Tulu Nadu

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Tulu Nadu
ತುಳು ನಡು

— region —

'

Location of Tulu Nadu

ತುಳು ನಡು

in

13.00°N 75.40°ECoordinates: 13.00°N 75.40°E

Coordinates

Country India

District(s) Dakshina Kannada , Udupi andKasaragod

District(s) 3

Largest city Mangalore

Population 3,957,071[1] (2001)

 • Density • 356.1 /km2 (922 /sq mi)

Time zone IST (UTC+5:30)

Area 9,425.01 square kilometres (3,639.02 sq mi)[2][3]

Codes[show]

Tulu Nadu (Tulu: ತುಳು ನಡು), is the Tulu speaking region spread over to parts of
presentKarnataka and Kerala States of India. It consists of the Dakshina
Kannada and Udupidistricts of Karnataka and the northern parts of the Kasaragod district of
Kerala up toChandragiri River.[1] Mangalore and Udupi are the important cities.
Contents
[hide]

• 1 Demographics

• 2 Population

• 3 Language

• 4 Geography

• 5 Climate

• 6 History

• 7 Culture

• 8 Economy

• 9 Education

• 10 Contributions by Tulu Nadu people

• 11 Demand for a separate Tulu Nadu

state

• 12 Notable people

• 13 See also

• 14 Notes

• 15 References

• 16 External links

[edit]Demographics

According to Census of India 2001, the population of this region was 3,005,897.[1].
[edit]Population

The majority of the population in Tulunad is Tuluva ethnic group. The Tuluvas have
concentrated in the coastal areas. The next largest group are the Konkanis who migrated
from Goa, due to persecution by the Portuguese and wars by the Marathis. Other people
who settled here include Kannadigas, Bearys and Malayalis.

[edit]Language

Majority of the people in this region speak Tulu. However, some other languages such
as Malayalam, Konkani, Kannada, and Beary are also spoken.

[edit]Geography

Location of Tulunadu in India map

Tulu Nadu lies along the Konkan Coast [4] and shares a number of geographic, culinary, and
social traits with the neighbouring Konkan and Kerala regions. Like them, Tulu Nadu is
bounded on the west by the Arabian Sea and on the east by the Western Ghats.

Tulu Nadu spans an area of 8,441 km2 (3,259 sq mi), roughly 4.4% of the total geographical
area of present Karnataka State.

[edit]Climate

Similar to Konkan and Kerala, Tulu Nadu also experience heavy rainfalls
during Monsoon season. The coastal area of Tulu Nadu is very rich with respect
to rainforests andbackwaters[disambiguation needed]. Tulu Nadu has a tropical climate; summer and
winter months experience similar temperate conditions, with average temperatures ranging
from 24 °C to 33 °C. The pleasant months are December and January. Tulu Nadu extends
a high range of Tropical vegetation, sun and backwaters to explore.

[edit]History

Main article: History of Tulu Nadu

Legend has it that Parasurama, a warrior sage created Tulunadu. It proclaims that
Parasurama, an avatar of Mahavishnu, threw his battle axe into the sea
from Gokarna to Kanyakumari. As a result, the land arose and was reclaimed from the
waters. He was the sixth of the ten avatars (incarnation) of Vishnu. The word Parasu means
'axe' in Sanskrit and therefore the name Parasurama means 'Ram with Axe'. The aim of his
birth was to deliver the world from the arrogant oppression of the ruling caste, the
Kshatriyas. He killed all the male Kshatriyas on earth and filled five lakes with their blood.
After destroying the Kshatriya kings, he approached assembly of learned men to find a way
of penitence for his sins. He was advised that, to save his soul from damnation, he must
hand over the lands he had conquered to the Brahmins. He did as they advised and sat in
meditation at Gokarnam. There, Varuna -the God of the Oceans and Bhumidevi - Goddess
of Earth blessed him. From Gokarnam he reached Kanyakumari and threw his axe
northward across the ocean. The place where the axe landed was Kerala. It was 160 katam
(an old measure) of land lying between Gokarnam and Kanyakumari. Puranas say that it
was Parasuram who planted the 64 Brahmin families in Kerala, whom he brought down
from the north in order to expiate his slaughter of the Kshatriyas. According to the puranas,
Kerala is also known as Parasurama Kshetram, ie., 'The Land of Parasurama', as the land
was reclaimed from sea by him.

Tulu Nadu village scene

Historically, Tulu Nadu included the two separate lands of Haiva and Tuluva. The Ballal
Kings of Sullia had ruled this area around 1100 years back. The Bunt/ Nair, Brahmin
migration to Tulunadu might have happened during the lifetime of the Kadamba
king Mayuravarma at 345 AD.Madhvacharya in the 13th century built the eight monasteries
(Matha) in Udupi.

During the rule of Vijayanagara Tulu nadu was administered in two parts – Mangaluru
Rajya andBarakuru Rajya. Tulunad was the original homeland of the dynasty that founded
the Vijayanagar Empire based in eastern Karnataka. Tulu Nadu was governed by
feudatories of the Vijayanagara Empire until the 17th century. The longest reigning dynasty
of Tulu Nadu was the Alupas. They were the feudatories of the prominent dynasties of
Karnataka. The Kadamba dynasty of Banavasi was the earliest, under which the Alupas
flourished. Later the Rashtrakutas of Manyakheta,Chalukyas of Badami, Chalukyas of
Kalyani, Hoysalas of Durasamudra and Rayas of Vijayanagara were the overlords. The
Alupas, however, were independent and their subordination was nominal at best. They
ruled until the Vijayanagara kings totally dominated the Tulu Nadu from 14th to the 17th
centuries. The region became extremely prosperous during Vijayanagara period with Barkur
and Mangalore gaining importance. After the decline of the Vijayanagara Empire, the Keladi
Nayakas of Ikkeri controlled much of Tulu Nadu.

A typical red tile-roofed house in Tulu Nadu

Over the following many centuries, more ethnic groups migrated to the
area. Konkanis andGoud Saraswat Brahmins arrived by sea, as Mangalore was a major
port that served not only the Portuguese but also the Arabs for maritime trades. Jains were
already a prominent group and even today are uniquely preserved in Tulu Nadu. Though
small in number, the Jains left behind indelible reminders of their glory with temples (bastis)
in (Moodabidri) and monolithic statues of Bahubali, the gomateshwara,
in Karkala, Venoor and Dharmasthala. In the 16th century there was a large influx of
Catholics to Tulu Nadu from Goa. They built excellent educational institutes and contributed
to the development of education in the region. The Muslim community of Tulu Nadu were
basically Arab traders who married local women and settled there. Some of them speak
the Beary language, which is a mix of Tulu andMalayalam and others speak Urdu.

Under Portugal, the region was called the Missao do Sul (Mission of the South).In the 18th,
it was conquered by Hyder Ali, the ruler of Mysore. After the British defeated Haidar's
successor Tipu Sultan in 1799, the region was attached to the Madras Presidency before
being reverted to the state of Mysore in the aftermath of independence. Mysore has since
been renamed Karnataka. At the end of 18th century, Haider Ali and Tippu Sultan controlled
the region. Mangalore played a prominent role in Tippu’s battles with the British. The British
gained full control in 1801, after the defeat of Tippu in 1799. The British ruled the region
with Madras (now Chennai) as its headquarters. Tipu Sultan conquered the region and the
British conquered it from him. Under the British, the region was organized as the Districts
of North Canara and South Canara.

When the states were reorganised on linguistic basis in the 1956, Tulu Nadu (South
Canara) which was earlier part of Madras Presidency & North Canara which was part
of Bombay Presidency became part of the newly formed Mysore state which was later
renamed as Karnataka. Kasargod became part of the newly formed Kerala state.

[edit]Culture

Yakshagana artist

The Yakshagana is a night-long dance and drama performance practiced in Tulu Nadu with
great fanfare.[5][6] Piliyesa is a unique form of folk dance in the region fascinating the young
and the old alike, which is performed during Marnemi (as Dussara is called in Tulu)
and Krishna Janmashtami.[7]Karadi Vesha (Bear Dance) is one more popular dance
performed during Dasara in Tulu Nadu.[8]Bhuta Kola or spirit worship, which is usually done
at night is practised here. Kambala or buffalo race is conducted in water filled paddy
fields. Korikatta (Cockfight) is another favourite sport for the people.Nagaradhane or Snake
worship is practised in the Tulu Nadu according to the popular belief of theNaga Devatha to
go underground and guard the species on the top.[9]

Tulu is a Dravidian language of India with over three million speakers[10]. Most of its
speakers are native to the districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi in the west of the state
of Karnataka and Kasargod district of northern Kerala. Besides Tulu, Kannada (by virtue of
it being the state language) and Konkani are also widely spoken in the area. Also, a
sizeable population of Muslims, Bearys, speak Beary bashe an offshoot of Malayalam. The
Tulu speakers are known as Tuluvas. The Tulu script, also known as the Tigalari script,
bears partial similarity to the Malayalam script. A script called Tulu is used in Tulunadu for
centuries. All Tulu classics discovered recently are in Tulu script, and som in other scripts.
This Tulu script was being used by Brahmins[11]. Till in the recent past, they were using it for
writing Mantras, for accounts etc.. (This has been proved in detail by Vidwan P V
Puninchathaya in 'Tulu -Nadu-Nudi'). The Tulu language was also once spoken in Uttara
Kannada, which for this reason is sometimes considered part of Tulu Nadu as well [12].

Tulu Nadu cuisine is popular across South India, mostly due to udupi restaurants, which are
primarily vegetarian. Apart from Southern India, there are famous Udupi Hotels in Mumbai
and New Delhi too [13].

[edit]Economy

Tulu Nadu was once primarily dependent on agriculture and fishing. The main crops grown
were rice, bengal gram, horse gram, vegetables and fruits. Plantation crops like
coconut, areca nut, cocoa, cashew nut, and pepper are also grown. In the early 20th
century, the red clay roof tile industry, cashew nut processing, and the banking industry
grew substantially. Tulu Nadu is called "the cradle of Indian banking." Five major banks of
India (Syndicate Bank, Canara Bank, Corporation Bank, Vijaya Bank and Karnataka Bank)
have their origins here. In the early part of the 21st century the area has been transforming
itself into a hub of the information technology and medical services industries. This is due to
the excellent educational facilities and hospitals available in Tulu Nadu, covering all fields,
and the abundance of skilled workers. There has been large-scale decline in agriculture and
related industries due to the non-availability of labour and preference for white-collar jobs.
Agricultural land is being converted to commercial and real estate properties, and
environmental pollution is increasing drastically due to large-scale deforestation and
increase in automobile use. A public sector petroleum refinery (MRPL) was established in
the 1990s. Some chemical plants (e.g., fertilizers and pesticides) have been established.
Tulu Nadu contributes the second highest revenue to Karnataka state after the city of
Bangalore. This region has an international airport at Mangalore which is well connected to
the rest of India and middle eastern countries. New Mangalore port (NMPT) is one of the
major port of India is located at Panambur, Mangalore.

[edit]Education

Tulu Nadu is the most prominent Educational Hub on the western coast of India. There are
hundreds of professional colleges in Tulu Nadu. Thousands of students from all over India
and countries abroad study in these institutions. Mangalore and Manipal are the major cities
that accommodate these students. KMC Manipal is one among the top ten Medical
Colleges in India and stands at sixth position [14][15]

[edit]Contributions by Tulu Nadu people

The people of Tulu Nadu have made several notable contributions to the nation. Some of
them are :

 Four nationalised banks and also a leading private sector bank were started by
eminent personalities of Tulu Nadu. Hence Dakshina Kannada district is known as the
"Cradle of Indian Banking".

 Dr. Shivaram Karanth (1902–1997) was a major Kannada writer, social activist,
environmentalist, Yakshagana artist, film maker and thinker. He was a recipient of
the Jnanpith Award, India's highest literary honour. Ramachandra Guha described him
as the "Rabindranath Tagore of modern India [and the] finest novelist-activist since
independence".

 People from Tulu Nadu have established various hospitals and educational
institutions.[citation needed]

 People of Tulu Nadu are considered to be progressive and intellectually strong,

having a good foresight for the overall progress of society.[citation needed]
There is a movement to renameMangalore International Airport as Tulu Nadu International Airport.[16]

[edit]Demand for a separate Tulu Nadu state

The Tuluvas of Southern India are a separate culture from the Kannadigas within India.
From India's independence and the following Reorganisation of States, the Tuluvas had
been demanding official language status for Tulu and a separate state for themselves.
Though a bit subdued in between, this demand has grown stronger in recent years. Several
organizations like the Tulu Rajya Horata Samiti have taken up the cause of the Tuluvas and
frequent meetings and demonstrations are held across the towns of Tulu Nadu (like
Mangalore, Udupi etc) to voice their demands.[17][18]

[edit]Notable people

 Abbakka Rani: queen of Tulu Nadu who fought the Portuguese in the latter half of
the 16th century
 K. S. Hegde: former Speaker of Loksabha and Supreme Court Judge
 T. M. A. Pai: founder of Manipal University and Syndicate Bank
 Janardhana Poojary: former Union Minister of State for Finance
 Veerendra Heggade: Dharmadikari of Shri Kshethra Dharmasthala
 Devi Prasad Shetty: cardiac surgeon and philanthropist
 Vijay Mallya: businees tycoon
 Madhwacharya: saint, philosopher
 Aravind Adiga: Booker Prize winner
 U. R. Rao: former Chairman ISRO Bangalore
 George Fernandes: former Railway and Defence Minister
 Veerappa Moily: former Chief Minister of Karnataka
 Budhi Kunderan: Indian Test cricket wicketkeeper
 Ravi Shastri: former Indian Test cricket captain
 Anil Kumble: former Indian cricketer
 Ashish Kumar Ballal: former Indian hockey captain
 Prakash Padukone: All England Badminton champion
 Daya Nayak: sub-inspector with the Mumbai police force
 Aishwarya Rai: former Miss World, Bollywood actresss
 Shilpa Shetty: Bollywood actress
 Sunil Shetty: Bollywood actor, producer, hotelier and liquor and fashion boutique
owner
 Guru Dutt: Bollywood actor
 Deepika Padukone: Bollywood actress
 Prakash Raj: film actor, director, 2008 National Award winner
 Upendra: Kannada actor, director
 Ratnakaravarni: Kannada poet
 M. Govinda Pai: Kannada poet
 K. Shivaram Karanth: Kannada writer
 Gopalkrishna Adiga: Kannada writer
 Bannanje Govindacharya: vedic scholar
 Anant Pai: creator of Indian comic series Tinkle and Amar Chitra Katha
 M. V. Kamath: former Chairman Prasar Bharthi
 K. V. Kamath: former Chairman ICICI Bank
 V. T. Rajshekar: journalist, founder and editor of the Dalit Voice
 Sandeep Chowta: Bollywood and Tollywood music director, head of Columbia
Records in India
 Gurukiran: singer, music director in the Kannada film industry
 V. Manohar: lyricist, music composer
 B. V. Karanth: playwright, director
 Yograj Bhat: director
 Rohit Shetty: Bollywood director
 Santosh Rai Pathaje: cinematographer, director in the Kannada film industry
 Freida Pinto: model and actress best known for her portrayal of Latika in the 2009
film Slumdog Millionaire
 B. R. Shetty: businessman
 V. S. Acharya: Home Minister of Karnataka state
 Nitte Santosh Hegde: former justice of the Supreme Court of India
  Anushka Shetty: Telugu and Tamil film actress
 Eesha Narang: Bollywood actress (aka Isha Koppikar)
 Genelia D'Souza: Bollywood and South Indian actress
 Amrita Rao: Bollywood actress
 kacheri Sadanand Nayak:Chairman R S Co-operative Bank Ltd

Chandragiri River - The South-end of Tulu Nadu

[edit]