Karnataka ( ) is a
state
State most commonly refers to:
* State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory
**Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country
**Nation state, a ...
in the southwestern region of
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
. It was
formed as
Mysore State on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the
States Reorganisation Act
The States Reorganisation Act, 1956 was a major reform of the boundaries of India's States and union territories of India, states and territories, organising them along linguistic lines.
Although additional changes to India's state boundaries ...
, and renamed ''Karnataka'' in 1973. The state is bordered by the
Lakshadweep Sea
The Laccadive Sea ( ), also known as the Lakshadweep Sea, is a body of water bordering India (including its Lakshadweep islands), the Maldives, and Sri Lanka. It is located to the southwest of Karnataka, to the west of Kerala and to the south of ...
to the west,
Goa
Goa (; ; ) is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is bound by the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north, and Karnataka to the ...
to the northwest,
Maharashtra
Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...
to the north,
Telangana
Telangana is a States and union territories of India, state in India situated in the Southern India, south-central part of the Indian subcontinent on the high Deccan Plateau. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, ele ...
to the northeast,
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh (ISO 15919, ISO: , , AP) is a States and union territories of India, state on the East Coast of India, east coast of southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, seventh-largest state and th ...
to the east,
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...
to the southeast, and
Kerala
Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...
to the southwest. With 61,130,704 inhabitants at the 2011 census, Karnataka is the
eighth-largest state by population, comprising 31
districts
A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions ...
. With 15,257,000 residents, the state capital
Bengaluru
Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore (List of renamed places in India#Karnataka, its official name until 1 November 2014), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the southern States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kar ...
is the largest city of Karnataka.
The economy of Karnataka is among the most productive in the country with a
gross state domestic product (GSDP) of and a per capita GSDP of for the financial year 2023–24.
The state experience a GSDP growth of 10.2% for the same fiscal year.
After
Bengaluru Urban
Bengaluru Urban district is the most densely populated of the thirty-one List of districts of Karnataka, districts that comprise the Indian state of Karnataka. It is surrounded by the Bengaluru Rural district on the east and north, the Ramanag ...
,
Dakshina Kannada
Dakshina Kannada district is located in the states and territories of India, state of Karnataka in India, with its headquarters in the coastal city of Mangaluru. The district covers an area nestled in between the Western Ghats to its east and the ...
,
Hubli–Dharwad
Hubli (or Hubballi) and Dharwad are twin cities in the Indian state of Karnataka. Hubli-Dharwad form the second-largest municipality and urban agglomeration of Karnataka in terms of population, after the capital Bangalore. While Dharwad is the ad ...
, and
Belagavi
Belgaum (Kannada ISO 15919, ISO: ''Bēḷagāma'', ), officially known as Belagavi (also Belgaon), is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka located near its northern western border in the Western Ghats. It is the administrative headquarters ...
districts contribute the highest revenue to the state respectively. The capital of the state, Bengaluru, is known as the
Silicon Valley of India
Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore ( its official name until 1 November 2014), is the capital and largest city of the southern Indian state of Karnataka. As per the 2011 census, the city had a population of 8.4 million, making it the thir ...
, for its immense contributions to the country's information technology sector. A total of 1,973 companies in the state were found to have been involved in the IT sector as of 2007.
Karnataka is the only southern state to have land borders with all of the other four southern Indian sister states. The state covers an area of , or 5.83 per cent of the total geographical area of India.
It is the
sixth-largest Indian state by area.
Kannada
Kannada () is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly in the state of Karnataka in southwestern India, and spoken by a minority of the population in all neighbouring states. It has 44 million native speakers, and is additionally a ...
, one of the
classical languages of India
The Indian Classical languages, or the Śāstrīya Bhāṣā ''(Hindi)'' or the Dhrupadī Bhāṣā (''Assamese, Bengali'') or the Abhijāta Bhāṣā (''Marathi'') or the Cemmoḻi (''Tamil''), is an umbrella term for the languages of India ha ...
, is the most widely spoken and official language of the state. Other minority languages spoken include
Urdu
Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...
,
Konkani __NOTOC__
Konkani may refer to:
Language
* Konkani language is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in the Konkan region of India.
* Konkani alphabets, different scripts used to write the language
**Konkani in the Roman script, one of the scripts used to ...
,
Marathi
Marathi may refer to:
*Marathi people, an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group of Maharashtra, India
**Marathi people (Uttar Pradesh), the Marathi people in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh
*Marathi language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Mar ...
,
Tulu,
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
People, culture and language
* Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka
** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...
,
Telugu
Telugu may refer to:
* Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of South India
** Telugu literature, is the body of works written in the Telugu language.
* Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India
* Telugu script, used to write the Tel ...
,
Malayalam
Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of ...
,
Kodava and
Beary
The Beary (also known as Byari) are a community concentrated along the southwest coast of India, mostly in the Mangalore district of the south Indian state of Karnataka.
The Beary community of Tulunadu is one among the earliest Muslim ...
. Karnataka also contains some of the only
villages in India where Sanskrit is primarily spoken.
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'', meaning "black" and ''nadu'', meaning "region", as a reference to the
black cotton soil found in the
Bayalu Seeme region of the state. The
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.
* British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
used the word
Carnatic, sometimes ''Karnatak'', to describe both sides of peninsular India, south of
the Krishna. With an antiquity that dates to the
Paleolithic
The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic ( years ago) ( ), also called the Old Stone Age (), is a period in human prehistory that is distinguished by the original development of stone tools, and which represents almost the entire period of human prehist ...
, Karnataka has been home to some of the most powerful
empires of ancient and medieval India. 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 and
Hindustani traditions.
Etymology
History

Karnataka's pre-history goes back to a
Paleolithic
The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic ( years ago) ( ), also called the Old Stone Age (), is a period in human prehistory that is distinguished by the original development of stone tools, and which represents almost the entire period of human prehist ...
hand-axe culture evidenced by discoveries of, among other things,
hand axe
A hand axe (or handaxe or Acheulean hand axe) is a Prehistory, prehistoric stone tool with two faces that is the longest-used tool in human history. It is made from stone, usually flint or chert that has been "reduced" and shaped from a larger ...
s and
cleavers in the region. Evidence of
Neolithic
The Neolithic or New Stone Age (from Ancient Greek, Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revo ...
and
megalithic
A megalith is a large Rock (geology), stone that has been used to construct a prehistoric structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. More than 35,000 megalithic structures have been identified across Europe, ranging ...
cultures have also been found in the state. Gold discovered in
Harappa
Harappa () is an archaeological site in Punjab, Pakistan, about west of Sahiwal, that takes its name from a modern village near the former course of the Ravi River, which now runs to the north. Harappa is the type site of the Bronze Age Indus ...
was found to be imported from mines in Karnataka, prompting scholars to hypothesise about contacts between ancient Karnataka and the
Indus Valley Civilisation
The Indus Valley Civilisation (IVC), also known as the Indus Civilisation, was a Bronze Age civilisation in the Northwestern South Asia, northwestern regions of South Asia, lasting from 3300 Common Era, BCE to 1300 BCE, and in i ...
.
Prior to the third century BCE, most of Karnataka formed part of the
Mauryan Empire
The Maurya Empire was a geographically extensive Iron Age historical power in South Asia with its power base in Magadha. Founded by Chandragupta Maurya around c. 320 BCE, it existed in loose-knit fashion until 185 BCE. The primary sourc ...
of
Emperor Ashoka
Ashoka, also known as Asoka or Aśoka ( ; , ; – 232 BCE), and popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was List of Mauryan emperors, Emperor of Magadha from until #Death, his death in 232 BCE, and the third ruler from the Mauryan dynast ...
. Four centuries of
Satavahana
The Satavahanas (; ''Sādavāhana'' or ''Sātavāhana'', IAST: ), also referred to as the Andhras (also ''Andhra-bhṛtyas'' or ''Andhra-jatiyas'') in the Puranas, were an ancient Indian dynasty. Most modern scholars believe that the Satavaha ...
rule followed, allowing them to control large areas of Karnataka. The decline of Satavahana power led to the rise of the earliest native kingdoms, the
Kadambas
The Kadamba dynasty were an ancient royal family from modern Karnataka, India, that ruled northern Karnataka and the Konkan from Banavasi in present-day Uttara Kannada, Uttara Kannada district in India. The kingdom was founded by Mayurash ...
and the
Western Gangas
Western Ganga was an important ruling dynasty of ancient Karnataka in India which lasted from about 350 to 999 CE. They are known as "Western Gangas" to distinguish them from the Eastern Gangas who in later centuries ruled over Kalinga (mo ...
, marking the region's emergence as an independent political entity. The
Kadamba Dynasty
The Kadamba dynasty were an ancient royal family from modern Karnataka, India, that ruled northern Karnataka and the Konkan from Banavasi in present-day Uttara Kannada, Uttara Kannada district in India. The kingdom was founded by Mayurash ...
, founded by
Mayurasharma
Mayurasharma or Mayuravarma (reigned 345–365 CE), a native of Talagunda (in modern Shimoga district), was the founder of the Kadamba kingdom of Banavasi, the earliest native kingdom to rule over what is today the modern state of Karnatak ...
, had its capital at
Banavasi
Banavasi is an ancient temple town located near Sirsi in Karnataka. Banavasi was the ancient capital of the Kadamba dynasty that ruled all of modern-day Karnataka state. They were the first native empire to bring Kannada and Karnataka to pro ...
;
[From the Talagunda inscription (B. L. Rice in Kamath (2001), p. 30.)][Moares (1931), p. 10.] the
Western Ganga Dynasty
Western Ganga was an important ruling dynasty of ancient Karnataka in India which lasted from about 350 to 999 CE. They are known as "Western Gangas" to distinguish them from the Eastern Ganga Dynasty, Eastern Gangas who in later centuries r ...
was formed with
Talakad
Talakādu is a town on the left bank of the Kaveri river 45 km (28 miles) from Mysore and 133 km (82 miles) from Bangalore in Karnataka, India. Latinizations of the towns name vary, but include Talkād, Talakadu, Talakkadu, or Thalaka ...
as its capital.
[Adiga and Sheik Ali in Adiga (2006), p. 89.][Ramesh (1984), pp. 1–2.]
These were also the first kingdoms to use
Kannada
Kannada () is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly in the state of Karnataka in southwestern India, and spoken by a minority of the population in all neighbouring states. It has 44 million native speakers, and is additionally a ...
in administration, as evidenced by the
Halmidi inscription and a fifth-century copper coin discovered at Banavasi.
[From the Halmidi inscription (Ramesh 1984, pp. 10–11.)][Kamath (2001), p. 10.] These dynasties were followed by imperial Kannada empires such as the
Badami Chalukyas
The Chalukya dynasty () was a Classical Indian dynasty that ruled large parts of southern and central India between the 6th and the 12th centuries. During this period, they ruled as three related yet individual dynasties. The earliest dynas ...
,
[The Chalukyas hailed from present-day Karnataka (Keay (2000), p. 168.)][The Chalukyas were native '']Kannadigas
The Kannadigas or Kannadigaru (), often referred to as Kannada people, are a Dravidian ethno-linguistic group who natively speak Kannada, primarily in the south Indian state of Karnataka and its surrounding regions. The Kannada language belongs ...
'' (N. Laxminarayana Rao and S. C. Nandinath in Kamath (2001), p. 57.) the
Rashtrakuta Empire of Manyakheta[Altekar (1934), pp. 21–24.][Masica (1991), pp. 45–46.] and the
Western Chalukya Empire
The Western Chalukya Empire ( ) ruled most of the Deccan Plateau, western Deccan, South India, between the 10th and 12th centuries. This Kannada dynasty is sometimes called the ''Kalyani Chalukya'' after its regal capital at Kalyani, today's ...
,
[Balagamve in Mysore territory was an early power centre (Cousens (1926), pp. 10, 105.)][Tailapa II, the founder king was the governor of Tardavadi in modern Bijapur district, under the Rashtrakutas (Kamath (2001), p. 101.).] which ruled over large parts of the
Deccan
The Deccan is a plateau extending over an area of and occupies the majority of the Indian peninsula. It stretches from the Satpura and Vindhya Ranges in the north to the northern fringes of Tamil Nadu in the south. It is bound by the mount ...
and had their capitals in what is now Karnataka. The Western Chalukyas patronised a unique style of
architecture
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and construction, constructi ...
and Kannada
literature
Literature is any collection of Writing, written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially novels, Play (theatre), plays, and poetry, poems. It includes both print and Electroni ...
which became a precursor to the
Hoysala
The Hoysala Kingdom was a kingdom originating from the Indian subcontinent that ruled most of what is now Karnataka, India, Karnataka, parts of Tamilnadu and South-Western Telangana between the 11th and the 14th centuries Common Era, CE. The c ...
art of the 12th century.
[Kamath (2001), p. 115.][Foekema (2003), p. 9.] Parts of modern-day Southern Karnataka (Gangavadi) were occupied by the
Chola Empire
The Chola Empire, which is often referred to as the Imperial Cholas, was a medieval thalassocratic empire based in southern India that was ruled by the Chola dynasty, and comprised overseas dominions, protectorates and spheres of influence ...
at the turn of the 11th century.
[Sastri (1955), p.164] The Cholas and the Hoysalas fought over the region in the early 12th century before it eventually came under Hoysala rule.
At the turn of the first millennium, the
Hoysalas
The Hoysala Kingdom was a kingdom originating from the Indian subcontinent that ruled most of what is now Karnataka, parts of Tamilnadu and South-Western Telangana between the 11th and the 14th centuries CE. The capital of the Hoysalas was i ...
gained power in the region.
Literature
Literature is any collection of Writing, written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially novels, Play (theatre), plays, and poetry, poems. It includes both print and Electroni ...
flourished during this time, which led to the emergence of distinctive Kannada
literary metres, and the construction of temples and sculptures adhering to the
Vesara
Vesara is a hybrid form of Indian temple architecture that combines Dravidian Southern Indian site layouts with shape details characteristic of the Nagara style of North India. This fusion style likely originated in the historic architectur ...
style of architecture.
[Kamath (2001), pp. 132–134.][Sastri (1955), pp. 358–359, 361.][Foekema (1996), p. 14.][Kamath (2001), pp. 122–124.] The expansion of the Hoysala Empire brought minor parts of modern
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh (ISO 15919, ISO: , , AP) is a States and union territories of India, state on the East Coast of India, east coast of southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, seventh-largest state and th ...
and
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...
under its rule. In the early 14th century,
Harihara
Harihara (Sanskrit: हरिहर) is the dual representation of the Hindu deities Vishnu (Hari) and Shiva (Hara). Harihara is also known as Shankaranarayana ("Shankara" is Shiva, and "Narayana" is Vishnu).
Harihara is also sometimes used as ...
and
Bukka Raya established the
Vijayanagara empire
The Vijayanagara Empire, also known as the Karnata Kingdom, was a late medieval Hinduism, Hindu empire that ruled much of southern India. It was established in 1336 by the brothers Harihara I and Bukka Raya I of the Sangama dynasty, belongi ...
with its capital, ''Hosapattana'' (later named
Vijayanagara
Vijayanagara () is a city located in Vijayanagara district of Karnataka state in India.[Vijayanagara](_blank) ), on the banks of the Tungabhadra River in the modern Bellary district. Under the rule of
Krishnadevaraya
Krishnadevaraya (17 January 1471 – 17 October 1529) was emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1509 to 1529 and the third ruler of the Tuluva dynasty. Widely regarded as one of the greatest rulers in Indian history, he presided over t ...
, a distinct form of
literature
Literature is any collection of Writing, written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially novels, Play (theatre), plays, and poetry, poems. It includes both print and Electroni ...
and
architecture
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and construction, constructi ...
evolved. The empire rose as a bulwark against Muslim advances into South India, which it completely controlled for over two centuries.
[Kamath (2001), pp. 157–160.][Kulke and Rothermund (2004), p. 188.] In 1537,
Kempe Gowda I
Kempe Gowda I (27 June 1510 – 1569) locally venerated as Nadaprabhu Kempe Gowda, or commonly known as Kempe Gowda, was a governor under the Vijayanagara Empire in History of India, early-modern India. He is famous for the development of Beng ...
, a chieftain of the Vijayanagara Empire, widely held as the founder of modern Bengaluru, built a
fort
A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from La ...
and established the area around it as
Bengaluru Pete
Bengaluru Pete is the area of Bengaluru city which was established by Kempegowda I (c. 1510–1570) in 1537 with roads laid out in the cardinal directions, and entrance gates at the end of each road. Kempegowda also termed the Pete he built as ...
.
In 1565, Karnataka and the rest of South India experienced a major geopolitical shift when the Vijayanagara empire fell to a
confederation of Islamic sultanates in the
Battle of Talikota
The Battle of Talikota was a watershed battle fought between the Vijayanagara Empire and an alliance of the Deccan sultanates. The battle resulted in the defeat and death of Rama Raya, the ''de facto'' ruler of the Vijayanagara Empire, set forth ...
.
[Kamath (2001), pp. 190–191.] The
Bijapur Sultanate
The Sultanate of Bijapur was an early modern kingdom in the western Deccan and South India, ruled by the Muslim Adil Shahi (or Adilshahi) dynasty. Bijapur had been a '' taraf'' (province) of the Bahmani Kingdom prior to its independence in 14 ...
, which had risen after the demise of the
Bahmani Sultanate
The Bahmani Kingdom or the Bahmani Sultanate was a late medieval Persianate kingdom that ruled the Deccan plateau in India. The first independent Muslim sultanate of the Deccan, the Bahmani Kingdom came to power in 1347 during the rebellio ...
of Bidar, soon took control of much of the Deccan; it was defeated by the
Mughals
The Mughal Empire was an early modern empire in South Asia. At its peak, the empire stretched from the outer fringes of the Indus River Basin in the west, northern Afghanistan in the northwest, and Kashmir in the north, to the highlands of pre ...
in the late 17th century.
[Kamath (2001), p. 201.][Kamath (2001), p. 202.] The Bahmani and Bijapur rulers encouraged Urdu and Persian literature and
Indo-Saracenic
Indo-Saracenic architecture (also known as Indo-Gothic, Mughal-Gothic, Neo-Mughal) was a Revivalism (architecture), revivalist architectural style mostly used by British architects in India in the later 19th century, especially in public and gov ...
architecture, the
Gol Gumbaz being one of the high points of this style.
[Kamath (2001), p. 207.] During the sixteenth century,
Konkani __NOTOC__
Konkani may refer to:
Language
* Konkani language is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in the Konkan region of India.
* Konkani alphabets, different scripts used to write the language
**Konkani in the Roman script, one of the scripts used to ...
Hindus migrated to Karnataka, mostly from
Salcette,
Goa
Goa (; ; ) is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is bound by the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north, and Karnataka to the ...
,
while during the seventeenth and eighteenth century,
Goan Catholics
Goan Catholics () are an Ethnoreligious group, ethno-religious community adhering to the Latin Church, Latin Rite of the Catholic Church from the Goa state, in the southern part of the Konkan region along the west coast of India. They are Konka ...
migrated to
North Canara
Uttara Kannada is a fifth largest district in the Indian state of Karnataka, It is bordered by the state of Goa and Belagavi districts to the north, Dharwad District and Haveri District to the east, Shivamogga District, and Udupi District to ...
and
South Canara
South Canara (South Kannada) was a district of the Madras Presidency of British Raj, located at . It comprised the towns of Kassergode and Udipi and adjacent villages, with the administration at Mangalore city. South Canara was one of the mos ...
, especially from
Bardes
''Bardez'' or ''Bardes'' ( IPA: ) is a ''taluka'' of the North Goa district in the Indian state of Goa.
Etymology
The name is credited to the Saraswat Brahmin immigrants who emigrated to the Konkan via Magadha plains in northern India. Ba ...
, Goa, as a result of food shortages, epidemics and heavy taxation imposed by the
Portuguese.
In the period that followed, parts of northern Karnataka were ruled by the
Nizam of Hyderabad
Nizam of Hyderabad was the title of the ruler of Hyderabad State ( part of the Indian state of Telangana, and the Kalyana-Karnataka region of Karnataka). ''Nizam'' is a shortened form of (; ), and was the title bestowed upon Asaf Jah I wh ...
, the
Maratha Empire
The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern India, early modern polity in the Indian subcontinent. It comprised the realms of the Peshwa and four major independent List of Maratha dynasties and states, Ma ...
, the
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.
* British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
, and other powers. In the south, the
Mysore Kingdom
The Kingdom of Mysore was a geopolitical realm in South India, southern India founded in around 1399 in the vicinity of the modern-day city of Mysore and prevailed until 1950. The territorial boundaries and the form of government transmuted su ...
, a former
vassal
A vassal or liege subject is a person regarded as having a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch, in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. While the subordinate party is called a vassal, the dominant party is called a suzerain ...
of the Vijayanagara Empire, was briefly independent.
[Kamath (2001), p. 171.] With the death of
Krishnaraja Wodeyar II
Krishnaraja Wadiyar II (1728 – 25 April 1766Hayavadana Rao, Conjeeveram. History of Mysore (1399-1799 A.D.): 1704-1766. India: Superintendent of the Government Press, 1946.), was the eighteenth maharaja of the Kingdom of Mysore from 1734 ...
,
Haidar Ali, the commander-in-chief of the Mysore army, gained control of the region. After his death, the kingdom was inherited by his son
Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan (, , ''Sultan Fateh Ali Sahab Tipu''; 1 December 1751 – 4 May 1799) commonly referred to as Sher-e-Mysore or "Tiger of Mysore", was a ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore based in South India. He was a pioneer of rocket artillery ...
.
[Kamath (2001), pp. 171, 173, 174, 204.] To contain European expansion in South India, Haidar Ali and later Tipu Sultan fought four significant
Anglo-Mysore Wars, the last of which resulted in Tippu Sultan's death and the incorporation of Mysore into
British India
The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance in South Asia. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one form or another ...
in 1799.
[Kamath (2001), pp. 231–234.] Mysore was restored to the Wodeyars, and the
Kingdom of Mysore
The Kingdom of Mysore was a geopolitical realm in southern India founded in around 1399 in the vicinity of the modern-day city of Mysore and prevailed until 1950. The territorial boundaries and the form of government transmuted substantially ...
became a
princely state outside but in a
subsidiary alliance
A subsidiary alliance, in South Asian history, was a tributary alliance between an Indian state and a European East India Company.
Under this system, an Indian ruler who formed an agreement with the company in question would be provided wit ...
with
British India
The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance in South Asia. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one form or another ...
.
As the "
doctrine of lapse" gave way to dissent and resistance from princely states across the country,
Kittur Chennamma, Queen of
Kittur
Kittur or Kitturu, historically known as Kittoor, is a town and a taluk in the Belagavi district of the Indian state of Karnataka. It was part of Bailhongal taluka but was declared as an independent taluka on 23October 2012 by the Chief Minist ...
, her military leader
Sangolli Rayanna, and others, spearheaded rebellions in part of what is now Karnataka in 1830, nearly three decades before the
Indian Rebellion of 1857
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against Company rule in India, the rule of the East India Company, British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the The Crown, British ...
. However, Kitturu was taken over by the British
East India Company
The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company that was founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to Indian Ocean trade, trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (South A ...
even before the doctrine was officially articulated by Lord Dalhousie in 1848. Other uprisings followed, such as the ones at
Supa,
Bagalkot
Bagalkote, is a city in the state of Karnataka, India, which is also the headquarters of Bagalkot district. It is situated on branch of River Ghataprabha, The population of the urban agglomeration was 111,933"District Census Handbook – Guntu ...
,
Shorapur
Shorapur, is a city and taluka in Yadgir district in the Indian state of Karnataka and a historical place. Surapura was the land of the famous prince of Surapura aasthana, Raja Venkatappa Nayaka, the young rebel freedom fighter against British ...
,
Nargund
Naragunda is a town in Gadag district in the Indian state of Karnataka.
Geography
Nargund is located at . It has an average elevation of 605 metres (1984 feet).
Etymology
The name "Nargund" comes from "Nari Gundu", which means "Hi ...
and
Dandeli
Dandeli is a taluk in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka, India, in the Malenadu region.
Description Old Dandeli
As per the 1930 year, the population of Dandeli was only 515 and predominantly worked in the forestry department and govern ...
. These rebellions—which coincided with the
Indian Rebellion of 1857
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against Company rule in India, the rule of the East India Company, British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the The Crown, British ...
—were led by Mundargi Bhimarao,
Bhaskar Rao Bhave, the Halagali Bedas,
Raja Venkatappa Nayaka and others. By the late 19th century, the independence movement had gained momentum; Karnad Sadashiva Rao,
Aluru Venkata Raya,
S. Nijalingappa,
Kengal Hanumanthaiah
Kengal Hanumanthaiah (10 February 1908 – 1 December 1980), also spelt as Kengal Hanumanthaiya, was the second Chief Minister of Karnataka (then, Mysore State) from 30 March 1952 to 19 August 1956. He contributed to the construction of Vidha ...
,
Nittoor Srinivasa Rau and others carried on the struggle into the early 20th century.
After the
independence of British India, the Maharaja,
Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar, signed an
instrument of accession
The Instrument of Accession was a legal document first introduced by the Government of India Act 1935 and used in 1947 to enable each of the rulers of the princely states under British paramountcy to join one of the new dominions of Dominion ...
to accede his state to the new India. In 1950, Mysore became an Indian state of the same name; the former Maharaja served as its ''Rajpramukh'' (head of state) until 1975. Following the long-standing demand of the
Ekikarana Movement, Kodagu- and Kannada-speaking regions from the adjoining states of Madras, Hyderabad and Bombay were incorporated into the Mysore state, under the
States Reorganisation Act
The States Reorganisation Act, 1956 was a major reform of the boundaries of India's States and union territories of India, states and territories, organising them along linguistic lines.
Although additional changes to India's state boundaries ...
of 1956. The thus expanded state was renamed Karnataka, seventeen years later, on 1 November 1973.
In the early 1900s through the post-independence era, industrial visionaries such as Sir
Mokshagundam Visvesvarayya
Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya (Moːkśguṇam Viśveśvarayya; 15 September 1861 – 12/14 April 1962), also referred to by his initials, MV, was an Indian civil engineer, administrator, and statesman, who served as the 19th Dewan of Mysore ...
, played an important role in the development of Karnataka's strong manufacturing and industrial base.
Geography
The state has three principal geographical zones:

# The coastal region of
Karavali
Kanara or Canara, also known as Karāvali, is the historically significant stretch of land situated by the southwestern Konkan coast of India, alongside the Arabian Sea in the present-day Indian state of Karnataka.
The subregion comprises thr ...
and
Tulu Nadu
Tulu Nadu, or Tulunad, is a region and Proposed states and union territories of India, proposed state on the southwestern coast of India. The Tulu people, known as 'Tuluva' (pl. 'Tuluver') are speakers of Tulu language, Tulu, a Dravidian langu ...
# The hilly
Malenadu
Malnad (or Malenadu) is a region in the state of Karnataka, India. Malenadu covers the western and eastern slopes of the Western Ghats mountain range and is roughly 100 kilometers in width. It includes the districts of Uttara Kannada,Shivamog ...
region comprising the
Western Ghats
# The
Bayaluseeme region comprising the plains of the
Deccan Plateau
The Deccan is a plateau extending over an area of and occupies the majority of the Indian peninsula. It stretches from the Satpura Range, Satpura and Vindhya Ranges in the north to the northern fringes of Tamil Nadu in the south. It is bound ...
The bulk of the state is in the
Bayaluseeme region, the northern part of which is the second-largest
arid
Aridity is the condition of geographical regions which make up approximately 43% of total global available land area, characterized by low annual precipitation, increased temperatures, and limited water availability.Perez-Aguilar, L. Y., Plata ...
region in India.
The highest point in Karnataka is the
Mullayanagiri hills in
Chikmagalur district
Chikmagalur, officially Chikkamagaluru () is an administrative district in the Malnad subregion of Karnataka, India. It was called Kadur (''Cuddoor'') district till 1947. Coffee was first cultivated in India in Chikmagalur. The hills of Chikm ...
which has an altitude of . The two main river systems of the state are the
Krishna
Krishna (; Sanskrit language, Sanskrit: कृष्ण, ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme God (Hinduism), Supreme God in his own right. He is the god of protection, c ...
and its tributaries, the
Bhima
Bhima (, ), also known as Bhimasena (, ), is a hero and one of the most prominent characters in the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. As the second of the five Pandava brothers, Bhima was born to Kunti—the wife of King Pandu—fathered by Vayu, the ...
,
Ghataprabha,
Vedavathi ttps://www.researchgate.net/publication/358414946%20Archaeological%20Investigations%20in%20Upper%20Vedavathi%20Basin%20of%20Karnataka%20With%20Special%20Reference%20to%20Kadur%20Taluk archaeology
The Vedavathi is a river in India. It originates ...
,
Malaprabha and
Tungabhadra
The Tungabhadra River () starts and flows through the state of Karnataka, India, for most of its course, then through Andhra Pradesh where it ultimately joins the Krishna River near Murvakonda.
The Tungabhadra derives its name from two strea ...
in North Karnataka, and the
Kaveri
The Kaveri (also known as Cauvery) is a Rivers of India, major river flowing across Southern India. It is the third largest river in the region after Godavari River, Godavari and Krishna River, Krishna.
The catchment area of the Kaveri basin i ...
and its tributaries, the
Hemavati,
Shimsha
Shimsha is a river that flows in the state of Karnataka, India. It is one of the tributaries of the river Kaveri, which is one of the major rivers of South India. The river originates in the southern part of the Devarayanadurga hill in the ...
,
Arkavati
The Arkavati is an important mountain river in Karnataka, India, originating at Nandi Hills of Chikkaballapura district. It is a tributary of the Kaveri, which it joins at 34 km south of Kanakapura, Ramanagara District called Sangam ...
,
Lakshmana Thirtha and
Kabini
The Kabini River is one of the major tributaries of the river Cauvery in southern India, It originates in Wayanad district of Kerala state by the confluence of the Panamaram River and the Mananthavady River. It flows eastward through Wayanad ...
, in South Karnataka. Most of these rivers flow out of Karnataka eastward, reaching the sea at the
Bay of Bengal
The Bay of Bengal is the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. Geographically it is positioned between the Indian subcontinent and the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese peninsula, located below the Bengal region.
Many South Asian and Southe ...
. Other prominent rivers such as the
Sharavati
Sharāvati is a river which originates and flows entirely within the state of Karnataka in India. It is one of the few westward flowing rivers of India and a major part of the river basin lies in the Western Ghats. The famous Jog Falls, locat ...
in
Shimoga
Shimoga, officially Shivamogga, is a city and the district headquarters of Shimoga district in the Karnataka state of India. The city lies on the banks of the Tunga River. Being the gateway for the hilly region of the Western Ghats, the city ...
and
Netravati in
Dakshina Kannada
Dakshina Kannada district is located in the states and territories of India, state of Karnataka in India, with its headquarters in the coastal city of Mangaluru. The district covers an area nestled in between the Western Ghats to its east and the ...
flow westward to the
Lakshadweep Sea
The Laccadive Sea ( ), also known as the Lakshadweep Sea, is a body of water bordering India (including its Lakshadweep islands), the Maldives, and Sri Lanka. It is located to the southwest of Karnataka, to the west of Kerala and to the south of ...
. A large number of
dams and reservoirs are constructed across these rivers which richly add to the
irrigation
Irrigation (also referred to as watering of plants) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow crops, landscape plants, and lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,000 years and has bee ...
and
hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is Electricity generation, electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies 15% of the world's electricity, almost 4,210 TWh in 2023, which is more than all other Renewable energ ...
power generation capacities of the state.
Karnataka consists of four main types of geological formations
– the ''
Archean
The Archean ( , also spelled Archaean or Archæan), in older sources sometimes called the Archaeozoic, is the second of the four geologic eons of Earth's history of Earth, history, preceded by the Hadean Eon and followed by the Proterozoic and t ...
complex'' made up of
Dharwad
Dharwad (), also known as Dharwar, is a city located in the northwestern part of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is the headquarters of the Dharwad district of Karnataka and forms a contiguous urban area with the city of Hubballi. It was merged ...
schist
Schist ( ) is a medium-grained metamorphic rock generally derived from fine-grained sedimentary rock, like shale. It shows pronounced ''schistosity'' (named for the rock). This means that the rock is composed of mineral grains easily seen with a l ...
s and granitic
gneiss
Gneiss (pronounced ) is a common and widely distributed type of metamorphic rock. It is formed by high-temperature and high-pressure metamorphic processes acting on formations composed of igneous or sedimentary rocks. This rock is formed under p ...
es, the ''
Proterozoic
The Proterozoic ( ) is the third of the four geologic eons of Earth's history, spanning the time interval from 2500 to 538.8 Mya, and is the longest eon of Earth's geologic time scale. It is preceded by the Archean and followed by the Phanerozo ...
'' non-fossiliferous sedimentary formations of the Kaladgi and Bhima series, the ''Deccan trappean and intertrappean deposits'' and the tertiary and recent
laterite
Laterite is a soil type rich in iron and aluminium and is commonly considered to have formed in hot and wet tropical areas. Nearly all laterites are of rusty-red coloration, because of high iron oxide content. They develop by intensive and prolo ...
s and alluvial deposits. Laterite cappings that are found in many districts over the
Deccan Traps
The Deccan Traps are a large igneous province of west-central India (17–24°N, 73–74°E). They are one of the largest volcanic features on Earth, taking the form of a large shield volcano. They consist of many layers of solidified flood ...
were formed after the cessation of volcanic activity in the early tertiary period. Eleven groups of soil orders are found in Karnataka, viz.
Entisol
Entisols are soils, as defined under USDA soil taxonomy, that do not show any profile development other than an A-horizon (or “A” horizon). Entisols have no diagnostic horizons, and are unaltered from their parent material, which could ...
s,
Inceptisol
Inceptisols are a soil order in USDA soil taxonomy. They form quickly through alteration of parent material. They are more developed than Entisols. They have no accumulation of clays, iron oxide, aluminium oxide or organic matter. They have a ...
s,
Mollisols,
Spodosols,
Alfisols,
Ultisol
Ultisol, commonly known as red clay soil, is one of twelve soil orders in the USDA soil taxonomy, United States Department of Agriculture soil taxonomy. The word "Ultisol" is derived from "ultimate", because Ultisols were seen as the ultimate pr ...
s,
Oxisol
Oxisols are a soil order in USDA soil taxonomy, best known for their occurrence in tropical rain forest within 25 degrees north and south of the Equator. In the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB), they belong mainly to the ferrals ...
s,
Aridisols,
Vertisol
A vertisol is a Soil Order in the USDA soil taxonomy and a Reference Soil Group in the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB). It is also defined in many other soil classification systems. In the Australian Soil Classification it is c ...
s,
Andisol
In USDA soil taxonomy, andisols are soils formed in volcanic ash and defined as soils containing high proportions of glass and amorphous colloidal materials, including allophane, imogolite and ferrihydrite. In the World Reference Base for Soil ...
s and
Histosol
In both the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) and the USDA soil taxonomy, a Histosol is a soil consisting primarily of organic materials. They are defined as having or more of organic soil material starting within 40 cm from the so ...
s.
[National Informatics Centre. "Traditional Soil Groups of Karnataka and their Geographic Distribution". ''Official Website of the Department of Agriculture, Govt. of Karnataka''. Govt. of Karnataka. Retrieved 25 March 2007.] Depending on the agricultural capability of the soil, the soil types are divided into six types, ''
viz.
The abbreviation ''viz.'' (or ''viz'' without a full stop) is short for the Latin , which itself is a contraction of the Latin phrase ''videre licet'', meaning "it is permitted to see". It is used as a synonym for "namely", "that is to say", "t ...
'' red,
lateritic,
black
Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...
, alluvio-colluvial, forest and coastal soils.
About of Karnataka (i.e. 16% of the state's geographic area) is covered by forests.
The forests are classified as reserved, protected, unclosed, village and private forests.
The percentage of forested area is slightly less than the all-India average of about 23%,
and significantly less than the 33% prescribed in the National Forest Policy.
Climate
Karnataka experiences four seasons. The winter in January and February is followed by summer between March and May, the
monsoon
A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in Atmosphere of Earth, atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annu ...
season between June and September and the post-monsoon season from October till December.
Meteorologically, Karnataka is divided into three zones – coastal, north interior and south interior. Of these, the coastal zone receives the heaviest rainfall with an average rainfall of about per annum, far in excess of the state average of .
Amagaon
Amagaon is a village in Belagavi district bordered by Goa in west in the southern state of Karnataka, India. Amagaon nestles in the dense forests of the Western Ghats in and is known for its heavy rainfall. It is known to get over 10,000 ...
in
Khanapura taluka of
Belgaum district
Belagavi district, formerly also known as Belgaum district, is a district in the state of Karnataka, India. The district is known as the sugar bowl of Karnataka with hectares being used for commercial production. It has overtaken Mandya distri ...
received of rainfall in 2010. In 2014 Kokalli in
Sirsi taluka of
Uttara Kannada district
Uttara Kannada is a fifth largest district in the Indian state of Karnataka, It is bordered by the state of Goa and Belagavi districts to the north, Dharwad District and Haveri District to the east, Shivamogga District, and Udupi District to ...
received of rainfall.
Agumbe
Agumbe is a village situated in the Thirthahalli taluka of Shivamogga district, Karnataka, India. It is nestled in the thickly forested Malenadu region of the Western Ghats mountain range.
Owing to its high rainfall, it has received the epith ...
in
Thirthahalli taluka and
Hulikal of
Hosanagara taluka in
Shimoga district
Shimoga district, officially known as Shivamogga district, is a Districts of India, district in the Karnataka state of India. A major part of Shimoga district lies in the Malnad region or the Western Ghats, Sahyadri. Shimoga city is its adminis ...
were the rainiest cities in Karnataka, situated in one of the wettest regions in the world.
[Agumbe's receiving the second highest rainfall in India is mentioned by ]
The state is projected to warm about by 2030. The monsoon is set to provide less rainfall. Agriculture in Karnataka is mostly rainfed as opposed to irrigated, making it highly vulnerable to expected changes in the monsoon. The highest recorded temperature was in
Raichuru district. The lowest recorded temperature was at
Bidar district
Bidar district is the northernmost part of the Karnataka state in India. The administrative headquarters of district is Bidar, Bidar city. Geographically, it known as the "Crown of the State", occupying its northeastern end. It is bounded by Ka ...
.
Flora and fauna

Karnataka is home to a variety of wildlife. It has a recorded forest area of which constitutes 12.3% of the total geographical area of the state.
[Statistics related to forests in Karnataka is provided by ] These forests support 25% of the
elephant
Elephants are the largest living land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant ('' Loxodonta africana''), the African forest elephant (''L. cyclotis''), and the Asian elephant ('' Elephas maximus ...
and 10% of the
tiger
The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is a large Felidae, cat and a member of the genus ''Panthera'' native to Asia. It has a powerful, muscular body with a large head and paws, a long tail and orange fur with black, mostly vertical stripes. It is ...
population of India. Many regions of Karnataka are as yet unexplored, so new species of flora and fauna are found periodically. The
Western Ghats, a
biodiversity hotspot
A biodiversity hotspot is a ecoregion, biogeographic region with significant levels of biodiversity that is threatened by human habitation. Norman Myers wrote about the concept in two articles in ''The Environmentalist'' in 1988 and 1990, after ...
, includes the western region of Karnataka. The Bandipur and Nagarahole National Parks were included in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve in 1986, a UNESCO designation.
The Indian roller and the
Indian elephant
The Indian elephant (''Elephas maximus indicus'') is one of three extant recognized subspecies of the Asian elephant, native to mainland Asia. The species is smaller than the African elephant species with a convex back and the highest body po ...
are recognised as the state bird and animal while
sandalwood
Sandalwood is a class of woods from trees in the genus ''Santalum''. The woods are heavy, yellow, and fine-grained, and, unlike many other aromatic woods, they retain their fragrance for decades. Sandalwood oil is extracted from the woods. Sanda ...
and the
lotus are recognised as the state tree and flower respectively. Karnataka has five national parks:
Anshi,
Bandipur,
Bannerghatta,
Kudremukh
Kudremukha is the name of a mountain range and an individual mountain peak located in Chikmagalur district, in Karnataka, India. It is also the name of a small hill station and iron ore-mining town situated near the mountain, about 20 kilomet ...
and
Nagarhole.
[A Walk on the Wild Side, An Information Guide to National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries of Karnataka, Compiled and Edited by Nima Manjrekar, Karnataka Forest Department, Wildlife Wing, October 2000] It also has 27 wildlife sanctuaries of which seven are bird sanctuaries.
Wild animals that are found in Karnataka include the
elephant
Elephants are the largest living land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant ('' Loxodonta africana''), the African forest elephant (''L. cyclotis''), and the Asian elephant ('' Elephas maximus ...
, the
tiger
The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is a large Felidae, cat and a member of the genus ''Panthera'' native to Asia. It has a powerful, muscular body with a large head and paws, a long tail and orange fur with black, mostly vertical stripes. It is ...
, the
leopard
The leopard (''Panthera pardus'') is one of the five extant cat species in the genus ''Panthera''. It has a pale yellowish to dark golden fur with dark spots grouped in rosettes. Its body is slender and muscular reaching a length of with a ...
, the
gaur
The gaur (''Bos gaurus''; ) is a large bovine native to the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia, and has been listed as Vulnerable species, Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 1986. The global population was estimated at a maximum of 21,000 ...
, the
sambar deer
The sambar (''Rusa unicolor'') is a large deer native to the Indian subcontinent, South China and Southeast Asia that is listed as a vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List since 2008. Populations have declined substantially due to severe huntin ...
, the
chital or spotted deer, the
muntjac
Muntjacs ( ), also known as the barking deer or rib-faced deer, (URL is Google Books) are small deer of the genus ''Muntiacus'' native to South Asia and Southeast Asia. Muntjacs are thought to have begun appearing 15–35 million years ago, ...
, the
bonnet macaque
The bonnet macaque (''Macaca radiata''), also known as zati,Chambers English Dictionary is a species of macaque endemism, endemic to southern India. Its distribution is limited by the Indian Ocean on three sides and the Godavari River, Godavari a ...
, the
slender loris
The slender lorises (''Loris'') are a genus of loris native to India and Sri Lanka. The genus comprises two species, the red slender loris found in Sri Lanka and the gray slender loris from Sri Lanka and India. Slender lorises spend most of the ...
, the
common palm civet, the
small Indian civet
The small Indian civet (''Viverricula indica'') is a civet native to South and Southeast Asia. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List because of its widespread distribution, widespread habitat use and healthy populations living in agr ...
, the
sloth bear
The sloth bear (''Melursus ursinus''), also known as the Indian bear, is a myrmecophagous bear species native to the Indian subcontinent. It feeds on fruits, ants and termites. It is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, mainly because of ...
, the
dhole
The dhole ( ; ''Cuon alpinus'') is a canid native to South, East and Southeast Asia. It is anatomically distinguished from members of the genus ''Canis'' in several aspects: its skull is convex rather than concave in profile, it lacks a third ...
, the
striped hyena
The striped hyena (''Hyaena hyaena'') is a species of hyena native to North and East Africa, the Middle East, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. It is the only extant species in the genus ''Hyaena''. It is listed by the IU ...
, the
Bengal fox
The Bengal fox (''Vulpes bengalensis''), also known as the Indian fox, is a fox endemic to the Indian subcontinent from the Himalayan foothills and Terai of Nepal through southern India, and from southern and eastern Pakistan to eastern India an ...
and the
golden jackal
The golden jackal (''Canis aureus''), also called the common jackal, is a wolf-like canid that is native to Eurasia. The golden jackal's coat varies in color from a pale creamy yellow in summer to a dark tawny beige in winter. It is smaller a ...
. Some of the birds found here are the
great hornbill
The great hornbill (''Buceros bicornis''), also known as the concave-casqued hornbill, great Indian hornbill or great pied hornbill, is one of the larger members of the hornbill family. It occurs in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. I ...
, the
Malabar pied hornbill, the
Ceylon frogmouth, herons, ducks, kites, eagles,
falcon
Falcons () are birds of prey in the genus ''Falco'', which includes about 40 species. Some small species of falcons with long, narrow wings are called hobbies, and some that hover while hunting are called kestrels. Falcons are widely distrib ...
s,
quails
Quail is a collective name for several genera of mid-sized birds generally placed in the order Galliformes. The collective noun for a group of quail is a flock, covey, or bevy.
Old World quail are placed in the family Phasianidae, and New W ...
,
partridge
A partridge is a medium-sized Galliformes, galliform bird in any of several genera, with a wide Indigenous (ecology), native distribution throughout parts of Europe, Asia and Africa. Several species have been introduced to the Americas. They ar ...
s,
lapwing
Lapwings (subfamily Vanellinae) are any of various ground-nesting birds (Family (biology), family Charadriidae) akin to plovers and dotterels. They range from in length, and are noted for their slow, irregular wingbeats in flight and a shrill, ...
s,
sandpiper
Scolopacidae is a large family of shorebirds, or waders, which mainly includes many species known as sandpipers, but also others such as woodcocks, curlews and snipes. Most of these species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or so ...
s, pigeons, doves,
parakeet
A parakeet is any one of many small- to medium-sized species of parrot, in multiple genera, that generally has long tail feathers.
Etymology and naming
The name ''parakeet'' is derived from the French word ''perroquet'', which is reflect ...
s, cuckoos, owls,
nightjar
Nightjars are medium-sized nocturnal or crepuscular birds in the family Caprimulgidae and order Caprimulgiformes, characterised by long wings, short legs, and very short bills. They are sometimes called bugeaters, their primary source of food ...
s,
swift
Swift or SWIFT most commonly refers to:
* SWIFT, an international organization facilitating transactions between banks
** SWIFT code
* Swift (programming language)
* Swift (bird), a family of birds
It may also refer to:
Organizations
* SWIF ...
s,
kingfisher
Kingfishers are a family, the Alcedinidae, of small to medium-sized, brightly coloured birds in the order Coraciiformes. They have a cosmopolitan distribution, with most species living in the tropical regions of Africa, Asia, and Oceania, ...
s, bee-eaters and
munias.
Some species of trees found in Karnataka are ''
Calophyllum tomentosum
''Calophyllum tomentosum'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Calophyllaceae, commonly known as bintangur. It is found in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically ...
'', ''
Calophyllum apetalum'', ''
Garcinia cambogia'', ''
Garcinia morella'', ''
Alstonia scholaris
''Alstonia scholaris'', commonly called blackboard tree, scholar tree, milkwood or devil's tree in English, is an evergreen tree in the oleander and frangipani family Apocynaceae. Its natural range is from Pakistan to China, and south to northe ...
'', ''
Flacourtia montana'', ''
Artocarpus hirsutus'', ''
Artocarpus lacucha
''Artocarpus lacucha'', also known as monkey jack or monkey fruit, is a tropical evergreen tree species of the family Moraceae. It is distributed throughout the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. The tree is valued for its wood; its fruit ...
'', ''
Cinnamomum zeylanicum
''Cinnamomum verum'' (synonym ''Cinnamomum zeylanicum'', also called true cinnamon tree or Ceylon cinnamon tree) is a small evergreen tree belonging to the family Lauraceae, native to Sri Lanka. The inner bark of the tree is historically regarded ...
'', ''
Grewia tiliifolia
''Grewia tiliifolia'' (syn. ''Grewia damine'') is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae ''sensu lato''.
A tree reaching , it is found in monsoon and intermediate forest gaps and fringes of Sri Lanka, where the plant is known as "da ...
'', ''
Santalum album
''Santalum album'' is a small tropical tree, and the traditional source of sandalwood oil. It is native to Indonesia (Java and the Lesser Sunda Islands), the Philippines, and Western Australia. It is commonly known as the true sandalwood, white ...
'', ''Shorea talura'', ''
Emblica officinalis
''Phyllanthus emblica'', also known as emblic, emblic myrobalan, myrobalan, nelikai, Indian gooseberry, Malacca tree, amloki or amla, is a deciduous tree of the family Phyllanthaceae. Its native range is tropical and southern Asia.
Descript ...
'', ''
Vitex altissima
''Vitex altissima'', the peacock chaste tree, is a species of woody plant reaching some 20 m in height, in the family of
Lamiaceae. It is native to the Indomalayan realm, namely Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka, and is also f ...
'' and ''
Wrightia tinctoria
''Wrightia tinctoria'', Pala indigo plant or dyer's oleander, is a flowering plant species in the genus '' Wrightia'' found in India, southeast Asia and Australia. It is found in dry and moist regions in its distribution. Various parts of the pla ...
''. Wildlife in Karnataka is threatened by
poaching
Poaching is the illegal hunting or capturing of wild animals, usually associated with land use rights.
Poaching was once performed by impoverished peasants for subsistence purposes and to supplement meager diets. It was set against the huntin ...
,
habitat destruction
Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss or habitat reduction) occurs when a natural habitat is no longer able to support its native species. The organisms once living there have either moved elsewhere, or are dead, leading to a decrease ...
,
human-wildlife conflict and
pollution
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause harm. Pollution can take the form of any substance (solid, liquid, or gas) or energy (such as radioactivity, heat, sound, or light). Pollutants, the component ...
.
Sub-divisions

There are 31 districts in Karnataka. Each district (''
zila'') is governed by a district commissioner (''ziladar''). The districts are further divided into sub-districts (''
taluka
A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluk, or taluka () is a local unit of administrative division in India and Pakistan. It is a subdistrict of the area within a district including the designated populated place that serves as its administrative ...
s''), which are governed by sub-commissioners (''talukdars''); sub-divisions comprise blocks (''
tehsil
A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluk, or taluka () is a local unit of administrative division in India and Pakistan. It is a subdistrict of the area within a Zila (country subdivision), district including the designated populated place that ser ...
s''/''hobli''), which are governed by block development officers (''tehsildars''), which contain village councils (''
panchayats''), town municipal councils (''purasabhe''), city municipal councils (''nagarasabhe''), and city municipal corporations (''mahanagara palike'').
Demographics
According to the 2011 census of India,
the total population of Karnataka was 61,095,297 of which 30,966,657 (50.7%) were male and 30,128,640 (49.3%) were female, or 1000 males for every 973 females. This represents a 15.60% increase over the population in 2001. The population density was 319 per km
2 and 38.67% of the people lived in urban areas. The literacy rate was 75.36% with 82.47% of males and 68.08% of females being literate.
In 2007 the state had a birth rate of 2.2%, a death rate of 0.7%, an infant mortality rate of 5.5% and a maternal mortality rate of 0.2%. The
total fertility rate
The total fertility rate (TFR) of a population is the average number of children that are born to a woman over her lifetime, if they were to experience the exact current age-specific fertility rates (ASFRs) through their lifetime, and they were t ...
was 2.2.
Karnataka's private sector speciality health care competes with the best in the world.
Karnataka has also established a modicum of public health services having a better record of health care and child care than most other states of India. In spite of these advances, some parts of the state still suffer from the lack of primary health care.
Karnataka ranked tenth in the Fiscal Health Index (FHI) 2025, with a score of 40.8.
Religion
Adi Shankara
Adi Shankara (8th c. CE), also called Adi Shankaracharya (, ), was an Indian Vedanga, Vedic scholar, Hindu philosophy, philosopher and teacher (''acharya'') of Advaita Vedanta. Reliable information on Shankara's actual life is scant, and h ...
(788–820 CE) chose
Sringeri
Sringeri (IAST: Śṛṅgerī; ) also called Shringeri is a hill town and Taluk headquarters located in Chikkamagaluru district in the Indian state of Karnataka.
Sringeri is the site of Sri Sharadamba temple, a part of the Sringeri Sharada Pe ...
in Karnataka to establish the first of his four ''
matha
A ''matha'' (; , ), also written as ''math'', ''muth'', ''mutth'', ''mutt'', or ''mut'', is a Sanskrit word that means 'institute or college', and it also refers to a monastery in Hinduism. s'' (monastery).
Madhvacharya
Madhvacharya (; ; 1199–1278 CE or 1238–1317 CE), also known as Purna Prajna () and Ānanda Tīrtha, was an Indian philosopher, theologian and the chief proponent of the ''Dvaita'' (dualism) school of Vedanta. Madhva called his philosophy ...
(1238–1317) was the chief proponent of
Tattvavada
Dvaita Vedanta (); (originally known as Tattvavada; IAST: ''Tattvavāda''), is a sub-school in the Vedanta tradition of Hindu philosophy. The term Tattvavada literally means "arguments from a realist viewpoint". The Tattvavada (Dvaita) Veda ...
(philosophy of reality), popularly known as
Dvaita
Dvaita Vedanta (); (originally known as Tattvavada; IAST: ''Tattvavāda''), is a sub-school in the Vedanta
''Vedanta'' (; , ), also known as ''Uttara Mīmāṃsā'', is one of the six orthodox (Āstika and nāstika, ''āstika'') trad ...
or Dualistic school of Hindu philosophy – one of the three most influential
Vedanta
''Vedanta'' (; , ), also known as ''Uttara Mīmāṃsā'', is one of the six orthodox (Āstika and nāstika, ''āstika'') traditions of Hindu philosophy and textual exegesis. The word ''Vedanta'' means 'conclusion of the Vedas', and encompa ...
philosophies. Madhvacharya was one of the important philosophers during the
Bhakti movement
The Bhakti movement was a significant religious movement in medieval Hinduism that sought to bring religious reforms to all strata of society by adopting the method of Bhakti, devotion to achieve salvation. Originating in Tamilakam during 6t ...
. He was a pioneer in many ways, going against standard conventions and norms. According to tradition, Madhvacharya is believed to be the third incarnation of
Vayu
Vayu (; ), also known as Vata () and Pavana (), is the Hindu deities, Hindu god of the winds as well as the divine messenger of the gods. In the ''Vedic scriptures'', Vayu is an important deity and is closely associated with Indra, the king o ...
(Mukhyaprana), after
Hanuman
Hanuman (; , ), also known as Maruti, Bajrangabali, and Anjaneya, is a deity in Hinduism, revered as a divine ''vanara'', and a devoted companion of the deity Rama. Central to the ''Ramayana'', Hanuman is celebrated for his unwavering devotio ...
and
Bhima
Bhima (, ), also known as Bhimasena (, ), is a hero and one of the most prominent characters in the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. As the second of the five Pandava brothers, Bhima was born to Kunti—the wife of King Pandu—fathered by Vayu, the ...
. The
Haridasa
The Haridasa Bhakti Sahitya devotional movement (sampradaya) originated in Karnataka, India, after Madhvacharya, and spread to eastern states such as Bengal and Assam of medieval India. Over a span of nearly six centuries, several saints and ...
devotional movement is considered one of the turning points in the cultural history of India. Over a span of nearly six centuries, several saints and mystics helped shape the culture, philosophy, and art of South India and Karnataka in particular by exerting considerable spiritual influence over the masses and kingdoms that ruled South India.
This movement was ushered in by the Haridasas (literally "servants of Hari") and took shape in the 13th century – 14th century CE, period, prior to and during the early rule of the Vijayanagara empire. The main objective of this movement was to propagate the Dvaita philosophy of Madhvacharya (Madhva Siddhanta) to the masses through a literary medium known as
Dasa Sahitya.
Purandara dasa
Purandara Dasa (IAST: Purandara Dāsa; (1470 – 1564) was a composer, singer and a Haridasa philosopher from present-day Karnataka, India. He was a follower of Madhwacharya, Madhvacharya's Dwaitha, Dvaita philosophy. He was one of the chi ...
is widely recognised as the ''"Pithamaha"'' of
Carnatic Music
Carnatic music (known as or in the Dravidian languages) is a system of music commonly associated with South India, including the modern Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and southern Odisha.
It is o ...
for his immense contribution.
Ramanuja
Ramanuja ('; Middle Tamil: Rāmāṉujam; Classical Sanskrit: Rāmānuja; 1077 – 1157), also known as Ramanujacharya, was an Indian Hindu philosopher, guru and social reformer. He is one of the most important exponents of the Sri Vaishnavi ...
, the leading expounder of ''
Vishishtadvaita
Vishishtadvaita (IAST '; ) is a school of Hindu philosophy belonging to the Vedanta tradition. Vedanta refers to the profound interpretation of the Vedas based on Prasthanatrayi. Vishishta Advaita, meaning "non-duality with distinctions", is a ...
'', spent many years in
Melkote. He came to Karnataka in 1098 CE and lived here until 1122 CE. He first lived in Tondanur and then moved to Melkote where the
Cheluvanarayana Swamy Temple
Cheluvanarayana Swamy Temple, also known as Selva Pillai or Thirunarayanapuram, is a temple in Melkote in the Mandya District of Karnataka, India.
The temple lies on the foothills of Melkote and is associated with the Yoga Narasimha temple bu ...
and a well-organised ''matha'' were built. He was patronised by the Hoysala king,
Vishnuvardhana
Vishnuvardhana () was a king of the Hoysala Empire in what is today the state of Karnataka, India. He ascended the Hoysala throne after the death of his elder brother Veera Ballala I in 1108. Originally a follower of Jainism and known as ...
.
[Kamath (2001), pp. 150–152]
In the twelfth century,
Lingayatism
The Lingayats are a Monotheism, monotheistic religious denomination of Hindu denominations, Hinduism. Lingayats are also known as , , , . Lingayats are known for their unique practice of Ishtalingam, Ishtalinga worship, where adherents carry a ...
emerged in northern Karnataka as a protest against the rigidity of the prevailing social and caste system. Leading figures of this movement were
Basava,
Akka Mahadevi
Akka Mahadevi (c. 1130–1160) was an early poet of Kannada literature and a prominent member of the Lingayatism founded in the 2011
. Her 430 '' vachanas'' (a form of spontaneous mystical poems), and the two short writings called ''Mantrogopya ...
and
Allama Prabhu
Allamaprabhu was a 12th-century Lingayat-saint and '' Vachana'' poet (called ''Vachanakara'') of the Kannada language, propagating the unitary consciousness of Self and Shiva. Allamaprabhu is one of the celebrated poets and the patron saint ...
, who established the
Anubhava Mantapa
Anubhava Mantapa, established by Basavanna in the 12th century C.E., is a religious complex located in Tipranth, Basavakalyan, in the Bidar district of Karnataka. It is the first religious parliament in the world, whose name is literally transl ...
which was the centre of all religious and philosophical thoughts and discussions pertaining to Lingayats. These three social reformers did so by the literary means of ''"Vachana Sahitya"'' which is very famous for its simple, straight forward and easily understandable Kannada language. Lingayatism preached women equality by letting women wear ''Ishtalinga'' i.e. Symbol of god around their neck.
Basava shunned the sharp hierarchical divisions that existed and sought to remove all distinctions between the hierarchically superior master class and the subordinate, servile class. He also supported inter-caste marriages and Kaay Ta tTatva of Basavanna. This was the basis of the
Lingayat
The Lingayats are a monotheistic religious denomination of Hinduism. Lingayats are also known as , , , . Lingayats are known for their unique practice of Ishtalinga worship, where adherents carry a personal linga symbolizing a constant, intim ...
faith which today counts millions among its followers.
[Kamath (2001), pp. 152–154.]
The
Jain philosophy and literature have contributed immensely to the religious and cultural landscape of Karnataka.
Islam
Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
, which had an early presence on the west coast of India as early as the tenth century, gained a foothold in Karnataka with the rise of the Bahamani and Bijapur sultanates that ruled parts of Karnataka.
[Sastri (1955), p. 396.] Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...
reached Karnataka in the sixteenth century with the arrival of the
Portuguese and
St. Francis Xavier
Francis Xavier, SJ (born Francisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta; ; ; ; ; ; 7 April 15063 December 1552), venerated as Saint Francis Xavier, was a Navarrese cleric and missionary. He co-founded the Society of Jesus and, as a representative o ...
in 1545.
[Sastri (1955), p. 398.]
Buddhism
Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
was popular in Karnataka during the first millennium in places such as
Gulbarga
Kalaburagi, formerly known as Gulbarga, is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka, It is headquarters of eponymous Kalaburagi district and Kalaburagi division, Kalaburagi city is governed by a Municipal Corporation, It is called a Sufi c ...
and
Banavasi
Banavasi is an ancient temple town located near Sirsi in Karnataka. Banavasi was the ancient capital of the Kadamba dynasty that ruled all of modern-day Karnataka state. They were the first native empire to bring Kannada and Karnataka to pro ...
. A chance discovery of edicts and several
Maurya
The Maurya Empire was a geographically extensive Iron Age historical power in South Asia with its power base in Magadha. Founded by Chandragupta Maurya around c. 320 BCE, it existed in loose-knit fashion until 185 BCE. The primary sourc ...
n relics at
Sannati
Sannati or Sannathi is a small village, located on the banks of the Bhima River in Chitapur taluk of Kalaburagi district of Northern Karnataka. It is known for the Chandrala Parameshwari Temple and the excavations by the Archaeological Survey ...
in
Kalaburagi district
Kalaburagi district, formerly known as Gulbarga district, is one of the 31 districts of Karnataka state in southern India. Kalaburagi city is the administrative headquarters of the district. The district is the headquarters of Kalaburagi divi ...
in 1986 has proven that the
Krishna River
The Krishna River in the Deccan Plateau, Deccan plateau is the third-longest in India, after the Ganga, Ganga and Godavari. It is also the fourth-largest in terms of water inflows and river basin area in India, after the Ganga, Indus and Godav ...
basin was once home to both
Mahayana
Mahāyāna ( ; , , ; ) is a term for a broad group of Buddhist traditions, Buddhist texts#Mahāyāna texts, texts, Buddhist philosophy, philosophies, and practices developed in ancient India ( onwards). It is considered one of the three main ex ...
and
Hinayana
Hīnayāna is a Sanskrit term that was at one time applied collectively to the '' Śrāvakayāna'' and '' Pratyekabuddhayāna'' paths of Buddhism.
This term appeared around the first or second century. The Hīnayāna is considered as the prelim ...
Buddhism. There are
Tibetan refugee camps in Karnataka.
Festivals
Mysore Dasara is celebrated as the ''Nada habba'' (state festival) and this is marked by major festivities at Mysore.
Bengaluru Karaga, celebrated in the heart of Bengaluru, is the second most important festival celebrated in Karnataka.
''
Ugadi
() or (), also known as Samvatsarādi (), is the first day of the year on the Hindu calendar that is traditionally celebrated by the Telugu people and the Kannadigas in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Na ...
'' (Kannada New Year),
Makara Sankranti
Makar(a) Sankrānti (), () also referred to as Uttarāyana, Makara, or simply Sankrānti, is a Hindu observance and a mid-winter harvest festival in India and Nepal. It is typically celebrated on 14 January annually (15 January on a leap yea ...
(the harvest festival),
Ganesh Chaturthi
Ganesh Chaturthi (ISO: ), also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi () or Vinayaka Chavithi () or Vinayagar Chaturthi (), is a Hindu festival celebrating the birthday of Hindu deity Ganesh. The festival is marked with the installation of Ganesha's ''m ...
,
Gowri Habba
Gauri Habba () is a Hindu festival celebrated a day before Ganesh Chaturthi in Karnataka. This festival celebrates the goddess Gauri (Parvati) who is venerated as the mother of Ganesha. It is usually observed by married women and is a sign ...
,
Ram Navami
Rama Navami () is a Hindus, Hindu festival that celebrates the birth of Lord Ram, Rama, one of the most popularly revered deities in Hinduism, also known as the seventh avatar of Vishnu. He is often held as an emblem within Hinduism for being a ...
,
Nagapanchami,
Basava Jayanthi
Basava Jayanthi is a holiday traditionally observed by the Lingayats of the Indian state of Karnataka. It marks the birthday of Basavanna, a 12th-century poet-philosopher and the founding saint of the Lingayat tradition. The holiday is celebrat ...
,
Deepavali
Diwali (), also called Deepavali (IAST: ''Dīpāvalī'') or Deepawali (IAST: ''Dīpāwalī''), is the Hindu festival of lights, with variations celebrated in other Indian religions such as Jainism and Sikhism. It symbolises the spiritual ...
, and
Balipadyami are the other major festivals of Karnataka.
Language
Kannada
Kannada () is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly in the state of Karnataka in southwestern India, and spoken by a minority of the population in all neighbouring states. It has 44 million native speakers, and is additionally a ...
is the official language of the state of Karnataka, as the native language of 66.46% of its population as of 2011 and is one of the
classical languages of India
The Indian Classical languages, or the Śāstrīya Bhāṣā ''(Hindi)'' or the Dhrupadī Bhāṣā (''Assamese, Bengali'') or the Abhijāta Bhāṣā (''Marathi'') or the Cemmoḻi (''Tamil''), is an umbrella term for the languages of India ha ...
.
Urdu
Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...
is the second largest language, spoken by 10.83% of the population, and is the language of Muslims outside the coastal region.
Telugu
Telugu may refer to:
* Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of South India
** Telugu literature, is the body of works written in the Telugu language.
* Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India
* Telugu script, used to write the Tel ...
(5.84%) is a major language in areas bordering Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka as well as Bengaluru, while
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
People, culture and language
* Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka
** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...
(3.45%) is a major language of Bengaluru and in the Kolar district.
Marathi
Marathi may refer to:
*Marathi people, an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group of Maharashtra, India
**Marathi people (Uttar Pradesh), the Marathi people in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh
*Marathi language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Mar ...
(3.29%) is concentrated in areas of Uttara Kannada, Belgaum and Bidar districts bordering Maharashtra.
Lambadi
Lambadi, Lambani, Lamani or Banjari is a Western Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Banjara people across India. The language does not have a native script.
Regional dialects are divided between the Banjara of Maharashtra (written in Devanaga ...
is spoken by the
Lambadis scattered throughout North Karnataka, while
Hindi
Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...
is spoken in Bengaluru.
Tulu (2.61%),
Konkani __NOTOC__
Konkani may refer to:
Language
* Konkani language is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in the Konkan region of India.
* Konkani alphabets, different scripts used to write the language
**Konkani in the Roman script, one of the scripts used to ...
(1.29%), and
Malayalam
Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of ...
(1.27%) are all found in linguistically diverse Coastal Karnataka, where a number of mixed and distinct dialects such as
Are Bhashe,
Beary Bhashe, and
Nawayathi are found.
Kodava Takk
The Kodava (, natively: ''Koḍava takkï'', , meaning 'speech of Kodavas', Angloid name: Codava, Coorgi) is a Dravidian language spoken in Kodagu district (Coorg) in Southern Karnataka, India.
It is an endangered language. The term Kodava ...
is the language of Kodagu.
Kannada
Kannada () is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly in the state of Karnataka in southwestern India, and spoken by a minority of the population in all neighbouring states. It has 44 million native speakers, and is additionally a ...
played a crucial role in the creation of Karnataka: linguistic demographics played a major role in defining the new state in 1956.
Tulu,
Konkani __NOTOC__
Konkani may refer to:
Language
* Konkani language is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in the Konkan region of India.
* Konkani alphabets, different scripts used to write the language
**Konkani in the Roman script, one of the scripts used to ...
and
Kodava are other minor native languages that share a long history in the state.
Urdu
Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...
is spoken widely by the
Muslim
Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
population. Less widely spoken languages include
Beary bashe
Byari or Beary (ಬ್ಯಾರಿ) is a geographically isolated dialect of Malayalam spoken by the Byaris who are part of the Muslim community in Tulu Nadu region of Coastal Karnataka and Northern Kerala ( Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, and Kasar ...
and certain languages such as
Sankethi. Some of the regional languages in Karnataka are
Tulu,
Kodava,
Konkani __NOTOC__
Konkani may refer to:
Language
* Konkani language is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in the Konkan region of India.
* Konkani alphabets, different scripts used to write the language
**Konkani in the Roman script, one of the scripts used to ...
and
Beary
The Beary (also known as Byari) are a community concentrated along the southwest coast of India, mostly in the Mangalore district of the south Indian state of Karnataka.
The Beary community of Tulunadu is one among the earliest Muslim ...
.
Kannada features a rich and ancient body of
literature
Literature is any collection of Writing, written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially novels, Play (theatre), plays, and poetry, poems. It includes both print and Electroni ...
including religious and secular genre, covering topics as diverse as
Jainism
Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religions, Indian religion whose three main pillars are nonviolence (), asceticism (), and a rejection of all simplistic and one-sided views of truth and reality (). Jainism traces its s ...
(such as ''
s''),
Lingayatism
The Lingayats are a Monotheism, monotheistic religious denomination of Hindu denominations, Hinduism. Lingayats are also known as , , , . Lingayats are known for their unique practice of Ishtalingam, Ishtalinga worship, where adherents carry a ...
(such as
Vachana
Vachana sahitya is a form of rhythmic writing in Kannada (see also Kannada poetry) that evolved in the 11th century and flourished in the 12th century, as a part of the Sharana movement. The word "vachanas" literally means "(that which is) sa ...
s),
Vaishnavism
Vaishnavism () ), also called Vishnuism, is one of the major Hindu denominations, Hindu traditions, that considers Vishnu as the sole Para Brahman, supreme being leading all other Hindu deities, that is, ''Mahavishnu''. It is one of the majo ...
(such as
''Haridasa Sahitya'') and
modern literature. Evidence from edicts during the time of
Ashoka
Ashoka, also known as Asoka or Aśoka ( ; , ; – 232 BCE), and popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was List of Mauryan emperors, Emperor of Magadha from until #Death, his death in 232 BCE, and the third ruler from the Mauryan dynast ...
(reigned 274–232 BCE) suggest that Buddhist literature influenced the
Kannada script
The Kannada script ( IAST: ''Kannaḍa lipi''; obsolete: Kanarese or Canarese script in English) is an abugida of the Brahmic family, used to write Kannada, one of the Dravidian languages of South India especially in the state of Karnataka. I ...
and its literature. The
Halmidi inscription, the earliest attested full-length inscription in the Kannada language and script, dates from 450 CE, while the earliest available literary work, the ''
Kavirajamarga'', has been dated to 850 CE. References made in the ''Kavirajamarga'', however, prove that Kannada literature flourished in the native composition metres such as ''Chattana'', ''Beddande'' and ''Melvadu'' during earlier centuries. The classic refers to several earlier greats (''purvacharyar'') of Kannada poetry and prose.
[Narasimhacharya (1988), pp. 12, 17.] Kuvempu
Kuppalli Venkatappa Puttappa (29 December 1904 – 11 November 1994), popularly known by his pen name Kuvempu, was an Indian poet, playwright, novelist and critic. He is widely regarded as the greatest Kannada poet of the 20th century. He wa ...
, the renowned Kannada poet and writer who wrote
Jaya Bharata Jananiya Tanujate
Jaya Bhārata Jananiya Tanujāte, Jaya Hē Karnāṭaka Māte (; ) is a Kannada-language poem composed by Kuvempu. The poem was officially declared the state anthem of the Indian state of Karnataka in 2004. The Hindu – 11 January 2006
The po ...
, the state anthem of Karnataka
was the first recipient of the
Karnataka Ratna
The Karnataka Ratna is the highest civilian honour of the State of Karnataka
Karnataka ( ) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed as Mysore State on 1 ...
, the highest civilian award bestowed by the
Government of Karnataka
The Government of Karnataka, abbreviated as GoK or GoKA, formerly known as Government of Mysore (1956–1974), is a democratically elected state body with the governor as the ceremonial head to govern the Southwest Indian state of Karnataka ...
. Contemporary
Kannada literature
Kannada literature is the Text corpus, corpus of written forms of the Kannada language, which is spoken mainly in the Indian state of Karnataka and written in the Kannada script.
Attestations in literature span one and a half millennia,
R.S. ...
has received considerable acknowledgement in the arena of Indian literature, with eight Kannada writers winning India's highest literary honour, the
Jnanpith award
The Jnanpith Award is the oldest and the highest Indian literary award presented annually by the Bharatiya Jnanpith to an author for their "outstanding contribution towards literature". Instituted in 1961, the award is bestowed only on Indian ...
.
Tulu is the majority language in the
coastal district of
Dakshina Kannada
Dakshina Kannada district is located in the states and territories of India, state of Karnataka in India, with its headquarters in the coastal city of Mangaluru. The district covers an area nestled in between the Western Ghats to its east and the ...
and is the second most spoken in the
Udupi district
Udupi district (also Udipi () in Kannada or Odipu () in Tulu language) is an administrative subdivision in the Karnataka state of India, with the district headquarters in the city of Udupi. It is situated in the Canara old north Malabar c ...
. This region is also known as
Tulu Nadu
Tulu Nadu, or Tulunad, is a region and Proposed states and union territories of India, proposed state on the southwestern coast of India. The Tulu people, known as 'Tuluva' (pl. 'Tuluver') are speakers of Tulu language, Tulu, a Dravidian langu ...
. ''Tulu Mahabharato'', written by Arunabja in the
Tigalari script, is the oldest surviving Tulu text.
Tigalari script was used by Brahmins to write
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...
language. The use of the
Kannada script
The Kannada script ( IAST: ''Kannaḍa lipi''; obsolete: Kanarese or Canarese script in English) is an abugida of the Brahmic family, used to write Kannada, one of the Dravidian languages of South India especially in the state of Karnataka. I ...
for writing Tulu and non-availability of print in Tigalari script contributed to the marginalisation of Tigalari script. In Karnataka
Konkani __NOTOC__
Konkani may refer to:
Language
* Konkani language is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in the Konkan region of India.
* Konkani alphabets, different scripts used to write the language
**Konkani in the Roman script, one of the scripts used to ...
is mostly spoken in the
Uttara Kannada
Uttara Kannada is a fifth largest district in the Indian state of Karnataka, It is bordered by the state of Goa and Belagavi districts to the north, Dharwad District and Haveri District to the east, Shivamogga District, and Udupi District to ...
and
Dakshina Kannada
Dakshina Kannada district is located in the states and territories of India, state of Karnataka in India, with its headquarters in the coastal city of Mangaluru. The district covers an area nestled in between the Western Ghats to its east and the ...
districts and in parts of
Udupi
Udupi () also known as 'Odipu' () is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is the administrative headquarters of Udupi district, and one of the fastest-growing cities in Karnataka. Udupi is one of the top tourist attractions in Karnataka an ...
, Konkani use the Devanagari Script (which is official)/
Kannada script
The Kannada script ( IAST: ''Kannaḍa lipi''; obsolete: Kanarese or Canarese script in English) is an abugida of the Brahmic family, used to write Kannada, one of the Dravidian languages of South India especially in the state of Karnataka. I ...
(Optional) for writing as identified by government of Karnataka.
The
Kodavas
The Kodavas (Codavas or Kodagas) also called Coorgs are an endogamous Dravidian peoples, Dravidian ethnolinguistic group from the region of Kodagu district, Kodagu in the southern Indian state of Karnataka, who natively speak the Kodava langu ...
who mainly reside in the
Kodagu district
Kodagu district () (also known by its former name Coorg) is an administrative List of districts of Karnataka, district in the Karnataka state of India. Before 1956, it was an administratively separate Coorg State at which point it was merged ...
, speak Kodava Takk. Kodagu was a
separate State with its own
Chief Minister
A chief minister is an elected or appointed head of government of – in most instances – a sub-national entity, for instance an administrative subdivision or federal constituent entity. Examples include a state (and sometimes a union ter ...
and Council of Ministers till 1956. Two regional variations of the language exist, the northern ''Mendale Takka'' and the southern ''Kiggaati Takka''.
Kodava Takk
The Kodava (, natively: ''Koḍava takkï'', , meaning 'speech of Kodavas', Angloid name: Codava, Coorgi) is a Dravidian language spoken in Kodagu district (Coorg) in Southern Karnataka, India.
It is an endangered language. The term Kodava ...
has its own script, ''Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Academy'' has accepted
I. M. Muthanna's script which was developed in 1970 as the official script of Kodava Thakk. English is the medium of education in many schools and widely used for business communication in most private companies. All of the state's languages are patronised and promoted by governmental and quasi-governmental bodies. The ''
Kannada Sahitya Parishat'' and the ''Kannada Sahitya Akademi'' are responsible for the promotion of Kannada while the ''Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Akademi'',
the ''Tulu Sahitya Akademi'' and the ''Kodava Sahitya Akademi'' promote their respective languages.
Government and administration
Karnataka has a
parliamentary
In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
system of government with two democratically elected houses, the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council. The Legislative Assembly consists of 224 members who are elected for five-year terms.
The Legislative Council is a permanent body of 75 members with one-third (25 members) retiring every two years.
The
government of Karnataka
The Government of Karnataka, abbreviated as GoK or GoKA, formerly known as Government of Mysore (1956–1974), is a democratically elected state body with the governor as the ceremonial head to govern the Southwest Indian state of Karnataka ...
is headed by the
Chief Minister
A chief minister is an elected or appointed head of government of – in most instances – a sub-national entity, for instance an administrative subdivision or federal constituent entity. Examples include a state (and sometimes a union ter ...
who is chosen by the ruling party
members
Member may refer to:
* Military jury, referred to as "Members" in military jargon
* Element (mathematics), an object that belongs to a mathematical set
* In object-oriented programming, a member of a class
** Field (computer science), entries in ...
of the
Legislative Assembly. The Chief Minister, along with the council of ministers, executes the legislative agenda and exercises most of the executive powers. However, the constitutional and formal head of the state is the
Governor
A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...
who is appointed for a five-year term by the
President of India
The president of India (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the head of state of the Republic of India. The president is the nominal head of the executive, the first citizen of the country, and the commander-in-chief, supreme commander of the Indian Armed ...
on the advice of the Union government. The people of Karnataka also elect 28 members to the ''
Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha, also known as the House of the People, is the lower house of Parliament of India which is Bicameralism, bicameral, where the upper house is Rajya Sabha. Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha, Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by a ...
'', the lower house of the Indian Parliament.
The members of the state Legislative Assembly elect 12 members to the ''
Rajya Sabha
Rajya Sabha (Council of States) is the upper house of the Parliament of India and functions as the institutional representation of India’s federal units — the states and union territories.https://rajyasabha.nic.in/ It is a key component o ...
'', the upper house of the
Indian Parliament
The Parliament of India (ISO: ) is the supreme legislative body of the Government of the Republic of India. It is a bicameral legislature composed of the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) and the Lok Sabha (House of the People). The President o ...
.

For administrative purposes, Karnataka has been divided into four revenue divisions, 49 sub-divisions, 31 districts, 175 ''
taluk
A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluk, or taluka () is a local unit of administrative division in India and Pakistan. It is a subdistrict of the area within a district including the designated populated place that serves as its administrative ...
s'' and 745 ''hoblies'' / revenue circles.
The administration in each district is headed by a
Deputy Commissioner
A deputy commissioner is a police, income tax or administrative official in many countries. The rank is commonplace in police forces of Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth countries, usually ranking below the Commissioner.
Australia
In all Aust ...
who belongs to the
Indian Administrative Service
The Indian Administrative Service (IAS) is the Public administration, administrative arm of the All India Services of Government of India. The IAS is one of the three All India Services along with the Indian Police Service (IPS) and the Indian ...
and is assisted by a number of officers belonging to Karnataka state services. The
Superintendent of Police
Superintendent (Supt) is a rank in the British police and in most English-speaking Commonwealth nations. In many Commonwealth countries, the full version is superintendent of police (SP). The rank is also used in most British Overseas Territori ...
, an officer belonging to the
Indian Police Service
The Indian Police Service (IPS) is a civil service under the All India Services. It replaced the Indian Imperial Police in 1948, a year after India became Partition of India, independent from the British Empire.
Along with the Indian Admini ...
and assisted by the officers of the Karnataka Police Service, is entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining law and order and related issues in each district. The Deputy Conservator of Forests, an officer belonging to the
Indian Forest Service
The Indian Forest Service (IFS) is the premier forest service of India. .The IFS is one of the three All India Services along with the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) & the Indian Police Service (IPS). It was constituted in the year 1966 un ...
, is entrusted with the responsibility of managing forests, environment and wildlife of the district, he will be assisted by the officers belonging to Karnataka Forest Service and officers belonging to Karnataka Forest Subordinate Service. Sectoral development in the districts is looked after by the district head of each development department such as Public Works Department, Health, Education, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, etc. The judiciary in the state consists of the
Karnataka High Court
The High Court of Karnataka (''IAST: Karnāṭaka Ućća Nyāyālaya'', commonly referred to as the Karnataka High Court and formerly known as the Mysore High Court, is the highest judicial authority of the Indian state of Karnataka. The court ...
(''Attara Kacheri'') in Bengaluru, Hubli–Dharwad, and Kalaburagi,
district and session courts in each district and lower courts and judges at the ''taluk'' level.
Politics in Karnataka has been dominated by three political parties, the
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party, or simply the Congress, is a political parties in India, political party in India with deep roots in most regions of India. Founded on 28 December 1885, it was the first mo ...
, the
Janata Dal (Secular)
{{Infobox Indian Political Party
, party_name = Janata Dal (Secular)
, party_logo =
, colorcode = {{party color, Janata Dal (Secular)
, abbreviation = JD(S)
, president = H. D. Deve Gowda
, founder ...
and the
Bharatiya Janata Party
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; , ) is a political party in India and one of the two major List of political parties in India, Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. BJP emerged out from Syama Prasad Mukherjee's ...
.
Politicians from Karnataka have played prominent roles in
federal government of India with some of them having held the high positions of
Prime Minister
A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
and Vice-President. Border disputes involving Karnataka's claim on the
Kasaragod
Kasaragod () is a municipal town and the administrative headquarters of the Kasaragod district in the state of Kerala, India. Established in 1966, Kasaragod was the first municipal town in the district. It is the northernmost district of Kera ...
and
Solapur
Solapur () is a city located in the south-western region of the States and Territories of India, Indian state of Maharashtra, close to its border with Karnataka. Solapur is located on major highway, rail routes between Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore ...
districts and
Maharashtra
Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...
's
claim on Belagavi are ongoing since the states reorganisation.
The official
emblem of Karnataka
The Emblem of Karnataka is the official state emblem of the Karnataka, State of Karnataka, India. It is based on that of the Kingdom of Mysore, and is carried on all official correspondences made by the Government of Karnataka.
Design
The sta ...
has a
''Ganda Berunda'' in the centre. Surmounting this are four lions facing the four directions, taken from the
Lion Capital of Ashoka
The Lion Capital of Ashoka is the capital, or head, of a column erected by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka in Sarnath, India, . Its crowning features are four life-sized lions set back to back on a drum-shaped abacus. The side of the abacus is ad ...
at
Sarnath
Sarnath (also known as Deer Park, ''Sarangnath'', ''Isipatana Deer Park'', ''Rishipattana'', ''Migadaya'', or ''Mrigadava'')Gabe Hiemstra, "Buddha Chronicle 24: Kassapa Buddhavaṃsa". ''Wisdom Library'', 14 September 2019. is a town nort ...
. The emblem also carries two ''
Sharabha
Sharabha (, ) or Sarabha is an eight-legged part-lion and part-bird deity in Hindu religion, who is described as more powerful than a lion or an elephant, possessing the ability to clear a valley in one jump in Sanskrit literature. In later li ...
s'' with the head of an
elephant
Elephants are the largest living land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant ('' Loxodonta africana''), the African forest elephant (''L. cyclotis''), and the Asian elephant ('' Elephas maximus ...
and the body of a
lion
The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'', native to Sub-Saharan Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body (biology), body; a short, rounded head; round ears; and a dark, hairy tuft at the ...
.
Economy
Karnataka had an estimated GSDP (Gross State Domestic Product) of about US$115.86 billion in the 2014–15 fiscal year.
The state registered a GSDP growth rate of 7% for the year 2014–2015.
Karnataka's contribution to India's GDP in the year 2014–15 was 7.54%.
With GDP growth of 17.59% and per capita GDP growth of 16.04%, Karnataka is on the 6th position among all states and union territories. In an employment survey conducted for the year 2013–2014, the unemployment rate in Karnataka was 1.8% compared to the national rate of 4.9%. In 2011–2012, Karnataka had an estimated poverty ratio of 20.91% compared to the national ratio of 21.92%. In 2024, Karnataka had a multi-dimensional poverty rate of 5.67%, compared to the all India average of 11.28%.
Nearly 56% of the workforce in Karnataka is engaged in agriculture and related activities.
A total of 12.31 million hectares of land, or 64.6% of the state's total area, is cultivated.
Much of the agricultural output is dependent on the
southwest monsoon
A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annual latitudinal oscil ...
as only 26.5% of the sown area is irrigated.
According to most recent data, Karnataka is considered the third richest state in India.
Karnataka is the manufacturing hub for some of the largest
public sector
The public sector, also called the state sector, is the part of the economy composed of both public services and public enterprises. Public sectors include the public goods and governmental services such as the military, law enforcement, pu ...
industries in India, including
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is an Indian public sector aerospace and defence company, headquartered in Bengaluru. Established on 23 December 1940, HAL is one of the oldest and largest aerospace and defence manufacturers in the world. H ...
,
National Aerospace Laboratories
The National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) is an aerospace research institution in India, established by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in Delhi in 1959. NAL collaborates with organizations such as Hindustan Aeronaut ...
,
Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited
Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) is an Indian Public Sector Undertakings in India, central public sector undertaking and the largest government-owned electrical/ industrial technology company. It is owned by the Government of Indi ...
,
Bharat Earth Movers Limited
BEML Limited, formerly Bharat Earth Movers Limited, is an Indian public sector undertaking which manufactures a variety of heavy equipment, such as that used for earth moving, railways, transport and mining. It is headquartered in Bangalore. BEM ...
and
HMT (formerly Hindustan Machine Tools), which are based in Bengaluru. Many of India's premier science and technology research centres, such as
Indian Space Research Organisation
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO ) is India's national List of government space agencies, space agency, headquartered in Bengaluru, Karnataka. It serves as the principal research and development arm of the Department of Space (DoS), ...
,
Central Power Research Institute
Central Power Research Institute (CPRI) is a research institute originally established by the Government of India in 1960, with headquarters in Bangalore. The Institute was re-organized into an Autonomous Society in the year 1978 under the aegi ...
,
Bharat Electronics Limited
Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) is an Indian Public Sector Undertakings in India, public sector aerospace and Military, defence Electronics, electronics company, headquartered in Bangalore. It primarily manufactures advanced electronic products ...
and the
Central Food Technological Research Institute, are also headquartered in Karnataka.
Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited
Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL), is a division of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) which is under the ownership of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas of the Government of India. Established in 1988, the refin ...
is an
oil refinery
An oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial processes, industrial process Factory, plant where petroleum (crude oil) is transformed and refining, refined into products such as gasoline (petrol), diesel fuel, Bitumen, asphalt base, ...
, located in Mangalore.
The state has also begun to invest heavily in
solar power
Solar power, also known as solar electricity, is the conversion of energy from sunlight into electricity, either directly using photovoltaics (PV) or indirectly using concentrated solar power. Solar panels use the photovoltaic effect to c ...
centered on the
Pavagada Solar Park
Shakti Sthala, also called Pavagada Solar Park is a photovoltaic power station, solar park covering an area of in Pavagada, Pavagada taluk, Tumakuru district, Tumkur district, Karnataka. Completed in 2019, the park has a capacity of 2,050 MW. ...
. As of December 2017, the state has installed an estimated 2.2 gigawatts of block solar panelling and in January 2018 announced a tender to generate a further 1.2 gigawatts in the coming years: Karnataka Renewable Energy Development suggests that this will be based on 24 separate systems (or 'blocks') generating 50 megawatts each.
Since the 1980s, Karnataka has emerged as the pan-Indian leader in the field of IT (
information technology
Information technology (IT) is a set of related fields within information and communications technology (ICT), that encompass computer systems, software, programming languages, data processing, data and information processing, and storage. Inf ...
). In 2007, there were nearly 2,000 firms operating in Karnataka. Many of them, including two of India's biggest software firms,
Infosys
Infosys Limited is an Indian multinational corporation, multinational technology company that offers business consulting, information technology, and outsourcing services. Founded in 1981 in Pune, the company is headquartered in Bengaluru.
On ...
and
Wipro
Wipro Limited () is an Indian multinational technology company based in Bengaluru. It provides information technology, consulting and business process services. It is one of India's Big Six IT services companies. Wipro's services include cloud ...
, are also headquartered in the state.
Exports from these firms exceeded in 2006–07, accounting for nearly 38% of all IT exports from India.
The
Nandi Hills area in the outskirts of
Devanahalli
Devanahalli, also called "Devandahalli", "Dyaavandalli", Devanadoddi, and Devanapura, is a town and Town Municipal Council in Bengaluru Rural district in the state of Karnataka in India. The town is located to the north-east of Bengaluru. Deva ...
is the site of the upcoming $22 billion, 50 km
2 BIAL IT Investment Region, one of the largest infrastructure projects in the history of Karnataka. All this has earned the state capital, Bengaluru, the sobriquet ''
Silicon Valley of India
Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore ( its official name until 1 November 2014), is the capital and largest city of the southern Indian state of Karnataka. As per the 2011 census, the city had a population of 8.4 million, making it the thir ...
''.
Karnataka also leads the nation in
biotechnology
Biotechnology is a multidisciplinary field that involves the integration of natural sciences and Engineering Science, engineering sciences in order to achieve the application of organisms and parts thereof for products and services. Specialists ...
. It is home to India's largest biocluster, with 60% of the country's biotechnology firms being based here.
The state has 18,000 hectares of land under
flower cultivation, an upcoming industry which supplies flowers and ornamental plants worldwide.
Seven of India's banks,
Canara Bank
Canara Bank is an Indian public sector bank based in Bangalore, India. Established in 1906 at Mangalore by Ammembal Subba Rao Pai. The bank was nationalized in 1969. Canara Bank also has offices in London, Dubai and New York.
History
Amm ...
,
Syndicate Bank
Syndicate Bank was one of the oldest major commercial banks in India. It was founded by Upendra Ananth Pai, T. M. A. Pai and Vaman Srinivas Kudva. At the time of its establishment, the bank was known as Canara Industrial and Banking Syndicate L ...
,
Corporation Bank,
Vijaya Bank,
Karnataka Bank,
ING Vysya Bank and the
State Bank of Mysore originated in this state.
The coastal districts of
Udupi
Udupi () also known as 'Odipu' () is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is the administrative headquarters of Udupi district, and one of the fastest-growing cities in Karnataka. Udupi is one of the top tourist attractions in Karnataka an ...
and
Dakshina Kannada
Dakshina Kannada district is located in the states and territories of India, state of Karnataka in India, with its headquarters in the coastal city of Mangaluru. The district covers an area nestled in between the Western Ghats to its east and the ...
have a branch for every 500 persons—the best distribution of banks in India.
In March 2002, Karnataka had 4767 branches of different banks with each branch serving 11,000 persons, which is lower than the national average of 16,000.
A majority of the
silk industry in India is headquartered in Karnataka, much of it in
Doddaballapura
Doddaballapura is a city and the district headquarters of Bangalore Rural district in the state of Karnataka, India. ''Dodda'' means "big" in the native language Kannada. It is an industrial city which houses several national companies, and lies ...
in Bengaluru Rural district and the state government intends to invest in a "Silk City" at
Muddenahalli
Muddenahalli is a village situated 7 km from Chikballapur in Chikballapur District of Karnataka State. It is the birthplace of M. Visvesvaraya, one of India's most accomplished engineers.
Transportation
A railway station and railway l ...
in Chikkaballapura district.
Karnataka also produces silver. The silver production of the state in 2018–19 was 214 kg whereas in 2019–20 it was 187 kg and in 2020–21 the silver production was 120 kg.
Karnataka has the only village in the country which produces authentic
Indian national flags according to manufacturing process and specifications for the flag are laid out by the
Bureau of Indian Standards
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is the National Standards Body of India under Department of Consumer affairs, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Government ...
at
Hubli
Hubli (officially Hubballi) is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka. The twin cities Hubli–Dharwad form the second largest city in the state by area and population and the largest city in North Karnataka. Hubli is in Dharwad district of ...
.
Transport
Air transport in Karnataka, as in the rest of the country, is still a fledgling but fast expanding sector. Karnataka has airports at Bengaluru,
Mangalore
Mangaluru (), formerly called Mangalore ( ), is a major industrial port city in the Indian state of Karnataka and on the west coast of India. It is located between the Laccadive Sea and the Western Ghats about west of Bengaluru, the st ...
,
Belgaum
Belgaum (Kannada ISO 15919, ISO: ''Bēḷagāma'', ), officially known as Belagavi (also Belgaon), is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka located near its northern western border in the Western Ghats. It is the administrative headquarters ...
,
Hubli
Hubli (officially Hubballi) is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka. The twin cities Hubli–Dharwad form the second largest city in the state by area and population and the largest city in North Karnataka. Hubli is in Dharwad district of ...
,
Hampi
Hampi or Hampe (), also referred to as the Group of Monuments at Hampi, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the town of Hampi in Vijayanagara district, east-central Karnataka, India. Hampi predates the Vijayanagara Empire; it is menti ...
,
Bellary
Ballari (formerly Bellary) is a city in the Ballari district in state of Karnataka, India.
Ballari houses many steel plants such as JSW Vijayanagar, one of the largest in Asia. Ballari district is also known as the ‘Steel city of South Ind ...
,
Gulbarga
Kalaburagi, formerly known as Gulbarga, is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka, It is headquarters of eponymous Kalaburagi district and Kalaburagi division, Kalaburagi city is governed by a Municipal Corporation, It is called a Sufi c ...
, and
Mysore
Mysore ( ), officially Mysuru (), is a city in the southern Indian state of Karnataka. It is the headquarters of Mysore district and Mysore division. As the traditional seat of the Wadiyar dynasty, the city functioned as the capital of the ...
with international operations from Bengaluru and Mangalore airports.
Shimoga
Shimoga, officially Shivamogga, is a city and the district headquarters of Shimoga district in the Karnataka state of India. The city lies on the banks of the Tunga River. Being the gateway for the hilly region of the Western Ghats, the city ...
and
Bijapur
Bijapur (officially Vijayapura) is the district headquarters of Bijapur district of the Karnataka state of India. It is also the headquarters for Bijapur Taluk. Bijapur city is well known for its historical monuments of architectural importa ...
airports are being built under the
UDAN Scheme.

Karnataka has a railway network with a total length of approximately . Until the creation of the
South-Western Railway Zone headquartered at
Hubli
Hubli (officially Hubballi) is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka. The twin cities Hubli–Dharwad form the second largest city in the state by area and population and the largest city in North Karnataka. Hubli is in Dharwad district of ...
in 2003, the railway network in the state was in the
Southern Railway zone
Southern Railway (SR) is one of the eighteen zones of Indian Railways. It is headquartered at Chennai and operates across the states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and the union territory of Puducherry. The origin of the Southern Rai ...
,
South-Central Railway Zone and
Western Railway zone
The Western Railway (abbreviated WR) is one of the 19 zones of Indian Railways and is among the busiest railway networks in India, headquartered at Mumbai, Maharashtra. The major railway routes of Indian Railways which come under Western Railw ...
. Several parts of the state now come under the South Western Railway zone with 3 Railway Divisions at
Bengaluru
Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore (List of renamed places in India#Karnataka, its official name until 1 November 2014), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the southern States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kar ...
,
Mysore
Mysore ( ), officially Mysuru (), is a city in the southern Indian state of Karnataka. It is the headquarters of Mysore district and Mysore division. As the traditional seat of the Wadiyar dynasty, the city functioned as the capital of the ...
, Hubli, with the remainder under the Southern Railway zone and
Konkan Railway Zone
The Konkan Railway (abbreviated KR) is one of the 19 railway zones in India with its headquarters at CBD Belapur in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. The Konkan Railway line from Roha to Thokur is operated and maintained by Konkan Railway c ...
, which is considered one of India's biggest railway projects of the century due to the difficult terrain.
Bengaluru and other cities in the state are well-connected with intrastate and inter-state destinations.

Karnataka has 11
ports Ports collections (or ports trees, or just ports) are the sets of makefiles and Patch (Unix), patches provided by the BSD-based operating systems, FreeBSD, NetBSD, and OpenBSD, as a simple method of installing software or creating binary packages. T ...
, including the
New Mangalore Port
New Mangalore Port or New Mangalore Port Trust(NMPT) is an all-weather port at Panambur, Mangalore in Karnataka state in India. The total land area of the port is approximately . The New Mangalore Port is the deepest inner harbour on the wes ...
, a major port and ten minor ports, of which three were operational in 2012. The New Mangalore port was incorporated as the ninth major port in India on 4 May 1974. This port handled 32.04 million tonnes of traffic in the fiscal year 2006–07 with 17.92 million tonnes of imports and 14.12 million tonnes of exports. The port also handled 1015 vessels including 18 cruise vessels during the year 2006–07. Foreigners can enter Mangalore through the New Mangalore Port with the help of
Electronic visa (e-visa).
Cruise ship
Cruise ships are large passenger ships used mainly for vacationing. Unlike ocean liners, which are used for transport, cruise ships typically embark on round-trip voyages to various ports of call, where passengers may go on Tourism, tours k ...
s from Europe, North America and
UAE
The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a federal elective monarchy made up of seven emirates, with Abu Dhabi serving as i ...
arrive at New Mangalore Port to visit the tourist places across
Coastal Karnataka
Kanara or Canara, also known as Karāvali, is the historically significant stretch of land situated by the southwestern Konkan coast of India, alongside the Arabian Sea in the present-day Indian state of Karnataka.
The subregion comprises thr ...
. The port of Mangalore is among the 4 major ports of India that receive over 25 international cruise ships every year.
The total lengths of
National Highways
National Highways (NH), formerly Highways England and before that the Highways Agency, is a State-owned enterprise, government-owned company charged with operating, maintaining and improving Roads in England, motorways and major A roads in Eng ...
and
State Highways
A state highway, state road, or state route (and the equivalent provincial highway, provincial road, or provincial route) is usually a road that is either Route number, numbered or maintained by a sub-national state or province. A road numbered ...
in Karnataka are , respectively.
The state transport corporations, transports an average of 2.2 million passengers daily and employs about 25,000 people.
The
Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation
The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) is a state-owned public road transport corporation company in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is wholly owned by the Government of Karnataka. It serves routes to 31 districts and as wel ...
(KSRTC) and The
Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation
Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation, formerly Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), is a state-owned public road transport corporation in the Indian city of Bangalore. It is wholly owned by the Government of Karnataka. ...
(BMTC) headquartered in Bengaluru, The
Kalyana Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (KKRTC) headquartered in Gulbarga, and The
North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC) headquartered in Hubli are the 4 state-owned transport corporations.
Culture
The diverse linguistic and religious ethnicities that are native to Karnataka, combined with their long histories, have contributed immensely to the varied cultural heritage of the state. Apart from Kannadigas, Karnataka is home to
Tuluva
The Tulu people or Tuluvas are an ethno-linguistic and ethno-cultural group from Southern India. They are native speakers of the Tulu language and the region they traditionally inhabit is known as Tulu Nadu. This region comprises the districts ...
s,
Kodavas
The Kodavas (Codavas or Kodagas) also called Coorgs are an endogamous Dravidian peoples, Dravidian ethnolinguistic group from the region of Kodagu district, Kodagu in the southern Indian state of Karnataka, who natively speak the Kodava langu ...
and
Konkanis. Minor populations of
Tibetan Buddhist
Tibetan Buddhism is a form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet, Bhutan and Mongolia. It also has a sizable number of adherents in the areas surrounding the Himalayas, including the Indian regions of Ladakh, Darjeeling, Sikkim, and Arunachal Prades ...
s and tribes like the
Soligas, Yeravas,
Todas and
Siddhis
In Indian religions, (Sanskrit: '; fulfillment, accomplishment) are material, paranormal, supernatural, or otherwise magical powers, abilities, and attainments that are the products of yogic advancement through sādhanās such as meditation ...
also live in Karnataka. The
traditional folk arts cover the entire gamut of music, dance, drama, storytelling by itinerant troupes, etc. ''Yakshagana'' of
Tulu Nadu
Tulu Nadu, or Tulunad, is a region and Proposed states and union territories of India, proposed state on the southwestern coast of India. The Tulu people, known as 'Tuluva' (pl. 'Tuluver') are speakers of Tulu language, Tulu, a Dravidian langu ...
,
Uttara Kannada
Uttara Kannada is a fifth largest district in the Indian state of Karnataka, It is bordered by the state of Goa and Belagavi districts to the north, Dharwad District and Haveri District to the east, Shivamogga District, and Udupi District to ...
, and Malnad regions Karnataka, a classical dance drama, is one of the major theatrical forms of Karnataka. Contemporary theatre culture in Karnataka remains vibrant with organisations like ''
Ninasam
Ninasam (Kannada: ನೀನಾಸಂ) is a cultural organisation located in the village of Heggodu in Sagara, India, Sagar Taluk of the Shivamogga district in the state of Karnataka, India. Ninasam (also spelt as Neenasam) is the short form of S ...
'', ''
Ranga Shankara'', ''
Rangayana'' and ''
Prabhat Kalavidaru'' continuing to build on the foundations laid by
Gubbi Veeranna
Gubbi Hampanna Veeranna (1891 – 1972) was an Indian theatre director. He was one of the pioneers and most prolific contributors to Kannada theatre. He established the drama company, ''Gubbi Sree Channabasaveshwara Nataka Company'', which play ...
,
T. P. Kailasam
Thyagaraja Paramasiva Kailasam (29 July 1884 – 1946), was an Indian playwright and prominent writer in the Kannada literature. Literary criticism in Kannada literature is said to have started for the first time by Kailasam in his works.
His ...
,
B. V. Karanth,
K V Subbanna, Prasanna and
others
Others or The Others may refer to:
Fictional characters
* Others (''A Song of Ice and Fire''), supernatural creatures in the fictional world of George R. R. Martin's fantasy series ''A Song of Ice and Fire''
* Others (''Lost''), mysterious inh ...
. ''
Veeragase
Veeragase/Guggla is a dance form prevalent in the state of Karnataka, India. It is a vigorous dance based on Hindu mythology and involves very intense energy-sapping dance movements performed by Jangama. Veeragase is one of the dances demonstrat ...
'', ''
Kamsale'', ''
Kolata
Kolata is the traditional folk dance of the state of Karnataka, located in Southern India on the western coast. Unlike its North Indian counterpart Dandiya Ras, it comes in two forms. First, it is performed with coloured sticks and usually involv ...
'' and ''
Dollu Kunitha
Dollu Kunitha, is a major popular drum dance of Karnataka.
Background
In all temples of Beereshwara, the major instrument Dollu is hung by means of a thick thread tied to hooks in the ceiling. Every time worship is offered to Beereshwara, there ...
'' are popular dance forms. The
Mysore
Mysore ( ), officially Mysuru (), is a city in the southern Indian state of Karnataka. It is the headquarters of Mysore district and Mysore division. As the traditional seat of the Wadiyar dynasty, the city functioned as the capital of the ...
style of ''
Bharatanatya'', nurtured and popularised by the likes of the legendary Jatti Tayamma, continues to hold sway in Karnataka, and Bengaluru also enjoys an eminent place as one of the foremost centres of ''Bharatanatya''.

Karnataka also has a special place in the world of
Indian classical music
Indian classical music is the art music, classical music of the Indian subcontinent. It is generally described using terms like ''Shastriya Sangeet'' and ''Marg Sangeet''. It has two major traditions: the North Indian classical music known as ...
, with both Karnataka (
Carnatic) and
Hindustani styles finding place in the state, and Karnataka has produced a number of
stalwarts in both styles. The
Haridasa
The Haridasa Bhakti Sahitya devotional movement (sampradaya) originated in Karnataka, India, after Madhvacharya, and spread to eastern states such as Bengal and Assam of medieval India. Over a span of nearly six centuries, several saints and ...
movement of the sixteenth century contributed significantly to the development of Karnataka (Carnatic) music as a performing art form.
Purandara Dasa
Purandara Dasa (IAST: Purandara Dāsa; (1470 – 1564) was a composer, singer and a Haridasa philosopher from present-day Karnataka, India. He was a follower of Madhwacharya, Madhvacharya's Dwaitha, Dvaita philosophy. He was one of the chi ...
, one of the most revered
Haridasa
The Haridasa Bhakti Sahitya devotional movement (sampradaya) originated in Karnataka, India, after Madhvacharya, and spread to eastern states such as Bengal and Assam of medieval India. Over a span of nearly six centuries, several saints and ...
s, is known as the ''Karnataka Sangeeta Pitamaha'' ('Father of Karnataka a.k.a. Carnatic music').
Celebrated Hindustani musicians like
Gangubai Hangal,
Mallikarjun Mansur
Pandit Mallikarjun Bheemaraayappa Mansur, (31 December 1910 12 September 1992) was a Hindustani classical singer from Karnataka. He sang in the khyal genre and belonged to the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana.
Early life and background
Mallikarjun was ...
,
Bhimsen Joshi
Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi (; ; 4 February 1922 – 24 January 2011), also known by the honorific prefix Pandit, was one of the greatest Indian vocalists in the Hindustani classical tradition from the Indian subcontinent. He is known for the ''kha ...
,
Basavaraja Rajaguru,
Sawai Gandharva and
several others hail from Karnataka, and some of them have been recipients of the
Kalidas Samman
The Kalidas Samman () is an arts award presented annually by the Government of Madhya Pradesh in India. The award is named after Kālidāsa, a renowned Classical Sanskrit writer of ancient India. The Kalidas Samman was first awarded in 1980. It ...
,
Padma Bhushan
The Padma Bhushan (IAST: ''Padma Bhūṣaṇa'', lit. 'Lotus Decoration') is the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India, preceded by the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan and followed by the Padma Shri. Instituted on 2 Januar ...
and
Padma Vibhushan
The Padma Vibhushan ( , lit. "Lotus Grandeur") is the second-highest civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is given for "exceptional and distinguished service". All persons w ...
awards. Noted Carnatic musicians include Violin T. Chowdiah, Veena Sheshanna, Mysore Vasudevachar, Doreswamy Iyengar and Thitte Krishna Iyengar.
''
Gamaka'' is another
classical music
Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be #Relationship to other music traditions, distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical mu ...
genre
Genre () is any style or form of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other fo ...
based on Carnatic music that is practised in Karnataka. ''
Kannada Bhavageete'' is a genre of popular music that draws inspiration from the expressionist poetry of modern poets. The Mysore school of painting has produced painters like Sundarayya, Tanjavur Kondayya, B. Venkatappa and Keshavayya.
[Kamath (2001), p. 283.] ''
Chitrakala Parishat'' is an organisation in Karnataka dedicated to promoting painting, mainly in the
Mysore painting style.
''
Saree
A sari (also called sharee, saree or sadi)The name of the garment in various regional languages include:
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* is a drape (cloth) and a women's garment in the Indian subcontinent. It consists of an un-stit ...
'' is the traditional dress of women in Karnataka. Women in Kodagu have a distinct style of wearing the ''saree'', different from the rest of Karnataka. ''
Dhoti
The dhoti is an ankle-length breechcloth, wrapped around the waist and the legs, in resemblance to the shape of trousers. The dhoti is a garment of ethnic wear for men in the Indian subcontinent. The dhoti is fashioned out of a rectangular p ...
'', known as ''Panche'' in Karnataka, is the traditional attire of men.
Shirt
A shirt is a cloth garment for the upper body (from the neck to the waist).
Originally an undergarment worn exclusively by men, it has become, in American English, a catch-all term for a broad variety of upper-body garments and undergarments. ...
,
Trousers
Trousers (British English), slacks, or pants ( American, Canadian and Australian English) are an item of clothing worn from the waist to anywhere between the knees and the ankles, covering both legs separately (rather than with cloth extending ...
and ''
Salwar kameez
Shalwar kameez (also salwar kameez and less commonly shalwar qameez) is a traditional combination dress worn by men and women in South Asia, and Central Asia.
''Salwar, Shalwars'' are trousers which are atypically wide at the waist and narr ...
'' are widely worn in Urban areas. ''
Mysore Peta'' is the traditional headgear of southern Karnataka, while the ''pagadi'' or ''pataga'' (similar to the
Rajasthani turban) is preferred in the northern areas of the state.
Rice
Rice is a cereal grain and in its Domestication, domesticated form is the staple food of over half of the world's population, particularly in Asia and Africa. Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice)—or, much l ...
and ''
Ragi'' form the staple food in South Karnataka, whereas ''
Jolada rotti'', Sorghum is staple to North Karnataka. ''Bisi bele bath'', ''
Jolada rotti'', ''Ragi mudde'', ''Upma, Uppittu'', ''Benne Dose'', ''Masala dosa, Masala Dose'' and ''Maddur vada, Maddur Vade'' are some of the popular food items in Karnataka. Among sweets, ''Mysore Pak'', ''Karadantu'' of Gokak and ''Hunagunda, Amingad'', ''Belgaavi Kunda'' and ''Dharwad pedha'' are popular. Apart from this, coastal Karnataka and Kodagu have distinctive cuisines of their own. Udupi cuisine of coastal Karnataka is popular all over India.
Education

As per the 2011 census, Karnataka had a literacy rate of 75.60%, with 82.85% of males and 68.13% of females in the state being literate.
The Indian Institute of Science and Manipal Academy of Higher Education were ranked within the top 10 universities of India by NIRF 2020. The state is home to some of the premier educational and research institutions of India such as the Indian Institute of Management, Indian Institute of Management – Bengaluru, the Indian Institute of Technology Dharwad, Indian Institute of Technology – Dharwad the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences – Bengaluru, the National Institute of Technology Karnataka, National Institute of Technology Karnataka – Surathkal and the National Law School of India University, National Law School of India University – Bengaluru.
In March 2006, Karnataka had 54,529 primary schools with 252,875 teachers and 8.495 million students,
and 9498 secondary schools with 92,287 teachers and 1.384 million students.
There are three kinds of schools in the state, viz., government-run, private aided (financial aid is provided by the government) and private unaided (no financial aid is provided). The primary languages of instruction in most schools are
Kannada
Kannada () is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly in the state of Karnataka in southwestern India, and spoken by a minority of the population in all neighbouring states. It has 44 million native speakers, and is additionally a ...
and English language, English.

The syllabus taught in the schools is either of Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board, KSEEB (SSLC) and Pre-university course, Pre-University Course (PUC) of the State Syllabus, the Central Board of Secondary Education, CBSE of the Central Syllabus, Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations, CISCE, International General Certificate of Secondary Education, IGCSE, International Baccalaureate, IB, National Institute of Open Schooling, NIOS, etc., are all defined by the Department of Public Instruction of the
Government of Karnataka
The Government of Karnataka, abbreviated as GoK or GoKA, formerly known as Government of Mysore (1956–1974), is a democratically elected state body with the governor as the ceremonial head to govern the Southwest Indian state of Karnataka ...
. The state has two Sainik Schools – Sainik School Kodagu, Kodagu Sainik School in Kodagu and Sainik School Bijapur, Bijapur Sainik School in Bijapur.
To maximise attendance in schools, the Karnataka Government has launched a mid-day meal scheme in government and aided schools in which free lunch is provided to the students.
SSLC, Statewide board examinations are conducted at the end of secondary education. Students who qualify are allowed to pursue a two-year Pre University Course, pre-university course, after which they become eligible to pursue bachelor's degree, under-graduate degrees.
There are 481-degree colleges affiliated with one of the universities in the state, viz. Bangalore University, Bengaluru University, Rani Channamma University, Belagavi, Gulbarga University, Karnatak University, Kuvempu University, Mangalore University and Mysore University.
In 1998, the engineering colleges in the state were brought under the newly formed Visvesvaraya Technological University headquartered in Belgaum, whereas the medical colleges are run under the jurisdiction of the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences headquartered in
Bengaluru
Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore (List of renamed places in India#Karnataka, its official name until 1 November 2014), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the southern States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kar ...
. Some of these baccalaureate colleges are accredited with the status of a deemed university. There are 186 engineering, 39 medical and 41 dental colleges in the state.
Udupi
Udupi () also known as 'Odipu' () is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is the administrative headquarters of Udupi district, and one of the fastest-growing cities in Karnataka. Udupi is one of the top tourist attractions in Karnataka an ...
,
Sringeri
Sringeri (IAST: Śṛṅgerī; ) also called Shringeri is a hill town and Taluk headquarters located in Chikkamagaluru district in the Indian state of Karnataka.
Sringeri is the site of Sri Sharadamba temple, a part of the Sringeri Sharada Pe ...
, Gokarna, India, Gokarna and
Melkote are well-known places of
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...
and Veda, Vedic learning. In 2015 the Central Government decided to establish the first Indian Institute of Technology in Karnataka at
Dharwad
Dharwad (), also known as Dharwar, is a city located in the northwestern part of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is the headquarters of the Dharwad district of Karnataka and forms a contiguous urban area with the city of Hubballi. It was merged ...
. Tulu and Konkani languages are taught as an optional subject in the twin districts of
Dakshina Kannada
Dakshina Kannada district is located in the states and territories of India, state of Karnataka in India, with its headquarters in the coastal city of Mangaluru. The district covers an area nestled in between the Western Ghats to its east and the ...
and
Udupi
Udupi () also known as 'Odipu' () is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is the administrative headquarters of Udupi district, and one of the fastest-growing cities in Karnataka. Udupi is one of the top tourist attractions in Karnataka an ...
.
Christ University, Jain University, CMR University, Dayananda Sagar University, PES University and REVA University are notable private universities in Karnataka.
On 9 February 2022, Karnataka shut its schools for three days after the regional administration-backed schools imposed a 2022 Karnataka hijab row, hijab ban, leading to widespread protests and violence. Other universities in the state began enforcing prohibitions after Hindu students, supported by right-wing Hindu groups, argued that if hijabs were allowed in classrooms, they should wear saffron shawls. On 5 February 2022, the Karnataka state government advised colleges to guarantee that "clothes which disturb equality, integrity, and public law and order should not be worn" in apparent support of schools' ability to enforce a ban.
Media
The era of Kannada newspapers started in the year 1843 when Hermann Mögling, a missionary from Basel Mission, published the first Kannada newspaper called ''Mangaluru Samachara'' in Mangalore. The first Kannada periodical, ''Mysuru Vrittanta Bodhini'' was started by Bhashyam Bhashyacharya in Mysore. Shortly after Indian independence in 1948, K. N. Guruswamy founded ''The Printers (Mysuru) Private Limited'' and began publishing two newspapers, ''Deccan Herald'' and ''Prajavani''. Presently ''The Times of India'' and ''Vijaya Karnataka'' are the largest-selling English and Kannada newspapers respectively.
A vast number of weekly, biweekly and monthly magazines are under publication in both Kannada and English.
Vijay KarnatakaVijayvaniPrajavaniUdaywaniKannada Prabha' are some popular dailies published from Karnataka.
Doordarshan is the broadcaster of the Government of India and its channel DD Chandana is dedicated to Kannada. Prominent List of Kannada language television channels, Kannada channels include Colors Kannada, Zee Kannada, Star Suvarna and Udaya TV.
Karnataka occupies a special place in the history of Indian radio. In 1935, ''Aakashvani'', the first private radio station in India, was started by Prof. M.V. Gopalaswamy in
Mysore
Mysore ( ), officially Mysuru (), is a city in the southern Indian state of Karnataka. It is the headquarters of Mysore district and Mysore division. As the traditional seat of the Wadiyar dynasty, the city functioned as the capital of the ...
.
[Named by Na. Kasturi, a popular Kannada writer ] The popular radio station was taken over by the local municipality and later by All India Radio (AIR) and moved to Bengaluru in 1955. Later in 1957, AIR adopted the original name of the radio station, ''Aakashavani'' as its own. Some of the popular programs aired by AIR Bengaluru included ''Nisarga Sampada'' and ''Sasya Sanjeevini'' which were programs that taught science through songs, plays, and stories. These two programs became so popular that they were translated and broadcast in 18 different languages and the entire series was recorded on cassettes by the Government of Karnataka and distributed to thousands of schools across the state.
Karnataka has witnessed a growth in FM radio channels, mainly in the cities of Bengaluru, Mangalore and Mysore, which has become hugely popular.
Sports
Karnataka's smallest district, Kodagu district, Kodagu, is a major contributor to Field hockey in India, Indian field hockey, producing numerous players who have represented India at the international level. The annual Kodava Hockey Festival is the largest hockey tournament in the world.
Bengaluru
Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore (List of renamed places in India#Karnataka, its official name until 1 November 2014), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the southern States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kar ...
has hosted a Women's Tennis Association, WTA tennis event and, in 1997, it hosted the fourth National Games of India.
The Sports Authority of India, the premier sports institute in the country, and the Nike, Inc, Nike Tennis Academy are also situated in Bengaluru. Karnataka has been referred to as the cradle of Indian swimming because of its high standards in comparison to other states.

One of the most popular sports in Karnataka is cricket. Karnataka cricket team, The state cricket team has won the Ranji Trophy seven times, second only to Mumbai cricket team, Mumbai in terms of success. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru regularly hosts International cricket, international Cricket matches and is also the home of the National Cricket Academy, which was opened in 2000 to nurture potential international players. Many Karnataka cricket team#Famous players, cricketers have represented India national cricket team, India and in one international match held in the 1990s; players from Karnataka composed the majority of the national team.
[Sujith Somasunder, Rahul Dravid, Javagal Srinath, Sunil Joshi, Anil Kumble and Venkatesh Prasad, all from Karnataka played in this match: ][Vijay Bharadwaj, Rahul Dravid, Javagal Srinath, Sunil Joshi, Anil Kumble and Venkatesh Prasad, all from Karnataka played in this match: ] The Royal Challengers Bangalore, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, an Indian Premier League franchise, the Bengaluru Football Club, an Indian Super League franchise, the Bengaluru Yodhas, a Pro Wrestling League franchise, the Bengaluru Blasters, a Premier Badminton League franchise and the Bengaluru Bulls, a Pro Kabaddi League franchise are based in Bengaluru. The Karnataka Premier League is an inter-regional Twenty20 cricket tournament played in the state for eight seasons till 2019.
After 2019, it was replaced by Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 tournament.
Notable sportsmen from Karnataka include B.S. Chandrasekhar, Roger Binny, E. A. S. Prasanna, Anil Kumble, Javagal Srinath, Rahul Dravid, Venkatesh Prasad, Robin Uthappa, Vinay Kumar, Gundappa Vishwanath, Syed Kirmani, Stuart Binny, K. L. Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Manish Pandey, Karun Nair, Ashwini Ponnappa, Mahesh Bhupathi, Rohan Bopanna, Prakash Padukone who won the All England Badminton Championships in 1980 and Pankaj Arjan Advani, Pankaj Advani who has won three world titles in cue sports by the age of 20 including the amateur World Snooker Championship in 2003 and the World Billiards Championship in 2005.
Bijapur district, Karnataka, Bijapur district has produced some of the best-known road cyclists in the national circuit. Premalata Sureban was part of the Indian contingent at the Perlis Open '99 in Malaysia. In recognition of the talent of cyclists in the district, the state government laid down a cycling track at the B.R. Ambedkar Stadium at a cost of .
Tourism

By virtue of its varied geography and long history, Karnataka hosts numerous spots of interest for tourists. There is an array of ancient sculptured temples, modern cities, scenic hill ranges, forests and beaches. Karnataka has been ranked as the fourth most popular destination for tourism among the states of India.
Karnataka has the second highest number of nationally protected monuments in India, second only to Uttar Pradesh,
in addition to 752 monuments protected by the State Directorate of Archaeology and Museums. Another 25,000 monuments are yet to receive protection.
The districts of the
Western Ghats and the southern districts of the state have popular eco-tourism locations including Kudremukh, Madikeri and
Agumbe
Agumbe is a village situated in the Thirthahalli taluka of Shivamogga district, Karnataka, India. It is nestled in the thickly forested Malenadu region of the Western Ghats mountain range.
Owing to its high rainfall, it has received the epith ...
. Karnataka has 25 wildlife sanctuaries and five national parks. Popular among them are Bandipur National Park, Bandipura National Park, Bannerghatta National Park and Nagarhole National Park. The ruins of the Vijayanagara Empire at
Hampi
Hampi or Hampe (), also referred to as the Group of Monuments at Hampi, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the town of Hampi in Vijayanagara district, east-central Karnataka, India. Hampi predates the Vijayanagara Empire; it is menti ...
and the monuments of Pattadakal are on the list of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites. The cave temples at Badami and the rock-cut temples at Aihole representing the Badami Chalukyan style of architecture are also popular tourist destinations. The Hoysala Empire, Hoysala temples at Belur, Karnataka, Beluru and Halebidu, which were built with Chloritic schist (soapstone) are proposed UNESCO World Heritage sites.
The
Gol Gumbaz and Ibrahim Rauza are famous examples of the Deccan sultanates, Deccan Sultanate style of architecture. The monolith of Gomateshwara Bahubali at Shravanabelagola is the tallest sculpted monolith in the world, attracting tens of thousands of pilgrims during the Mahamastakabhisheka festival.
[Keay (2000), p. 324.]

The waterfalls of Karnataka and Kudremukh are considered by some to be among the "1001 Natural Wonders of the World".
[Michael Bright, ''1001 Natural Wonders of the World'' by Barrons Educational Series Inc., published by Quinted Inc., 2005.] Jog Falls is List of waterfalls in India, India's tallest single-tiered waterfall with Gokak Falls, Unchalli Falls, Magod Falls, Abbey Falls and Shivanasamudra Falls among other popular waterfalls.
Several popular beaches dot the coastline, including Murudeshwara, Gokarna, India, Gokarna, Malpe and Karwar. In addition, Karnataka is home to several places of religious importance. Several Hindu temples including the famous Udupi Sri Krishna Matha, the Marikamba Temple, Sirsi, Marikamba Temple at Sirsi, Karnataka, Sirsi, the Mookambika, Kollur Mookambika Temple, the Sri Manjunatha Temple at Dharmasthala, Kukke Subramanya Temple, Janardhana and Mahakali Temple at Ambalpadi, Sharadamba Temple at Shringeri attract pilgrims from all over India. Most of the holy sites of
Lingayatism
The Lingayats are a Monotheism, monotheistic religious denomination of Hindu denominations, Hinduism. Lingayats are also known as , , , . Lingayats are known for their unique practice of Ishtalingam, Ishtalinga worship, where adherents carry a ...
, like Kudalasangama and Basavana Bagewadi, are found in northern parts of the state. Shravanabelagola, Mudabidri and Karkala are famous for Jain history and monuments. Jainism had a stronghold in Karnataka in the early medieval period with Shravanabelagola as its most important centre. The Shettihalli Rosary Church near Shettihalli, an example of French colonial Gothic architecture, is a rare example of a Christian ruin, is a popular tourist site.
Karnataka has become a center of health care tourism and has the highest number of approved health systems and alternative therapies in India. Along with some ISO 9000, ISO certified government-owned hospitals, private institutions which provide international-quality services, Hospitals in Karnataka treat around 8,000 health tourists every year.
See also
*Outline of Karnataka
*Media in Karnataka
*List of governors of Karnataka
*List of districts of Karnataka
*List of people from Karnataka
*List of butterflies of Karnataka
*List of airports in Karnataka
References
General sources
*John Keay, ''India: A History'', 2000, Grove publications, New York,
*Suryanath U. Kamath, ''Concise history of Karnataka'', 2001, MCC, Bangalore (Reprinted 2002)
*Nilakanta Sastri, K. A. (1955). ''A History of South India from Prehistoric Times to the Fall of Vijayanagar'', OUP, New Delhi (Reprinted 2002) .
*R. Narasimhacharya, ''History of Kannada Literature'', 1988, Asian Educational Services, New Delhi, Madras, 1988, .
*K.V. Ramesh, ''Chalukyas of Vātāpi'', 1984, Agam Kala Prakashan, Delhi. . . . . .
*Malini Adiga (2006), ''The Making of Southern Karnataka: Society, Polity and Culture in the Early Medieval Period, AD 400–1030'', Orient Longman, Chennai,
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*Hermann Kulke and Dietmar Rothermund, ''A History of India'', fourth edition, Routledge, 2004,
*Foekema, Gerard [2003] (2003). ''Architecture Decorated with Architecture: Later Medieval Temples of Karnataka, 1000–1300 AD''. New Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers Pvt. Ltd. .
External links
; Government
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Official tourism site
; General information
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{{Authority control
Karnataka,
South India, .
1956 establishments in India
States and territories established in 1956
States and union territories of India