Mysore:

The word Mysore is a corrupted version of "mysooru", which is derived from the word "mahishur" or "Mahishasurana Ooru", which means the town of Mahishasura in Kannada, the local language. Mysore has been associated with the Puranic story found in the Devi Bhagavatha. According to the story in the Devi Purana, Mysore was ruled by the demon Kind Mahishasura. Mahishasura was a buffalo-headed monster. In response to the prayer by the Gods and Goddesses to save them from the demon, Goddess Parvathi, took birth as Chamundeshwari and killed the monster on top of the Chamundi hill near Mysore. Hence the hill and the city have the names Chamundi Hill and Mysore respectively.
Mysore city is at 770m above sea level and 140 kms from Bangalore. Also known as the City of Palaces, Mysore retains a quaint charm, which never fails to enchant. Situated in the southern part of the Deccan Plateau, Mysore District is an undulating tableland, covered in parts by granite outcrops and fringed by verdant forests. From ancient times, this district has played a significant role in the history of South India. Mysore District is a popular tourist destination, offering several attractions ranging from the royal splendor of Mysore City and its fabulous Dasara Festival to exquisite temples, pilgrimage centers and scenic spots.

Belur & Halebid:

Belur was once the capital of a powerful empire on the banks of River Yagachi, now called the Benaras of the South, Dakshina Varanasi. Belur's main temple, Chennakeshava (dedicated to Lord Krishna and set in a compound with several smaller temples and a pond), was commissioned by King Vishnuvardhana in 1117 AD to celebrate Hoysala military victories. It took over a hundred years to complete and its architecture is foreign to the prevailing Hoysala style of the 12th century – it is exceptionally large (about 100-ft high) and its decoration very lavish (with a magnificent gateway tower – Gopuram) in Dravidian style. It is delicate in its filigree work, with the added attraction of bracketed figures of celestial dancers, called Madanikas and exclusive to Belur, and an innumerable variety of intricate pillars. Contrary to Indian tradition, these Hoysala sculptors signed their work at this temple.
Halebid (Hale’beedu) literally means ‘the ruined city’. During the 12th and 13th centuries AD, it flourished as the capital of the Hoysala Dynasty for about 150 years. It was then known as Dwarasamudra (gateway to the seas). However, it was twice attacked by invaders who robbed it of its treasures, leaving behind the ruins of the once-magnificent Shiva temple. The Hoysalas then shifted their capital to Belur, leaving behind Halebid, a city once grand and since reduced to
poverty and ruins. The Shiva Temple, Hoysaleshwara, is unique for its two shrines in the Linga form and gigantic figures of Nandi (sacred bull). It is actually two temples attached along the north-south axis by pillared walls. This temple is twice the size of Belur's Chennakeshava Temple and the figures are larger as well.

Hampi:

Hampi’s history is a rather compelling story of how a tiny hamlet had grown into the sprawling medieval metropolis, the capital of the grand empire, Vijayanagara. Also it tells how they ruled the whole of south India from its eastern seashores to the west. And finally, at its imperial climax fallen from the crest, and crept back to where it all began a cluster of humble villages