Karnataka is bordered by the
Arabian Sea to the west,
Goa to the northwest,
Maharashtra to the north,
Telangana to the northeast,
Andhra Pradesh to the east,
Tamil Nadu to the southeast, and
Kerala to the south. The state covers an area of 191,976 square kilometres (74,122 sq mi), or 5.83 percent of the total geographical area of India. It is the
seventh largest Indian state by area. With 61,130,704 inhabitants at the 2011 census, Karnataka is
the eighth largest state by population, comprising 30
districts.
Kannada, one of the
classical languages of India, is the most widely spoken and official language of the state alongside
Konkani,
Marathi,
Tulu,
Tamil,
Telugu,
Malayalam,
Kodava and
Beary. Karnataka also has the only 3 naturally Sanskrit-speaking districts in India.
The two main river systems of the state are the
Krishna and its tributaries, the
Bhima,
Ghataprabha,
Vedavathi,
Malaprabha, and
Tungabhadra in North Karnataka
Sharavathi in
Shivamogga , and the
Kaveri and its tributaries, the
Hemavati,
Shimsha,
Arkavati,
Lakshmana Thirtha and
Kabini, in the south. Most of these rivers flow out of Karnataka eastward, reaching the sea at the
Bay of Bengal.
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, meaning "black", and
nadu, meaning "region", as a reference to the
black cotton soil found in the
Bayalu Seeme region of the state. The
British used the word
Carnatic, sometimes
Karnatak, to describe both sides of peninsular India, south of the Krishna.
[11]
History[edit]
Karnataka's pre-history goes back to a
paleolithic hand-axe culture evidenced by discoveries of, among other things, hand axes and cleavers in the region.
[12] 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 hypothesise about contacts between ancient Karnataka and the
Indus Valley Civilisation ca. 3300 BCE.
[13][14]
Sala fighting the Lion, the emblem of Hoysala Empire
At the turn of the first millennium, the
Hoysalas gained power in the region.
Literature flourished during this time, which led to the emergence of distinctive Kannada
literary metres, and the construction of temples and sculptures adhering to the
Vesara style of architecture.
[30][31][32][33] The expansion of the Hoysala Empire brought minor 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.
[34][35]
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.
[36] 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.
[37][38] The Bahmani and Bijapur rulers encouraged Urdu and Persian literature and
Indo-Saracenic architecture, the
Gol Gumbaz being one of the high points of this style.
[39] During the sixteenth century,
Konkani Hindus migrated to Karnataka, mostly from
Salcette,
Goa,
[40]while during the seventeenth and eighteenth century,
Goan Catholics migrated to
North Canara and
South Canara, especially from
Bardes, Goa, as a result of food shortages, epidemics and heavy taxation imposed by the
Portuguese.
[41]
In the period that followed, parts of northern Karnataka were ruled by the
Nizam of Hyderabad, the
Maratha Empire, the
British, and other powers.
[42] In the south, the
Mysore Kingdom, a former
vassal of the Vijayanagara Empire, was briefly independent.
[43]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.
[44] To contain European expansion in South India, Haidar Ali and later Tipu Sultan fought four significant
Anglo-Mysore Wars, the last of which resulted in Tippu Sultan's death and the incorporation of Mysore into the
British Raj in 1799.
[45] The Kingdom of Mysore was restored to the Wodeyars and Mysore remained a princely state under the British Raj.
Chief Minister
Dr. Devaraj Ursannouncing the new name of the Mysore state as 'Karnataka'
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. However, Kitturu was taken over by the British East India Company even before the doctrine was officially articulated by Lord Dalhousie in 1848.
[46] Other uprisings followed, such as the ones at
Supa,
Bagalkot,
Shorapur,
Nargund and
Dandeli. These rebellions — which coincided with the
Indian Rebellion of 1857 – were led by Mundargi Bhimarao, Bhaskar Rao Bhave, the Halagali Bedas,
Raja Venkatappa Nayaka and others. By the late 19th century, the independence 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.
[47]
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 Reorganisation Act of 1956. The thus expanded state was renamed Karnataka, seventeen years later, in 1973.
[48] In the early 1900s through the post-independence era, industrial visionaries such as Sir
Mokshagundam Visvesvarayya, born in
Muddenahalli,
Chikballapur district, played an important role in the development of Karnataka's strong manufacturing and industrial base.
Geography[edit]
Jog Falls, formed by Sharavathi River, are the second highest plunge waterfalls in India.
The state has three principal geographical zones:
- The coastal region of Karavali
- The hilly Malenadu region comprising the Western Ghats
- The Bayaluseeme region comprising the plains of the Deccan plateau
Karnataka consists of four main types of geological formations
[50] — the
Archean complex made up of
Dharwad schistsand 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 composed 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.
[50] 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 3,638.5 mm (143 in) per annum, far in excess of the state average of 1,139 mm (45 in).
Agumbe in the
Shivamogga district receives the second highest annual rainfall in India.
[51] The highest recorded temperature was 45.6
°C (114
°F) at
Raichur and the lowest recorded temperature was 2.8 °C (37 °F) at
Bidar.
About 38,724 km
2 (14,951 sq mi) 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.
[52]
Sub-divisions[edit]
There are 30 districts in Karnataka:
Each district is governed by a district commissioner or district magistrate. The districts are further divided into sub-divisions, which are governed by sub-divisional magistrates; sub-divisions comprise blocks containing
panchayats (village councils) and town municipalities.
At the 2011 census, Karnataka's ten largest cities, sorted in order of decreasing population, were
Bangalore,
Hubli-
Dharwad,
Mysuru,
Gulbarga,
Belgaum,
Mangalore,
Davangere,
Bellary,
Vijayapur and
Shimoga.
[54]
|
| 1 | Bangalore (Bengaluru) | Bangalore Urban | 8,728,906 |
| 2 | Hubli-Dharwad (Hubballi–Dharwad) | Dharwad district | 943,857 |
| 3 | Mysore (Mysuru) | Mysore district | 887,446 |
| 4 | Gulbarga (Kalaburagi) | Gulbarga district | 532,031 |
| 5 | Belgaum (Belagavi) | Belgaum district | 488,292 |
| 6 | Mangalore (Mangaluru) | Dakshina Kannada district | 484,785 |
| 7 | Davanagere (Davangere) | Davanagere district | 435,128 |
| 8 | Bellary (Ballari) | Bellary district | 409,444 |
| 9 | Vijayapur (Bijapur) | Vijayapur district | 327,427 |
| 10 | Shimoga (Shivamogga) | Shimoga district | 322,428 |
Demographics[edit]
According to the 2011 census of India,
[56] the total population of Karnataka was 61,095,297 of which 30,966,657 (50.7%) were male and 30,128,640 (49.3%) were female, or 1000 males for every 973 females. This represents a 15.60% increase over the population in 2001. The population density was 319 per km
2 and 38.67% of the people lived in urban areas. The literacy rate was 75.36% with 82.47% of males and 68.08% of females being literate. 84.00% of the population were
Hindu, 12.92% were
Muslim, 1.87% were
Christian, 0.72% were
Jains, 0.16% were
Buddhist, 0.05% were
Sikh and 0.02% were belonging to other religions and 0.27% of the population did not state their religion.
[57]
Kannada is the official language of Karnataka and spoken as a native language by about 66.54% of the people as of 2011. Other linguistic minorities in the state were
Urdu (10.83%),
Telugu (5.84%),
Tamil (3.45%),
Marathi (3.38%),
Hindi (3.3%),
Tulu (2.61%),
Konkani (1.29%),
Malayalam (1.27%) and
Kodava Takk(0.18%).
[58] In 2007 the state had a birth rate of 2.2%, a death rate of 0.7%, an infant mortality rate of 5.5% and a maternal mortality rate of 0.2%. The
total fertility rate was 2.2.
[59]
In the field of speciality health care, Karnataka's private sector competes with the best in the world.
[60] 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.
[61]
Government and administration[edit]
Karnataka has a
parliamentary system of government with two democratically elected houses, the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council. The Legislative Assembly consists of 224 members who are elected for five-year terms.
[62] The Legislative Council is a permanent body of 75 members with one-third (25 members) retiring every two years.
[62]
The
government of Karnataka is headed by the
Chief Minister who is chosen by the ruling party
members of the
Legislative Assembly. The Chief Minister, along with the council of ministers, executes the legislative agenda and exercises most of the executive powers.
[63] 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.
[64] The people of Karnataka also elect 28 members to the
Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian Parliament.
[65] The members of the state Legislative 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, 30 districts, 175
taluks and 745
hoblies / revenue circles.
[66] 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 Commissioner 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, is entrusted with the responsibility of managing forests, environment and wildlife of the district, he will be assisted by the officers belonging to
Karnataka Forest Service and officers belonging to Karnataka Forest Subordinate Service. 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, Dharwad and Gulbarga,
district and session courts in each district and lower courts and judges at the
taluk level.
Economy[edit]
GSDP Growth of the Karnatakan Economy over the previous years
Karnataka had an estimated GSDP (Gross State Domestic Product) of about US$115.86 billion in the 2014–15 fiscal year.
[71] The state registered a GSDP growth rate of 7% for the year 2014–2015.
[72] Karnataka's contribution to India's GDP in the year 2014–15 was 7.54%.
[71] With GDP growth of 17.59% and per capita GDP growth of 16.04%, Karnataka is on the 6th position among all states and union territories.
[73][74] In an employment survey conducted for the year 2013–2014, the unemployment rate in Karnataka was 1.8% compared to the national rate of 4.9%.
[75] In 2011–2012, Karnataka had an estimated poverty ratio of 20.91% compared to the national ratio of 21.92%.
[76]
Nearly 56% of the workforce in Karnataka is engaged in agriculture and related activities.
[77] A total of 12.31 million hectares of land, or 64.6% of the state's total area, is cultivated.
[78] Much of the agricultural output is dependent on the
southwest monsoon as only 26.5% of the sown area is irrigated.
[78]
Karnataka is the manufacturing hub for some of the largest
public sector industries in India, including
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited,
National Aerospace Laboratories,
Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited,
Bharat Earth Movers Limited and
HMT (formerly Hindustan Machine Tools), which are based in Bangalore. Many of India's premier science and technology research centres, such as
Indian Space Research Organisation,
Central Power Research Institute,
Bharat Electronics Limited and the
Central Food Technological Research Institute, are also headquartered in Karnataka.
Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited is an
oil refinery, located in Mangalore.
The state has also begun to invest heavily in
solar power centred on the
Pavagada Solar Park. As of December 2017, the state has installed an estimated 2.2 gigwatts of block solar panelling and in January 2018 announced a tender to generate a further 1.2 gigawatts in the coming years: Karnataka Renewable Energy Development suggests that this will be based on 24 separate systems (or 'blocks') generating 50 megawatts each.
[79]
Contribution to economy by sector
Since the 1980s, Karnataka has emerged as the pan-Indian leader in the field of IT (
information technology). In 2007, there were nearly 2,000 firms operating in Karnataka. Many of them, including two of India's biggest software firms,
Infosys and
Wipro, are also headquartered in the state.
[80] Exports from these firms exceeded
₹50,000 crores ($12.5 billion) in 2006–07, accounting for nearly 38% of all IT exports from India.
[80] The
Nandi Hills area in the outskirts of
Devanahalli is the site of the upcoming $22 billion, 50 square kilometre
BIAL IT Investment Region, one of the largest infrastructure projects in the history of Karnataka.
[81] All this has earned the state capital, Bangalore, the sobriquet
Silicon Valley of India.
[82]
Karnataka also leads the nation in
biotechnology. It is home to India's largest biocluster, with 158 of the country's 320 biotechnology firms being based here.
[83] The state accounts for 75% of India's
floriculture, an upcoming industry which supplies flowers and ornamental plants worldwide.
[84]
Seven of India's banks,
Canara Bank,
Syndicate Bank,
Corporation Bank,
Vijaya Bank,
Karnataka Bank,
ING Vysya Bank and the
State Bank of Mysoreoriginated in this state.
[85] The coastal districts of
Udupi and
Dakshina Kannada have a branch for every 500 persons—the best distribution of banks in India.
[86]In March 2002, Karnataka had 4767 branches of different banks with each branch serving 11,000 persons, which is lower than the national average of 16,000.
[87]
Transport[edit]
Karnataka has a railway network with a total length of approximately 3,089 kilometres (1,919 mi). 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.
[91] Bangalore is well-connected with inter-state destinations, while other towns in the state are not.
[92]
Karnataka has 11
ports, including the
New Mangalore Port, a major port and ten minor ports, of which three were operational in 2012.
[93] The New Mangalore port was incorporated as the ninth major port in India on 4 May 1974.
[94] 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. Foreigners can enter Mangalore through the New Mangalore Port with the help of Electronic visa (e-visa).
[95] Cruise shipsfrom
Europe,
North America and
UAE arrive at New Mangalore Port to visit the tourist places across
Coastal Karnataka.
[96][97]
The total lengths of
National Highways and state highways in Karnataka are 3,973 and 9,829 kilometres (2,469 and 6,107 mi), respectively. The
KSRTC, the state public transport corporation, transports an average of 2.2 million passengers daily and employs about 25,000 people.
[98] In the late nineties, KSRTC was split into four corporations, viz., The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation, The North-East Karnataka Road Transport Corporation and The North-West Karnataka Road Transport Corporation with their headquarters in Bangalore, Gulbarga and Hubli respectively, and with the remnant of the KSRTC maintaining operations in the rest of the state from its headquarters in Bangalore.
[98]
Culture[edit]
The
Kannada flag is widely used in Karnataka, though it is not officially recognised
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
Siddhisalso live in Karnataka. The
traditional folk arts cover the entire gamut of music, dance, drama, storytelling by itinerant troupes, etc.
Yakshagana of Malnad and coastal Karnataka, a classical dance drama, is one of the major theatrical forms of Karnataka. Contemporary theatre culture in Karnataka remains vibrant with organisations like
Ninasam,
Ranga Shankara,
Rangayana and
Prabhat Kalavidaru continuing to build on the foundations laid by
Gubbi Veeranna,
T. P. Kailasam,
B. V. Karanth,
K V Subbanna, Prasanna and
others.
[99]Veeragase,
Kamsale,
Kolata and
Dollu Kunitha are popular dance forms. The
Mysore style of
Bharatanatya, nurtured and popularised by the likes of the legendary Jatti Tayamma, continues to hold sway in Karnataka, and Bangalore also enjoys an eminent place as one of the foremost centres of
Bharatanatya.
[100]
Karnataka also has a special place in the world of
Indian classical music, with both Karnataka
[101] (
Carnatic) and
Hindustanistyles finding place in the state, and Karnataka has produced a number of
stalwarts in both styles. The
Haridasa movement of the sixteenth century contributed significantly to the development of Karnataka (Carnatic) music as a performing art form.
Purandara Dasa, one of the most revered
Haridasas, is known as the
Karnataka Sangeeta Pitamaha ('Father of Karnataka a.k.a. Carnatic music').
[102] Celebrated Hindustani musicians like
Gangubai Hangal,
Mallikarjun Mansur,
Bhimsen Joshi,
Basavaraja Rajaguru,
Sawai Gandharva and
several others hail from Karnataka, and some of them have been recipients of the
Kalidas Samman,
Padma Bhushan and
Padma Vibhushan awards. Noted Carnatic musicians include Violin T. Chowdiah, Veena Sheshanna, Mysore Vasudevachar, Doreswamy Iyengar and Thitte Krishna Iyengar.
Gamaka is another
classical music genre based on Carnatic music that is practised 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.
[103] 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.
Dhoti, known as
Panche in Karnataka, is the traditional attire of men.
Shirt,
Trousers and
Salwar kameezare widely worn in Urban areas.
Mysore Peta is the traditional headgear of southern Karnataka, while the
pagadi or
pataga (similar to the
Rajasthani turban) is preferred in the northern areas of the state.
Rice and
Ragi form the staple food in South Karnataka, whereas
Jolada rotti,
Sorghum is staple to North Karnataka.
Bisi bele bath,
Jolada rotti,
Ragi mudde,
Uppittu,
Benne Dose,
Masala Dose and
Maddur Vade are some of the popular food items in Karnataka. Among sweets,
Mysore Pak,
Karadantu of
Gokak and
Amingad,
Belgaavi Kunda and
Dharwad pedha are popular. Apart from this,
coastal Karnataka and Kodagu have distinctive cuisines of their own.
Udupi cuisine of coastal Karnataka is popular all over India.
Religion[edit]
Vishnu, Badami cave temple no.3
Adi Shankaracharya (788–820) chose
Sringeri in Karnataka to establish the first of his four
mathas (monastery).
Madhvacharya(1238–1317) was the chief proponent of
Tattvavada (Philosophy of Reality), popularly known as
Dvaita or Dualistic school of Hindu philosophy — one of the three most influential
Vedantaphilosophies. Madhvacharya was one of the important philosophers during the
Bhakti movement. He was a pioneer in many ways, going against standard conventions and norms. According to tradition, Madhvacharya is believed to be the third incarnation of
Vayu (Mukhyaprana), after
Hanuman and
Bhima. The
Haridasadevotional movement is considered as one of the turning points in the cultural history of India. Over a span of nearly six centuries, several saints and mystics helped shape the culture, philosophy and art of South India and Karnataka in particular by exerting considerable spiritual influence over the masses and kingdoms that ruled South India.
This movement was ushered in by the Haridasas (literally "servants of Lord Hari") and took shape in the 13th century – 14th century CE, period, prior to and during the early rule of the Vijayanagara empire. The main objective of this movement was to propagate the Dvaita philosophy of Madhvacharya (Madhva Siddhanta) to the masses through a literary medium known as
Dasa Sahitya literature of the servants of the Lord.
Purandaradasa is widely recognised as the
"Pithamaha" of
Carnatic Music for his immense contribution.
Ramanujacharya, the leading expounder of
Vishishtadvaita, spent many years in
Melkote. He came to Karnataka in 1098 AD and lived here until 1122 AD. He first lived in Tondanur and then moved to Melkote where the
Cheluvanarayana Swamy Temple and a well-organised
matha were built. He was patronised by the Hoysala king,
Vishnuvardhana.
[105]
In the twelfth century,
Lingayatism 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 which was the centre of all religious and philosophical thoughts and discussions pertaining to Ligayats. These three social reformers did so by the literary means of
"Vachana Sahitya" which is very famous for its simple, straight forward and easily understandable Kannada language. Lingayatism preached women equality by letting women wear
Ishtalinga i.e. Symbol of god around their neck.
Basava shunned the sharp hierarchical divisions that existed and sought to remove all distinctions between the hierarchically superior master class and the subordinate, servile class. He also supported inter-caste marriages and Kaayaka Tatva of Basavanna. This was the basis of the
Lingayat faith which today counts millions among its followers.
[106]
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.
[107] Christianity reached Karnataka in the sixteenth century with the arrival of the
Portuguese and
St. Francis Xavier in 1545.
[108]
Festivals[edit]
Language[edit]
Distribution of languages in Karnataka
[58]
Others (4.05%)
Kannada played a crucial role in the creation of Karnataka: linguistic demographics played a major role in defining the new state in 1956.
Tulu,
Konkani and
Kodava are other minor 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 languages such as
Sankethi. Some of the regional languages in Karnataka are
Tulu,
Kodava,
Konkani and
Beary.
[112][113][114]
Kannada features a rich and ancient body of
literature including religious and secular genre, covering topics as diverse as
Jainism (such as
Puranas),
Veerashaivism (such as
Vachanas),
Vaishnavism (such as
Haridasa Sahitya) and
modern literature. Evidence from edicts during the time of
Ashoka (reigned 274–232 BCE) suggest that Buddhist literature influenced the
Kannada script and its literature. The
Halmidi inscription, the earliest attested full-length inscription in the Kannada language and script, dates from 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 native composition meters such as
Chattana,
Beddande and
Melvadu during earlier centuries. The classic refers to several earlier greats (
purvacharyar) of Kannada poetry and prose.
[115]
Tulu is spoken mainly in the
coastal districts of
Udupi and
Dakshina Kannada.
Tulu Mahabharato, written by Arunabja in the
Tigalari script, is the oldest surviving Tulu text.
[117] Tigalari script was used by Brahmins to write
Sanskrit language. The use of the
Kannada script for writing Tulu and non-availability of print in Tigalari script contributed to the marginalisation of Tigalari script.
Konkani is mostly spoken in the
Uttara Kannada and
Dakshina Kannada districts and in parts of
Udupi, Konkani use the
Kannada script for writing.
[118] 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.
[119] Kodava Takk use the Kannada script for writing. English is the medium of education in many schools and widely used for business communication in most private companies.
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,
[120] the
Tulu Sahitya Akademi and the
Kodava Sahitya Akademi promote their respective languages.
Education[edit]
In March 2006, Karnataka had 54,529 primary schools with 252,875 teachers and 8.495 million students,
[122] and 9498 secondary schools with 92,287 teachers and 1.384 million students.
[122] There are three kinds of schools in the state, 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.
To maximise attendance in schools, the Karnataka Government has launched a midday meal scheme in government and aided schools in which free lunch is provided to the students.
[123]
Literacy rates of Karnataka districts
[124]
There are 481 degree colleges affiliated with one of the
universities in the state, viz.
Bangalore University,
Gulbarga University,
Karnatak University,
Kuvempu University,
Mangalore University and
Mysore University.
[125] In 1998, the engineering colleges in the state were brought under the newly formed
Visvesvaraya Technological Universityheadquartered 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 186 engineering, 39 medical and 41 dental colleges in the state.
[126] Udupi,
Sringeri,
Gokarna and
Melkote are well-known places of
Sanskrit and
Vedic learning. In 2015 the Central Government decided to establish the first
Indian Institute of Technology in Karnataka at
Dharwad.
[127] Tulu and Konkani
[128] languages are taught as an optional subject in the twin districts of
South Canara and
Udupi.
[129]
High literacy districts[edit]
High literacy taluks[edit]
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,
Deccan Herald and
Prajavani. Presently the
Times of India and
Vijaya Karnataka are the largest-selling English and Kannada newspapers respectively.
[130][131] A vast number of weekly, biweekly and monthly magazines are under publication in both Kannada and English.
Udayavani,
Kannadaprabha,
Samyukta Karnataka,
VarthaBharathi,
Sanjevani,
Eesanje,
Hosa digantha,
Karavali Ale are also some popular dailies published from Karnataka.
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 in
Mysore.
[132] 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 broadcast 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.
[132] Karnataka has witnessed a growth in FM radio channels, mainly in the cities of Bangalore, Mangalore and Mysore, which has become hugely popular.
[133][134]
Anil Kumble, former captain of the Indian Test team and spin legend, is the highest wicket-taker for India in international cricket.
Karnataka's smallest district,
Kodagu, is a major contributor to
Indian field hockey, producing numerous players who have represented India at the international level.
[135] The annual
Kodava Hockey Festival is the largest hockey tournament in the world.
[136] Bangalore has hosted a
WTA tennis event and, in 1997, it hosted the fourth National Games of India.
[137] 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.
One of the most popular sports in Karnataka is
cricket.
The state cricket team has won the
Ranji Trophy seven times, second only to
Mumbai in terms of success.
[138] Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore regularly hosts
international matches and is also the home of the
National Cricket Academy, which was opened in 2000 to nurture potential international players. Many
cricketers have represented
India and in one international match held in the 1990s; players from Karnataka composed the majority of the national team.
[139][140] The
Royal Challengers Bangalore, an
Indian Premier League franchise, the
Bengaluru Football Club, an
Indian Super League franchise, the
Bengaluru Yodhas, a
Pro Wrestling League franchise, the
Bengaluru Blasters, a
Premier Badminton League franchise and the
Bengaluru Bulls, a
Pro Kabaddi League franchise are based in Bangalore. The
Karnataka Premier League is an inter-regional
Twenty20 cricket tournament played in the state.
Notable sportsmen from Karnataka include
B.S. Chandrasekhar,
Anil Kumble,
Javagal Srinath,
Rahul Dravid,
Venkatesh Prasad,
Robin Uthappa,
Vinay Kumar,
Gundappa Vishwanath,
Syed Kirmani,
Stuart Binny,
Ashwini Ponnappa,
Mahesh Bhupathi,
Rohan Bopanna,
Prakash Padukone who won the
All England Badminton Championships in 1980 and
Pankaj Advani who has won three world titles in
cue sports by the age of 20 including the amateur
World Snooker Championship in 2003 and the World Billiards Championship in 2005.
[141][142]
Bijapur district has produced some of the best known road cyclists in the national circuit. Premalata Sureban was part of the Indian contingent at the Perlis Open '99 in
Malaysia. In recognition of the talent of cyclists in the district, the state government laid down a cycling track at the B.R. Ambedkar Stadium at a cost of
₹40 lakh.
[143]
Flora and fauna[edit]
Karnataka has a rich diversity of flora and fauna. It has a recorded forest area of 38,720 km
2 (14,950 sq mi) 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.
Talacauveryand
Kudremukh, both in Karnataka, are on the tentative list of
World Heritage Sites of
UNESCO.
[144] The Bandipur and Nagarahole National Parks, which fall outside these subclusters, were included in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve in 1986, a UNESCO designation.
[145] The Indian roller and the
Indian elephant are recognised as the state bird and animal while
sandalwood and the
lotus are recognised as the state tree and flower respectively. Karnataka has five national parks:
Anshi,
Bandipur,
Bannerghatta,
Kudremukh and
Nagarhole.
[146] It also has 27 wildlife sanctuaries of which seven are bird sanctuaries.
[147]
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.
[146] 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,
Shoreatalura,
Emblica officinalis,
Vitex altissima and
Wrightia tinctoria. Wildlife in Karnataka is threatened by poaching, habitat destruction, human-wildlife conflict and pollution.
[146]
Tourism[edit]
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, forests and beaches. Karnataka has been ranked as the fourth most popular destination for tourism among the states of India.
[148] Karnataka has the second highest number of nationally protected monuments in India, second only to
Uttar Pradesh,
[149] in addition to 752 monuments protected by the State Directorate of Archaeology and Museums. Another 25,000 monuments are yet to receive protection.
[150][151]
Several popular beaches dot the coastline, including
Murudeshwara,
Gokarna,
Malpe and
Karwar. In addition, Karnataka is home to several places of religious importance. Several Hindu temples including the famous
Udupi Sri Krishna Matha, the
Marikamba Temple at
Sirsi, the
Kollur Mookambika Temple, the Sri Manjunatha Temple at
Dharmasthala,
Kukke Subramanya Temple and Sharadamba Temple at
Shringeri attract pilgrims from all over India. Most of the holy sites of
Lingayatism, like
Kudalasangama and
Basavana Bagewadi, are found in northern parts of the state.
Shravanabelagola,
Mudabidri and
Karkala are famous for Jain history and monuments. Jainism had a stronghold in Karnataka in the early medieval period with Shravanabelagola as its most important centre. The
Shettihalli Rosary Church near
Shettihalli, an example of French colonial
Gothic architecture, is a rare example of a Christian ruin, is a popular tourist site.
Recently Karnataka has emerged as a center of
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.
[155]
See also[edit]
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