Places to visit in North Kanara  

Banavasi It was the capital of kadambas. The place is on the bask of the Varada river and its laterite fort is surrounded by the river at its three sides. It is an ancient place as Ashoka is said to have sent his missionaries to 'Vanavasa'. There are also some Buddhist brick monuments. Chutu prince Nagashri built a Buddhist Vihara, a tank and installed a Naga image at the place according to a Parkrit record at the place. There is also a monument at Banavasi, Mudhukeshvara temple and also Kadamba Nagara Shikhara is seen on the garbhagriha of this temple. Records here indicate that Buddhism and jainism were popular at this place.

Sonda  It is in the middle of the thick forest. It was the headquarters of Sonde rulers who were feudatories of Vijayanagara. Its large number of monuments are spread over a wide area in the forest. It was a jain center and has a Samadhi of great scholar Bhattakalanka. There is also a small jain matha, Swarnavalli matha of Smartha tradition, Trivikarama temple, Shankaranarayana temple and Gaddige Matha. From 5 kms from Sonda the river Shalmala creates a falls of 91 meters height called the Shivaganga falls.

Ulvi It is in the middle of thick forest, where there is a Samadhi of Chennabasavanna( the nephew of Saint Basaveshwara). Gavi Matha is a series of caves here in which the Sharanas lived. one cave is named after Akka Nagamma, Chennabasavanna's mother. On the samadhi of Chennabasavanna, a Nandi is installed in the sanctum.  Every month on poornima, a jatra is held and a major jatra is held on Shivaratri Day. There is also a ruined fort called Baburayana Kote.