Shravanabelagola in October is when the heritage site returns to full operations. Daytime 24-29C, nights 20-22C, humidity dropping toward 70 percent, rainfall 100-140mm — northeast monsoon overspill from Tamil Nadu hits mostly as 1-2 hour evening showers in the first fortnight. The 614-step Vindhyagiri climb (barefoot, sun-exposed but cool October temperatures, granite dry from week two onward) at full-day reliability. The 17.4m Bahubali Gomateshwara monolith (981 CE Chavundaraya, world's largest free-standing monolithic statue, the inscribed Western Ganga commission marking the high water mark of South Indian Jain architecture) at full visitor access; abhisheka rituals 9.30am and 5.30pm at clean schedule. Chandragiri hill (175 steps, the Bhadrabahu cave — Chandragupta Maurya's 297 BCE death tradition under teacher Bhadrabahu, the act that closed the Maurya dynasty by abdication) at clean access. Bhandara Basadi Jain temple complex (12th-century Hoysala) at base. Hotel rates: Inchara Hotel ₹2,200-3,800, Jain Heritage Bunglows ₹2,800-4,500. Most visitors day-trip from Bengaluru (160km, 3hr on NH-75) or Mysore (85km, 2hr on NH-275).

Why October scores 10.0/10