Suvarna Karnataka 50

Karnataka the land of Heritage, Culture and knowledge was called as Karunadu in ancient times. Kannada is most commonly spoken language in Karnataka. This year we are celebrating 50th Kannada Rajoystava. The modern state of Mysore came into existence by States Reorganisation Act (1956), with the incorporation of districts under the dominion of Bombay, Hyderabad, Madras State and Coorg within the existing state of Mysore State .This unified state was renamed as Karnataka on November 1, 1973. Karnataka is the 8th largest(192,000 km) Indian state by area with population 55,868,200. Karnataka took its present shape in 1956, when the states of Mysore and Coorg (Kodagu) were merged with the Kannada-speaking districts of the former states of Bombay and Hyderabad, and Madras. Mysore state was made up of ten districts, Bangalore, Kolar, Tumkur, Mandya, Mysore, Hassan, Chikmagalur (Kadur), Shimoga and Chitradurga; Bellary had been transferred from Madras state to Mysore in 1953, when the new state of Andhra Pradesh was created out of Madras' northern districts. Kodagu became a district, and Dakshina Kannada (South Kanara) district was transferred from Madras state, North Kanara, Dharwad, Belgaum, and Bijapur districts from Bombay state, and Bidar, Gulbarga, and Raichur districts from Hyderabad state. In 1989 Bangalore Rural district was split from Bangalore and in 1997 Bagalkot district from Bijapur, Chamrajnagar district from Mysore, Gadag district from Dharwad, Haveri district from Dharwad, Koppal district from Raichur, Udupi district from Dakshina Kannada, and Davanagere district was created from parts of Bellary, Chitradurga, Dharwad, and Shimoga. Karnataka is having 27 districts with different culture, linguistic style and climate as follows: 1. Bagalkot 2. Bangalore 3. Bangalore Rural 4. Belgaum 5. Bellary 6. Bidar 7. Bijpur 8. Chamarajanagar 9. Chikamagalur 10. Chitradurga 11. Davanagere 12. Dhaksina Kannada 13. Dharwad 14. Gadag 15. Gulbarga 16. Hassan 17. Haveri 18. Kodagu 19. Kolar 20. Koppal 21. Mandya 22. Mysore 23. Raichur 24. Shimoga 25. Tumkur 26. Udupi 27. Uttara Kannada

Bagalkot
Bagalkot was the capital of the Chalukyan Empire. The 12th century social reformist Basavanna, known for his crusade against caste exploitation was born in Koodalasangama, a village in Bagalkot.

Badami Cave Temples

Bagalkot known for its rock-cut Badami Cave temples which were sculpted between the 6th-8th centuries AD. Othe places like Aihole, Pattadakalli, Banavasi are prominant in the history of karnataka. The district is popular for its silk and handloom industries.

Bangalore
Bangalore(Bengaluru from 1st of Nov 2006 ), the current capital of Karnataka and Silicon City is the IT hub in India with a metropolitan population. Bangalore, built by Kempe Gowda in 1537 , is the architect of Modern Bangalore. The City attracts visitors with its pleasant weather, gardens and a shopping heaven. Bangalore has a population of more than 56 lakhs. Besides Kannada, which is the official language of the state, Bangaloreans are also comfortable with English, Hindi, Tamil, Telegu, etc.

Vidhana Souda

The City also has a great historical significance. It is known as Garden City of India from 1927 . 1906 Bangalore became the first city in India to have electricity. Bangalores main attaractions are Vidhanasouda, Lalbagh, Cubbon park ,Bannerghatta National Park , Vishveswaraya Industrial and Technological Museum , Bangalore Palace etc. The mushrooming IT industries, call centers have contributed to a steep hike in the economic growth of the city

Bangalore Rural
This district was formed in 1986. The district is endowed with agricultural and horticultural crops such as ragi, rice, groundnut, sugarcane, castor, grapes, mulberry, etc.

Ramanagar Hills

Ramanagar one of the taluks in Bangalore rural is famous for its rocks. Shivaramagiri, Yatirajagiri, Somagiri, Krishnagiri, Revannasiddeshwara Betta, Jalasiddeshwara Betta and Sidilakallu Betta are the seven hills that dot the landscape of this taluk. The Mega Block buster movie Sholay was shot here. The Bangalore Rural district is essentially an agriculture district but it has sufficient scope for industrialisation, dairy development and sericulture.

Belgaum
Belgaum is the Divisional Head quarter of North Karnataka. Kittur in Belgaum district is a place of historical importance. Rani Chennamma of Kittur (1778-1829) is known for her resistance to British rule.Now the Visveswaraih Technological University (VTU) is established in Belgaum.

Kitthuru Chennamma

Another historical site is the Pampa Sarovara, built in 1924 specially for the All India Congress Session which was presided by Mahatma Gandhi. Belgaum has some well laid out parks. Belgaum is also well known for the delicious sweet Kunda".

Bellary
Bellary takes its name from the word Balari which refers to goddess Durugamma. This district is related to some of events in the great epic Ramayana. It is said that Rama met Sugreeva and Hanuman at a place which is very near to Hampi. Bellary is endowed with rich mineral resources.

Hampi

Hampi was the capital city of Vijayanagar Empire. Krishnadevaraya was the greatest ruler of this empire. The glory and the ruins of Hampi will move anyone to tears. Hampi occupies a predominant place in the cultural map of Karnataka.

Bidar
Bidar is situated in the northern most part of Karnataka. It contains some significant tombs of the Bahamani kingdom. The most famous place to visit is Bidar fort which has Five darwazas (gates) with imposing bastions leading into a little town nesting within the ramparts.

Bidar Fort

Basavakalyana is 80 kms away from Bidar. Earlier it was known as Kalyani and was the capital of the later chalukayas in the 10th Century. Even today, Basavakalyan is remembered for the saints who made this city their home - Basaveshwara, Akka-mahadevi, Channabasavanna and Siddharama.

Bijapur
Bijapur is well known for the great monuments of historical importance built during the Adil Shahi dynasty. Think of Bijapur and the first thing that comes to the mind is Gol Gumbaz - the tomb of Mohammed Adil Shah.

Gol Gumbaz

Bijapur is the finest example for the Muslim dynasty tombs and buildings in Karnataka. The largely spoken language here is Urdu. There is a great communal harmony in this district. There are lots of monuments like Anand Mahal, the Mehtar Mahal, the Bara Kaman, the Gagan Mahal, the Amin Durgah, the Assar Mahal, the Chota Asar, the Faroukh Mahal, the Jahz Mahal, and the Jod Gumbaz.

Chamarajanagar
This district shares its border with Tamilnadu and Kerala. This district was derived from the current Mysore district. The southern part of the district is the dense Sandal wood forest region.

Male Mahadeshwara Temple

Bandipur National Park Places like Bandipur national park, B.R Hills are the major attractions for the visitors from all over the world. Chamarajanagar the home district of the legendary Kannada cinema actor Dr.Rajkumar.

Chikamagalur
Chickmagalur means Town of the younger daugther. This is known for this coffee estates, Tea estates and betelnut trees. Chikamagakur is rich in natural resources. The people here lead a comfortable life due to the richness of this land.

Sringeri Horanadu & Kudremukha

Chikamagalur boasts of must see place like Kemmangudi, Kudremukha and Bababudangiri. It also has some of famous temples like Annapoorneshwari, Goddess of food in Hornadu and Sringeri Sharada, Goddess of knowledge and wisdom.

Chitradurga
Chitradurga gets its name from Chitrakaldurga, an umbrella-shaped lofty hill found here . Chitradurga features bold rock hills and picturesque valleys, huge towering boulders in unimaginable shapes. It is also known as the "stone fortress" (Kallina Kote).

Inside Chitradurga Fort The place is renowned for its Kallina Kote which was built in parts by the Palegar Nayakas, Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan. It comprises of a series of seven enclosure walls (Yelu suttina Kote). This fort has 19 gateways, 38 posterior entrances, a palace, a mosque, oil pits, four secret entrances and water tanks. The bravery of Onake Obavva tale in the period of Madakari Nayaka is known to every proud Kannadiga.

Davanagere
Davanagere is derived from the word "DAVANA KERE" which means "Village of Lake" .It is famous for textiles, educational institutes. It is also called as Oxford of Karnataka.

Benne Dose

Davanagere is also very famous for its delicious Benne (Butter) Dose. Now it is available through out Karnataka with the same name. Textile industry has grown over the years and most of the wholesale merchants are located in Davangere.

Dhakshina Kannada
Dhakshina Kannada is also called as south canara. This district often called as Tulu Naadu, as Tulu is the majority language spoken in this district .Tulu has been written using Kannada script. Mangalore is the headquarter for Dhakshina Kannada and remains as one of the famous ports of India. Dharmasthala is the abode of the lord Manjunatha. It is known for its Dharma.

Mangalore is known for its beaches .The landscape is dominated by the characteristic coconut palms accompanying rolling hills and streams flowing into the sea. One of the major attractions of Dhakshina Kannada is Yakshagana, an elaborate dance - drama performance unique to Karnataka.

Dharwad
Dharwad is part of twin city Hubli-Dharwad. This is the second-most advanced district in Karnataka. Dharwad is at least 900 years old. Dharwad is the place of some famous poets, writers and Jnanapeeta award winners like Dr Da.Ra Bendre, Dr V.K .Gokak and Girish Karnad.

Karnataka University Dharwad Dharwad is well known for educational institutions, music, friendly people, Pedha, rotti, chutney and other things. It will be unfair if we missed out Hubli while knowing about Dharwad. Hubli is the commercial center of Dharwad district and important industrial centre, with more than 1000 allied small and medium industries established.

Gadag
Gadag an important cotton collection center, the sleepy little town comes to life during May and June. A number of late Chalukyan monuments (11th-12th centuries) in the city indicate its historic past.

The blind singer Ganayogi Panchakshari Gawayi belonged to Gadag. Kumara Vyasa (Naranappa) is one of the most famous poets in the Kannada language. He is the author of Karnata Bharata Kathamanjari, the classic Mahabharata in Kannada. Bhimsen Joshi, a Musical marvel born in Gadag. It also contains some Jain temples dedicated to Mahaveera which are very rare in rest of Karnataka. Temples are built in Chalukayan Style. Amriteswara temple in Annigeri near Gadag is built in black stone.

Gulbarga
Gulbarga which was known as Kalburgi (filled with stones) earlier, Gulbarga was the capital of the Bahmani Kings. The Jami or Jumma Masjid located inside the old fort was built by a Moorish architect around the 15th century, in imitation of the great mosque in Cordova, Spain. Uniquely built, it has a huge dome canopying the entire era, four smaller domes and 75 smaller ones.

Jumma Masjid

Gulbarga has a number of interesting buildings including Jumma Masjid. Gulbarga is a unique synthesis of two cultures. Sri Sharanabasaveshwar Temple and the Khwaja Bande Nawaz form the pilgrimage for Hindu and Muslims respectively.

Hassan
Hassan district is also known as Malnad (Mountain ranges). Hassan is primarily known worldwide for its Hoysala Architecture and is a veritable treasure trove of about fifty sculptural marvels tucked inside several villages and towns of the district. Belur and Halebidu are two world famous places that were ruled by the Hoysala and Ganga Dynasties.

Belur Chennakeshawa Temple

Hassan is also well known nationally for modern technology. The Master Control Facility of the Indian Space Research Organization is located here. H.D Devegowda first prime mister from karnataka is from Hassan District. Hassan is really amazing place with the mixute of natural and man made beauty . Hassan is also called as Poor man's Ooty. Its Bisle ghat is smilar to the scenic beauty of the Nilgiri district.

Haveri
Haveri is situated exactly at the center of Karnataka with the equal distance from Bidar North of Karnataka and Kollegal South of Karnataka. Before it was made district it was part of Dharwad. Bada village where the great saint Kanakadasa was born is situated in the district.

Kanakadasa(15091609)

Kanakadasa was one of the devotees of Krishna and influenced the Vaishnava bhakti movement in Karnataka.He has composed a lot of bhajans. His works are renowed for both literary and spiritual depths.

Kodagu
Kodagu (Coorg) is known as Kashmir of Karnataka. Birth place of Thaayi Kaveri, sacred river of Karnataka and Tamilnaadu. Majority of people in Coorg are known as Kodavas. Kodavas have many cultural differences from other communities in southern India. Coorg has the pride pf producing maximum number of soldier to The Indian Army.

Talakaveri (Kaveris Birth place)

Coorgs coffee and Oranges are famous through out the world. Wild life sanctuarie like Nagarahole and Kaveri Nisargadhama are situated in Kodagu . There are so many waterfalls like Abbey and Irpu falls in Coorg. Bylukuppe, is one of largest Tibetian settlements in south India. Field Marshal Kariappa first Commander-in-Chief of the Independent Indian Army was born at Shanivarsanthe in erstwhile Coorg.

Kolar
As we remember Kolar, Gold mines will come to our mind. Even though mining has stopped these days we still co-relate Kolar with Gold. It is said that the sage Valmiki the author of Ramayana lived here. Parashurama son of Jamadagni was leaving in the SataSringa Parvata or Hundred peaked Mountain to the west of Kolar.

Koti Linga

KGF Kolar Gold Field is the champion mine, which is the deepest mine in the world. Kolar has some of sacred palaces like Koti Lingeswara (one core Shiva lingas). Someswara temple is one of the finest piece of Vijayanagar style architecture style.

Koppal
Koppal is a new district carved out of Raichur. Anegundi was first capital of Vijayanagar Dynasty. During Ashoka's period, the Jainism gained greater momentum in this region. Therefore, it was called "Jainkashi". In twelth century A.D. Veerashaivaism of Social Reformer Basaveshwara became popular.

TungaBhadra Dam.

Tungabhadra dam is one of the major attraction of the district .Anegundi (Elephant Pit) is the place where elephants of Vijaynagara kings were kept. It is situated on the left bank of Tungabhadra River.

Mandya
Mandya is popularly known as the sugar town. Sugar cane is the main crop in Mandya district. The district is home to the famous Brindavan Gardens, at the Krishna Raja Sagar reservoir. The Shivana Samudram waterfalls was the first hydroelectricity generation plant in Asia(started in 1905). Srirangapatna was capital city of Tippu sultan and famous for its Ranganatha Temple, Ranganathittu bird Sanctuary.

Brindavan garden and Melukote

The specialty of Mandya is each and every village has a statue of Sir M.Vishweshwariah, the architect of KRS, in remembrance of the great brain that made Mandya a green land with 365 days water supply to each and every village. Sir M.Vishweshwariah is known as architect of the Mysore State.

Mysore
Mysore is the Palace City and the Cultural capital of Karnataka. Mysore was the capital of Wodeyar Dynasty and rich in its cultural wealth. Mysore is famous for Dasara festival (state festival (Naada habba)) held every year and Sandalwood crafts and products. The name Mysore anglicized version of Mahishuru which is derived from the fact that the demon king Mahisha was killed by Goddess Chamdundeshwari here.

Mysore

Mysore is full of palaces and almost all the government offices now in Mysore were once a Palace. The main attractions are Chamundi hill, Lalith Mahal, JaganMohana Palace. Mysore is famous for it Spirutal tourism as well. Darbar of Mysore raja during Navaratri is unique in India. Mysore is famous for its Sandal wood crafts and Products. Mysore is known for its tourism with some of the places like Talkad , Somanthpur and Triveni sangama(Kaveri,Kapila and Spatika) at T.Narasipur and Nanjangud.

Raichur
The thermal power production plant at Shaktinagar in this district caters to a large portion of electricity consumption in Karnataka. Raichur District is one of few places in India where gold resources are present. Hutti gold mines one of the only few gold mines is situated in Raichur District.

Thermal Power station Historically alluded to as the 'Do-aab' meaning 'two rivers,' this district is ensconced between the Krishna on the North and the Tungabhadra on the South. Fertile rivers are responsible for the abundant agricultural prospects in the distict. Pampa lake and Kamal Mahal are tuorist attractions of the district .

Shimoga
Shimoga is derived from Shivamukha, meaning "Face of Shiva". It is also said that the name is derived from the term Sihimoge meaning sweet pot. Shimoga district is considered as the heartland of Kannada language and culture. It is also known as the "Gateway to Malnad or Malenaada Hebbagilu in Kannada.

Jog Falls The Western Ghats or Sahyadri range and the numerous rivers that originate there provide Shimoga with abundant natural beauty. It has contributed two Jnanapeeth awardees, Kuvempu and U.R. Ananthamurthy. Shimoga continues to produce prolific Kannada scholars, novelists, film directors, dramatists and statesmen. The Jogfalls is the glory of Shimoga.

Tumkur
Tumkur is believed to have been mutated possibly from "Tumbe uuru" due to the abundance of Tumbe huuvu a kind of flower. Tumkur has good education institutions in Technology, Medicine, Dental, Pharmacy and also Nursing . Sri Siddaganga Mutt is well known for its spiritual and service oriented culture . The mutt is providing education and free hostel facility to children from poor backgroud.

Devarayana Durga Devarayana Durga is a beautiful hill station with thick forest. Cocunuts of Tiptur are well known through out Karnataka. Yediyur is place where temple of God Siddalingeswara is situated. Shivagange and Siddagange are some of the place which are considered as sacred. Dr. Raja Ramanna born in Tumkur, was an Indian nuclear scientist and was associated with the country's first nuclear test in 1974.

Udupi
Udupi is famous for its Shree Krishna temple . A tale cites that idol of lord krishna turned around to grant darshan to its devotee Kanakadasa. He was not allowed to enter the temple because Kanakadasa belonged to a lower caste. Madhwacharya established the eight Sanyasi Mutts (Ashta mutta) at Udupi .

Udupi Temple Sri Madhwacharya,one of the greatest proponents of the Vaishnava faith began his philosophical journey from Udupi . Udupi restaurants that are popular all over India and have found its way into other countries also. Udupi restaurants are typically south Indian vegetarian restaurants. Malpe is a beach town and lies on the shores of the Arabian Sea an important fishing harbour situated very close to Udupi.

Uttara Kannada
Uttara Kannada is also called as North canara. Kannada and Konkani are the major languages spoken in this district. It is bounded by the Western Ghats. Indias eleventh nuclear power reactor - Unit 2 of the Kaiga Atomic Power Station is situated here. Uttara Kannada is contributing to the Indian Naval army with Sea Bird naval project.

Uttara Kannada

One of the proverbs says Sokkidhavanu Yanakke hogutaane, rokkiddhavanu Gokarna ke hoguthane means The one with tremendous guts and determination goes to Yana and the one with money bags goes to Gokarna. This Yana a trekking spot is situated in Uttara Kannada. The Madhukeshvara and Veerabhadra temples at Banavasi and beach temple at Murdeshvara are famous. Recently a 5th century copper coin was discovered here with an inscription in the Kannada script, one of the oldest such coins ever discovered.

Famous Personalities of Karnataka

This document is an effort to introduce Karnataka and its Districts on the eve of 50th Kannada Rajyotsava (November 1st, 2006) for all People who live in Karnataka. The information provided is accurate to the best of my knowledge, any corrections are appreciated.

Thanks and Regards, Jnanesh.C.M Please send you opinion and comments to cm.jnanesh@gmail.com

Jai Hind

Jai Karnataka