Explore Karnataka

 

Karnataka is an enchanting land abounding in scenic beauty, rich is flora and fauna. It has pomp and pageantry of glorious traditions and marvels of modern engineering.
The State Cabinet, which has decided to bring tourist activities under the priority sector, has come out with a host of new plans including offering government land to entrepreneurs at 50 per cent of the market value to establish resorts and privatising the managements of government guest houses.
 This was decided in April 2002. The government would be creating infrastructure in tourist places so that entrepreneurs could open resorts, hotels, amusement parks etc. One of the major attractions offered to entrepreneurs was to make available government land in all places barring in Bangalore City, at 50 per cent of the market value for opening resorts/hotels and for carrying out tourist related activities.
The Tourism Department would be identifying the government land available. If entrepreneurs fail to implement their plans within a stipulated time, then the government would forfeit the land. The government would be offering four per cent tax concession for three years on aviation fuel to encourage domestic aviation industries to operate flights to district headquarters in the State. The government would be underwriting certain number of tickets so that the industries would have assured revenue.
The government would be using airstrips in Bidar, Belgaum, Hubli, Mangalore, Bellary and Harihar. The air strips in Mysore and Gulbarga would be strengthened and the government will also build airstrips in Bijapur, Raichur, Karwar, Shimoga and Gulbarga. Nandi Hills, Bridavan Gardens, Kemmanagundi, Jog Falls , Badami, Aihole, Pattadakal, Belur & Halebedu, Shravanabelagola, Bijapur , Hampi , Gokarna and Karwar would be treated as major tourist spots.
The government would be developing Bangalore as a tourist destination by promoting adventure sports, creating high-end accommodation and allowing private parties to manage tanks like Ulsoor, Sankey, Madiwala, Bellandur etc.
Karnataka's manifold attractions include everything that interests the tourists. The wild game sanctuaries at Bandipur, Nagarhole and Dandeli, the Ranganathittu Bird's Sanctuary. 5 Kms from Srirangapatna which is itself a well known tourist center, hill stations like Nandhi Hills and Kemmannagundi and Mercara, beach resorts like Karwar, Ullal, Malpe and Maravanthe, the world famous Brindavan Gardens at Krishnarajasagara, the monolithic statue of Gommateshwara at Sharavanabelagola, Gol Gumbaz with its whispering gallery at Bijapur, the Jog falls and other water falls at Shiva Samudram, Magod, Unchelli or Lushington near Siddapur, Lalguli at Yallapur and other places indicate the variety and richness of the attractions that Karnataka State holds out to the tourists.
There are many places of historic and religious importance. The great Acharyas, Shankara, Ramanuja and Madhwa, preached in this region. Great reformers like Sri Basaveshwara, mathematicians like Baskaracharaya, commentators like Sayana, saint poiets like Purandaradasa and Kanakadasa, great writers like Pampa, Harihara and Kumara Vyasa have all enriched the heritage of Karnataka.
The temples at Aihole, Badami and Pattadakal in Bijapur district have great significance for all lovers of art. The temples of Halebedu, Belur and Somanathapura are great architectural achievements - the like of which are rarely seen in any part of the world.
The profusion of artistic skill is bewildering in its range and exquisiteness. At Hampi [Bellary district] one can see Indian sculpture in all its richness and vitality.
The Muslims and Christians in ages past have made no mean contribution to the enrichment of art and architecture in Karnataka. The Gol Gumbaz and Ibrahim-Roza at Bijapur, the Daria Daulat Bagh (Summer Palace) of Tippu Sultan at Srirangapatna, the Khwaja Bandenawaz Darga at Gulbarga are someof their remarkable contributions.
The churches at Mysore, Mangalore, Bangalore and Bijapur indicate the contribution of Christians to the great repertoire of Karnataka's culture. With all these manifold attractions a visit to Karnataka State is always memorable.
In August 2004, the State Government decided to form Kaginele Development Authority (KDA) to protect all the monuments and the documents related to Kanaka Das. KDA will be formed on the lines of Koodal Sangam Development Authority which was formed to save and protect all the monuments of 12th Century. Also, Kaginele, which is the birth place of Kanaka Das a great saint from Kuruba community, will be developed. The govt has decided to form Basava Kalyan Development Authority to protect the ruins of 12th Century.
Tourist information on Karnataka is now available across the country over a toll-free telephone number. The toll free number is 1-600-44-1414 and the service is provided nine hours a day, from 09:00 hrs (IST) 18:00 hrs (IST) round the year. The office is closed on Tuesdays.
The State-run Jungle Lodges and Resorts Limited (JRL) is into eco and adventure tourism - river raftin, scuba diving and jungle treks. With several strategically located properties acros the State and many more inthe offing, JRL is increasingly becoming the eco-tourism face of Karnataka. One of their offering is to spend time with elephants at the Dubare camp.

Geography of Karnataka

Location

Karnataka is located in the western half of the Deccan plateau surrounded by Andhra Pradesh in the east, Maharashtra in the north and Tamil Nadu and Kerala to the south. Physiograpically, the state forms a part of two well defined macro regions of Indian Union; the Deccan Plateau and the Coastal plains and Islands. The State has four physiographic regions viz. Northern Karnataka Plateau, Central Karnataka Plateau, Southern Karnataka Plateau and Karnataka Coastal Region.


Climate
 
Karnataka enjoys a salubrious climate throughout the year. The state like all other states of the country experiences typical tropical climate comprising of three distinct seasons. The chief attraction is the city Bangalore itself. Bangalore is sometime called as “The Air-Conditioned City of the Country”.

The state receives its annual quota of rainfall during the winter and summer monsoons. The tropical monsoon climate continues from June to September which covers the entire coastal belt and its adjoining areas.

The climate gets little humid during the months of April and May. The monsoon starts at the beginning of May and continues for 3-4 months. Due to its tropical climate the state experiences heat waves during April/May and extensive rainfall during June to August. The winters are not too cold but pleasant enough.

Connectivity

Karnataka, one of India’s most developed states, is well connected by a wide network of air, rail and road with important destinations of the country as well as of the globe. Bangalore being the capital of the state is well connected by air,rail and road.

By Air: The state has 6 airports located in Bangalore, Mangalore, Hampi, Hubli, Mysore, Belgaum and Bijapur. The Mysore airport is not operational at the moment. Bangalore has an international airport that operates flights to important destinations across the globe.

By Rail: Karnataka has a well maintained network of rails connecting important destinations of the state. Bangalore is the most important railhead, served with express and super-fast trains to/from different parts of the country.

By Road: The excellent road network of the state offers a comfortable and hassle free journey to the visitors by bus or car. Major cities and tourist destinations of South India can be approached byroad from Bangalore.


Natchural Resources
 

Forests:

Karnataka’s forests reserves account only 20 % of the total geographical area of the state. These forests are classified as reserved (28.611 sq. km) protected (3,932 sq. km), unclosed (5,748 sq. km), village (124 sq. km) and private (309 sq. km) forests. Karnataka is known for its valuable timbers from the evergreen forests in the Western Ghat region, notably Teak and Rosewood which are used in decorating interiors of the homes.


Rivers:

Karnataka accounts for a significant percentage of the country's surface water resources i.e. nearly 6% (17 Lakh million cubic meters). About 40 percent of this is available in the east flowing rivers and the remaining from the west flowing rivers.

There are seven river basins in Karnataka, formed by the Krishna, Cauvery, Godavari, West flowing rivers, North Pennar, South Pennar & Palar.


Minerals:

Karnataka is blessed with rich mineral resources distributed more or less evenly in the whole territory. The state is the major producer of gold in the country with the two major mines located in the districts of Kolar and Raichur. The gold mines at Kolar and Hutti are producing about 3,000 kg of gold, about 84% of countries production per annum. Karnataka also has very rich deposits of Iron and Manganese ores. The total reserve of high grade iron ore available in the State are of the order of 1,000 Million tones.

The State is endowed with rich deposits of asbestos, bauxite, chromite, dolomite, gold, iron ore, kaolin, limestone, magnesite, Manganese, ochre, quartz and silica sand. It is also the sole producer of felsite, moulding sand (63%) and fuchsite quartzite (57%). Karnataka has also the fame of having standard Ornamental Granites with different hues. It has granite rock's spread over 4200 Sq. kms.

Karnataka: PIN Codes and Postals

CITY	PIN CODES
Ankola	581 314
Bangalore	See List of Bangalore PIN
Bangalore - Cox Town	560 005
Bellary	583 101
Belgaum	590 001
Belgaum	590 002
Belgaum - Shahapur	590 003
Belgaum	590 004
Belgaum - Vadgaon	590 005
Belgaum - Tilakwadi	590 006
Belgaum - Angol	590 007
Belgaum	590 008
Belgaum	590 009
Belgaum	590 010
Belgaum	590 011
Belgaum	590 012
Belgaum	590 013
Belgaum	590 014
Belgaum	590 015
Belgaum	590 016
Belgaum - Hindalga	591 108
Bijapur - GPO	586 101
Bijapur - BLDEA's Medical College, Solapur Road Post Office	583 102
Bijapur - Railway Station Road Post Office	583 103
Chikmagalur	577 101
Doddaballapur	561 203
Gangavathi	583 227
Mangalore	575 001
Mysore	570 001
Mandya	571 401
Sindhanur	584 128
Sirsi	581 401
Udupi	576 101
Brahmavara	576 213
Chitradurga	577501
Doddametikurke	573117

                                    Facts and Figures of Karnataka: 

Date of Formation	1/11/1956
Total Area	1, 91,791 sq km
Area under forests	38724 sq km
Latitude	11.5 degree and 18.5-degree North
Longitude	74 degree and 78.5-degree East
Capital	Bengaluru (or Bangalore)
No. of Lok Sabha seats	28
No. of Assembly seats	224
No. of Districts	27
Largest City	Bangalore
Revenue Divisions	4
Revenue Sub-Divisions	49
Revenue Taluks	175
Revenue Villages	27,028
Population (2001)	52,850,562
Population Density	275 per sq. km
Male population	26,898,918
Female population	25,951,644
Sex Ratio	965 females per 1000 males
Literacy rate	66.60%
Per Capita Income (03-04)	Rs 21696
Religions	Hindus, Jains, Muslims, Christians
Language (s) spoken	Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Hindi & English
Time zone	IST (UTC +5:30)
Temperature	Min. 6 °C; Max. 40 °C
Average Rainfall	varies from 50 cm to 350 cm
Best Time to visit	September to February
Railway track length	3,089 km
Road length	1, 37,500 Km
National Highways length	2,587 Km

History of Karnataka

A Pre-historic Brief:
The pre-historic culture of Karnataka, the hand-axe culture, compares favourable with the one that existed in Africa and is quite distinct from the pre-historic culture of North India. The early inhabitants of Karnataka knew the use of iron far earlier than the North, and iron weapons, dating back to 1200 B.C have found at Hallur in Dhaward district.

Early rulers:
The early rulers of Karnataka were predominantly from North India. Parts of Karnataka were subject to the rule of the Nandas and the Mauryas.
The Shathavahanas (30 B.C to 230 A.D of paithan) ruled over extensive areas in Northern Karnataka. Karnataka fell into the hands of the Pallavas of Kanchi. Pallavas domination was ended by indigenous dynasties, the Kadambas of Banavasi and the Gangas of Kolar, who divided Karnataka between themselves.
The Kadambas
The Kadamba Dynasty was founded by Mayurasharman in c. 345 A.D. Subjected to some kind of humiliation at the Pallava capital, this young brahmin gave up his hereditary priestly vacation and took to the life of a warrior and revolted aganist the Pallavas. The Pallavas were forced to recognise him as a sovereign when he crowned himself at Banavasi in Uttar Kannada Dt. One of his successors, Kakustha Varman (c. 435-55) was such a powerful ruler that even the Vakatakas and the guptas cultivated martial relationship with this family during his time. The great poet Kalidasa deems to have visited his court.
The Gangas
The Gangas started their rule from c. 350 from Kolara and later their capital was shifted to Talakadu (Mysore Dt.). Till the advent of the Badami Chalukyas, they were almost a sovereign power. Later they continued to rule ove Gangavadi (which comprised major parts of South Karnataka) till the close of the 10th century as subordinates of the Badami Chalukyas and the Rastrakutas.
The Badami Chalukyas
It is the Chalukyas of Badami who brought the whole of Karnataka under a single rule. They are also remembered for their contributions in the feild of art. Their monuments are found at Badami, Aihole and Pattadakal. The first great prince of the dynasty was Pulikeshin I (c. 540-66 A.D) who built the ashwamedha (horse sacrifice) after subduing many rulers including the Kadambas.
His grandson, Pulikeshin II (609-42) built a vast empire which extended from Narmada in the north to the Cauveri in the south. In the east, he overthrew the Vishnukundins and appointed his younger brother Vishnuvardhana, the voceroy of Vengi.
The Chalukyan empire included not only the whole of karnataka and Maharashtra, but the greater part of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Andra, and also parts of Orissa and Tamilnadu. Vikramaditya II (693-734) in the line defeated the Pallavas, entered the Pallava capital Kanchi victorious. The Chalukyan power was weakened in the long run by its wars with the Pallavas.
The Rastrakutas
In 753, Danthidurga, the Rastrakuta feudatory of the Chalukyas, overthrew the Chalukya king Keerthivarman II, and his family inherited the fortunes of the Chalukyas. The engraving of the celebrated monolithic Kailas temple at Ellora (now in Maharshtra) is attribuited to Danthidurga's uncle, Krishna I (756-74). Krishna's son, Dhruva (780-93) crossed the Narmada, and after defeating celebrated princes like Vathsaraja (of the Gurjara Pratheehara family of central India) and Dharmapala of Bengal, extracted tribute from the ruler of Kanauji, 'the seat of India's paramountry'. His son Givinda III (793-814) also repeated the feast when he defeated Nagabhata II, the Gujara Pratheehara and Dharmapala of Bengal and again extracted tribute from the King of Kanauj.The achievements of the Chalukyas of Badami and the Rastrakutas by defeating the rulers of Kanauj have made their erathe "Age of Imperial Karnataka".
The Kalyana Chalukyas
The Chalukyas of Kalyana overthrew the Rastrakutas in 973, Someshwara I (10432068), succeeded in resisting the efforts of the Cholas to subdue Karnataka, and he built a new capital, Kalyana (mordern Basava Kaluyana in Bidar Dt.) The Chola king Rajadhiraja was killed by him at Koppar in 1054.
His son Vikramaditya VI (10762127) has been celebrated in history as the patron of the great jurist Vijnaneshwara, (work: mitakshara, standard work on Hindu law), and the emperor has been immortalised by poet Dilhana (haling from Kashmir) who chose this prince himself as the hero for his sanskrit poem, Vikramankadeva Charitam. Vikramaditya defeated the Paramaras of Centeral India thrice. In the South he captured Kanchi from the Cholas in 1085, and in the East, he conqured Vengi in 1093. His commander, Mahadeva built the Mahadeva temple at Itagi (Raichur Dt.) the finest Chalukyan monument. His son Someshwara III (1127-39) was a great scholar. He has written Manasollasa, a sanskrit encyclopedia and Vikrmankabhyudayam, a peom of which his father is the hero,
The Sevunas
The Sevunas (or Yadavas) who were foundatories of the Rastrakutas and the chalukyas of Kalyana, became a sovereign power from the days of Bhillama V (1173-92) who founded the new capital Devagiri (modern Daulathabad in Maharastra). Bhillama V captured Kalyana in 1186, and later clashed with Hoysala Ballala II at Sorarturu in 1190. Though he lost the battle.He built a vast kingdom, extending from the Narmada to the Krishna. His son Jaitugi (1192-99) not only defeated Parmara Subhata varma, but also killed the Kakatiya kings of Orangal, Rudra and Mahadeva.
Singhana II (11992247), the greatest of the Sevunas, extended the Sevuna kingdom upto the Tungabhadra. But the Servunas were defeated by the army of the Delhi Sultan in 1296, and again in 1307 and finally in 1318, and thus the kingdom was wiped out. The Sevunas have become in immortal in history by the writings of the mathematician Baskarasharya, of the great writer on music, Sharngadeva, and of the celebrated scholar Hemadri.
The Hoysalas
The Hoyasala continued the great traditions of their art-loving overlords the Kalyana Chalukyas, and their fine temples are found at Beluru, Helebidu and Somanathapura. Vishnuvardhana (11082141) freed Gangavadi from the Cholas (who had held it from 999), and in commemoration of his victory, built the celebrated Vijayanarayana (Chennakeshva) Temple at Belur.
His commander Katamalla built the famous Hoysaleshwara temple at Halebidu.
Though Vishnuvardhana did not succeed in his serious effort to overthrow the Chalukyan yoke, his grandson Balla II (11732220) not only became free, but even defeated Sevuna Bhillama V at Soraturu in 1190, after having defeated Chalukyas Someshwara IV in 1187. When the Cholas were attacted by the Pandyas in Tamilnadu, Balla II drove the Pandyas back and thus assumed the title "Establisher of the Chola Kingdom". Later, in the days of his son Narasimha II (1120-35), Hoysalas even secured a foothold in Tamilnadu and Kuppam, near Srirangam became a second capital of the Hoysalas.
Ballala III (12912343), the last Hoysala, had to struggle hard to hold his own against the invasion of the Delhi Sultan. He died fighting the Sultan of Madhurai. It was his commanders, Harihara and Bukka, who founded the Vijayanagra Kingdom, which later grew to be an empire. Hoyasala age saw great kannada poets like Rudrabhatta, Janna, Harihara and Raghavanka. Hoysala temples at Beluru, Halebidu, Somanathapur, Arasikere, Amritapura etc., are wonderful works of art.
Vijayanagara Empire
When the armies of the Delhi Sultanate destroyed the four great kingdom of the south (the Sevunas, Kakatiyas of Orangal, Hoysalas and of the Pandyas of Madhurai) it looked as if a political power following a religion quite alien to the South was going to dominate the peninsula. Many princes including heroic Kumara Rama, a fudatory from Kamapila in Bellary dist. perished while resisting the onslaughts. When the Vijayanagara Kingdom was founded by the Sangama brothers, people wholeheartedly supported them. Tradition says that sage Vidyaranya had caused a shower of gold to finance the Sangama brothers. Perphaps the sage succeeded in securing financial help from various quarters for the founders of Vijayanagara . Harisha founded the kingdom in about 1336, and he secured control over northern parts of Karnataka and Andhra iron coasts. After the death of Ballala III (1343) and his son Virupaksha Ballala (in 1346), the whole of the Hoysala dominion came under his control. His brother Bukka (1356-77) succeeded in destroying the Madhurai Sultanate. It is this prince who sponsored the writing of the monumental commentary on the vedas: Vedarthaprakasha; the work was completed in the days of his son Harihara II (13772404)
Krishnadevaraya (15092529) was the greatest emperor during his time. He was also a great warrior, scholar and administrator. He secured Raichur Doab in 1512, and later marched victorious into the capitals of his enemies like Bidar (1512) Bijapur (1523) and in the East, Cuttack (1518), the capital of the Gajapatis. His rule saw the reign of peace and prosperity.
In the days of Aravidu Ramaraya (1542-65), Krishnadevaraya's son-in-law, the four Shashi Sultans attacked the empire, and after killing Ramarya at Rallasathangadi (Rakkasagi-Tangadagi) in 1565, destroyed the capital Vijayanagara.
The Last Rulers:
With the weakening of the Mughul power in the North, the Marathas came to have control over the northern districts of Karnataka. Haidar Ali, Who used power from the Wodeyars of Mysore, merged the Keladi Kingdom in Mysore in 1763. Karnataka came under British rule after the overthrow of Tipu, Haidar's son in 1799 and the Marathas in 1818 (When the Peshwa was defeated). After having been subjected to a number of administrations during the British rule, Karnataka became a single state in 1956.

About Karnataka

About Karnataka

            The Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as the State of Mysore, it was renamed Karnataka in 1973.

          Karnataka 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 191,976 square kilometres (74,122 sq mi), or 5.83% of the total geographical area of India. It is the eighth largest Indian state by area, the ninth largest by population and comprises 30 districts. Kannada is the official and most widely spoken language.

         The two main river systems of the state are Krishna and its tributaries (Bhima, Ghataprabha, Vedavati, Malaprabha, and Tungabhadra) in the north, and the Cauvery and its tributaries (Hemavati, Shimsha, Arkavathi, Lakshmana Thirtha and Kabini) in the south. Both these rivers flow eastward and fall into 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 (black) and nadu (region), as a reference to the black cotton soil found in the Bayaluseeme region of Karnataka. The British used the word Carnatic (sometimes Karnatak) to describe both sides of peninsular India, south of the Krishna River.

        With an antiquity that dates to the paleolithic, Karnataka has also been home to some of the most powerful empires of ancient and medieval India[citation needed]. The philosophers and musical bards patronised by these empires launched socio-religious and literary movements which have endured to the present day. Karnataka has contributed significantly to both forms of Indian classical music, the Carnatic (Karnataka Music) and Hindustani traditions. Writers in the Kannada language have received the most number of Jnanpith awards in India. Bangalore is the capital city of the state and is at the forefront of the rapid economic and technological development that India is experiencing ........