingly.”

He further added that our country itself is a wonder. Our state is an even more beautiful wonder. There is no doubt that these chosen seven wonders have all that it takes to attract the most curious travelers of the world. He is of the opinion that with the right media promotion, these places will stay intact in the hearts and minds of people.”

The Selection Panel

The jury that chose the Seven Wonders of Karnataka included VC and social evangelist in the startup ecosystem Prashanth Prakash; Three-time Grammy-winning musician, Global Goodwill Ambassador and environment activist Ricky Kej; Director of films like Wild Karnataka and Gandhada Gudi, wildlife photographer Amoghavarsha; President of the Karnataka Itihasa Academy, renowned prehistory and history expert Dr. Devarakonda Reddy; world-renowned speed painter and young world traveler Vilas Nayak; Managing Director of the Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation and Joint Secretary to the chief minister G Jagadeesha; and Editor-in-Chief of Kannada Prabha and Asianet Suvarna News Ravi Hegde.

The Selection Process

The Seven Wonders of Karnataka project was announced to identify the top Seven places within the state that truly represent the best that Karnataka has to offer, including its land, water, forests and seas, architecture, science, sculpture, art, history and heritage. Enthusiastic Kannadigas sent in as many as 5000 nominations from every nook and corner of the state. An internal jury went through each and every nomination and whittled down the places to 100.

These 100 places were put through the test of fire, that is public voting. Over 82 lakh votes were registered on various platforms, including Kannada Prabha newspaper, Asianet Suvarna News channel and the website. From these votes, the top 21 places with the highest number of votes proceeded to the final stage. It took a year to conduct detailed surveys on these 21 finalists. A seven-member panel consisting of tourism and history experts critically evaluated these places on seven-point criteria. The panel participated in thorough discussions of each place based on the seven criteria, including history, making/construction and materials used, specialty and identity, beauty, artistic skills, enormity, and current state/condition. The SevenWonders of Karnataka were arrived at unanimously by the panel.