Karnataka

Karnataka

History of Karnataka

Karnataka's pre-history dated back to a paleolithic hand-axe culture. Gold which is discovered in Harappa, hypothesize about contacts between ancient Karnataka and the Indus Valley Civilization. Karnataka region was ruled by Nanda Empire, Mauryan Empire, Satavahana, Kadambas and Western Gangas. In 1950, the Maharaja, Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar, allowed his kingdom's accession to India and he served as its Rajpramukh until 1975. On 1st November 1956, state of Mysore was formed. It was renamed as Karnataka in 1973.

Geography of Karnataka

Karnataka is located on the south western part of India. Karnataka shares it border with the Arabian Sea, Laccadive Sea, Goa, Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala. Karnataka is spread in an area of 191791 sq kms making it the seventh largest state in the country. Karnataka has three principal geographical zones namely the coastal region of Karavali, The hilly Malenadu region, The Bayaluseeme region. Kaveri, Tungabhadra, Krishna, Malaprabha and the Sharavathi are the important rivers in the state.

Government and Administration of Karnataka

For administrative purposes, Karnataka has been divided into four revenue divisions, 49 sub-divisions, 30 districts, 175 taluks and 745 revenue circles. Indian National Congress, the Janata Dal and Bharatiya Janata Party are the major political parties in the state. Karnataka legislative assembly consists of 224 members. Karnataka contributes 28 members to the Indian Assembly in which four are reserved for Scheduled Castes.

Language and Culture of Karnataka

Karnataka’s culture was shaped by Mauryas, Chalukyas, the Hoysalas and the Vijayanagar Empire. Karnataka is home of various tribes like Kodavas, Konkanis, and Tuluvas. Wood carving, doll making, ivory carving, stone carving and sandalwood crafts are the famous crafts in the state. Kunitha is the traditional dance form of Karnataka. Bhootha Aradhane, Krishna Parijatha and Nagamandala are the different folk dance forms. Carnatic and Hindustani styles of music made huge contribution to the Indian classical music. Bisi Bele Bath, Ginger-Masala Tea, Majjige Huli, Mysore Bonda, Uppittu are some of the famous cuisines in the state. Kannada is widely spoken in the state followed by Tulu, Kodava, Konkani Sankethi, Urdu, Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and English.

Education Status of Karnataka

Karnataka has a literacy rate of 75.6%. Karnataka has two Sainik Schools, one in Kodagu and other in Bijapur. Bangalore University, Kuvempu University, Gulbarga University, Karnatak University, Mangalore University and Mysore University are the universities in the state. 481 degree colleges are afflicted to one of the above mentioned universities. Karnataka has 186 engineering, 39 medical and 41 dental colleges in the state. Karnataka houses some of the premier educational institutions like the Indian Institute of Management, the Indian Institute of Science, the National Institute of Technology Karnataka and the National Law School of India University.

Economy of Karnataka

GDP of Karnataka was 58.23 billion in the fiscal 2008-2009. Karnataka contributed 5.6% to India’s GDP in 2004-2005. Karnataka has 4.94% of unemployment. Karnataka houses many industries in India like National Aerospace Laboratories, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, Bharat Earth Movers Limited, Indian Telephone Industries, and HMT. Many of India's premier science and technology research centers, like Indian Space Research Organization, Central Power Research Institute, Bharat Electronics Limited and the Central Food Technological Research Institute are housed in the state.

Tourism in Karnataka

Karnataka ranks fourth in the popular destination for tourism among Indian states. State has 752 monuments protected by the State Directorate of Archaeology and Museums. They are another 25,000 monuments which are yet to receive protection. The monuments of Pattadakal and the ruins of the Vijayanagara Empire at Hampi are on the list of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites. State has 25 wildlife sanctuaries and five national parks including Bandipur National Park, Bannerghatta National Park and Nagarhole National Park. The waterfalls of Karnataka and Kudremukh are listed as must-see places and among the "1001 Natural Wonders of the World". Several beaches are their along the coastline.

Festivals Celebrated in Karnataka

The Karaga festival is celebrated on the full moon day of Chaitra, in honor of Draupadi. The Hampi festival of dance and music is celebrated on the first week of November to showcase the talents of local artists. Ugadi is considered as the Kannada New Year which is celebrated in March end or April starting. The Hoysala Mahotsava is a dance festival celebrated in the month of March. Apart from these all the major festivals in India are celebrated.