Karnataka
Karnataka is one of the four southern states of India. Previously known as the state of Mysore, Karnataka got its present name in 1973. The present boundaries of the Karnataka state were decided in 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act. Kannada is the official language of the state. Karnataka is sub-divided into 27 districts and it is the 8th largest Indian state by area and 9th largest by population. The city of Bengaluru/Bangalore; also known as the Silicon Valley of India, is the capital of Karnataka. Karnataka can be broadly divided into three geographical regions, viz. Karavali, Malnad and Bayaluseemae. Karnataka is a tourist's paradise having waterfalls like Jog, hill-stations like Madikeri, national parks like Nagarhole and historical places like Hampi. It is also rich in culture as can be seen in dances like Yakshagana and the festivities held in Mysore during the time of Dasara. Among all the states of India, Karnataka has the maximum number of Jnanpith awardees.History
Evidence of Neolithic habitation of areas in modern Karnataka and celts dating back to the 2nd century BC were first discovered in 1872. There are reports that a polished stone axe was discovered at Lingsugur in the Raichur district; however the authenticity of these reports remains unverifiable.Megalithic structures one of them of Gomateshwara is considered to be the monument of Ganga period and burial grounds were discovered in 1862 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. 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, the Satavahana dynasty came to power and its rule lasted nearly 3 centuries.The Mysore PalaceThe disintegration of the Satavahana dynasty led to the ascent of the first native kingdoms, the Banavasi Kadambas(325-540 CE) from Uttara Kannada region, and the Western Ganga Dynasty (325-550 CE) in southern Karnataka. These were the first kingdoms to give administrative status to Kannada language as evidenced by the Halmidi inscription of 450, attributed to King Kakusthavarma of the Kadamba Dynasty. Also, recent discovery of a 5th century 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. They were followed by large imperial empires, the Badami Chalukyas, Rashtrakuta Dynasty and Western Chalukya Empire, who had their regal capitals in modern Karnataka region.
Nripa Kama established the Hoysala Empire at the turn of the first millennium. Art and architecture flourished in the region during the time that resulted in the construction of temples and sculptures adhering to the Vesara style of architecture. The expansion of the Hoysala Empire brought large parts of modern Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu under their rule.
In the early 14th century, the Vijayanagara empire with its capital at Hosapattana (later to be called Vijayanagara) rose to successfully challenge the Muslim invasions into the South. This empire was established by Harihara and Bukka Raya, commanders of the last Hoysala King Veera Ballala III. 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 at Talikota. The Bahamani rulers 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.
The Wodeyars of Mysore, former vassals of the Vijayanagara Empire, leased the state from the Mughal king Aurangzeb in the 15th century. With the death of Krishnaraja Wodeyar II, Haidar 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 Haidar Ali's death.
In attempting to contain Europe an 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 in 1799.
After Indian independence, the Wodeyar Maharaja acceded to India. In 1950, Mysore became an Indian state of the same name, and the former Maharaja became its Rajpramukh, head of state, until 1975.
The Ekikarana movement started in the late 19th century and culminated in the formation of Karnataka state in 1956, nine years after independence. The States Reorganisation Act of 1956 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. The state of Mysore was formed on November 1, 1956 and since then November 1 of every year is celebrated as Kannada Rajyotsava / Karnataka Rajyotsava.
Geography
Karnataka is situated in the southern part of India 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 southeast, and Kerala to the southwest. The state covers an area of 1,91,791 km˛, which constitutes 5.83 per cent of the total geographical area of India.Some of the important rivers that flow in Karnataka are Kaveri, Tunga, Bhadra, Tungabhadra, Krishna and Sharavathi.The state has three principal physical zones; the coastal Karavali, Malnad comprising of the Western Ghats and the Bayaluseeme comprising of the plains of the Deccan plateau. The bulk of the state belongs to the Bayaluseeme region and hence this region is sometimes divided into northern and southern parts.
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.Karnataka receives an average annual rainfall of 1139 mm. Northern part of the Bayaluseemae region is very arid and this region is the second largest arid region in India, next only to Rajasthan. The highest point in Karnataka is the top of the hill Mullayanagiri in Chikkamagaluru district which is at an altitude of 1929 mts (6329 ft) above sea level.
Geology
Geologically, Karnataka consists of four main types of formations - 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 capping are found over the Deccan Traps and were formed after the cessation of volcanic activity in the early tertiary period. These are found in many districts in the Deccan plateau and also in the coast.Soil types
According to Kim H Tan (1994), 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 seven types viz., Red, lateritic, black, alluvio-colluvial, forest and coastal soils.Climate
Karnataka experiences four seasons starting with the winter in January and February. This is followed by summer between March and May, the monsoon season between June and September and the post-monsoon season from October till December. The post-monsoon and winter seasons are generally pleasant over the entire state. The summer months are hot, very dry and marked by high humidity. The south west monsoon winds bring rains during the monsoon months.Meteorologically, Karnataka is divided into three major zones - coastal Karnataka, north interior Karnataka and south interior Karnataka. Of these, coastal Karnataka receives the heaviest rainfall with an average rainfall of about 3638.5 mm per annum. North interior Karnataka which includes the northern and north eastern districts of the state is an arid zone and receives only about 711.5 mm of rainfall per annum. The remaining districts which fall under south interior Karnataka receive about 1064.8 mm of rainfall per annum.
Language and Literature
Kannada, which is the native tongue of roughly 65% of the Karnataka's population is the official language of the state and was also the basis for the creation of Karnataka when states across India were reorganised in 1956 based on linguistic demographics. Apart from Kannada, Tulu, Kodava Takk and Konkani are the major languages that are native to the state and share a long history with the state. Urdu is also spoken widely by the Muslim population in the state. Other languages include the Beary and certain other dialects like Sanketi.In the field of literature, Kannada has been the most decorated among all contemporary Indian literatures with seven Jnanapitha awards. It also boasts of a rich and ancient body of literature that dates back to the first millennium. The earliest attested inscription in Kannada dates to 450 AD and the earliest extant literary work has been dated to 850 AD. Tulu is spoken in the coastal areas of Karnataka mainly in the districts of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada. Tulu Mahabharato, which was written by Arunabja, a poet from Kodavur, Malpe in Tulu script is the oldest written Tulu document available.
The Tulu script which was in use until a few centuries ago gradually fell into disuse and the language now uses the Kannada script. Kodava Takk is spoken by the Kodava people of Kodagu district where two major variations of the language, the northern Mendale Takka and the southern Kiggaati takka exist. Konkani is mostly spoken in the north coastal districts of Karnataka and some parts of the south coastal districts of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada. Literature in Kodava Takk and Konkani has been on a limited scale and like Tulu, they too use the Kannada script. Two regional variations of this language exists, Mendale takka (North Coorg Variety), and Kiggaati takka (south Coorg variety).
All languages in the state 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,Tulu Sahitya Akademi and Kodava Sahitya Akademi look into the affairs of the respective languages.
English is the medium of education in many schools in the state of Karnataka and is the widely used in the college curriculum especially in courses related to science, engineering and medicine. English is also widely used for business communication in technology-related companies and call centres. Popular English language writers like R. K. Narayan and Raja Rao hail from the state.
Economy
Infosys Headquarters in Bangalore. More than 50% of all software companies in India are located in KarnatakaAgriculture Karnataka is the largest producer of coffee, raw silk and sandalwood (Santalum album) based products. It accounts for 75% of Indian floriculture, 59% of the country’s coffee production and 47% of the country’s ragi production industry. Over 70% of the work force is engaged in agriculture. The main crops are rice, ragi, jowar, maize, and pulses(Tur and gram) 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. Maize is grown only in the northern tip of the state in Bidar District. The salubrious weather conditions in coastal areas make cultivation of fruit orchards possible. Cotton is grown in abundance in Gulbarga District and Davangere District is a center of cotton trade and industry. Karnataka accounted for nearly Rs. 2000 crores of horticultural products in 2005. There are many multi-state irrigagion projects being developed, including Godavari River Basin Irrigation Projects.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. Some part 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.
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 with exports touching Rs.517 billion ($12.7 billion) in 2006. The other IT hub in Karnataka is Mangalore. Karnataka is host to headquarters of several IT companies including Infosys, which was rated "Best Employer in India" by Business Today in 2001, and in 2002 "India's Most Respected Company".
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 is also home to 50% (131 companies) of all Biotechnology companies in India and Bengaluru alone 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.
Infrastructure 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.
Electrical supply Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited is the sole provider of electricity for the state.
Art and Culture
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). Historians claim Purandara Dasa composed 75,000 - 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 Pitamaha Purandaradasa codified and consolidated the teaching of Carnatic music by evolving several steps like sarali, jantai, thattu varisai, alankara and geetham and laid down a framework for imparting formal training in this art form. Later in the 17th and 18th centuries, the haridasa movement would once again contribute to music in Karnataka in the form of haridasas such as Vijayadasa, Gopaladasa, Jagannathadasa who are just a few among a vast galaxy of devotional saints.Karnataka has achieved a prominent place in the world of Hindustani music as well. Several of Karnataka's Hindustani musicians have bagged the Kalidas Samman, Padmavibhushan and Tansen Samman. Some famous performers are puttaraj gawai Pt. Bhimsen Joshi, Pt. Madhava Rao Nayak, Pt. Mallikarjun Mansur, Basavaraj Rajguru,Sawai Gandharva, Bala Gandharva and Gangubai Hangal.
Karnataka is a unique place where both Hindustani and Carnatic singers flourish. North Karnataka is predominantly famous for Hindustani music and South Karnataka is well known for Carnatic music.
Yakshagana a form of dance drama is one of the major theatrical forms in central and sothern Karnataka. A fusion of folk and classical tradition makes Yakshagana a unique form of art which includes colourfull costumes, music, dance, singing, and most importantly dialogs composed on the fly. Award winning performers include Shambhu Hegde, Chittani Ramachandra Hegde. Gamaka is a unique music form based on Karnakata Sangeetha. Yakshagana and Dollu Kunitha are two of the popular dance forms of Karnataka.
Tourism
Jog FallsKarnataka by virtue of its varied geography and long history boasts of several spots of interest for tourists. The districts of the western ghats and the southern districts are known for several spots of nature tourism. Several popular beaches dot the coastline including the famous ones at Karwar. Some of the most popular spots for nature tourism include the Jog Falls, India's tallest single-tiered waterfall, the mountain and forest ranges of the western ghats like Kudremukh and the hill station of Madikeri. The waterfalls of Karnataka are Unchalli Falls, Magod Falls, Hebbe Falls and Shivanasamudra Falls. The waterfalls of Karnataka and Kudremukh National Park are listed as must see places and among the 1001 natural wonders of the world.Karnataka also boasts of numerous sites of historical importance. The State Directorate of Archaeology and Museums protects 752 monuments. Of the 3600 centrally protected monuments, 609 are in Karnataka. In addition, there is an array of ancient sculptured temples, modern cities, scenic hill ranges, unexplored forests and endless beaches.
In addition, Karnataka is home to several places of religious importance. Several Hindu temples including the famous Udupi Krishna temple, the Marikamba temple,sri manjunatha temple Dharmasthala, Sringeri are in the state. Most of the holy sites of Lingayats like Kudalasangama, Basavana Bagewadi are found in the northern parts of the state. The famous Jaina center of Shravanabelagola is also found here.
Broadly, tourism in Karnataka can be divided into four geographical zones. These are North Karnataka, the Hill Stations, Coastal Karnataka and South Karnataka.
Religion
Karnataka has played a very important role in shaping present day Indian religion and philosophy. The three most important schools of Hindu philosophy, Advaita, Dvaita and Vishistadvaita blossomed in Karnataka. While Madhvacharya (1238-1317) was born and belonged to Karnataka, Adi Shankaracharya chose Sringeri in Karnataka to set up the first of his four mathas. Ramanujacharya who fled persecution at the hands of a Shaivaite Chola king also settled down in Melkote in Karnataka, which is today a fountainhead of the Vishishtadvaita faith.In the 12th century, Veerashaivism emerged in northern Karnataka as a protest against the rigidity of the prevailing social and caste systems. Leading figures of the movement such as Basava, Akka Mahadevi and Allama Prabhu established the Anubhava Mantapa where the philosophy of Shakti Vishishtadvaita was expounded. This was to form the basis of the Lingayat faith and today counts millions among its followers.
The Jaina faith also has its fountainhead in Karnataka. Rishabhadeva is said to have spent his final days in Karnataka. Both Jain philosophy and literature have contributed immensely to the religious and cultural landscape of Karnataka. The Jain influence on literature and philosophy is particularly evident in the literatures of Kannada and Tamil.
Islam gained a foothold in Karnataka with the arrival of the Bahamani sultans who ruled Karnataka and many other parts of southern India following the fall of the Vijayanagar empire. Christianity reached Karnataka in the 16th century with the arrival of the Portuguese. Today, both Islam and Christianity have a sizeable following in Karnataka and have contributed richly to the cultural cosmopolitanism of the state. Buddhism also thrives in Karnataka. Karnataka is home to the Dzogchen monastery and the Dhondeling Tibetan refugee camps.
Udupi, Sringeri, Gokarna and Melkote are well known places of Sanskrit and Vedic learning. Shravanabelagola, Mudabidri, Karkala are famous for Jain history and monuments.
