(Redirected from Karnātakā)
'Karnātakā' (
Kannada: ಕನಾ೯ಟಕ) () is one of the four
southern states of
India. The state was
created in 1956 with the passing of the
States Reorganisation Act. Originally named ''
State of Mysore'', it was renamed ''Karnataka'' in 1973. It 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 southeast, and
Kerala to the southwest. The state covers an area of 191,791 km² or 5.83% of the total geographical area of India. It is the
eighth largest Indian state by area,
the ninth largest by population and comprises 29
districts.
Kannada is the official and most widely spoken language.
Though
several etymologies have been suggested for the name Karnataka, the generally accepted one is that ''Karnataka'' is derived from the Kannada words ''karu'' and ''nādu'', meaning ''elevated land''. ''Karu nadu'' may also be read as ''Karu'' (black) and ''nadu'' (region), as a reference to the
black cotton soil found in the
Bayaluseeme region of Karnataka. During the
British Raj, the word ''Carnatic'' or ''Karnatak'' was used to describe this part of the region in general.
With an antiquity that dates to the
paleolithic, Karnataka has also been home to
some of the most powerful empires of ancient India. Great philosophers and musical bards patronised by these empires launched socio-religious and literary movements whose ennobling effects have been felt far and wide. Karnataka has contributed significantly to both forms of Indian classical music, the
Carnatic and
Hindustani traditions. Writers in the Kannada language have received the most number of
Jnanpith awards in India.
Bangalore, also known as Bengalūru, is the capital city of the state and is at the forefront of the rapid economic and technological development that India is experiencing.
History
Main articles: History of Karnataka,
Political history of medieval Karnataka,
Origin of Karnataka's name
The history of Karnataka can be traced back to a
paleolithic hand-axe culture evidenced by discoveries of, among other things, hand axes and cleavers in the region. Evidence of
neolithic and
megalithic cultures have also been found in the state. Gold discovered in
Harappa was found to be imported from mines in Karnataka, prompting scholars to hypothesize about contacts between ancient Karnataka and the
Indus Valley Civilization in 3000 BCE.
[3][4] Prior to the third century BCE, most of Karnataka was part of the
Nanda Empire before coming under the
Mauryan empire of
Emperor Ashoka. Four centuries of
Satavahana rule followed, allowing them to control large areas of Karnataka. The decline of Satavahana power led to the rise of the earliest native kingdoms, the
Kadambas and the
Western Gangas, marking the region's emergence as an independent political entity. The
Kadamba Dynasty, founded by
Mayurasharma, had its capital at
Banavasi;
[5][6] the
Western Ganga Dynasty was formed with
Talakad as its capital.
[7][8] 
Statue of Ugranarasimha at
HampiThese were also the first kingdoms to use
Kannada in administration, as evidenced by the
Halmidi inscription and a fifth-century copper coin discovered at Banavasi.
[9][10] These dynasties were followed by Kannada empires such as the
Badami Chalukyas,
[11][12] the
Rashtrakuta Empire of Manyakheta[13][14] and the
Western Chalukya Empire,
[15][16] which ruled over large parts of the
Deccan and had their capitals in what is now Karnataka.
At the turn of the first millennium, the
Hoysalas gained power in the region.
Art and architecture flourished during this time, which led to the distinctive Kannada
literary metres and the construction of temples and sculptures adhering to the
Vesara style of architecture.
[17][18][19][20] The expansion of the Hoysala Empire brought parts of modern
Andhra Pradesh and
Tamil Nadu under its rule. In the early 14th century,
Harihara and
Bukka Raya established the
Vijayanagara empire with its capital, ''Hosapattana'' (later named
Vijayanagara), on the banks of the Tungabhadra River in the modern Bellary district. The empire rose as a bulwark against Muslim advances into South India, which it completely controlled for over two centuries.
[21][22]
In 1565, Karnataka and the rest of South India experienced a major geopolitical shift when the Vijayanagara Empire fell to a confederation of Islamic sultanates in the
Battle of Talikota.
[23] The
Bijapur Sultanate, which had risen after the demise of the
Bahmani Sultanate of Bidar, soon took control of the Deccan; it was defeated by the
Moghuls in the late 17th century.
[24][25] The Bahamani and Bijapur rulers encouraged Urdu and Persian literature and
Indo-Saracenic architecture, the Gol Gumbaz being one of the high points of this style.
[26]
In the period that followed, parts of northern Karnataka were ruled by the
Nizam of Hyderabad, the
British, and other powers. In the south, the
Mysore Wodeyars, former
vassals of the Vijayanagara Empire, were briefly independent.
[27] With the death of
Krishnaraja Wodeyar II,
Haidar Ali, the commander-in-chief of the Mysore army, gained control of the region. After his death, the kingdom was inherited by his son
Tipu Sultan.
[28] To contain European expansion in South India, Tipu Sultan fought four significant
Anglo-Mysore Wars, the last of which resulted in his death and the incorporation of Mysore into the
British Raj in 1799.
[29] The Kingdom of Mysore was restored to the Wodeyars and Mysore remained a princely state under the British Raj.
As the "
doctrine of lapse" gave way to dissent and resistance from princely states across the country,
Kittur Chennamma,
Sangolli Rayanna and others spearheaded rebellions in Karnataka in 1830, nearly three decades before the
Indian Rebellion of 1857. Other uprisings followed, such as the ones at
Supa,
Bagalkot,
Shorapur,
Nargund and
Dandeli. These rebellions which coincided with the 1857 war of independence were led by
Mundargi Bhimarao,
Bhaskar Rao Bhave, the
Halagali Bedas,
Venkatappa Nayaka and others. By the late 19th century, the freedom movement had gained momentum;
Karnad Sadashiva Rao,
Aluru Venkata Raya,
S. Nijalingappa,
Kengal Hanumanthaiah,
Nittoor Srinivasa Rau and others carried on the struggle into the early 20th century.
[30]
After India's independence, the Maharaja,
Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar, allowed his kingdom's accession to India. In 1950, Mysore became an Indian state of the same name; the former Maharaja served as its ''Rajpramukh'' (head of state) until 1975. Following the long-standing demand of the
Ekikarana Movement, Kodagu and Kannada speaking regions from the adjoining states of Madras, Hyderabad and Bombay were incorporated into the Mysore state, under the
States Reorganization Act of 1956. The thus expanded state was renamed Karnataka, seventeen years later, in 1973.
[31]
Geography
Main articles: Geography of Karnataka,
Rainfall in Karnataka
The state has three principal geographical zones: the coastal region of
Karavali, the hilly
Malnad region comprising the
Western Ghats and the
Bayaluseeme region comprising the plains of the
Deccan plateau. The bulk of the state is in the Bayaluseeme region, the northern part of which is the second largest
arid region in
India.
[32] The highest point in Karnataka is the
Mullayanagiri hills in
Chikkamagaluru district which has an altitude of . Some of the important rivers in Karnataka are the
Kaveri, the
Tungabhadra, the
Krishna and the
Sharavathi.
Karnataka consists of four main types of geological formations
[33] — the ''
Archean complex'' made up of
Dharwad schists and granitic
gneisses, the ''
Proterozoic'' non-fossiliferous sedimentary formations of the Kaladgi and Bhima series, the ''Deccan trappean and intertrappean deposits'' and the tertiary and recent
laterites and alluvial deposits. Significantly, about 60% of the state is comprised of the ''Archean complex'' which consist of gneisses, granites and charnockite rocks. Laterite cappings that are found in many districts over the
Deccan Traps were formed after the cessation of volcanic activity in the early tertiary period. Eleven groups of soil orders are found in Karnataka, viz.
Entisols,
Inceptisols,
Mollisols,
Spodosols,
Alfisols,
Ultisols,
Oxisols,
Aridisols,
Vertisols,
Andisols and
Histosols.
Depending on the agricultural capability of the soil, the soil types are divided into six types, viz. Red,
lateritic,
black, alluvio-colluvial, forest and coastal soils.
Karnataka experiences four seasons. The winter in January and February is followed by summer between March and May, the monsoon season between June and September and the post-monsoon season from October till December.
Meteorologically, Karnataka is divided into three zones — coastal, north interior and south interior. Of these, the coastal zone receives the heaviest rainfall with an average rainfall of about per annum, far in excess of the state average of .
Agumbe in the
Shivamogga district receives the second highest annual rainfall in India.
[34] The highest recorded temperature was at
Raichur and the lowest recorded temperature was at
Bidar.
About 38,724 km² of Karnataka (i.e. 20% of the state's geographic area) is covered by forests. The forests are classified as reserved, protected, unclosed, village and private forests. The percentage of forested area is slightly less than the all-India average of about 23%, and significantly less than the 33% prescribed in the National Forest Policy.
Sub divisions
Districts of Karnataka
There are 29 districts in Karnataka—
Bagalkote,
Bangalore Rural,
Bangalore Urban,
Belgaum,
Bellary,
Bidar,
Bijapur,
Chamarajanagar,
Chikballapur,
[35] Chikkamagaluru,
Chitradurga,
Dakshina Kannada,
Davanagere,
Dharwad,
Gadag,
Gulbarga,
Hassan,
Haveri,
Kodagu,
Kolar,
Koppal,
Mandya,
Mysore,
Raichur,
Ramanagara,
,
Tumkur,
Udupi and
Uttara Kannada. Each district is governed by a district commissioner or district magistrate. Each district is divided into sub-divisions, which are governed by sub-divisional magistrates; sub-divisions comprise blocks containing panchayats (village councils) and town municipalities.
As per the 2001 census, Karnataka's six largest cities sorted in order of decreasing population were,
Bangalore,
Hubli-
Dharwad,
Mysore,
Gulbarga,
Belgaum and
Mangalore. Bangalore is the only city with a population of more than one million.
Bangalore Urban,
Belgaum and
Gulbarga are the most populous districts, each of them having a population of more than three million.
Gadag,
Chamarajanagar and
Kodagu districts have a population of less than one million.
Demographics
Distribution of religion among the population of Karnataka
According to the 2001 census of India, the total population of Karnataka is 52,850,562, of which 26,898,918 (50.89%) are male and 25,951,644 (49.11%) are female, or 1000 males for every 964 females. This represents a 17.25% increase over the population in 1991. The population density is 275.6 per km². 33.98% of the people live in urban areas. The literacy rate is 67% with 76% of males and 57% of females being literate.
[36] 83.8% of the population are
Hindu, 12.23% are
Muslim, 1.91% are
Christian, 0.78% are
Jains, 0.73% are
Buddhist, and with the remainder belonging to other religions.
[37]
Kannada is the official language of Karnataka and spoken as a native language by about 64.75% of the people. Other linguistic minorities in the state as of 1991 are
Urdu (9.72%),
Telugu (8.34%),
Marathi (3.95%),
Tamil (3.82%),
Tulu (3.38%),
Hindi (1.87%),
Konkani (1.78%) and
Malayalam (1.69%).
[ Urdu in Karnataka A. R. Fatihi ] The state has a birth rate of 2.2%, a death rate of 0.72%, an infant mortality rate of 5.5% and a maternal mortality rate of 0.195%. The
total fertility rate is 2.2.
[38]
In the field of super-specialty health care, Karnataka's private sector competes with the best in the world.
[39] Karnataka has also established a modicum of public health services having a better record of health care and child care than most other states of India. In spite of these advances, some parts of the state still leave much to be desired when it comes to primary health care.
[40]
Government and administration
Main articles: Government of Karnataka,
Unification of Karnataka,
Taluks of Karnataka
Karnataka has a
parliamentary system of government with two democratically elected state legislatures, the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council. The Legislative Assembly consists of 224 members who are elected for five-year terms.
[41] The Legislative Council is a permanent body which consists of 75 members with one-third of its members retiring every two years.
The government of Karnataka is headed by the
Chief Minister who is chosen by a majority vote of the members in the Legislative Assembly. The Chief Minister along with the council of ministers, drives the legislative agenda and exercises most of the executive powers.
[42] However, the constitutional and formal head of the state is the
Governor who is appointed for a five year term by the
President of India on the advice of the union government.
[43] The citizens of Karnataka also elect 28 members to the
Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian Parliament.
[44] The members in the state assembly elect 12 members to the
Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament.
For administrative purposes, Karnataka has been divided into four revenue divisions, 49 sub-divisions, 29 districts, 175
taluks and 745 hoblies/revenue circles.
[45] The administration in each district is headed by a
Deputy Commissioner who belongs to the
Indian Administrative Service and is assisted by a number of officers belonging to Karnataka state services. The
Deputy Commisioner of Police, an officer belonging to the
Indian Police Service and assisted by the officers of the Karnataka Police Service, is entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining law and order and related issues in each district. The
Deputy Conservator of Forests, an officer belonging to the
Indian Forest Service, also serves the government. Sectoral development in the districts is looked after by the district head of each development department such as Public Works Department, Health, Education, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, etc.
The judiciary in the state consists of the
Karnataka High Court (''Attara Kacheri'') in Bangalore,
district and session courts in each district and lower courts and judges at the
taluk level.
Politics in Karnataka has been dominated by three political parties, the
Indian National Congress, the
Janata Dal (Secular) and the
Bharatiya Janata Party.
[46] Politicians from Karnataka have played prominent roles in
federal government of India with some of them having held the high positions of
Prime Minister and Vice President.
The official has a
''Ganda Berunda'' in the centre. Surmounting this are four lions facing the four directions, taken from the
Lion Capital of Asoka at
Sarnath. The emblem also carries two
Sharabhas with the head of an
elephant and the body of a
lion.
Economy
GSDP Growth of the Karnatakan Economy over the previous year
,
Software industry in Karnataka,
Banking in Karnataka
Karnataka which had a GSDP (Gross State Domestic Product) of about Rs. 1940.09 billion ($ 46.19 billion) in the fiscal year 2006-2007 is one of the economically more progressive states in India.
[47] The state registered a GSDP growth rate of 9.2% for the year 2006-2007.
[48] Karnataka's contribution to India's GDP in the year 2004-05 was 5.2%.
[49]
Karnataka was the fastest growing state over the past decade in terms of GDP and
per capita GDP.
With a GDP growth of 56.2% and a per capita GDP growth of 43.9%, Karnataka now has the sixth highest per-capita GDP among all states.
[50] Till September 2006 Karnataka received a
Foreign Direct Investment of Rs. 78.097 billion ($ 1.7255 billion) for the fiscal year 2006-07, placing it in third place among states in India.
[51] At the end of 2004, unemployment rate in Karnataka was 4.94% compared to the national rate of 5.99%.
[52] For the fiscal year 2006-07, inflation rate in Karnataka was 4.4% which was lower than the national average of 4.7%.
[53] As of 2004-05, Karnataka had an estimated poverty ratio of 25% which was slightly lesser than the national ratio of 27.5%.
[54]
Nearly 56% of the labour workforce in Karnataka is engaged in agriculture and related activities.
[55] A total of 12.31 million hectares of land, constituting 64.6% of the total geographical area of the state, is cultivated.
[56] Much of the agricultural output is dependent on the
southwest monsoon as only 26.5% of the sown area is under irrigation.
Karnataka is the manufacturing hub for some of the largest
public sector industries in India such as
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited,
National Aerospace Laboratories,
Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, Indian Telephone Industries,
Bharat Earth Movers Limited and
Hindustan Machine Tools, which are based in Bangalore. Many of India's premier science and technology research centers such as
Indian Space Research Organization,
Bharat electronics limited and
Central Food Technological Research Institute are also headquartered in Karnataka.
Since the 1980s, Karnataka has emerged as the pan-Indian leader in the field of IT (
information technology). As of 2007, there were nearly 2,000 firms operating out of Karnataka. Many of them including two of India's biggest software firms,
Infosys and
Wipro are also headquartered in Karnataka.
57 Exports from these firms which exceeded Rs. 50,000 crores ($12.5 billion) in 2006-07 accounts for nearly 38% of all IT exports from India.
[57] All this has earned its capital Bangalore, the sobriquet ''
Silicon Valley of India''.
[58]
Karnataka also leads the nation in
biotechnology. It is home to India's largest biocluster, with 158 of the country's 320 biotechnology being based here.
[59] The state also accounts for 75% of India's
floriculture, an upcoming industry which supplies flowers and ornamental plants worldwide.
[60]
Seven of the India's leading banks,
Canara Bank,
Syndicate Bank,
Corporation Bank,
Vijaya Bank,
Karnataka Bank,
Vysya Bank and the
State Bank of Mysore originated in this state.
[61] The coastal districts of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada have a branch for every 500 persons - the best distribution of banks in India.
[62] As of March 2002, Karnataka had 4767 branches of different banks with each branch serving 11,000 persons, which is lesser than the national average of 16,000.
[63]
Transport
Air transport in Karnataka, as in the rest of the country, is still a fledgling but fast expanding sector. Karnataka has airports at Bangalore,
Mangalore,
Hubli,
Belgaum,
Hampi and
Bellary with international operations from Mangalore and
Bangalore airports. Airports at
Mysore,
Gulbarga,
Bijapur,
Hassan and
Shimoga are expected to be operational by the end of 2007.
[ 5 airports to be functional soon ] Major airlines such as
Kingfisher Airlines and
Air Deccan are based in Bangalore.
Karnataka has a railway network with a total length of approximately . Until the creation of the South Western Zone headquartered at
Hubli in 2003, the railway network in the state was in the Southern and Western railway zones. Several parts of the state now come under the South Western Zone, with the remainder under the Southern Railways. Coastal Karnataka is covered under the
Konkan railway network which was considered India's biggest railway project of the century.
[64] Bangalore is extensively connected with inter-state destinations while other important cities and towns in the state are not so well-connected.
[65][66]
Karnataka has one major port, the
New Mangalore Port, and ten other minor ports.
[67] The New Mangalore port was incorporated as the ninth major port in India on 4th May 1974. This port handled 32.04 million tonnes of traffic in the fiscal year 2006-07 with 17.92 million tonnes of imports and 14.12 million tonnes of exports. The port also handled 1015 vessels including 18 cruise vessels during the year 2006-07. The inland water transport within the state is not well developed.
The total lengths of
National Highways and state highways in Karnataka are and , respectively. The
KSRTC, the state public transport corporation, transports an average of 2.2 million passengers daily and employs about 25,000 people.
[68] In the late nineties, KSRTC was split into three corporations, viz., The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation, The North-West Karnataka Road Transport Corporation and The North-East Karnataka Road Transport Corporation with their headquarters in Bangalore, Hubli and Gulbarga respectively.
Culture
Main articles: Art and culture of Karnataka,
Carnatic Music,
Cuisine of Karnataka,
Kannadigas
The diverse linguistic and religious ethnicities that are native to Karnataka combined with their long histories have contributed immensely to the varied cultural heritage of the state. Apart from
Kannadigas, Karnataka is home to
Tuluvas,
Kodavas and
Konkanis. Minor populations of
Tibetan Buddhists and tribes like the
Soligas, Yeravas,
Todas and
Siddhis also live in Karnataka. The
traditional folk arts cover the entire gamut of music, dance, drama, storytelling by itinerant troupes, etc.
Yakshagana of coastal Karnataka, a classical
folk play, is one of the major theatrical forms of Karnataka. Contemporary theatre culture in Karnataka remains vibrant with organizations like
Ninasam,
Ranga Shankara,
Rangayana and
Prabhat Kalavidaru continuing to build on the foundations laid by
Gubbi Veeranna,
T. P. Kailasam and
others.
Veeragase,
Kamsale and
Dollu Kunitha are popular dance forms.
Bharatanatya also enjoys wide patronage in Karnataka.
Karnataka also has a special place in the world of Indian classical music with both
Carnatic and
Hindustani styles finding place in the state and Karnataka has produced a number of
stalwarts in both styles. The
Haridasa movement of the sixteenth century contributed seminally to the development of
Carnatic music as a performing art form.
Purandara Dasa, one of the most revered
Haridasas, is known as the ''Karnataka Sangeeta Pitamaha'' ('Father of Carnatic music').
[69] Celebrated Hindustani musicians like
Gangubai Hangal,
Mallikarjun Mansur,
Bhimsen Joshi and
several others hail from Karnataka and some of them have been recipients of the
Kalidas Samman,
Padma Bhushan and
Padma Vibhushan awards.
Gamaka is another
classical music genre based on Carnatic music that is practiced in Karnataka. Kannada
Bhavageete is a genre of popular music that draws inspiration from the expressionist poetry of modern poets. The Mysore school of painting has produced painters like Sundarayya, Tanjavur Kondayya, B. Venkatappa and Keshavayya.
[70] Chitrakala Parishat is an organisation in Karnataka dedicated to promoting painting, mainly in the
Mysore painting style.
Saree is the traditional dress of women in Karnataka. Women in Kodagu have a distinct style of wearing the saree, different from the rest of Karnataka.
[71] Dhoti, known as ''Panche'' in Karnataka is the traditional attire of men.
Shirt,
Trouser and
Salwar kameez are widely worn in Urban areas.
Mysore peta is the traditional headgear of Karnataka.
Rice and
Ragi form the staple food in South Karnataka, whereas
Sorghum is staple to North Karnataka. Apart from this, coastal Karnataka and Kodagu have a distinctive cuisine of their own.
Bisi bele bath,
Jolada rotti,
Ragi mudde,
Uppittu,
Masala Dose and
Maddur Vade are some of the popular food items in Karnataka. Among sweets,
Mysore Pak and
Dharwad pedha are popular.
Nawayath community living in coastal areas have their distinct non-vegitarian cusine which are very deliciuos. Vegitarian restaurants of coastal Karnataka specially Udupi restaurants have their global presence.
;Religion
Main articles: Religion in Karnataka,
Haridasa,
Virashaiva
The three most important schools of Hindu philosophy, ''
Advaita'', ''
Vishistadvaita'' and ''
Dvaita'' blossomed in Karnataka. While
Madhvacharya was born in Karnataka,
Adi Shankaracharya chose
Sringeri in Karnataka to establish the first of his four ''
mathas''.
Ramanujacharya, who fled persecution by the Cholas in modern Tamil Nadu, spent many years in
Melkote.
[72] In the twelfth century,
Veerashaivism emerged in northern Karnataka as a protest against the rigidity of the prevailing social and caste system. Leading figures of this movement were
Basava,
Akka Mahadevi and
Allama Prabhu, who established the
Anubhava Mantapa where the philosophy of ''Shakti Vishishtadvaita'' was expounded. This was the basis of the
Lingayat faith which today counts millions among its followers.
[73] The
Jain philosophy and literature have contributed immensely to the religious and cultural landscape of Karnataka.
Islam, which had an early presence on the west coast of India as early as the tenth century, gained a foothold in Karnataka with the rise of the Bahamani and Bijapur sultanates that ruled parts of Karnataka.
[74] Christianity reached Karnataka in the sixteenth century with the arrival of the
Portuguese and
St. Francis Xavier in 1545.
[75] Buddhism was popular in Karnataka during the first millennium in places such as
Gulbarga and
Banavasi. A chance discovery of edicts and several
Mauryan relics at Sannati in
Gulbarga district in 1986 has proven that the Krishna River basin was once home to both
Mahayana and
Hinayana Buddhism.
Mysore Dasara is celebrated as the ''Nada habba'' (state festival) and this is marked by major festivities at Mysore.
[76] Ugadi (Kannada New Year),
Makara Sankranti (the harvest festival),
Ganesh Chaturthi,
Nagapanchami,
Basava Jayanthi and
Ramzan are the other major festivals of Karnataka.
Language
Main articles: Kannada,
Tulu,
Kodava Takk,
Konkani language,
Kannada literature
The Kannada language is the official language of the state and is the native language of approximately 65% of Karnataka's population.
[77][78] Kannada played a crucial role in the creation of Karnataka since linguistic demographics was a major criterion chosen to create the state in 1956. Tulu, Kodava Takk and Konkani are other major native languages that share a long history in the state.
Urdu is spoken widely by the
Muslim population. Less widely spoken languages include
Beary bashe and certain dialects such as
Sankethi. Kannada features a rich and ancient body of literature covering topics as diverse as
Jainism,
Vachanas, and
Haridasa Sahitya. Evidence from edicts during the time of
Ashoka the Great suggest that the Kannada script and its literature were influenced by Buddhist literature. The
Halmidi inscription, the earliest attested full-length inscription in the Kannada language and script, dates to 450 CE while the earliest available literary work, the
Kavirajamarga, has been dated to 850 CE. References made in the Kavirajamarga, however, prove that Kannada literature flourished in the ''Chattana'', ''Beddande'' and ''Melvadu'' metres during earlier centuries.
[79] Kuvempu, the renowned Kannada poet and writer who wrote
Jaya Bharata Jananiya Tanujate, the state anthem of Karnataka
[80] was the first recipient of the "
Karnataka Ratna" award, the highest civilian award bestowed by the
Government of Karnataka. Contemporary
Kannada literature is well recognized in the arena of Indian literature, with seven Kannada writers winning India's highest literary honour, the
Jnanpith award, which is the highest for any language in India.
[81]
Tulu is spoken mainly in the coastal districts of
Udupi and
Dakshina Kannada. ''Tulu Mahabharato'', written by ''Arunabja'' in Tulu script, is the oldest surviving Tulu text.
[82] The Tulu language now uses the Kannada script due to the gradual decline of the
Tulu script, which was in use until a few centuries ago. The
Kodavas who mainly reside in the
Kodagu district, speak Kodava Takk. Two regional variations of the language exist, the northern ''Mendale Takka'' and the southern ''Kiggaati Takka''.
[83] Konkani is mostly spoken in the
Uttara Kannada district and in some parts of the Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts. Both Kodava Takk and Konkani use the Kannada script for writing. English is the medium of education in many schools and widely used for business communication in technology-related companies and
BPOs.
All of the state's languages are patronised and promoted by governmental and quasi-governmental bodies. The
Kannada Sahitya Parishat and the ''Kannada Sahitya Akademi'' are responsible for the promotion of Kannada while the ''Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Akademi'',
[84] The ''Tulu Sahitya Akademi'' and the ''Kodava Sahitya Akademi'' promote their respective languages.
Education
As per the 2001 census, Karnataka had a
literacy rate of 67.04%, with 76.29% of males and 57.45% of females in Karnataka being literate.
Karnataka is home to some of the premier educational and research institutions of India such as the
Indian Institute of Science, the
Indian Institute of Management and the
National Law School of India University.
As of March 2006, Karnataka had 54,529 primary schools with 252,875 teachers and 8.495 million students,
[85] and 9498 secondary schools with 92,287 teachers and 1.384 million students.
There are three kinds of schools in Karnataka, viz., government-run, private aided (financial aid is provided by the government) and private unaided (no financial aid is provided). The primary languages of instruction in most schools are Kannada and English. The syllabus taught in the schools is either of the
CBSE, the
ICSE or the state syllabus defined by the Department of Public Instruction of the
Government of Karnataka. In order to maximize attendance in schools, the Karnataka Government has launched a mid-day meal scheme in government and aided schools in which free lunch is provided to the students.
[86] Statewide board examinations are conducted at the end of the period of secondary education and students who qualify are allowed to pursue a two-year
Pre-university course; after which students become eligible to pursue
under-graduate degrees.
There are 481 degree colleges affiliated with one of the
universities in the state, viz.
Bangalore University,
Mysore University,
Mangalore University,
Gulbarga University,
Kuvempu University and
Karnatak University.
[87] In 1998, the engineering colleges in the state were brought under the newly-formed
Visvesvaraya Technological University headquartered at
Belgaum, whereas the medical colleges are run under the jurisdiction of the
Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences. Some of these baccalaureate colleges are accredited with the status of a
deemed university. There are 123 engineering, 35 medical and 40 dental colleges in the state.
[88] Udupi,
Sringeri,
Gokarna and
Melkote are well-known places of
Sanskrit and
Vedic learning.
Media
Main articles: Media in Karnataka
Front page of the popular Kannada daily Vijaya Karnataka
The era of Kannada newspapers started in the year 1843 when
Hermann Mögling, a
missionary from
Basel Mission, published the first Kannada newspaper called ''Mangalooru Samachara'' in Mangalore. The first Kannada periodical, ''Mysuru Vrittanta Bodhini'' was started by Bhashyam Bhashyacharya in Mysore. Shortly after Indian independence in 1948, K. N. Guruswamy founded ''The Printers (Mysore Private Limited)'' and began publishing two newspapers, the
Deccan Herald and
Prajavani. Presently the
Times of India and
Vijaya Karnataka are the largest-selling English and Kannada newspapers respectively.
[89][90] A vast number of weekly, biweekly and monthly magazines are under publication in both Kannada and English.
Doordarshan is the broadcaster of the
Government of India and its channel
DD Chandana is dedicated to Kannada. Prominent
Kannada channels include
ETV Kannada,
Zee Kannada,
Udaya TV,
Ushe TV,
U2 and
TV 9.
Karnataka occupies a special place in the history of Indian radio. In 1935, ''Aakashvani'', the first private radio station in India, was started by Prof. M.V. Gopalaswamy at
Mysore.
[91] The popular radio station was taken over by the local municipality and later by
All India Radio (AIR) and moved to Bangalore in 1955. Later in 1957, AIR adopted the original name of the radio station, ''Aakashavani'' as its own. Some of the popular programs aired by AIR Bangalore included ''Nisarga Sampada'' and ''Sasya Sanjeevini'' which were programs that taught science through songs, plays and stories. These two programs became so popular that they were translated and broadcasted in 18 different languages and the entire series was recorded on cassettes by the Government of Karnataka and distributed to thousands of schools across the state.
Recently, Karnataka has witnessed a growth in FM radio channels mainly in the city of Bangalore which has around 10 such channels and these have become hugely popular.
[92][93]
Sports
Main articles: Sports in Karnataka
Karnataka's smallest district,
Kodagu, is a major contributor to Indian field hockey, producing numerous players who have represented India at the international level.
[94] The annual
Kodava Hockey Festival is the largest hockey tournament in the world.
[95] Bangalore has hosted a
WTA tennis event and, in 1997, it hosted the fourth
National Games of India.
[96] The Sports Authority of India, the premier sports institute in the country, and the
Nike Tennis Academy are also situated in Bangalore. Karnataka has been referred to as the cradle of Indian swimming because of its high standards in comparison to other states.
[97]
One of the most popular sports in Karnataka is
cricket.
The state cricket team has won the
Ranji Trophy six times, second only to
Mumbai in terms of success.
[98] Bangalore's
Chinnaswamy Stadium regularly hosts
international matches along with the
National Cricket Academy, which was opened in 2000 to nurture potential international players. Many
cricketers have represented
India. On several occasions in the late 1990s, players from Karnataka composed the majority of the national team. Sports like
kho kho,
kabaddi,
chinni daandu and goli (
marbles),Marakothi, Alligulli mane are played mostly in Karnataka's rural areas.
Flora and fauna
Karnataka has a rich diversity of flora and fauna. It has a recorded forest area of 38,720 km² which constitutes 20.19% of the total geographical area of the state. These forests support 25% of the
elephant and 10% of the
tiger population of India. Many regions of Karnataka are as yet unexplored, so new species of flora and fauna are found periodically. The
Western Ghats, a
biodiversity hotspot, includes the western region of Karnataka. Two sub-clusters in the Western Ghats, viz.
Talacauvery and
Kudremukh, both in Karnataka, are on the tentative list of
World Heritage Sites of
UNESCO.
[99] The Bandipur and Nagarahole National Parks, which fall outside these subclusters, were included in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve in 1986, a UNESCO designation.
[100] The
Indian roller and the
Indian elephant are recognized as the state bird and animal while
sandalwood and the
lotus are recognized as the state tree and flower respectively. Karnataka has five national parks:
Anshi,
Bandipur,
Bannerghatta,
Kudremukh and
Nagarhole.
[101] It also has 25 wildlife sanctuaries of which seven are bird sanctuaries
101.
Wild animals that are found in Karnataka include the
elephant, the
tiger, the
leopard, the
gaur, the
sambar deer, the
chital or spotted deer, the
muntjac, the
bonnet macaque, the
slender loris, the
common palm civet, the
small Indian civet, the
sloth bear, the
dhole, the
striped hyena and the
golden jackal. Some of the birds found here are the
Great Hornbill, the
Malabar Pied Hornbill, the
Ceylon frogmouth, herons, ducks, kites, eagles,
falcons,
quails,
partridges,
lapwings,
sandpipers, pigeons, doves,
parakeets, cuckoos, owls,
nightjars,
swifts,
kingfishers, bee-eaters and
munias.
101 Some species of trees found in Karnataka are ''Callophyllum tomentosa'', ''Callophyllum wightianum'', ''Garcina cambogia'', ''Garcina morealla'', ''
Alstonia scholaris'', ''Flacourtia montana'', ''
Artocarpus hirsutus'', ''
Artocarpus lacoocha'', ''
Cinnamomum zeylanicum'', ''
Grewia tilaefolia'', ''
Santalum album'', ''
Shorea talura'', ''
Emblica officinalis'', ''
Vitex altissima'' and ''
Wrightia tinctoria''. Wildlife in Karnataka is threatened by poaching, habitat destruction, human-wildlife conflict and pollution.
101
Tourism
Main articles: Karnataka tourism
By virtue of its varied geography and long history, Karnataka hosts numerous spots of interest for tourists. There is an array of ancient sculptured temples, modern cities, scenic hill ranges, unexplored forests and endless beaches. Karnataka has been ranked as the fourth most popular destination for tourism among the states of India.
[102] Karnataka has the second highest number of nationally protected monuments in India, second only to Uttar Pradesh,
[103] in addition to 752 monuments protected by the State Directorate of Archaeology and Museums. Another 25,000 monuments are yet to receive protection.
[104]
The districts of the
Western ghats and the southern districts of the state have popular eco-tourism locations including
Kudremukh,
Madikeri and
Agumbe. Karnataka has 25 wildlife sanctuaries and five national parks. Popular among them are
Bandipur National Park,
Bannerghatta National Park and
Nagarhole National Park. The ruins of the Vijayanagara Empire at
Hampi and the monuments of
Pattadakal are on the list of
UNESCO's
World Heritage Sites. The cave temples at
Badami and the rock-cut temples at
Aihole representing the Badami Chalukyan style of architecture are also popular tourist destinations. The Hoysala temples at
Belur and
Halebidu, which were built with Chloritic schist (
soap stone) are proposed UNESCO World Heritage sites.
[105] The
Gol Gumbaz and Ibrahim Rauza are famous examples of the Deccan Sultanate style of architecture. The monolith of
Gomateshwara at Shravanabelagola is the tallest sculpted monolith in the world, attracting tens of thousands of pilgrims during the
Mahamastakabhisheka festival.
[106]
Jog Falls are one of the highest waterfalls in India
The waterfalls of Karnataka and
Kudremukh National Park are listed as ''must-see'' places and among the "1001 Natural Wonders of the World".
[107].
Jog Falls is
India's tallest single-tiered waterfall with
Unchalli Falls,
Magod Falls,
Abbey Falls and
Shivanasamudra Falls among other popular waterfalls. Several popular beaches dot the coastline including
Murudeshwara,
Gokarna and
Karwar. In addition, Karnataka is home to several places of religious importance. Several Hindu temples including the famous
Udupi Krishna Temple, the Marikamba Temple at
Sirsi , the Sri Manjunatha Temple at
Dharmasthala and Sharadamba Temple at
Sringeri attract pilgrims from all over India. Most of the holy sites of
Lingayats, like
Kudalasangama and
Basavana Bagewadi, are found in northern parts of the state.
Shravanabelagola,
Mudabidri and
Karkala are famous for Jain history and monuments. The
Jaina faith had a stronghold in Karnataka in the early medieval period with
Shravanabelagola as its most important center.
Recently Karnataka has emerged as a hot spot for health care tourism. Karnataka has the highest number of approved health systems and alternative therapies in India. Along with some ISO certified government-owned hospitals, private institutions which provide international-quality services have caused the health care industry to grow by 30% during 2004-05. Hospitals in Karnataka treat around 8,000 health tourists every year.
[39]
See also
External links
★
Official website of the Government of Karnataka
★
Karnataka Government Information Department
★
Notes
1. State-wise break up of National Parks
2. Population by sex and sex ratio
3. THE Golden Heritage of Karnataka S. Ranganathan
4. Trade
5. From the Talagunda inscription (Dr. B. L. Rice in Kamath, 2001, p30)
6. Moares (1931), p10
7. Adiga and Sheik Ali in Adiga (2006), p89
8. Ramesh (1984), pp. 1-2
9. From the Halmidi inscription (Ramesh 1984, pp. 10–11)
10. Kamath (2001), p10
11. The Chalukyas hailed from present-day Karnataka (Keay 2000, p168)
12. The Chalukyas were native ''Kannadigas'' (N. Laxminarayana Rao and Dr. S. C. Nandinath in Kamath 2001, p57)
13. Altekar (1934), pp. 21–24
14. Masica (1991), pp. 45-46
15. Balagamve in Mysore territory was an early power centre (Cousens 1926, p10, p105)
16. Tailapa II, the founder king was the governor of Tardavadi in modern Bijapur district, under the Rashtrakutas (Kamath (2001), p101)
17. Kamath (2001), pp132–134
18. Sastri (1955), pp. 358-9, p 361
19. Foekema (1996), p14
20. Kamath (2001), pp. 122-4
21. Kamath 2001, pp. 157–160
22. Kulke and Rothermund (2004), p188
23. Kamath (2001), pp. 190-191
24. Kamath (2001), p201
25. Kamath (2001), p202
26. Kamath (2001), p207
27. Kamath (2001), p171
28. Kamath (2001), p171, p173, p174, p204
29. Kamath (2001), pp. 231–234
30. The rising in the south Suryanath Kamath
31. History in the making Prem Paul Ninan
32. Karnataka's agony Parvathi Menon
33. Bioresource Potential of Karnataka Ramachandra T.V. and Kamakshi G.
34. Agumbe's receiving the second highest rainfall in India is mentioned by Link Godavari, Krishna & Cauvery Arabinda Ghose
35. 2 new districts notified in Bangalore
36. Census of India: Literacy Rate India
37. India (Religion), Census of 2001
38. Envisaging a healthy growth
39. Karnataka bets big on healthcare tourism
40. Ticking child healthcare time bomb
41. Origin and Growth of Karnataka Legislature
42. Pylee, M. V. 2003. Constitutional government in India. New Delhi: S. Chand & Co, p365
43. "The Head of the State is called the Governor who is the constitutional head of the state as the President is for the whole of India", Pylee, M. V. 2003. Constitutional government in India. New Delhi: S. Chand & Co, p357
44. Lok Sabha-Introduction
45. Statistics - Karnataka state
46. Karnataka Politics - Suspense till January 27
47. Budget 2007-2008
48. GSDP registers 9.2 per cent growth
49. Statement: Gross State Domestic Product at Current Prices
50. In terms of per capita GDP — Karnataka, Bengal fastest growing States
51. Foreign Direct Investment Government of India
52. Employment and Unemployment Government of India
53. Budget 2006-2007
54. Poverty estimates for 2004-2005
55. Karnataka Human Development Report 2005
56. Karnataka Agricultural Policy 2006
57. IT exports from Karnataka cross Rs 50k cr
58. India in Business
59. Bangalore tops biocluster list with Rs 1,400-cr revenue
60. Floriculture
61. Building on a strong base Ravi Sharma
62. A pioneer's progress Ravi Sharma
63. State/Union Territory-Wise Number of Branches of Scheduled Commercial Banks and Average Population Per Bank Branch – March 2002
64. Prime Minister to Dedicate Konkan Railway Line to Nation on May 1
65. Pilot project: GPS system on B’lore-Hubli Jan Shatabdi
66. Karnataka and Indian Railways, Colossal wastage of available resources or is it sheer madness of the authorities concerned GS Prasanna Kumar
67. Minor Ports of Karnataka
68. About KSRTC
69. Purandara Dasa Dr. Jytosna Kamat
70. Kamath (2001), p283
71. Revisiting textile traditions K. Jeshi
72. Fearing persecution by the Cholas who were staunch Shaivaites, Ramanujacharya came to Karnataka in 1098 and lived there until 1122. He first lived in Tondanur and then moved to Melkote where the Cheluvanarayana Temple and a well organised Matha were built. He was patronized by the Hoysala king, Vishnuvardhana. (Kamath 2001), pp. 150-152
73. Kamath (2001), pp. 152-154
74. Sastri (1955), p396
75. Sastri (1955), p398
76. Dasara fest panel meets Thursday
77. The Karnataka Local Authorities (Official Language) Act, 1981
78. Census: Table 26: Three Main Languages in every State, 1991
79. Narasimhacharya (1988), p12, p17
80. Poem declared `State song'
81. Awardees detail for the Jnanpith Award
82. Tulu Academy yet to realise its goal Raviprasad Kamila
83. Kodava Speech Community: An Ethnolinguistic Study K.S. Rajyashree
84. Konkan Prabha released
85. Number of schools in Karnataka as of 31-03-2006
86. Mid-day meal scheme extended
87. Districtwise and Universitywise degree college statistics for 2006-07
88. CET brochure 2007
89. Battleground Bangalore Shuma Raha
90. Times Group acquires Vijayanand Printers
91. Named by Na. Kasturi, a popular Kannada writer Still a hot favourite at 50 Deepa Ganesh
92. Radio Stations in Karnataka, India
93. Radio has become popular again
94. A field day in coorg
95. A field day in coorg Krishnakumar
96. Curtains down on Fourth National Games
97. Setting new standards S. Sabanayakan
98. Ranji Trophy winners
99. Western Ghats (sub cluster nomination)
100. The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve: A review of conservation status with recommendations for a holistic approach to management R. J. Ranjit Daniels
101. A Walk on the Wild Side, An Information Guide to National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries of Karnataka, Compiled and Edited by Dr. Nima Manjrekar, Karnataka Forest Department, Wildlife Wing, October 2000
102. Karnataka to turn on tourism charms
103. Alphabetical list of Monuments
104. Plan to conserve heritage monuments, museums
105. Belur for World Heritage Status
106. Keay (2000), p324
107. Michael Bright, ''1001 Natural Wonders of the World'' by Barrons Educational Series Inc., published by Quinted Inc., 2005.
108. Karnataka bets big on healthcare tourism
References
★ John Keay, India: A History, 2000, Grove publications, New York, ISBN 0-8021-3797-0
★ Dr. Suryanath U. Kamat, Concise history of Karnataka, 2001, MCC, Bangalore (Reprinted 2002) OCLC: 7796041
★ Nilakanta Sastri, K.A. (1955). A History of South India, From Prehistoric times to fall of Vijayanagar, OUP, New Delhi (Reprinted 2002) ISBN 0-19-560686-8..
★ R. Narasimhacharya, History of Kannada Literature, 1988, Asian Educational Services, New Delhi, Madras,1988, ISBN 81-206-0303-6.
★ K.V. Ramesh, Chalukyas of Vatapi, 1984, Agam Kala Prakashan, Delhi ISBN 3987-10333
★ Malini Adiga (2006), The Making of Southern Karnataka: Society, Polity and Culture in the early medieval period, AD 400-1030, Orient Longman, Chennai, ISBN 81 250 2912 5
★ The Rashtrakutas And Their Times; being a political, administrative, religious, social, economic and literary history of the Deccan during C. 750 A.D. to C. 1000 A.D, , Anant Sadashiv, Altekar, Oriental Book Agency, 1934,
★ The Indo-Aryan Languages, , Colin P., Masica, Cambridge University Press, 1991,
★ The Chalukyan Architecture of Kanarese Distrcits, Cousens, Henry, , , Archeological Survey of India, 1996,
★ Hermann Kulke and Dietmar Rothermund, A History of India, fourth edition, Routledge, 2004, ISBN 0-415-32919-1
العربية
中国
Français
Deutsch
Ελληνική
हिन्दी
Italiano
日本語
Português
Русский
Español
