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Karnataka
Capital  - Coordinates	Bangalore  - 12.58° N 77.35° E
Largest city	Bangalore
Population (2004)  - Density	55,868,200 (9th)  - 290.98/km²
Area  - Districts	192,000 km² (8th)  - 27
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
Establishment  - Governor  - Chief Minister  - Legislature (seats)	1956-11-01  - T. N. Chaturvedi  - H.D.Kumaraswamy  - Bicameral (224 + 75)
Official language(s)	Kannada
Abbreviation (ISO)	IN-KA
Website: www.karnataka.gov.in
Seal of Karnataka

Karnātakā pronunciation (help·info) (Kannada: ಕನಾ೯ಟಕ) (IPA: [kəɹnɑːʈəkɑː]) is one of the four southern states of India. The modern state of Karnataka came into existence with the passage of the 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.

Karnataka's capital, Bangalore, is the only city in the state with a population of more than 6 million. Other major cities include Mysore, Mangalore, Hubli-Dharwad, Davanagere, Bellary,Hassan, Hospet and Belgaum. Kannada is the official language of the state. Karnataka is the 8th largest Indian state by area and 9th largest by population.

Neolithic habitation and celts dating back to the 2nd century BCE were first discovered in Karnataka in 1872. Megalithic structures and burial grounds were discovered in 1862 in the regions of Kodagu and Moorey Betta hills. By the third century BCE, most of Karnataka was part of the Mauryan Empire, ruled by Emperor Ashoka. In the first millennium CE, Karnataka was ruled by a series of Jain/Vaishnavite/Hindu Dynasties such as the Kadambas, the Ganga Dynasty and the Chalukyas and Rashtrakutas. The Kannada Empire was expanded and consolidated by the Hoysala Empire and further by the Vijayanagara Empire, before the Mughal Conquest in the 18th century.

The rule of the state changed hands from the Wodeyars to Haidar Ali and Tipu Sultan before being incorporated into the British Raj, at the turn of the 19th century. Karnataka lies in the Deccan Plateau and borders with Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

A large proportion of Karnataka's economy, India's fifth largest, is agrarian. Bangalore, the fourth-most populous city in India, accounts for 35% of India's software exports, and is also a major base for public sector manufacturing industries. Karnataka is the only exporter of sandalwood in India. Bangalore also has the most amount of tourism of the region. Kolar Gold Fields (KGF) was once the only producer of gold in the country. The gold mines in KGF are now closed.

Contents 1 Origin of Name 1.1 Antiquity of Name 2 History 3 Geography 4 Government and Administration 4.1 Revenues of Government 5 Language 6 Economy 6.1 Macro-economic trend 6.2 Agriculture, Industry and Minerals 6.3 Technology and Services 7 Music 8 Literature and inscriptions 9 Religion 10 Temples 11 Tourism 12 Natural areas 13 Water Falls and Caves 14 Eco-Tourism 15 Youth Activities 16 Sun and Sea 17 See also 18 References

[edit] Origin of Name

Several etymologies have been suggested for the name Karnataka. One accepted derivative comes from the Kannada words karu and nādu meaning elevated land. During the British Raj, the words Carnatic or Karnatak were used to describe this part of the region in general. Another etymological derivative of the name comes from lear or black — a reference to the black cotton soil of the region ^[1]. Historically, the names Karnatak or Carnatic have been misapplied to refer to the regions below the Western Ghats (Coorg and Kerala) as well as regions in present day Andhra Pradesh (Telingana) ^[2]. Mysore state was renamed Karnataka in 1973.

[edit] Antiquity of Name

The earliest known references to Karnataka are found in the Sabha Parva and the Bhishma Parva of the Mahabharata. Scholars Panini( 520–460 BC), Mrichchakatika and Kathasritsagara make references to Karnataka in their ancient works. The Matsya Purana, Skanda Purana and the Markandeya Purana also make references to the name Karnataka. Later, in the 5th century CE. the term Karnataka is used by the astrologer Varaha Mihira in his work Brihatkatha and the Birur plates of Kadamba Vishnuvarma call Shantivarma The master of the entire Karnataka region. In the 7th century CE. Rashtrakuta inscriptions refer to the armies of Chalukyas of Badami as Karnatakabala. The Tamil classic Sillapadikaram of the same time period calls the people of present day Karnataka region as ' Karunatakars. In the 9th century CE. the Kannada classic Kavirajamarga hails the entire region between Kaveri and Godavari as Karnata. In the 13th century CE. Andayya's works use the same terminology. In the late 16th century, a Telugu work Vasucharitamu refers to Tirumala Deva Raya (1570 CE), the first of the Aravidu (Aravithi) line of rulers of the late Vijayanagar Empire as the reviver of the Karnata empire. All this clearly shows that the name Karnataka has been in usage consistently since ancient times.

[edit] History

Evidence of Neolithic habitation of areas in modern Karnataka and celts dating back to the 2nd century BCE were first discovered in 1872. There are reports that a polished stone axe was discovered at Lingsugur in the Raichur district; however the authenticity of these reports remains unverifiable. ^[3] Megalithic structures and burial grounds were discovered in 1862 in the regions of Kodagu and Moorey Betta hills, while Neolithic sites were discovered in north Karnataka. Scholarly hypothesis postulates of contacts between the Indus Valley city of Harappa in 3000 BCE, citing the discovery of gold found in the Harappan sites that was imported from mines in Karnataka.^[3] In the third century BCE, most of Karnataka was part of the Mauryan Empire, ruled by Emperor Ashoka. Rock edicts of Ashoka, written in Prakrit, were discovered in Chitradurga and Raichur. In the 4th century BCE, a local dynasty called Satavahana came to power and its rule lasted nearly 3 centuries. The disintegration of the Satavahana dynasty led to the ascent of the Banavasi Kadambas(325-540 CE) in north Karnataka, and the Ganga Dynasty (325-550 CE) in the south of the region. These were the first kingdoms to give official status to Kannada language as evidenced by the Halmidi inscription of 450 A.D., attributed to King Kakusthavarma of the Kadamba dynasty. Also, recent discovery of 5th century A.D. copper coin in Banavasi, ancient capital of the Kadambas, with Kannada script inscription on it, further proves the usage of Kannada at an official level.^[4]

They continued their rule as fiduciaries of larger empires such as the Chalukyas and Rashtrakutas for another six hundred years, during which time Kannada literature and a new style of architecture called the vesara style was born and evolved. Eclectic Chalukyan style temples in Pattadakal, Aihole, Badami, (Badami Cave temple), Ellora and Gadag were conceived during this time. Nripa Kama established the Hoysala Empire at the turn of the millennium. Art and architecture flourished in the region during the time that resulted in the construction of temples and sculptures in Halebid and Belur. The expansion of the Hoysala Empire brought parts of modern Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu under their rule. In early 14th century, Hosapattana (later to be called Vijayanagara) on the banks of Tungabhadra River was built as an alternate capital to stem the Muslim invasions from north. Vijayanagar Empire was established by Harihara and Bukka Raya, commanders of the last Hoysala King Veera Ballala III, with its capital at Vijayanagara, modern day Hampi. The Vijayanagara Kings fostered traditions and encouraged arts, religion and literature in Sanskrit, Kannada and Telugu. The Bahmani sultans of Gulbarga and the Adil Shahi sultans of Bijapur ruled over the region after the defeat and disintegration of the Vijayanagara Empire in battle. The Bahamani rules encouraged Urdu and Persian literature and Islamic architecture. The Gol Gumbaz was constructed during this time. With the defeat of the Bahmani sultans, the entire region came into the dominion of the Mughal Empire.

The Wodeyars of Mysore, former vassals of the Vijayanagara Empire, leased the state from the Mughal king Aurangzeb in the 15th century. With the death of Krishnaraja Wodeyar II, Haider Ali, the Commander-in-Chief of the Mysore Army, assumed control over the region, until the rule of the kingdom was passed to Tipu Sultan, after Haider Ali's death. In attempting to contain European expansion in South India, Tipu Sultan, known as the Tiger of Mysore fought four significant Anglo-Mysore Wars, the last of which resulted in his death and the incorporation of Mysore into the British Raj. After Indian independence, the Wodeyar Maharaja acceded to India. In 1950, Mysore became an Indian state, and the former Maharaja became its rajpramukh, or governor, until 1975. The States Reorganisation Act of 1956 provided for parts of Coorg, Madras, Hyderabad, and Bombay states to be incorporated into the state of Mysore. Mysore state was renamed Karnataka in 1973.

The impact of kingdoms of Karnataka origin have been felt over most parts of India. The Sena Dynasty of Bengal called themselves Karnata Kshatriyas, the Karnatas of Mithila ruled over present day Bihar called themselves Karnata Vamsha. The Chindaka Nagas of centra India, Gangas of Kalinga (Orissa), Chalukyas of Gujarat and Vengi, Yadava Dynasty of Devagiri were all of Kannada origin who later took to encouraging local languages. (Dr. S.U. Kamat, 2001).

[edit] Geography

Karnataka is situated in the Deccan Plateau and 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 east and southeast, and Kerala to the southwest. It is situated at the angle where the Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats of South India converge into the Nilgiri Hills.

The state has three principal physical zones;

• The coastal strip, between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea, which is lowland, with moderate to high rainfall levels. This strip is around 320 km in length and 48-64 km wide.
• The Western Ghats, a mountain range inland from the Arabian Sea, rising to about 900 m average height, and with moderate to high rainfall levels.
• The Deccan Plateau, comprising the main inland region of the state, which is drier and verging on the semi-arid. The humidity in these plains or maidans never exceeds 50%.

Karnataka has one of the highest average elevations of Indian states at 1,500 feet. The highest recorded temperature was 45.6 C (114.08 F) at Raichur on May 23, 1928. The lowest recorded temperature was 2.8 C (37.04 F) at Bidar on December 16, 1918. ^[5]

[edit] Government and Administration

Karnataka state is comprised of 27 districts, grouped into four divisions.

Main article Districts of Karnataka

[edit] Revenues of Government

This is a chart of trend of own tax revenues (excluding the shares from Union tax pool) of the Government of Karnataka assessed by the Finance Commissions from time to time with figures in millions of Indian Rupees.

Year	Own Tax Revenues
2000	94,110
2005	174,458

This is a chart of trend of own non-tax revenues (excluding the shares from Union tax pool) of the Government of Karnataka assessed by the Finance Commissions from time to time with figures in millions of Indian Rupees.

Year	Own Non-tax Revenues
2000	11,418
2005	21,679

[edit] Language

Kannada is the official language of the state and is spoken as a native language by approximately 65% of the people in Karnataka. Other linguistic minorities in the state as of 1991 were Urdu (9.72%), Telugu (8.34%), Marathi (3.95%), Tamil (3.82%), Malayalam (1.69%), Tulu (3.38%), Konkani (1.78%), and Hindi (1.87%). Language was the main basis for the formation of the Indian states after independence and the present day Karnataka was formed by unifying majority Kannada-speaking regions from the many districts of erstwhile Madras State (present day Tamil Nadu), erstwhile Bombay presidency (present day Maharashtra) and the erstwhile princely state of Hyderabad (present day Andhra Pradesh) to the former Kingdom of Mysore, known as the Mysore State (post independence) around the years 1950-1957. In 1973, the Mysore State was officially christened as Karnataka. There are a total of 27 districts. The languages of Karnataka are Kannada, Urdu, Kodava Takk, Konkani and Tulu. All the above mentioned languages with the exception of Urdu are written in the Kannada script though Tulu has its own script. There are efforts to promote Tulu script.

[edit] Economy

Karnataka's gross state domestic product for 2004 is estimated at $43 billion in current prices.

[edit] Macro-economic trend

This is a chart of trend of gross state domestic product of Karnataka at market prices estimated by Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation with figures in millions of Indian Rupees.

Year	Gross State Domestic Product
1980	62,100
1985	115,750
1990	233,000
1995	562,150
2000	1,045,410

[edit] Agriculture, Industry and Minerals

Agriculture

Karnataka is the largest producer of coffee, raw silk and sandalwood based products like perfumes and 75% of Indian floriculture industry is located in Karnataka. Karnataka accounts for 59% of the country’s coffee production and 47% of the country’s ragi production About 70% of the people live in the villages and 71% of the total work force is engaged in agriculture. The main crops are rice, ragi, jowar, maize, and pulses besides oilseeds and number of cash crops. Cashew, coconut, arecanut, cardamom, chilies, cotton, sugarcane and tobacco are among the other crops produced in the state. The lower slopes of the western ghats in Kodagu District, Chikmagalur District and Hassan District produce coffee. Sandalwood comes from the dense forested areas of southern Karnataka. These areas were origianlly the haunt of forest brigand Veerappan and the state has suffered significant losses due to sandalwood smuggling. Mysore District is the primary producer of raw silk in India and the world famous Mysore silk saris which are manufactured at the Mysore silk factories. Water rich areas of Mandya District, Shimoga District, Dakshina Kannada districts produce most of the sugarcane though cultivation of this crop is wide spread. Ragi is grwon in Tumkur and Kolar and around Bangalore districts. Jute, Jowar, Bajra, and pulses (Tur and gram) and oil seeds are largely grown in the drier areas of northern and north-central Karnataka. Maize is grown only in the northern tip of the state in Bidar District. Coconut and Arecanut is grown in the southern districts. Cotton is grown in abundance in Gulbarga District and Davangere District is a center of cotton trade and industry. The salubrious weather conditions in coastal areas make cultivation of fruit orchards possible. Rice is grown mostly in the coastal districts. The state holds the fifth rank in national level in oilseed production. Karnataka accounted for nearly Rs. 2000 crores of horticultural products in 2005.

Minerals and Industry

Over 90% of India's gold production comes from south Karnataka. Recently there has been a lot of activity in the extraction of manganese ore from the districts of Bellary and Hospet. Raichur is known to be rich in gold deposits. Most of India's Iron ore comes from the Kudremukh area of Chikmagalur District. Over 5% of the S&P CNX 500 conglomerates have corporate offices in Karnataka.

See also: List of conglomerates in Karnataka

[edit] Technology and Services

Karnataka is one of the most industrialised states in India. Its capital, Bangalore has become a major worldwide hub of the Information Technology industry and is the IT capital of India producing approximately 38% of India's software exports which amounts to about $9 billion in 2006. The other IT hub in India is Mangalore , which boasts of not only a historically advanced education standard but also a growing list of Global players in the IT sector. Several companies flourish in mangalore including Infosys.In 2001 it was rated "Best Employer in India" by Business Today, and in 2002 Business World named Infosys "India's Most Respected Company".

In the mid 1970s R.K. Baliga, Chairman and Managing Director of Keonics, who was a visionary, planned to make Bangalore the alternative Silicon Valley. Bangalore is dubbed as the Silicon Valley of India with more than 50% of all software companies based here. There are about 1,700 companies in all. The software industry is expected to generate US $20 billion by 2010. The Hardware industry is also growing at the same rate as the software industry and presently produces about US $500 million in exports. Karnataka has 50% (131 companies) of all Biotechnology companies in India and Bangalore accounts for approximately 47% (127 companies) of the total. It generates about 50% of India's total revenues in the sector which is about US $500 million. Recently, the Karnataka government created the first Biotechnology park in India. All three sectors are growing at an average of 35% per year. Also, Bangalore is one of the fast growing cities in the world with more than 6 million people. The IT industry is spreading to other major centres in Karnataka, namely: Mysore, Mangalore and Hubli.

[edit] Music

Carnatic

Karnataka gave the world carnatic music. The Kannada haridasa movement sowed the seeds of this art in the 13th-15th century AD. With the rise of Vaishnavism and the Haridasa movement came Karnataka composers like Purandaradasa, whose Kannada language works were complex, devotional and philosophical. Other haridasas of medeval times were Kanakadasa, Vyasatirtha, Jayatirtha, Sripadaraya, Vadirajatirtha and others who composed several devara nama. One of the earliest and prominent composers in South India was the saint, and wandering divine singer of yore Purandara Dasa (1480-1564 AD). Purandara Dasa is believed to have composed 475,000 songs in Kannada and was a source of inspiration to the later composers like Tyagaraja. He also invented the tala system of Carnatic music. Owing to his contribution to the Carnatic Music he is referred to as the Father of Carnatic Music or Karnataka Sangeethada Pitamaha. Later in the 17th and 18th centuries, the haridasa movement would once again contribute to music in Karnataka the form of haridasas like Vijayadasa, Gopaladasa, Jagannathadasa and others.

Hindusthani

Karnataka has achieved a prominent place in the world of Hindusthani music as well. Some famous performers are Pt. Bhimsen Joshi, Pt. Madhava Rao Nayak, Pt. Mallikarjun Mansur, Basavaraj Rajguru and Gangubai Hangal.

[edit] Literature and inscriptions

The earliest full length Kannada language inscription in Hale Kannada script is the Halmidi Inscription of 450CE.

Kannada has had an unbroken literary tradition of atleast 1500 years. Though the earliest extant book on Kannada literature is Kavirajamarga 850AD, references made in this book refer back to early Kannada literature of 6th century. The earliest extant poetry in tripadi meter are the Kappe Arabhatta records of 700A.D. Literature in Kannada has been prolific ever since. For information on Kannada and Sanskrit classics and writers through the span of Kannada kingdoms, refer to Karnataka Literature. Chudamani (a 96,000 verse-measures), a commentary on logic Tatwarthamahashastra by Tambuluruacharya, Karnateshwara Katha with Pulakesi II as its hero belonged to the 7th century. Gajastaka a work on elephant management by king Shivamara II of Ganga dynasty belonged to the 8th century. Vachana sahitya and Haridasa sahitya are two unique contributions of Kannada to the world of devotional literature. Modern Kannada in twentieth century has been influenced by many movements. Notable among them are Navodaya, Navya, Dalita/Bandaya. Presently Kannada literature is ahead of all other languages in India with seven Jnanpith awards. Writers in Kannada have also bagged forty eight Sahitya Academy awards.

Some inscriptions in the Tulu language are found in and around the village of Barkur.The ruins and inscriptions are need to be preserved.

[edit] Religion

Karnataka played a very important role in shaping present day Indian religion and philosophy. Udupi, Sringeri, Gokarna and Melkote are well known places of Sanskrit learning and Vedic learning. Shravanabelagola, Mudabidri, Karkala are famous for Jain history and monuments.

The great saint Madhvacharya (1238-1317 AD), proponent of dvaita philosophy and Raghavendra Swami (1601-1671 AD) were born here. Adi Sankara (8th century AD), proponent of advaita found enlightenment in Sringeri which became the first of four mathas he established in India. Ramanujacharya (1017-1137 AD) fearing persecution from the Tamil Cholas fled Tamil Nadu and came to Karnataka during the rule of the Hoysala dynasty and preached his philosophy from Melkote. In the 12th century AD, Virashaivism spread from northern Karnataka across the Deccan. Many of its founders, such as Basavanna, Akka Mahadevi came from the region. It was here the Jain religion got a warm welcome and enjoyed a glorious growth during the medieval period. It is also here where the current day Dzogchen Monastery and the Dhondeling Tibetan Refugee camps are setup and the Tibetans are very well absorbed in the Kannadiga culture.

[edit] Temples

The Empires and Kingdoms that came to rule from Karnataka were prolific builders. The Badami Chalukyas spawned the Vesara style of architecture and experimented with several myriad styles with frequent intermixing of Nagara and Dravida concepts. This period is the begining of Hindu rock cut architecture, both in stand alone and cave temple idioms, numerous examples of which exist in Pattadakal, Aihole and Badami - (Badami Cave temple). Their successors, the Rashtrakuta created master piece temples further favouring dravidian concepts. Most of their temples in Karnataka are scattered over northern Karnataka districts. The Ganga Dynasty of Talakad built many Jaina monuments including the monolithic statue of Gomateshwara at Shravanabelagola. The Kalyani Chalukyas used the In-between style, implying a bridge between Chalukya - Rashtrakuta and Hoysala styles, with the best temples of their style located in the central districts of Gadag district, Koppal district and Haveri district. It was during the reign of the Hoysalas that the temple architecture reached its epoch and gained recognition as an independent style called (Henry Ferguson, Percy Brown) owing to its many unique features. Later the Vijayanagar Empire would incorporate all these various styles and create a unique blend called Vijayanagar style, the best examples of which are in the vast open air theatre of monuments at Hampi.

• Chamundeswari Temple at Mysore
• Mahabaleshwara Temple at Gokarna
• Vitthala Temple at Hampi
• Hazare Rama Temple at Hampi
• Hoysaleswara Temple at Halebidu
• Chennakeshava Temple at Belur
• Jain monuments at Sravanabelagola
• Virupaksha Temple at Pattadakal
• Bhuthanatha Temple at Badami
• Badami Cave temple at Badami
• Mahadeva Temple in Koppal district
• Kasi Viveshwara Temple at Lakkundi
• Kukke Subrahmanya Temple at Subramanya
• Jain Temple at Pattadakal
• Virupaksha Temple at Hampi
• Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple in Bangalore

[edit] Tourism

Karnataka, the eighth largest state in India, is a veritable treasure trove of tourist delights. There is a dazzling array of ancient sculptured temples, modern cities, friendly people, scenic hill ranges, unexplored forests and endless beaches. Karnataka is a place that has all the ingredients for great holiday. Each spot has something special to offer. Broadly, tourism in Karnataka can be divided into four geographical regions. These are North Karnataka, the Hill Stations, Coastal Karnataka and South Karnataka.

North Karnataka is a land of harsh dryness accompanied by majestic cliffs, rocky landscapes and magnificent monumnets that date back to 5th century. The greatest Kannada empires that ruled the Deccan had their capitals here. Badami Chalukyan monuments at Pattadakal, Aihole, Badami are a sight to be seen. Aihole is called the cradle of Hindu rock architecture and has over 125 temples and monuments built between 450 - 1100 CE. Rashtrakuta monuments at Lokapura, Bilgi and Kuknur and Kalyani Chalukya monuments built in Gadag style at Lakkundi, Gadag, Koppal District and the famous Vijayanagar empire temples at Vijayanagara are the best that it offers. Vijayanagar in Bellary District is world famous for the ruins spread over an area of 125 km². with some fifty four world heritage monuments and six hundred and fifty national monuments (ASI). An additional three hundred monuments await protection. The Deccan sultanate monuments at Bijapur and Gulbarga show unique and discreet Hindu influences and rival the Muslim monuments of North India. Archeologically important locations like Kanganahalli in Gulbarga have thrown more light on Buddhist centers of the 1st. c. BCE. - 3rd c. CE era. The first ever statue of emperor Ashoka with his queens and a Prakrit inscription Rayo Ashoka (ASI) has been found.

Hill stations in Karnataka are generally unexplored and more pristine than better know ones in South India. Kudremukh, Kemmangundi, Agumbe, Horanadu, Nandi hills are some of the better known ones. Not much tourism in these areas has kept them free of commercialization. Apart from scenic trekks, bird watching, boating and picturesque waterfalls, these areas are also close to major coffee producing areas in the state, making a trip all the more interesting. Many resorts have sprung up to accommodate those who want to relax.

Coastal Karnataka is the stronghold of Hindu and Jain piligrimage spots with Udupi and its many temples being the centre of Dvaita philosophy, Gokarna is known for Vedic studies, Sringeri has the first of the Shankaracharya mathas and is important for its Advaita philosophy, Karkala and Mudabidri are well known places of Jain worship. Exquisite Vijayanagar temples built in Chalukya - Malabar region combinational style are seen in Bhatkal, Kumta, Shirali etc. The warm pristine beaches of Karnataka are mostly unspoiled and are only now drawing tourists away from formerly popular places like Goa.

South Karnataka is a unique combination of spectacular vesara style Hoysala architecture, colossal Jain monuments, colonial buildings and palaces of the Kingdom of Mysore, impregnable fort at Chitradurga and densely forested wildlife sanctuaries that offer some of the best eco-tourism available in the country. Belur, Halebidu in Hassan District, Somnathpura in Mysore District, Belavadi, Kalasa and Amrithapura in Chikmagalur District, Balligavi in Shimoga District offer some of the best of Hoysala architecture dating from the 11th - 13th century CE., while Shravanabelagola and Kambadahalli in Mandya District have well known 10th century Jain monuments. Scenic forests and the high density of wild animals of this region are a popular attraction for those interested in the wilder side of life. Bandipur National Park, Nagarahole, Biligirirangan Hills, Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary and Bannerghatta national parks are a few popular places for jungle safaris. The river Kaveri flows east from Kodagu District and along its way one finds important tourist destinations like Shivanasamudra, Srirangapattana and Melkote etc. Mysore, the cultural capital of the state is famous for exotic palaces, quaint colonial buildings and cultural activities including carnatic music, theatre. Bangalore the capital is the most cosmopilitian city in India and is well known for its parks, pubs, restaurants, shopping and fast paced technology rich lifestyle.

[edit] Natural areas

Karnataka in all has 21 wildlife sanctuaries and 5 National parks. Well known among them are Bandipur National Park in Mysore District, Bannerghatta National Park in Bangalore district, Nagarhole National Park in Mysore District and Kodagu district, Kudremukh National Park in Dakshina Kannada and Chickmagalur district, Dandeli & Anshi National Park in Uttara Kannada district, Gudavi and Mandegadde bird sanctuaries and Sharavati WLS in Shimoga District, Biligirirangan Hills WLS in Chamarajanagar district, Rangantittu Bird Sanctuary in Mandya district, Brahmagiri and Pushpagiri WL sanctuaries in Kodagu district. Interior dry areas have their own unique wildlife.

There are twenty one wildlife sanctuaries and five national parks in all.

Recently, the government of India has proposed to the UNESCO to include important ecosystems in the Western Ghats as a World Heritage Site. Two subclusters of natural areas occurring in the list are entirely in the Karnataka region covering several wildlife sanctuaries and some reserve forests. Fragile and exotic ecosystems like Kudremukh NP, Brahmagiri WLS, Pushpagiri WLS, Agumbe, Talakaveri WLS, Someshvara WLS figure in this list. As such, the Western Ghats that run south-north through the Karnataka is considered as one among the twenty five bio-diversity hotspots of the world.

The Niligiri Biosphere Reserve (also a designated UNESCO Biosphere reserve) is located at the junction of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerela. Nagarahole National Park WLS and Bandipur National Park and Nugu WLS in Karnataka are included in this biosphere reserve.

The state is home to the largest concentration of Asian Elephants along Kabini River in Nagarahole and Bandipur parks. These two parks are also hold among the most viable population of the highly endangered Indian Tiger. Rannebennur Blackbuck sanctuary in Davangere district is home to one of the largest populations of blackbuck anywhere in India. The Doraji wildlife sanctuary and areas in Karnataka like Bellary district, Chitradurga are strongholds of the sloth bear.

Karnataka is home to more than 500 species of birds [1].

[edit] Water Falls and Caves

Karnataka is famous for its waterfalls. Jog falls of Shimoga District is one of the highest waterfalls in Asia. Some well known waterfalls are Magod falls, Lalgulli falls, Sathodi falls, Unchalli falls, Lushington falls, Shivaganga falls, Ulavi falls, Iruppu falls, Shivanasamudra falls, Balmuri falls, Gokak falls, Abbe falls, Achakanya falls, Chunchanakatte Falls, Hebbe falls, Kallathigiri falls, Varapoha Falls, Sogal falls, Godchinamalaki falls etc. In fact the waterfalls of Karnataka and Kudremukh National Park are listed as must see places in Michael Bright's 1001 Natural Wonders of the World, by Barrons Educational Series Inc., published by Quinted Inc., 2005.

Some well known caves in Karnataka are Yana caves and Kavala caves and Syntheri rocks in Uttara Kannada district, Sugriva's cave in Hampi holds similarity to the descriptions of 'Kishkinda' in the epic Ramayana, hundreds of caves in Basava Kalyana in Bidar district.

[edit] Eco-Tourism

Karnataka boasts of the highest elephant and Gaur bison population (greater than 6000 & 8000 respectively) in India. Its forests hold some of the largest remaining populations of the endangered tiger and leopard. Eco-tourism is a very popular activity in the state. Karnataka leads other states in eco-tourism. Jungle Lodges & Resorts, a state run organization has camping and safari facilities in several wildlife sanctuaries. Private safari providers have sprung up in several places along the western ghats.

Several NGO's (youth groups) are actively involved in birding and other conservation activities.

[edit] Youth Activities

Karnataka is a rock climbers paradise. Yana in Uttara Kannada, Ramnagara near Bangalore district, Shivagange in Tumkur district and tekal in Kolar district are a rock climbers heaven. A climbing academy has been formed in Ramnagara called General Thimmaiah Rock Climbing Academy. The Nisarga Organisation for Wildlife and Adventure Academy is based in bangalore. It organizes eco-tourism, adventure activities and wildlife tours.

[edit] Sun and Sea

Karnataka is blessed with over 300 km of pristine coastal stretch. Netrani Island of Uttara Kannada is well known for coral reefs. St. Mary's Island, a few kilometers from Udupi is famous for its basalt rock formations. Sunny beaches at places like Maple, Murdeshwara, Maravanthe,

Gokarna, Kumta are complimented by spectacular mountains slightly to the east. Agumbe, Kodachadri hills, Kemmangundi, are just a few of many hill stations that straddle the coast providing tourists the best of sun and greenery. Unlike many crowded hill stations in South India, the hill stations of Karnataka are still mostly undiscovered and pristine.

[edit] See also

• Karnataka Literature
• Cuisine of Karnataka
• List of Chief Ministers of Karnataka.
• List of famous people from Karnataka.
• List of political parties in the state
• Carnatic (region)
• Kannada
• Kannada Proverbs
• Karnataka forest Department- National Parks and WLS
• Kannada Wikipedia
• National parks
• Haridasas of Karnataka
• Virashaiva movement
• Hoysala architecture

[edit] References

1. ^ http://19.1911encyclopedia.org/C/CA/CARNATIC.htm
2. ^ http://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/gazetteer/pager.html?objectid=DS405.1.I34_V09_308.gif
3. ^ ^{a b} http://www.hindu.com/2005/01/10/stories/2005011001090500.htm
4. ^ 5th century copper coin discovered at Banavasi. Deccan Herald (February 7 2006). Retrieved on 2006-08-17.
5. ^ Karnataka Temperatures. Karnataka.com Website. Retrieved on July 20, 2005.

• Dr. Suryanath U. Kamat, Concise history of Karnataka, 2001, MCC, Bangalore (Reprinted 2002)