Karnataka Tours

Kannadiga's the land of Goddess Bhuvaneshwari, is also celebrated as karunadu which welcomed and blessed all people from all over the world. Originally known as the State of Mysore, it was renamed Karnataka in 1973. The capital and largest city is Bangalore. Karnataka is bordered by the Arabian Sea and the Laccadive Sea to the west, Goa to the north west, Maharashtra to the north, Andhra Pradesh to the east, Tamil Nadu to the south east, and Kerala to the south west. Karnataka is the ninth largest state by population, comprising 30 districts. Kannada is the most widely spoken and official language of the state. The generally accepted one is that Karnataka is derived from the Kannada words karu and nadu, 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 two main river systems of the state are the Krishna and its tributaries, the Bhima, Ghataprabha, Vedavathi, Malaprabha, and Tungabhadra, in the north, and the Kaveri and its tributaries, the Hemavati, Shimsha, Arkavati, Lakshmana Thirtha and Kabini, in the south. Both these rivers flow out of Karnataka eastward into the Bay of Bengal.Prior to the third century BCE, most of Karnataka formed part of the Nanda Empire before coming under the Mauryan empire of Emperor Ashoka. Four centuries of Satavahana 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 and the Western Gangas, marking the region's emergence as an independent political entity. The Kadamba Dynasty, founded by Mayurasharma, had its capital at Banavasi.

At the turn of the first millennium, the Hoysalas gained power in the region. Literature flourished during this time, which led to the distinctive Kannada literary metres and the construction of temples and sculptures adhering to the Vesara style of architecture. The expansion of the Hoysala Empire brought minor parts of modern Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu under its rule. In the early 14th century, Harihara and Bukka Raya established the Vijayanagara empire with its capital, Hosapattana (later named Vijayanagara), on the banks of the Tungabhadra River in the modern Bellary district. The empire rose as a bulwark against Muslim advances into South India, which it completely controlled for over two centuries.

The Western Ganga Dynasty was formed with Talakad as its capital.

These were also the first kingdoms to use Kannada in administration, as evidenced by the Halmidi inscription and a fifth-century copper coin discovered at Banavasi. These dynasties were followed by imperial Kannada empires such as the Badami Chalukyas, the Rashtrakuta Empire of Manyakheta and the Western Chalukya Empire, which ruled over large parts of the Deccan and had their capitals in what is now Karnataka. The Western Chalukyas patronised a unique style of architecture and Kannada literature which became a precursor to the Hoysala art of 12th century. Parts of modern-day Southern Karnataka (Gangavadi) were occupied by the Chola Empire at the turn of 11th century. The Cholas and the Hoysalas fought over the region in the 12th century before it eventually came under Hoysala rule.

Area: 191,976 sq km
Latitudinal parallel: 12.970214 North
Longitudinal meridian: N 77.56029 East
Average Temperature: 32oC (Max) - usually in May - Jun, 16oC (Min) - usually in Dec - Jan
Rainfall: 1,139 mm
Monsoon: July to mid-September
Population: 61,130,704 (Census 2011)
Best time to visit: October to March
STD Code: 080
Languages: Kannada,Tamil, English, Telugu, Hindi, Urdu, Tulu.
Religions: Hinduism, Christianity, Islams, Jainism.

Places to visit

Bangalore, Mysore, Shivanasamudra, Talakad, Srirangapatna, Madikere ( Coorg ) Bandipur, Kabini
Nagerhole, Mangalore, Talakaveri, Dharmastala, Chikmangalore, Mangalore, Udupi, Sringeri, Belgaum, Hubli, Bellary
Pattakal, Bidar, Badami, Aihole, Hampi, Sonathpur, Gulbarga, Bijapur, Chitradurga, Belur, Halebeedu, Kolar
Suratkal, Marawanthe, St,Mary's Island, Karwar, Murudeshwar, Malpe, Gokarna, Kudremukh, Agumbe, Nandi hills
Baba Budan Giri, Jogfalls, Kemmanagundi, BR Hills, Dandeli, Ranganathittu, Kukke Subramaniya, Kollur Mookambika
Nanjangud, Chamundi Hill, Karkala, Shravanabelagola, Melkote, Mudubidri, Kotilingeshwara, Bylekuppe.