About Karnataka

Karnataka is a state in the southern part of India. It was formed on November 1, 1956, based on the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as the State of Mysore, it was renamed Karnataka in 1973.

It is the eighth largest Indian state by area, the ninth largest by population and comprises 29 districts. On the west of the state is Arabian Sea, Goa on the northwest, Maharashtra towards north, Andhra Pradesh to the east, Tamil Nadu to the southeast, and Kerala to the southwest.

Karnataka has also been home to some of the most powerful empires of ancient India. The Chalukyas, Kadambas, Rastrakutas, Hoysalas, Gangas, Vijayanagar Rajas, Hyder, Tippu and the Wodeyars have left their king-sized footprints on its sands. Great philosophers and musical bards patronised by these empires launched socio-religious and literary movements which have endured to the present day.

Kannada is the official and most widely spoken language of the State. It is one of the major Dravidian languages of India, It is the 27th most spoken language in the world, with native speakers called Kannadigas numbering roughly around 35 million. The first written record in the Kannada language is traced to Emperor Ashoka's Brahmagiri edict dated 230 BC. The Kannada language is written using the Kannada script. The other native languages of Karnataka, Tulu, Kodava Takk and Konkani are also written using the Kannada script.

Bangalore is the capital city of the state and is at the forefront of the rapid economic and technological development that India is experiencing. Karnataka has contributed significantly to both forms of Indian classical music, the Carnatic and Hindustani traditions. Contemporary Kannada literature is the most successful in India, with India's highest literary honor, the Jnanpith awards, having been conferred seven times upon Kannada writers, which is the highest for any language in India.

Karnataka is rich in art, culture and tradition, be it the ruins of the monuments or the pilgrim centers, it has always inspired the thousands of art lovers, philosophers and devotees for generations. Some of the monuments are worth seeing and some even have been identified by the UNESCO as the world heritage sites. Karnataka has a long coastline dotted with exotic beaches. How, one can forget about Karnataka's forests & wildlife that are priceless natural heritage. Karnataka also boasts of the highest plunge waterfalls in India that is none other than the "Jog falls or Gerusoppe jalapata".

* Monuments : Shravanabelagola, Srirangapatna, Hampi, Belur, Halebid, Bijapur, Aihole, Badami, Pattadakal.

*Pilgrim Centers: Sringeri, Dharmastala, Udupi, Gokarna, Katil, Kollur, Kukke Subramanya

*Hill stations: Kudremukh, Madikeri, Kemman Gundi, Nandi hills

* Beaches: Karwar, Marwanthe, Malpe, Murudeshwar, mangalore

*Wildlife: Bandipur national park, Bannerghatta national park, Rajiv Gandhi national park, BR hills, Ranganthittu bird sanctuary, Kokkrebellur pelicanry, Bhadra & Dandeli wildlife sanctuary, Nagarahole forest, etc.



Sculptured temples, modern cities, scenic hill ranges, unexplored forests and endless beaches, all conjure tourists all through the year. Bandipur National Park, Bannerghatta National Park and Nagarhole National Park are the popular wildlife sanctuaries in Karnataka. Coorg and Kudremukh are hillstations that are eco-tourism spots inviting a lot of tourists. Murudeshwara, Gokarna and Karwar Are popular beaches. Apart from this Karnataka also attracts a lot of tourism for its places of heritage like Hassan, Hampi, Badami.