Famous State of Karnataka in india

  By Dhananjai | September 4, 2012 | INDIAN CULTURE

History The people of Karnataka are Dravidians, the ethnic group that is thought to have originally settled the Indus Valley. Archaeological evidence shows that by 1200 BC people in this area were already using iron tools. The earliest rulers were not indigenous but in fact, essentially north Indian. The large empires of the Nandas, the Mauryas and the Satvahanas (ending 230 AD) included the region that is now called Karnataka. The earliest rulers from southern India were the Pallavas who had their base in present day Tamil Nadu. Subsequently, as these empires disintegrated and the pale of their influence waned, the region came to be ruled by competing local families, the Kadambas and the Gangas. Pallava domination ended around 345 AD with the founding of the Kadamba dynasty. The Gangas and the Kadambas split the region between them and it was to be thus till the Chalukyas of Badami came to power. The Chalukya king Pulakeshin lay the foundations of one of the most important kingdoms of the Deccan; his son, Pulakesin II, proved a more than worthy successor. The Chalukya Empire came to encompass a substantial part of the Deccan, including, at its peak, parts of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa. Continuous skirmishes with the Pallavas took their toll eventually, and in 753 AD, an ‘upstart’ feudal underling, Danthidurga overthrew the Chalukyan ruler. The new era was that of the Rashtrakutas. This was an era of expansion and even Kanauj had to bow to their dominance. The Chalukyas of Kalyana, who were in turn succeeded by the powerful Hoysalas, followed the Rashtrakutas. The tradition of patronage for the arts and temple building established by the Chalukyas was continued by successive dynasties and many of Karnataka’s famous temples date from their time. The Hoysalas established the Chola Kingdom around 1190. A hundred and fifty years later, the south was enmeshed in a struggle against the Delhi Sultanate. Ballala III in 1343 died in this struggle. His commanders, Harihara and Bukka came to found one of the most famous, stable and prosperous southern kingdoms – the Vijayanagar Empire. The most eminent Vijaynagar ruler was Krishnadevaraya. A patron of the arts and a fearless warrior, it is his rule that is quoted as the brightest chapter of the Vijayanagar story. The Vijayanagar kings did finally succumb to the Madurai Sultans in 1565 when their capital was sacked. As the grip of the Mughals loosened, Marathas in the west and the Sultans of Mysore came into their own. The Marathas took over parts of northern Karnataka and the Haider Ali and later, Tipu the southern parts. By 1763 most of the old Vijayanagar kingdom was under Tipu Sultan. With the defeat of Tipu at Srirangapatnam in 1799 and that of the Marathas in 1818, all of Karnataka passed into British India. In 1956 Karnataka formally became a state of the Republic of India.

Economy Economically, Karnataka is one of the most successful states in India. It has attracted a lot of foreign investments in sectors ranging from lab equipment to food processing. But, it is in the information technology and telecommunications sector that the state scores highest. Partnering Andhra Pradesh at the head of India’s much touted ‘IT Revolution’, Karnataka is the home of India’s tech giants, Wipro and Infosys. Traditional industries include aircraft manufacturing, heavy electrical machinery, iron & steel and cement also have major plants in the state. Like the rest of India, in Karnataka too most of the population is engaged in agriculture. The main cash crops are cotton, cashew nuts, coffee, coconut, sugarcane, tea and tobacco. Sandalwood is one of Karnataka’s most important exports, and it contributes a substantial amount to the world’s total sandalwood production. Mining of gold in Kolar, and of copper, iron ore, manganese and mica is important to the state’s economy.

Language Perhaps the most cosmopolitan of the people of south India, ‘Kannadigas’, as the Kannada speaking people of Karnataka are called, are among the most easygoing you’ll ever meet. Bangalore, with its jet set executives, hard working and mad partying is really an exception. The city is more a reflection of metropolitan India than of the state that it administers. The north of Karnataka is dominated by the Lingayats while in the south, Vokkaligas, a peasant caste, are the most powerful. The state government has implemented a system of reservation for backward classes and certain scheduled castes and tribes in order to redress the imbalances of a traditionally caste-based society. The nomadic Lambani tribe are a colourful people who have managed to preserve many of their customs. The Kannadigas are easygoing, almost laidback and deeply content, till of course, they feel culturally threatened. Fiercely protective of their language, arts, customs, heritage, and film stars even, they will not stand for anything that has the teeniest hint of disparagement. The mother tongue of most people in Karnataka is Kannada. Many people do however speak at least one of the other south Indian languages. Kannada belongs to the group of Dravidian languages but has more in common with Telugu (Andhra Pradesh) than Tamil or Malayali. In the coastal areas people speak Konkani and Tulu, the Coorgis speak Kodagu, and the hill tribes have distinct dialects of their own.

Religion The largest religious community is that of the Hindus. Of the minority religious groups Muslims are the largest community. The others are Christians, Jains and Buddhists. The areas close to Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh have a legacy of Muslim rule and mausoleums, mosques and the muezzin’s call are a prominent feature here. In the south near Tamil Nadu and Kerala, the people and landmarks are predominantly Hindu. Temples, old and new, dot the landscape.

Food Besides gold and sandalwood, Karnataka is famous as the land of coffee, spice and much more that’s nice. Kannada cuisine while broadly similar to that of its neighbours has much that is unique to it too. It is milder than the food of Andhra and almost as dependent on coconut as Kerala food. The famous south Indian sambar dhal is called huli here. The Udupi dosa originated in the coastal town of Udupi: a thin crisp savoury pancake made from rice flour, this particular dosa is stuffed with cooked potatoes. (“Udupi” has now become synonymous with the south Indian restaurants that serve delicious vegetarian authentic south Indian cuisine all over India). If you spot one in the course of your travels, don’t hesitate to walk in. Uthapams, vada, puri palaya, idli (rice cakes) are all eaten with huli and coconut chutney. A special dish is Patrode, which is made of steamed stuffed colocasia. Peardaya is a sweet made with jaggery cooked in coconut oil.

Culture and Crafts In dance, art, sculpture, in literature and especially in classical music Karnataka has the oldest literary tradition among the Dravidian languages. Evidence of this is found in the 9th century treatise on poetry called the Kavirajamarga, where references are made to earlier writings. The three ‘gems of Kannada literature’ are the poets Pampa, Ponna and Ranna. They lived between the 10th and 12th centuries. Carnatic music along with the North Indian Hindustani tradition makes up the body of Indian classical music. It is a distinctly different tradition from that of Hindustani music. The stringed tanpura, the mridangam, the ghatam and violins too usually accompany a vocal music recital. Karnataka has a particularly rich culture of folk theatre. The most famous forms are Yakshagana, which features a single narrator, and Bayalata, which has multiple narrative voices. Both these may be rustic in flavour but in technique, they are quite sophisticated. Other lesser-known forms are the Dasarata and Sannata and the Dodatta. Silk, incense, coffee and sandalwood are the major products of Karnataka. A very famous craft of Karnataka is Bidriware. Originally produced in the town of Bidar, this metal craft is made by inlaying silver (or gold) in blackened metal.

Tourist info centres

The Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation is responsible for the promotion of tourism to Karnataka. KSTDC has its main office in the capital city, Bangalore. Find your way to their office 104/1 Kasturba Road for information on tours and accommodation. KSTDC counters at bus stations will have information on travelling by road: distances, bus timings, an approximation of the time it will take, and other relevant news.

How to get there by Air The Bangalore Airport is the main airport in Karnataka. It is very well connected to the rest of India. The Bajpe airport at Mangalore does not get any international flights but is connected to Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore.

How to get there by Rail If you’re travelling to Karnataka by train, you’ll probably find it easiest to get a connection to Bangalore. The city is connected to all parts of the country by rail. Mysore and Mangalore also receive some traffic from outside Karnataka but the permutations and combinations are far fewer.

How to get there by Road Karnataka shares her borders with Maharashtra and Goa in the north, Andhra Pradesh in the northeast, Tamil Nadu in the southeast and Kerala to the southwest. There are several entry points from all of these states, and interstate buses run by the government as well as privately operated coach services are a dime a dozen. It is also possible to hire a cab or rent a car at big cities in the neighbouring states. Take National Highway 4 or 13 from Maharashtra depending on whether your destination is Belgaum or Bijapur. Highway 7 will bring you to Bangalore from Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. If you’re travelling from Kerala, you’ll be on NH 17.

Getting around You can travel around Karnataka mainly by road and by rail. The major communications links are Bangalore, Mangalore, Mysore, Hassan and Hospet. Undoubtedly the southern areas are far easier to get to than those in the north; the interesting sites in the south are Bangalore, Mangalore, Madikeri (in Coorg), the wildlife sanctuaries of Bandipur and Nagarhole, Mysore and its neighbouring town of Srirangapatnam, and the Hoysala cities of Belur and Halebid. The list is long and four out of five of Karnataka’s major communication hubs cater to this area. Mangalore and Bangalore, the only two cities with airports both serve this, the southern region. The major point of arrival and departure for the historic and superbly atmospheric towns of Hampi, Badami, Pattadakal, Aihole, Bijapur, Gulbarga and Bidar is Hospet. It is easier to travel to this area from Goa or Maharashtra, which lie to the northwest and north of Karnataka, respectively. From within Karnataka, it would probably be best to get to these places by rail.

Where to Stay in Karnataka

Karnataka has fair amount of places to stay. The accommodation options in the larger cities and towns like Bangalore, Mangalore and Mysore are wide and comprehensive. For upper-end travellers there are 5-star hotels. In coastal towns like Mangalore, some of the best hotels are on the beach with private strips of sun kissed sand. For budget travellers these regions also have neat well-maintained railway retiring rooms (some even air conditioned), tiny lodges, youth hostels and budget hotels with varying facilities.
Visitors to Belur and Halebid will have to stay at Hassan with good accommodation, dining, and transportation facilities.
In the Coorg region, the best place to stay is Madikeri. Small towns likeHampi, Bijapur, Bidar, Badami, Belgaum etc do not have luxury hotels, but they offer accommodation with good quality, which is moderately priced. You will also find tourist lodges, rest houses and budget hotels that provide clean rooms, comfortable beds and all basic amenities.
As for accommodation at Bandipur and Nagarhole wildlife sanctuaries, you can choose between basic Forest Department rest houses and the best in eco-tourist luxury. These resorts provide excellent services and are close to the wilds and efficient about ensuring that their guests really get the feel of being in the forest.

Best Time to Visit Karnataka

The best time to visit Karnataka is between November and April. The weather is fine with very little rain and pleasant days. This is also a good time for outdoor activities ranging from angling to trekking, as also visiting wildlife reserves in the state. June to October is a season of incessant rains to the west of the Ghats, and hot weather to their east. Coorg though beautiful i the rains, is damp and slushy, so avoid going there between may and Auugust defibitely as it pours during this period making it extremely wet. The airconditioned city of Bangalore has great weather all year round – summers are never very hot with median temperatures remaining in the 30-34 degree C range during the day time and falling to 20 degree C at night. The winter months are even better as the days are very pleasant at a maximum of 27 degree C and the minimum in the single digit figures. During winter most of Karnataka’s special events and cultural festivals take place with Dussehra being celebrated with pomp and show in October in Bangalore and especially Mysore. In mid January Makar Sankranti is celebrated all over Karnataka with Udupi taking the lead in the festivities. If you happen to be in Coorg during September be sure to attend the Kali Podu event when the swashbuckling Kodagus take out all their ancestral weaponary,polish them till they shine and then put them away till the next year.

Climate The coastal regions have a tropical monsoon climate: its warm all year round and but when incessant rains hit in June it becomes surprisingly cool. The monsoon lasts till the beginning of October. On the lee side of the Western Ghats, the northern part of the Deccan plateau is hot through the summer months from April to October, after when it may get a smattering of rain because of the retreating monsoons and cool down marginally. The southern parts of the plateau where cities like Mysore and Bangalore are have a temperate climate with little difference in summer and winter temperatures. Since this area is at some altitude (e.g. Bangalore is at 1000 metres), it’s mild all through the year. This area receives rainfall from June to September.

Things to do in Karnataka

One has many interesting things to do when in the state of Karnataka. The rich culture and art of Karnataka offers some good places to see like the rock cut temples and buildings of the ancient period, Nagarhole and Bandipur wildlife sanctuaries, Coorg Hills, temples in Udupi, and beaches in Gokarna. Other important places to visit are the capital city, Bangalore, Mysore, Srirangapatnam, Halebid and Belur, Sravanabelagola, and Hampi.
One can shop for the black metallic bidriware, the sweet smelling perfumes ‘ittra’, rosewood, and sandalwood. Lacquer ware, ceramics, trinkets, durries, and fabrics can also be purchased. Adventure enthusiasts will enjoy trekking, angling, boat rides, kayaking, camping, and rock climbing. Ideal sites for these outdoor activities are scattered all across Karnataka. Various regional festivals, along with Dussehra and Diwali are celebrated in the state.