Karnataka

I

Introduction

Karnataka, state, southern India, bordered on the north and north-east by Maharashtra and Goa states, on the east by Andhra Pradesh State, on the south by Tamil Nadu and Kerala states, and on the west by the Arabian Sea. Karnataka (meaning “lofty land”) was known until 1972 as Mysore State. It was created in 1956 under the States Reorganization Act to bring together the Kannada-speaking people, and comprises the old princely state of Mysore, plus parts of the former states of Coorg, Bombay, Hyderabad, and Madras. The area of Karnataka is 191,791 sq km (74,051 sq mi).

II

Physical Geography

Karnataka has four main physiographic regions: the coastal plains, the hills of the Western Ghats, the undulating Karnataka Plateau in the east, and the north-west cotton-growing region. The coast is lush and only easily accessible by sea. The Western Ghats are well forested, with many waterfalls and abundant wildlife. The Karnataka Plateau has poor soils and suffers periodic droughts. Karnataka's three main rivers, the Cauvery, the Krishna, and the Tungabhadra, originate in the plateau.

III

Population

Karnataka has a population of 52,733,958 (2001). Bangalore, known as “the garden city”, has a population of 5,686,844 (2001) and is the state capital. Other important cities and towns include Belgaum (population, 2001, 506,235), Bellary (1991, 245,391), Bijapur (2001, 253,307), Hubli-Dhārwād (1991, 647,640), Mangalore (2001, 538,560), and Mysore (2001, 785,800).

The Kannada people are descendants of the Dravidians, the inhabitants of India prior to Aryan settlement. Kannada, the official language of Karnataka, is spoken by more than 70 per cent of the population; English and Hindi are often used for business. Hinduism is the main religion. Buddhism and Jainism were once widespread and still survive in some areas.

IV

Education and Culture

Important educational and research institutes located in Karnataka include Bangalore University (founded 1964), the National Law School of India University (1987), the Indian Institute of Science (1909), the Raman Research Institute (1984), and the University of Agricultural Sciences (1964), all in Bangalore; Sri Kadasiddheshwar College, and colleges of engineering and technology, commerce, science, and medicine affiliated with Karnataka University (1949), in Hubli-Dhārwād; and the University of Mysore (1916), in Mysore.

Karnataka has a rich heritage of music, literature, art, architecture, and folklore, encouraged by and reflecting the achievements of the successive dynasties that ruled the region. Sravana Belgola, near Mysore, contains notable examples of Mauryan architecture. Huge stone figures representing Jain saints are unique to the Kannada culture. The Bayalata (open air folk theatre) presents tales from the ancient epics. (Carnatic Music.)