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Template:India state infobox Karnātakā pronunciationⓘ (Kannada: ಕನಾ೯ಟಕ) (IPA: [kəɹnɑːʈəkɑː]) is one of the four southern states of India. The modern state of Karnataka came into existence with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act (1956), with the incorporation of districts under the dominion of Bombay, Hyderabad, Madras State and Coorg within the existing state of Mysore State.

Karnataka's capital, Bengalooru, is the capital city of the state with a population of more than 6 million. Other major cities include Mysore, Mangalore, Hubli-Dharwad, Davanagere, Bellary, Hassan, Shimoga and Belgaum. Kannada is the official language of the state. Karnataka is the 8th largest Indian state by area and 9th largest by population.

Neolithic habitation and celts dating back to the 2nd century BCE were first discovered in Karnataka in 1872. Megalithic structures and burial grounds were discovered in 1862 in the regions of Kodagu and Moorey Betta hills. By the third century BCE, most of Karnataka was part of the Mauryan Empire, ruled by Emperor Ashoka. In the first millennium CE, Karnataka was ruled by a series of Jain/Vaishnavite/Hindu Dynasties such as the Kadambas, the Ganga Dynasty and the Chalukyas and Rashtrakutas. The Kannada Empire was expanded and consolidated by the Hoysala Empire and further by the Vijayanagara Empire, before the Mughal Conquest in the 18th century.

The rule of the state changed hands from the Wodeyars to Haidar Ali and Tipu Sultan before being incorporated into the British Raj, at the turn of the 19th century. Karnataka lies in the Deccan Plateau and borders with Maharashtra, Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

A large proportion of Karnataka's economy, India's fifth largest, is agrarian. Bangalore, the third-most populous city in India, accounts for 35% of India's software exports, and is also a major base for public sector manufacturing industries. Karnataka is the only exporter of sandalwood in India. Bangalore also has the most amount of tourism of the region. Kolar Gold Fields (KGF) was once the only producer of gold in the country. The gold mines in KGF are now closed.

Origin of name

Several etymologies have been suggested for the name Karnataka. One accepted derivative comes from the Kannada words karu and nādu meaning elevated land. During the British Raj, the words Carnatic or Karnatak were used to describe this part of the region in general. Another etymological derivative of the name comes from lear or black — a reference to the black cotton soil of the region [1]. Historically, the names Karnatak or Carnatic have been misapplied to refer to the regions below the Western Ghats (Coorg and Kerala) as well as regions in present day Andhra Pradesh (Telingana) [2]. Mysore state was renamed Karnataka in 1973 CE.

References from Hindu texts

The earliest known references to Karnataka are found in the Sabha Parva and the Bhishma Parva of the Mahabharata. The Matsya Purana, Skanda Purana, Markandeya Purana and the Bhagavata Purana also make references to the name Karnata.

In Canto 5 - Chapter 6 of the Bhagavata Purana, Karnata is mentioned while narrating the life of Rishabhadeva. It is said in the Bhagavata that the Lord in Rishabhadeva's form ended his avatara in the Kutakachala hill in Karnata province. Kutakchala is a hill in present day Karnataka near Kollur in the Western Ghats.[3] [4] ISKCON has also built an ashrama at the spot.

Historical references

Scholars Panini( 520–460 BCE), Mrichchakatika and Kathasritsagara make references to Karnataka in their ancient works. Later, in the 5th century CE. the term Karnataka is used by the astrologer Varaha Mihira in his work Brihatkatha and the Birur plates of Kadamba Vishnuvarma call Shantivarma The master of the entire Karnataka region[5]. In the 7th century CE. Rashtrakuta inscriptions refer to the armies of Chalukyas of Badami as Karnatakabala. The Tamil classic Sillapadikaram of the same time period calls the people of present day Karnataka region as ' Karunatakars. In the 9th century CE. the Kannada classic Kavirajamarga hails the entire region between Kaveri and Godavari as Karnata[6]. In the 13th century CE. Andayya's works use the same terminology. In the late 16th century, a Telugu work Vasucharitamu refers to Tirumala Deva Raya (1570 CE), the first of the Aravidu (Aravithi) line of rulers of the late Vijayanagar Empire as the reviver of the Karnata empire[7]. . All this clearly shows that the name Karnataka has been in usage consistently since ancient times[8].

History

Hoysala Empire architecture in Belur.

Evidence of Neolithic habitation of areas in modern Karnataka and celts dating back to the 2nd century BCE were first discovered in 1872 CE. There are reports that a polished stone axe was discovered at Lingsugur in the Raichur district; however the authenticity of these reports remains unverifiable. [9] Megalithic structures and burial grounds were discovered in 1862 CE in the regions of Kodagu and Moorey Betta hills, while Neolithic sites were discovered in north Karnataka. Scholarly hypothesis postulates of contacts between the Indus Valley city of Harappa in 3000 BCE, citing the discovery of gold found in the Harappan sites that was imported from mines in Karnataka.[9] In the third century BCE, most of Karnataka was part of the Mauryan Empire, ruled by Emperor Ashoka. Rock edicts of Ashoka, written in Prakrit, were discovered in Chitradurga and Raichur. In the 4th century BCE, a local dynasty called Satavahana came to power and its rule lasted nearly 3 centuries. The disintegration of the Satavahana dynasty led to the ascent of the Banavasi Kadambas(325-540 CE) in north Karnataka, and the Ganga Dynasty (325-550 CE) in the south of the region. These were the first kingdoms to give official status to Kannada language as evidenced by the Halmidi inscription of 450 CE, attributed to King Kakusthavarma of the Kadamba dynasty. Also, recent discovery of 5th century CE copper coin in Banavasi, ancient capital of the Kadambas, with Kannada script inscription on it, further proves the usage of Kannada at an official level.[10]

They continued their rule as fiduciaries of larger empires such as the Chalukyas and Rashtrakutas for another six hundred years, during which time Kannada literature and a new style of architecture called the vesara style was born and evolved. Eclectic Chalukyan style temples in Pattadakal, Aihole, Badami, (Badami Cave temple), Ellora and Gadag were conceived during this time. Nripa Kama established the Hoysala Empire at the turn of the millennium. Art and architecture flourished in the region during the time that resulted in the construction of temples and sculptures such as the Hoysaleswara temple in Halebid and Chennakesava Temple at Belur. The expansion of the Hoysala Empire brought large parts of modern Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu under their rule[11]. In early 14th century CE, Hosapattana (later to be called Vijayanagara) on the banks of Tungabhadra River was built as an alternate capital to stem the Muslim invasions from north. Vijayanagar Empire was established by Harihara and Bukka Raya, commanders of the last Hoysala King Veera Ballala III, with its capital at Vijayanagara, modern day Hampi. The Vijayanagara Kings fostered traditions and encouraged arts, religion and literature in Sanskrit, Kannada and Telugu. The Bahmani sultans of Gulbarga and the Adil Shahi sultans of Bijapur ruled over the region after the defeat and disintegration of the Vijayanagara Empire in battle. The Bahamani rules encouraged Urdu and Persian literature and Islamic architecture. The Gol Gumbaz was constructed during this time. With the defeat of the Bahmani sultans, the entire region came into the dominion of the Mughal Empire.

Mysore Palace

The Wodeyars of Mysore, former vassals of the Vijayanagara Empire, leased the state from the Mughal king Aurangzeb in the 15th century CE. With the death of Krishnaraja Wodeyar II, Haider Ali, the Commander-in-Chief of the Mysore Army, assumed control over the region, until the rule of the kingdom was passed to Tippu Sultan, after Haider Ali's death. In attempting to contain European expansion in South India, Tippu Sultan, known as the Tiger of Mysore fought four significant Anglo-Mysore Wars, the last of which resulted in his death and the incorporation of Mysore into the British Raj. After Indian independence, the Wodeyar Maharaja acceded to India. In 1950 CE, Mysore became an Indian state, and the former Maharaja became its rajpramukh, or governor, until 1975 CE. The States Reorganisation Act of 1956 CE provided for parts of Coorg, Madras, Hyderabad, and Bombay states to be incorporated into the state of Mysore. Mysore state was renamed Karnataka in 1973 CE.

The state of Mysore was formed on November 1 1956 CE and since then November 1 of every year is celeberated as Kannada Rajyotsava / Karnataka Rajyotsava.

The impact of kingdoms of Karnataka origin have been felt over most parts of India. The Sena Dynasty of Bengal called themselves Karnata Kshatriyas, the Karnatas of Mithila ruled over present day Bihar called themselves Karnata Vamsha and Karnataka Kshatriya[12]. The Chindaka Nagas of centra India, Gangas of Kalinga (Orissa)[13], Rashtrakutas of Gujarat[14] and Vengi[15], Yadava Dynasty of Devagiri were all of Kannada origin [16] who later took to encouraging local languages

Demography

Distribution of population in Karnataka

According to Census of India total population is 52,733,958. Of them 26,856,343 (50.93%) are male and 25,877,615 (49.17%) are female. Population density is 275/km^2. 33.98% of the people live in urban areas. Population growth was 17.25% from 1991 to 2001 compared to 21.12% between 1981 to 1991. In total 67.04% are literates. Literacy is 76.29 % for males and 57.45% for females. 83.7% of the population are Hindu, 12.2% are Muslim, 1.9% are Christian, 0.7% are Buddhist, 0.8% are Jains and remaining belong to other religions.

Population is from the 2001 Census of India, followed by the percentage increase in population, 1991-2001.

A map showing the 27 districts of Karnataka

Karnataka state (52,850,562, 17.25%)

Geography

The flag of Karnataka[citation needed]

Karnataka is situated in the Deccan Plateau and is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, Goa to the northwest, Maharashtra to the north, Andhra Pradesh to the east, Tamil Nadu to the east and southeast, and Kerala to the southwest. It is situated at the angle where the Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats of South India converge into the Nilgiri Hills.

The state has three principal physical zones;

  • The coastal strip, between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea, which is lowland, with moderate to high rainfall levels. This strip is around 320 km in length and 48-64 km wide.
  • The Western Ghats, a mountain range inland from the Arabian Sea, rising to about 900 m average height, and with moderate to high rainfall levels.
  • The Deccan Plateau, comprising the main inland region of the state, which is drier and verging on the semi-arid. The humidity in these plains or maidans never exceeds 50%.

Karnataka has one of the highest average elevations of Indian states at 1,500 feet. The highest recorded temperature was 45.6 C (114.08 F) at Raichur on May 23, 1928. The lowest recorded temperature was 2.8 C (37.04 F) at Bidar on December 16, 1918. [17]

Government and administration

Main article: Government of Karnataka

As per Indian constitution there are three branches of governments: executive, legislative and judicial. Karnataka state is comprised of 27 districts, grouped into four divisions.

Executive

A district of an Indian state is an administrative geographical unit, headed by a Deputy Commissioner or District Magistrate, an officer belonging to the Indian Administrative Service. The district magistrate or the deputy commissioner is assisted by a number of officers belonging to Karnataka Civil Service and other Karnataka state services.

A Deputy Commissioner of Police, an officer belonging to the Indian Police Service is entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining law and order and related issues of the district. He is assisted by the officers of the Karnataka Police Service and other Karnataka Police officials.

A Deputy Conservator of Forests, an officer belonging to the Indian Forest Service is responsible for managing the Forests, environment and wild-life related issues of the district. He is assisted by the officers of the Karnataka Forest Service and other Karnataka Forest officials and Karnataka Wild-Life officials.

Sectoral development is looked after by the district head of each development department such as PWD, Health, Education, Agriculture, Animal husbandry, etc. These officers belong to the various State Services.

Legislative

Karnataka Legislature has two houses: upper and lower. Lower house members are elected directly from people. Some of the upper house members are elected by assembly, some are elected by special category of people like teachers and graduates and some are nominated by governer. Each house has a speaker. Chief minister and his cabinet are selected among the members of both houses.

Judiciary

There is a highcourt in bangalore and courts in every district centres and some taluq centres.

Karnataka High Court

District history

Karnataka took its present shape in 1956, when the states of Mysore and Coorg (Kodagu) were merged with the Kannada-speaking districts of the former states of Bombay and Hyderabad, and Madras. Mysore state was made up of ten districts, Bangalore, Kolar, Tumkur, Mandya, Mysore, Hassan, Chikmagalur (Kadur), Shimoga and Chitradurga; Bellary had been transferred from Madras state to Mysore in 1953, when the new state of Andhra Pradesh was created out of Madras' northern districts. Kodagu became a district, and Dakshina Kannada (South Kanara) district was transferred from Madras state, North Kanara, Dharwad, Belgaum District, and Bijapur District from Bombay state, and Bidar District, Gulbarga District, and Raichur District from Hyderabad state.

In 1989 Bangalore Rural district was split from Bangalore. and in 1997 Bagalkot district split from Bijapur, Chamrajnagar district split from Mysore, Gadag district split from Dharwad, Haveri district split from Dharwad, Koppal district split from Raichur, Udupi district split from Dakshina Kannada, and Davanagere district was created from parts of Bellary, Chitradurga, Dharwad, and Shimoga.

Politics

Main article: Karnataka Politics

Karnataka politics is dominated by Congress and Janata Parties(like Janata Dal). Current chief minister is from a splinter group of Janata Dal. Bhratiya Janata Party is also part of the government and the deputy chief minister is from this party..

Transportation

Air transport

Karnataka is well connected to the rest of India and the international world. The state has 6 airports in Bangalore, Mangalore, Hampi, Hubli, Belgaum, Bijapur, and Mysore. The Mysore airport is not operational. The HAL Airport in Bangalore and the Mangalore International Airport are the only airports currently offering international flights on a regular basis in Karnataka. Currently one international flight operates from Mangalore International Airport to Dubai. A brand new international airport near Devanahalli, Bangalore is expected to open by April 2008. Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) is owned by Siemens, Larsen & Toubro, Unique Zurich Airport, KSIIDC and Airport Authority of India. See See List of Destinations to/from all Karnataka Airports for all the destinations available for fliers originating from Karnataka.

Rail transport

Karnataka is also well connected to other states in India by Rail. South West Railway Zone is headquartered at Hubli. It also has an excellent interstate rail network. Konkan Railway runs daily trains in the coastal areas.

Water transport

Karnataka has 20 ports, of these Mangalore and Karwar are the biggest and most important.

Bus transport

The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) was set up in the year 1961 with 1792 buses and is wholly owned by the Government of Karnataka, South India. The Government of India is also a shareholder in this corporation.

The KSRTC operates its services to all the villages in the state which have motorable roads. The corporation serves over 2.2 million passengers on a daily basis.

Till August 1997, KSRTC was holding a fleet of 10,400 buses, operating about 9500 schedules. In August 1997, KSRTC was divided and a new corporation by the name Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) was carved out of KSRTC. Currently, the KSRTC operates 5400 buses with 5100 different schedules, and employs over 25,000 people. The KSRTC is also the only state run bus corporation that is profitable.

In November 1997, another new road transport corporation called North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC) was formed to cater to the transportation needs of North Western parts of Karnataka. Recently, the North Eastern Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NEKRTC) was also formed with its corporate office in Gulbarga.

Utility

Water supply

Usually water supply is provided by the local authorities like municipalities and panchayats. The first hydroelectric plant in the state was built at Sivasamudram Falls on the Kaveri River in 1902.[18]

Electrical supply

Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited is the sole provider of electricity for the state.

Language

Main article: Kannada language

Kannada is the official language of the state and is spoken as a native language by approximately 70% of the people in Karnataka. Other linguistic minorities in the state as of 1991 were Urdu (9.72%), Telugu (8.34%), Marathi (.5%), Tamil (3.82%), Malayalam (1.69%), Tulu (3.38%), Konkani (1.78%), Kodava Takk (?.??%) and Hindi (1.87%)[19]. Language was the main basis for the formation of the Indian states after independence and the present day Karnataka was formed by unifying majority Kannada-speaking regions from the many districts of erstwhile Madras State (present day Tamil Nadu), erstwhile Bombay presidency (present day Maharashtra) and the erstwhile princely state of Hyderabad (present day Andhra Pradesh) to the former Kingdom of Mysore, known as the Mysore State (post independence) around the years 1950-1957. In 1973, the Mysore State was officially christened as Karnataka. Kannada, Kodava Takk, Konkani and Tulu are written in the Kannada script though Tulu has its own script. There are efforts to promote Tulu script.

Economy

Agriculture, industry, and minerals

Agriculture

Karnataka is the largest producer of coffee, raw silk and sandalwood based products like perfumes and 75% of Indian floriculture industry is located in Karnataka. Karnataka accounts for 59% of the country’s coffee production and 47% of the country’s ragi production About 70% of the people live in the villages and 71% of the total work force is engaged in agriculture. The main crops are rice, ragi, jowar, maize, and pulses besides oilseeds and number of cash crops. Cashew, coconut, arecanut, cardamom, chilies, cotton, sugarcane and tobacco are among the other crops produced in the state. The lower slopes of the western ghats in Kodagu District, Chikmagalur District and Hassan District produce coffee. Sandalwood comes from the dense forested areas of southern Karnataka. These areas were origianlly the haunt of forest brigand Veerappan and the state has suffered significant losses due to sandalwood smuggling. Mysore District is the primary producer of raw silk in India and the world famous Mysore silk saris which are manufactured at the Mysore silk factories. Water rich areas of Mandya District, Shimoga District, Dakshina Kannada districts produce most of the sugarcane though cultivation of this crop is wide spread. Ragi is grown in Tumkur and Kolar and around Bangalore districts. Jute, Jowar, Bajra, and pulses (Tur and gram) and oil seeds are largely grown in the drier areas of northern and north-central Karnataka. Maize is grown only in the northern tip of the state in Bidar District. Coconut and Arecanut is grown in the southern districts. Cotton is grown in abundance in Gulbarga District and Davangere District is a center of cotton trade and industry. The salubrious weather conditions in coastal areas make cultivation of fruit orchards possible. Rice is grown mostly in the coastal districts. The state holds the fifth rank in national level in oilseed production. Karnataka accounted for nearly Rs. 2000 crores of horticultural products in 2005.

Minerals and Industry

Over 90% of India's gold production comes from south Karnataka. Recently there has been a lot of activity in the extraction of manganese ore from the districts of Bellary and Hospet. Raichur is known to be rich in gold deposits. Most of India's Iron ore comes from the Kudremukh area of Chikmagalur District. Over 5% of the S&P CNX 500 conglomerates have corporate offices in Karnataka.

See also: List of conglomerates in Karnataka

Technology and services

Karnataka is one of the most industrialised states in India. Its capital, Bangalore has become a major worldwide hub of the Information Technology industry and is the IT capital of India producing approximately 38% of India's software exports which amounts to about $9 billion in 2006. The other IT hub in Karnataka is Mangalore , which boasts of not only a historically advanced education standard but also a growing list of Global players in the IT sector. Several companies flourish in mangalore including Infosys.In 2001 it was rated "Best Employer in India" by Business Today, and in 2002 Business World named Infosys "India's Most Respected Company".

In the mid 1970s R.K. Baliga, Chairman and Managing Director of Keonics planned to make Bangalore the alternative Silicon Valley. Bangalore is dubbed as the Silicon Valley of India with more than 50% of all software companies based here. There are about 1,700 companies in all. The software industry is expected to generate US $20 billion by 2010. The Hardware industry is also growing at the same rate as the software industry and presently produces about US $500 million in exports. Karnataka has 50% (131 companies) of all Biotechnology companies in India and Bangalore accounts for approximately 47% (127 companies) of the total. It generates about 50% of India's total revenues in the sector which is about US $500 million. Recently, the Karnataka government created the first Biotechnology park in India. All three sectors are growing at an average of 35% per year. Also, Bangalore is one of the fast growing cities in the world with more than 6 million people. The IT industry is spreading to other major centres in Karnataka, namely: Mysore, Mangalore and Hubli.

Literature and inscriptions

Main article: Kannada literature

The earliest full length Kannada language inscription in Hale Kannada script is the Halmidi Inscription of 450CE.

Kannada has had an unbroken literary tradition of atleast 1500 years. Though the earliest extant book on Kannada literature is Kavirajamarga 850AD, references made in this book refer back to early Kannada literature of 6th century. The earliest extant poetry in tripadi meter are the Kappe Arabhatta records of 700A.D. Literature in Kannada has been prolific ever since. For information on Kannada and Sanskrit classics and writers through the span of Kannada kingdoms, refer to Karnataka Literature. Chudamani (a 96,000 verse-measures), a commentary on logic Tatwarthamahashastra by Tambuluruacharya, Karnateshwara Katha with Pulakesi II as its hero belonged to the 7th century. Gajastaka a work on elephant management by king Shivamara II of Ganga dynasty belonged to the 8th century. Vachana sahitya and Haridasa sahitya are two unique contributions of Kannada to the world of devotional literature. Modern Kannada in twentieth century has been influenced by many movements. Notable among them are Navodaya, Navya, Dalita/Bandaya. Presently Kannada literature is ahead of all other languages in India with seven Jnanpith awards, the highest literary honour in India. Writers in Kannada have also bagged forty eight Sahitya Academy awards.

Some inscriptions in the Tulu language are found in and around the village of Barkur.The ruins and inscriptions are need to be preserved.

Music

Carnatic

Main article Carnatic Music

The Kannada haridasa movement sowed the seeds of this art in the 13th-15th century AD. With the rise of Vaishnavism and the Haridasa movement came Karnataka composers like Purandaradasa, whose Kannada language works were complex, devotional and philosophical. Other haridasas of medeval times were Kanakadasa, Vyasatirtha, Jayatirtha, Sripadaraya, Vadirajatirtha and others who composed several devara nama. One of the earliest and prominent composers in South India was the saint, and wandering divine singer of yore Purandara Dasa (1480-1564 AD). Purandara Dasa is believed to have composed 475,000 songs in Kannada and was a source of inspiration to the later composers like Tyagaraja. He also invented the tala system of Carnatic music. Owing to his contribution to the Carnatic Music he is referred to as the Father of Carnatic Music or Karnataka Sangeeta Pitaamaha. Later in the 17th and 18th centuries, the haridasa movement would once again contribute to music in Karnataka the form of haridasas like Vijayadasa, Gopaladasa, Jagannathadasa and others.

Hindustani

Karnataka has achieved a prominent place in the world of Hindustani music as well. Some famous performers are Pt. Bhimsen Joshi, Pt. Madhava Rao Nayak, Pt. Mallikarjun Mansur, Basavaraj Rajguru,Sawai Gandharva, Bala Gandharva and Gangubai Hangal.

Karnataka is an unique place where both Hindustani and Carnatic singers flourish. North Karnataka is predominently famous for Hindustani music and South Karnataka is well known for Carnatic music.

Cities and towns

Karnataka has around 20 major cities and hundreds of towns. Usually capital of a district is a city (of Population 100,000 -500,000) and taluq centres are towns (10,000-100,000) though there are exceptions. Major cities are Mysore, Bangalore, Mangalore, Belgaum, Gulbarga, belary and Hubli.

Education

In India, Karnataka has the highest number of educational institutions in the fields of engineering and medical sciences. A notable example is the Indian Institute of Science at Bangalore, which is generally considered to be the premier institute for scientific research in India. Some other institutions that are largely involved in undergraduate engineering education are the National Institute of Technology at Surthkal, the University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering, M. S. Ramaiah Institute of Technology, B.M.S. College of Engineering, Rashtreeya Vidyalaya College of Engineering, Sir M. Visvesvaraya Institute of Technology (all in Bangalore) and the National Institute of Engineering at Mysore. Among the major medical colleges are Manipal Medical College, Bangalore Medical College, Mysore Medical College and St. John's Medical College.

Media

Doordarshan is a state-run televesion broadcaster; of the 19 channels run by Doordarshan, DD9 is an exclusive Kannada language channel. Other private-owned television channels operating in Kannada include Zee Kannada (run by Zee TV), Udaya, ETV Kannada, etc.

The major newspapers in Kannada include Prajavani, Udayavani, Vijaya Karnataka, and Kannada Prabha. Major English newspapers include the Times of India, The Hindu and the Indian Express.

Major radio networks include All India Radio, Radio City and the recently launched private-owned radio channels like Radio Mirchi, Radio Indigo, Radio One, Big FM,S FM (Sun TV group), etc

Some 50-100 movies are produced every year in Karnataka. Kannada cinema is a primarily Kannada language film industry, with most movies being produced in studios in Bangalore. Occasionally some movies in Tulu and Kodava are also produced.

Religion

See also: Haridasa and Virashaiva

Karnataka played a very important role in shaping present day Indian religion and philosophy. Udupi, Sringeri, Gokarna and Melkote are well known places of Sanskrit learning and Vedic learning. Shravanabelagola, Mudabidri, Karkala are famous for Jain history and monuments.

The great saint Madhvacharya (1238-1317 AD), proponent of dvaita philosophy and Raghavendra Swami were born here. Adi Sankara, proponent of advaita found enlightenment in Sringeri which became the first of four mathas he established in India. Fearing persecution from the Tamil CholasRamanujacharya fled Tamil Nadu and came to Karnataka during the rule of the Hoysala dynasty and preached his philosophy from Melkote[20]. In the 12th century AD, Virashaivism spread from northern Karnataka across the Deccan. Many of its founders, such as Basavanna, Akka Mahadevi came from the region. It was here the Jain religion got a warm welcome and enjoyed a glorious growth during the medieval period. It is also here where the current day Dzogchen Monastery and the Dhondeling Tibetan Refugee camps are setup and the Tibetans are very well absorbed in the Kannadiga culture.

Temples

See also: Badami Chalukya Architecture, Hoysala architecture, and Vijayanagar Architecture

The Empires and Kingdoms that came to rule from Karnataka were prolific builders. The Badami Chalukyas spawned the Vesara style of architecture and experimented with several myriad styles with frequent intermixing of Nagara and Dravida concepts. This period is the beginning of Hindu rock cut architecture, both in stand alone and cave temple idioms, numerous examples of which exist in Pattadakal, Aihole and Badami - (Badami Cave temple). Their successors, the Rashtrakuta created master piece temples further favoring Dravidian concepts. Most of their temples in Karnataka are scattered over northern Karnataka districts. The Ganga Dynasty of Talakad built many Jaina monuments including the monolithic statue of Gomateshwara at Shravanabelagola. The Western Chalukyas used the In-between style, implying a bridge between Chalukya - Rashtrakuta and Hoysala styles, with the best temples of their style located in the central districts of Gadag district, Koppal district and Haveri district. It was during the reign of the Hoysalas that the temple architecture reached its epoch and gained recognition as an independent style called (Henry Ferguson, Percy Brown) owing to its many unique features. Later the Vijayanagar Empire would incorporate all these various styles and create a unique blend called Vijayanagar style, the best examples of which are in the vast open air theater of monuments at Hampi.

Tourism

Main article Karnataka tourism
File:Somanathapura Keshava temple.JPG
Keshava temple (1268 C.E.), Somanathapura
Barachukki Falls, Shivanasamudra

Karnataka, the eighth largest state in India, is a veritable treasure trove of tourist delights. Of the 3600 centrally protected monuments, 609 are in Karnataka. In addition, the State Directorate of Archaeology and Museums protects 752 other monuments[21]. There is a dazzling array of ancient sculptured temples, modern cities, friendly people, scenic hill ranges, unexplored forests and endless beaches. Karnataka is a place that has all the ingredients for great holiday. Each spot has something special to offer. Broadly, tourism in Karnataka can be divided into four geographical regions. These are North Karnataka, the Hill Stations, Coastal Karnataka and South Karnataka.

North Karnataka

North Karnataka is a land of harsh dryness accompanied by majestic cliffs, rocky landscapes and magnificent monumnets that date back to 5th century. The greatest Kannada empires that ruled the Deccan had their capitals here. Badami Chalukyan monuments at Pattadakal, Aihole, Badami are a sight to be seen. Aihole is called the cradle of Hindu rock architecture and has over 125 temples and monuments built between 450 - 1100 CE. Rashtrakuta monuments at Lokapura, Bilgi and Kuknur and Kalyani Chalukya monuments built in Gadag style at Lakkundi, Gadag, Koppal District and the famous Vijayanagar empire temples at Vijayanagara are the best that it offers. Hampi in Bellary District is world famous for the ruins spread over an area of 125 km². with some fifty four world heritage monuments and six hundred and fifty national monuments (ASI). An additional three hundred monuments await protection. The Deccan sultanate monuments at Bijapur and Gulbarga show unique and discreet Hindu influences and rival the Muslim monuments of North India. Archeologically important locations like Kanganahalli in Gulbarga have thrown more light on Buddhist centers of the 1st. c. BCE. - 3rd c. CE era. The first ever statue of emperor Ashoka with his queens and a Prakrit inscription Rayo Ashoka (ASI) has been found.

Hampi sunset

Hill stations

The Hill stations in Karnataka are generally unexplored and more pristine than better know ones in South India. Kudremukh, Kemmangundi, Agumbe, Horanadu, Nandi Hills are some of the better known ones. Not much tourism in these areas has kept them free of commercialization. Apart from scenic trekks, bird watching, boating and picturesque waterfalls, these areas are also close to major coffee producing areas in the state, making a trip all the more interesting. Many resorts have sprung up to accommodate those who want to relax.

Coastal Karnataka

Coastal Karnataka is the stronghold of Hindu and Jain piligrimage spots with Udupi and its many temples being the centre of Dvaita philosophy, Gokarna is known for Vedic studies, Sringeri has the first of the Shankaracharya mathas and is important for its Advaita philosophy, Karkala and Mudabidri are well known places of Jain worship. Exquisite Vijayanagar temples built in Chalukya - Malabar region combinational style are seen in Bhatkal, Kumta, Shirali etc. The warm pristine beaches of Karnataka are mostly unspoiled and are only now drawing tourists away from formerly popular places like Goa.

Jamboti, 20 km south-west of Belgaum, is a tourist magnet with its evergreen hilltop forests.

Fishing in Mukkah, near Mangalore

Karnataka is blessed with over 300 km of pristine coastal stretch. Netrani Island of Uttara Kannada is well known for coral reefs. St. Mary's Island, a few kilometers from Udupi is famous for its basalt rock formations. Sunny beaches at places like Malpe, Murdeshwara, Maravanthe,

Gokarna, Kumta are complimented by spectacular mountains slightly to the east. Agumbe, Kodachadri hills, Kemmangundi, are just a few of many hill stations that straddle the coast providing tourists the best of sun and greenery. Unlike many crowded hill stations in South India, the hill stations of Karnataka are still mostly undiscovered and pristine.

South Karnataka

Mysore Palace

South Karnataka is a unique combination of spectacular vesara style Hoysala architecture, colossal Jain monuments, colonial buildings and palaces of the Kingdom of Mysore, impregnable fort at Chitradurga and densely forested wildlife sanctuaries that offer some of the best eco-tourism available in the country. Belur, Halebidu in Hassan District, Somnathpura in Mysore District, Belavadi, Kalasa and Amrithapura in Chikmagalur District, Balligavi in Shimoga District offer some of the best of Hoysala architecture dating from the 11th - 13th century CE., while Shravanabelagola and Kambadahalli in Mandya District have well known 10th century Jain monuments. Scenic forests and the high density of wild animals of this region are a popular attraction for those interested in the wilder side of life. Bandipur National Park, Nagarahole, Biligirirangan Hills, Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary and Bannerghatta national parks are a few popular places for jungle safaris.

The river Kaveri with beautiful waterfalls as Abbey Falls,flows east from Kodagu District and along its way one finds important tourist destinations like Shivanasamudra, Srirangapattana and Melkote etc. Mysore, the cultural capital of the state is famous for exotic palaces, quaint colonial buildings and cultural activities including carnatic music, theatre. Bangalore the capital is the most cosmopilitian city in India and is well known for its parks, pubs, restaurants, shopping and fast paced technology rich lifestyle.

National parks and wildlife

Nari motte or Tiger hill, Brahmagiri WLS, Karnataka

Karnataka in all has 50 wildlife sanctuaries and 5 National parks. Well known among them are Bandipur National Park in Mysore District, Bannerghatta National Park in Bangalore district, Nagarhole National Park in Mysore District and Kodagu district, Kudremukh National Park in Dakshina Kannada and Chickmagalur district, Dandeli & Anshi National Park in Uttara Kannada district, Gudavi and Mandegadde bird sanctuaries and Sharavati WLS in Shimoga District, Biligirirangan Hills WLS in Chamarajanagar district, Rangantittu Bird Sanctuary in Mandya district, Brahmagiri wildlife sanctuary and Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary in Kodagu district. Interior dry areas have their own unique wildlife.

There are twenty one wildlife sanctuaries and five national parks in all.

Recently, the government of India has proposed to the UNESCO to include important ecosystems in the Western Ghats as a World Heritage Site. Two subclusters of natural areas occurring in the list are entirely in the Karnataka region covering several wildlife sanctuaries and some reserve forests. Fragile and exotic ecosystems like Kudremukh NP, Brahmagiri WLS, Pushpagiri WLS, Agumbe, Talakaveri WLS, Someshvara WLS figure in this list. As such, the Western Ghats that run south-north through the Karnataka is considered as one among the twenty five bio-diversity hotspots of the world.

The Niligiri Biosphere Reserve (also a designated UNESCO Biosphere reserve) is located at the junction of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerela. Nagarahole National Park WLS and Bandipur National Park and Nugu WLS in Karnataka are included in this biosphere reserve.

The state is home to the largest concentration of Asian Elephants along Kabini River in Nagarahole and Bandipur parks. These two parks are also hold among the most viable population of the highly endangered Indian Tiger. Rannebennur Blackbuck sanctuary in Davangere district is home to one of the largest populations of blackbuck anywhere in India. The Doraji wildlife sanctuary and areas in Karnataka like Bellary district, Chitradurga are strongholds of the sloth bear.

Karnataka is home to more than 500 species of birds [22].

Waterfalls and caves

Jog Falls

Karnataka is famous for its waterfalls. Jog falls of Shimoga District is one of the highest waterfalls in Asia. Some well known waterfalls are Magod falls, Lalgulli falls, Sathodi falls, Unchalli falls, Lushington falls, Shivaganga falls, Ulavi falls, Iruppu falls, Sivasamudram Falls, Balmuri falls, Gokak falls, Abbey Falls, Achakanya Falls, Chunchanakatte Falls, Hebbe falls, Kallathigiri falls, Varapoha Falls, Sogal falls, Godchinamalaki falls etc. In fact the waterfalls of Karnataka and Kudremukh National Park are listed as must see places and one among the 1001 natural wonders of the world.[23]

Some well known caves in Karnataka are Yana caves and Kavala caves and Syntheri rocks in Uttara Kannada district, Sugriva's cave in Hampi holds similarity to the descriptions of 'Kishkinda' in the epic Ramayana, hundreds of caves in Basava Kalyana in Bidar district.

Eco-tourism

Karnataka boasts of the highest elephant and Gaur bison population (greater than 6000 & 8000 respectively) in India. Its forests hold some of the largest remaining populations of the endangered tiger and leopard. Eco-tourism is a very popular activity in the state. Karnataka leads other states in eco-tourism. Jungle Lodges & Resorts, a state run organization has camping and safari facilities in several wildlife sanctuaries. Private safari providers have sprung up in several places along the western ghats.

Several NGO's (youth groups) are actively involved in birding and other conservation activities.

Outdoor activities

Karnataka is a rock climbers paradise. Yana in Uttara Kannada, Ramnagara near Bangalore district, Shivagange in Tumkur district and tekal in Kolar district are a rock climbers heaven. A climbing academy has been formed in Ramnagara called General Thimmaiah Rock Climbing Academy. The Nisarga Organisation for Wildlife and Adventure Academy is based in bangalore. It organizes eco-tourism, adventure activities and wildlife tours.

See also

References

  1. ^ http://19.1911encyclopedia.org/C/CA/CARNATIC.htm
  2. ^ http://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/gazetteer/pager.html?objectid=DS405.1.I34_V09_308.gif
  3. ^ http://www.srimadbhagavatam.org/canto5/chapter6.html
  4. ^ http://www.vedabase.net/sb/5/6/en1
  5. ^ Dr. Suryanath U. Kamat, Concise history of Karnataka, 2001, MCC, Bangalore (Reprinted 2002)
  6. ^ Prof. K.A. Nilakanta Sastri, History of South India, Arthikaje, History of Karnataka
  7. ^ Prof. K.A. Nilakanta Sastri, History of South India,Archaeological Survey of India, Telugu Inscriptions from Vijayanagar Empire [1], vol.16
  8. ^ Dr. Suryanath U. Kamat, Concise history of Karnataka, 2001, MCC, Bengalooru (Reprinted 2002)
  9. ^ a b http://www.hindu.com/2005/01/10/stories/2005011001090500.htm
  10. ^ "5th century copper coin discovered at Banavasi". Deccan Herald. 2006. Retrieved 2006-08-17. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  11. ^ The Tamil city of Kannanur Kuppam near Srirangam became the second capital of the Hoysalas during the rule of Vira Narasimha II. During the time of Veera Ballala III, Tiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu had been made an alternate capital, from where the Hoysala fought the Sultan of Madurai. The Hoysalas were regarded as practically the arbiters of South Indian politics. With the waning of Chola and Pandya power, the Hoysalas took up the leadership role in the South India, according to Prof. B.S.K. Iyengar, A Concise History of Karnataka, Dr. S.U. Kamath. The Hoysala rule saw the consolidation and domination of Southern Deccan as a single empire, Dr. Romila Thapar, The Penguin History of Early India
  12. ^ Thus indicating their Southern origin, Dr. Romila Thapar, The Penguin History of Early India, 2003
  13. ^ Dr. Suryanath U. Kamat, Concise history of Karnataka, 2001, MCC, Bangalore (Reprinted 2002)
  14. ^ Dr. B.R. Bhandarkar argues that even the viceroys (Dandanayaka) of the Gujarat line hailing from the Rashtrakuta family signed their Sanskrit records in Kannada, examples of which are the Navasari and Baroda plates of Karka I and the Baroda records of Dhruva II. The Gujarat Rashtrakuta princes used Kannada signatures as this was the mode of writing in their native country, meaning Kannada country says Dr. Bhandarkar, A Concise History of Karnataka, Dr. Suryanath U. Kamath
  15. ^ Dr. Suryanath Kamath, Prof. K.A.N. Sastri, Arthikaje
  16. ^ Dr. Ritti has argued thus. Even though the Seuna or Yadava ruled from Devagiri (850 CE-1315 CE), literature in Kannada was prolific in their kingdom along with Sanskrit, coinage with Kannada legends have been discovered and most of their inscriptions are in Kannada, indicating that they were Kannadaigas who migrated north due to political situation. Marathi literature started from around 1190 CE, Dr. Suryanath U. Kamat, Concise history of Karnataka, 2001, MCC, Bangalore (Reprinted 2002)
  17. ^ "Karnataka Temperatures". Karnataka.com Website. Retrieved July 20. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  18. ^ "Places of interest - Sivasamudram". www.mysore.net. Retrieved 2006-11-09.
  19. ^ [2] Language in India, vol 2, Dec. 9th. 2002
  20. ^ Fearing persecution by the Cholas who were staunch Shaiva, Ramanujacharya came to Karnataka in 1098 and lived there till 1122 C.E. He first lived in Tondanur and then moved to Melkote where the Cheluvanarayana temple and a well organised Matha were built. Hoysala Vishnuvardhana became his devotee and converted from Jainism to Hinduism. This helped popularise his Vishva adviata philosophy in the region, A Concise History of Karnataka, Dr. S.U. Kamath, A History of South India, From Prehistoric times to fall of Vijayanagar, by Prof. K.A. Nilakanta Sastri
  21. ^ [3] Article in Spectrum, May 17, 2005
  22. ^ http://www.karnatakabirds.net
  23. ^ Michael Bright, 1001 Natural Wonders of the World by Barrons Educational Series Inc., published by Quinted Inc., 2005.
  • Dr. Suryanath U. Kamat, Concise history of Karnataka, 2001, MCC, Bangalore (Reprinted 2002)
  • Nilakanta Sastri, K.A. (1955). A History of South India, From Prehistoric times to fall of Vijayanagar,OUP, New Delhi (Reprinted 2002).
  • Dr. Romila Thapar, The Penguin History of Early India From Origins to 1300 A.D., 2003, Penguin, New Delhi.

Karnataka newspapers and media

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