Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Karnataka shopping experience:

1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Karnataka offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Karnataka at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.

2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about

3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Karnataka? Wrong! If the Karnataka is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.

4. Questions - Got a question about Karnataka then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....

5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Karnataka? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Karnataka and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.

6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Karnataka wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.

7. Feedback - happy with your Karnataka then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.

8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Karnataka site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site

9. Contact - got a question about Karnataka, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.

10. Payment - ready to pay for your Karnataka, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.

{{Infobox Indian Jurisdiction|type = state|state_name = Karnataka|native_name = Karnataka|capital = Bangalore|abbreviation = IN-KA|official_languages = [Kannada language|legislature_type = Bicameral|legislature_strength = 224 + 75|leader_title_1 = Governors of Karnataka|leader_name_1 = Rameshwar Thakur|leader_title_2 = Chief Ministers of Karnataka|leader_name_2 = H. D. Kumaraswamy, until October 9th, 2007. Now under President's rule http://www.rediff.com/news/2007/oct/09kgovt6.htm]|area_total = 191791|area_total_cite = |area_magnitude = 11|area_rank = 8th|population_year = 2001|population_total = 52,850,562|population_total_cite =|population_rank = 9th|population_density = 275.6|districts = 29|website = www.karnataka.gov.in|seal = Karnataka_emblem.png-->Karnātakā (Kannada language: ಕನಾ೯ಟಕ) () is one of the four South India States and territories of Indias of India. The state was Unification of Karnataka on November 1 1956 with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally named Mysore State, it was renamed Karnataka in 1973. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, Goa to the northwest, Maharashtra to the north, Andhra Pradesh to the east, Tamil Nadu to the southeast, and Kerala to the southwest. The state covers an area of 191,791 km² or 5.83% of the total geographical area of India. It is the List of states of India by area, List of states of India by population and comprises 29 Districts of India. Kannada language is the official and most widely spoken language.

Though Origin of Karnataka's name 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 (black) and nadu (region), as a reference to the Vertisol found in the Bayaluseeme region of Karnataka. During the British Raj, the word Carnatic or Karnatak was used to describe this part of the region in general.

With an antiquity that dates to the paleolithic, Karnataka has also been home to Political history of medieval Karnataka. Great philosophers and musical bards patronised by these empires launched socio-religious and literary movements whose ennobling effects have been felt far and wide. Karnataka has contributed significantly to both forms of Indian classical music, the Carnatic music and Hindustani music traditions. Writers in the Kannada language have received the most number of Jnanpith in India. Bangalore, also known as Bengalūru, is the capital city of the state and is at the forefront of the rapid economic and technological development that India is experiencing.

History architecture in BelurThe history of Karnataka can be traced back to a paleolithic hand-axe culture evidenced by discoveries of, among other things, hand axes and cleavers in the region. Evidence of neolithic and megalithic cultures have also been found in the state. Gold discovered in Harappa was found to be imported from mines in Karnataka, prompting scholars to hypothesize about contacts between ancient Karnataka and the Indus Valley Civilization in 3000 BCE. Prior to the third century BCE, most of Karnataka was part of the Nanda Empire before coming under the Mauryan empire of Emperor Ashoka. Four centuries of Satavahana Dynasty 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;From the Talagunda inscription (Dr. B. L. Rice in Kamath, 2001, p30)Moares (1931), p10 the Western Ganga Dynasty was formed with Talakad as its capital.Adiga and Sheik Ali in Adiga (2006), p89Ramesh (1984), pp. 1-2 These were also the first kingdoms to use Kannada language 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), p10 These dynasties were followed by Kannada empires such as the Badami Chalukyas,The Chalukyas hailed from present-day Karnataka (Keay 2000, p168)The Chalukyas were native Kannadigas (N. Laxminarayana Rao and Dr. S. C. Nandinath in Kamath 2001, p57) the Rashtrakuta DynastyAltekar (1934), pp. 21–24Masica (1991), pp. 45-46 and the Western Chalukya Empire,Balagamve in Mysore territory was an early power centre (Cousens 1926, p10, p105)Tailapa II, the founder king was the governor of Tardavadi in modern Bijapur district, under the Rashtrakutas (Kamath (2001), p101) which ruled over large parts of the Deccan and had their capitals in what is now Karnataka.

At the turn of the first millennium, the Hoysala Empire gained power in the region. Hoysala architecture flourished during this time, which led to the distinctive Kannada meter (music) and the construction of temples and sculptures adhering to the Hoysala architecture.Kamath (2001), pp132–134Sastri (1955), pp. 358-9, p 361Foekema (1996), p14Kamath (2001), pp. 122-4 The expansion of the Hoysala Empire brought 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.Kamath 2001, pp. 157–160Kulke and Rothermund (2004), p188

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.Kamath (2001), pp. 190-191 The Bijapur Sultanate, which had risen after the demise of the Bahmani Sultanate of Bidar, soon took control of the Deccan; it was defeated by the Moghul empire in the late 17th century.Kamath (2001), p201Kamath (2001), p202 The Bahamani and Bijapur rulers encouraged Urdu and Persian literature and Indo-Saracenic architecture, the Gol Gumbaz being one of the high points of this style.Kamath (2001), p207 at Bijapur, KarnatakaIn the period that followed, parts of northern Karnataka were ruled by the Nizam of Hyderabad, the British Raj, and other powers. In the south, the Mysore Kingdom, former vassals of the Vijayanagara Empire, was briefly independent.Kamath (2001), p171 With the death of Krishnaraja Wodeyar II, 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.Kamath (2001), p171, p173, p174, p204 To contain European expansion in South India, Haider Ali and later Tipu Sultan fought four significant Anglo-Mysore Wars, the last of which resulted in Tipu Sultan's death and the incorporation of Mysore into the British Raj in 1799.Kamath (2001), pp. 231–234 The Kingdom of Mysore was restored to the Wodeyars and Mysore remained a princely state under the British Raj.

As the "doctrine of lapse" gave way to dissent and resistance from princely states across the country, Kittur Chennamma, Sangolli Rayanna and others spearheaded rebellions in Karnataka in 1830, nearly three decades before the Indian Rebellion of 1857. Other uprisings followed, such as the ones at Supa, Bagalkot, Shorapur, Nargund and Dandeli. These rebellions which coincided with the 1857 war of independence were led by Mundargi Bhimarao, Bhaskar Rao Bhave, the Halagali Beda uprising, Venkatappa Nayaka and others. By the late 19th century, the freedom movement had gained momentum; Karnad Sadashiva Rao, Aluru Venkata Raya, S. Nijalingappa, Kengal Hanumanthaiah, Nittoor Srinivasa Rau and others carried on the struggle into the early 20th century.

After India's independence, the Maharaja, Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar, allowed his kingdom's accession to 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 Unification of Karnataka, Kodagu and Kannada speaking regions from the adjoining states of Madras, Hyderabad and Bombay were incorporated into the Mysore state, under the States Reorganization Act of 1956. The thus expanded state was renamed Karnataka, seventeen years later, in 1973.

Geography The state has three principal geographical zones: the coastal region of Karavali, the hilly Malnad region comprising the Western Ghats and the Bayaluseeme region comprising the plains of the Deccan plateau. The bulk of the state is in the Bayaluseeme region, the northern part of which is the second largest arid region in India. The highest point in Karnataka is the Mullayanagiri hills in Chikkamagaluru district which has an altitude of . Some of the important rivers in Karnataka are the Kaveri, the Tungabhadra, the Krishna river and the Sharavathi.

Karnataka consists of four main types of geological formations — the Archean complex made up of Dharwad schists and granitic gneisses, the Proterozoic non-fossiliferous sedimentary formations of the Kaladgi and Bhima series, the Deccan trappean and intertrappean deposits and the tertiary and recent laterites and alluvial deposits. Significantly, about 60% of the state is comprised of the Archean complex which consist of gneisses, granites and charnockite rocks. Laterite cappings that are found in many districts over the Deccan Traps were formed after the cessation of volcanic activity in the early tertiary period. Eleven groups of soil orders are found in Karnataka, viz. Entisols, Inceptisols, Mollisols, Spodosols, Alfisols, Ultisols, Oxisols, Aridisols, Vertisols, Andisols and Histosols. Depending on the agricultural capability of the soil, the soil types are divided into six types, viz. Red, Lateritic soil, Black soil, alluvio-colluvial, forest and coastal soils.

Karnataka experiences four seasons. The winter in January and February is followed by summer between March and May, the monsoon season between June and September and the post-monsoon season from October till December. Meteorology, 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 . Agumbe in the Shivamogga district receives the second highest annual rainfall in India. Agumbe's receiving the second highest rainfall in India is mentioned by The highest recorded temperature was at Raichur and the lowest recorded temperature was at Bidar.

About 38,724 km² of Karnataka (i.e. 20% 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.

Sub divisions

There are 29 districts in Karnataka—Bagalkot district, Bangalore Rural District,Bangalore district, Belgaum district, Bellary district, Bidar district, Bijapur district, Chamarajanagar district, Chikballapur district, Chikmagalur district, Chitradurga district, Dakshina Kannada, Davanagere district, Dharwad district, Gadag district, Gulbarga district, Hassan district, Haveri district, Kodagu, Kolar district, Koppal district, Mandya district, Mysore district, Raichur district, Ramanagaram district, Shivamogga district, Tumkur district, Udupi district and Uttara Kannada. Each district is governed by a district commissioner or district magistrate. Each district is divided into sub-divisions, which are governed by sub-divisional magistrates; sub-divisions comprise blocks containing panchayats (village councils) and town municipalities.

As per the 2001 census, Karnataka's six largest cities sorted in order of decreasing population were, Bangalore, Hubli-Dharwad, Mysore, Gulbarga, Belgaum and Mangalore. Bangalore is the only city with a population of more than one million. Bangalore Urban, Belgaum district and Gulbarga district are the most populous districts, each of them having a population of more than three million. Gadag district, Chamarajanagar district and Kodagu districts have a population of less than one million.

Demographics According to the 2001 census of India, the total population of Karnataka is 52,850,562, of which 26,898,918 (50.89%) are male and 25,951,644 (49.11%) are female, or 1000 males for every 964 females. This represents a 17.25% increase over the population in 1991. The population density is 275.6 per km². 33.98% of the people live in urban areas. The literacy rate is 67% with 76% of males and 57% of females being literate. 83.8% of the population are Hindu, 12.23% are Muslim, 1.91% are Christian, 0.78% are Jains, 0.73% are Buddhist, and with the remainder belonging to other religions.

Kannada is the official language of Karnataka and spoken as a native language by about 64.75% of the people. Other linguistic minorities in the state as of 1991 are Urdu (9.72%), Telugu language (8.34%), Marathi (3.95%), Tamil language (3.82%), Tulu (3.38%), Hindi (1.87%), Konkani language (1.78%), Malayalam (1.69%) and Kodava Takk (0.25%). The state has a birth rate of 2.2%, a death rate of 0.72%, an infant mortality rate of 5.5% and a maternal mortality rate of 0.195%. The total fertility rate is 2.2.

In the field of super-specialty health care, Karnataka's private sector 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 leave much to be desired when it comes to primary health care.

Government and administration in Bangalore (seat of the Legislative Assembly)Karnataka has a parliamentary system of government with two democratically elected state legislatures, 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 which consists of 75 members with one-third of its members retiring every two years.

The government of Karnataka is headed by the List of Chief Ministers of Karnataka who is chosen by a majority vote of the members in the Legislative Assembly. The Chief Minister along with the council of ministers, drives the legislative agenda and exercises most of the executive powers.Pylee, M. V. 2003. Constitutional government in India. New Delhi: S. Chand & Co, p365 However, the constitutional and formal head of the state is the Governors and Lieutenant-Governors of states of India who is appointed for a five year term by the President of India on the advice of the union government."The Head of the State is called the Governor who is the constitutional head of the state as the President is for the whole of India", Pylee, M. V. 2003. Constitutional government in India. New Delhi: S. Chand & Co, p357 The citizens of Karnataka also elect 28 members to the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian Parliament. The members in the state assembly elect 12 members to the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament.

For administrative purposes, Karnataka has been divided into four revenue divisions, 49 sub-divisions, 29 districts, 175 taluks and 745 hoblies/revenue circles. The administration in each district is headed by a Deputy Commissioner (India) who belongs to the Indian Administrative Service and is assisted by a number of officers belonging to Karnataka state services. The Superintendent of Police (India), an officer belonging to the Indian Police Service 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 (India), an officer belonging to the Indian Forest Service, also serves the government. 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 (Attara Kacheri) in Bangalore, District Courts of India 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 Janata Dal (Secular) and the Bharatiya Janata Party. Politicians from Karnataka have played prominent roles in Government of India with some of them having held the high positions of Prime Minister of India and Vice President.

The official :Image:Karnataka emblem.png has a Gandaberunda in the centre. Surmounting this are four lions facing the four directions, taken from the Lion Capital of Asoka at Sarnath. The emblem also carries two Sharabhas with the head of an elephant and the body of a lion.

Economy Karnataka, which had a GSDP (Gross State Domestic Product) of about Rs. 1940.09 billion ($ 46.19 billion) in the 2006-2007 fiscal year, is one of the more economically progressive states in India. The state registered a GSDP growth rate of 9.2% for the year 2006-2007. Karnataka's contribution to India's GDP in the year 2004-05 was 5.2%.Karnataka was the fastest growing state over the past decade in terms of GDP and per capita GDP.With GDP growth of 56.2% and per capita GDP growth of 43.9%, Karnataka now has the sixth highest per-capita GDP of all states. Till September 2006 Karnataka received a Foreign Direct Investment of Rs. 78.097 billion ($ 1.7255 billion) for the fiscal year 2006-07, placing it third among the states of India. At the end of 2004, the unemployment rate in Karnataka was 4.94% compared to the national rate of 5.99%. For the fiscal year 2006-07, the inflation rate in Karnataka was 4.4%, compared to the national average of 4.7%. As of 2004-05, Karnataka had an estimated poverty ratio of 25%, which was slightly lesser than the national ratio of 27.5%.

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 as only 26.5% of the sown area is irrigated.

Karnataka is the manufacturing hub for some of the largest public sector industries in India, including Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, National Aerospace Laboratories, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, Indian Telephone Industries, Bharat Earth Movers Limited and Hindustan Machine Tools, which are based in Bangalore. Many of India's premier science and technology research centers, such as Indian Space Research Organization, Bharat electronics limited and the Central Food Technological Research Institute, are also headquartered in Karnataka.

Since the 1980s, Karnataka has emerged as the pan-Indian leader in the field of IT (information technology). As of 2007, there were nearly 2,000 firms operating out of Karnataka. Many of them, including two of India's biggest software firms, Infosys and Wipro are also headquartered in the state. Exports from these firms exceeded Rs. 50,000 crores ($12.5 billion) in 2006-07, accounting for nearly 38% of all IT exports from India. All this has earned the state capital, Bangalore, the sobriquet Silicon Valley of India.Karnataka also leads the nation in biotechnology. It is home to India's largest biocluster, with 158 of the country's 320 biotechnology firms being based here. The state also accounts for 75% of India's floriculture, an upcoming industry which supplies flowers and ornamental plants worldwide.

Seven of India's leading banks, Canara Bank, Syndicate Bank, Corporation Bank, Vijaya Bank, Karnataka Bank, Vysya Bank and the State Bank of Mysore originated in this state. The coastal districts of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada have a branch for every 500 persons - the best distribution of banks in India. As of 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.

Transport which is based in Bangalore.

Air transport in Karnataka, as in the rest of the country, is still a fledgling but fast expanding sector. Karnataka has airports at Bangalore, Mangalore, Hubli, Belgaum, Hampi and Bellary with international operations from Mangalore and HAL Bangalore International Airport airports. Airports at Mysore, Gulbarga, Bijapur, Karnataka, Hassan, India and Shimoga are expected to be operational by the end of 2007. Major airlines such as Kingfisher Airlines and Air Deccan are based in Bangalore.

Karnataka has a railway network with a total length of approximately . Until the creation of the South Western Zone headquartered at Hubli in 2003, the railway network in the state was in the Southern and Western railway zones. Several parts of the state now come under the South Western Zone, with the remainder under the Southern Railways. Coastal Karnataka is covered under the Konkan railway network which was considered India's biggest railway project of the century. Bangalore is extensively connected with inter-state destinations while other important cities and towns in the state are not so well-connected.

Karnataka has one major port, the New Mangalore Port, and ten other minor ports. The New Mangalore port was incorporated as the ninth major port in India on 4th 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. The inland water transport within the state is not well developed.

The total lengths of National Highways and state highways in Karnataka are and , respectively. The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation, the state public transport corporation, transports an average of 2.2 million passengers daily and employs about 25,000 people. In the late nineties, KSRTC was split into three corporations, viz., The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation, The North-West Karnataka Road Transport Corporation and The North-East Karnataka Road Transport Corporation with their headquarters in Bangalore, Hubli and Gulbarga respectively.

Culture artist

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 Tuluvas, Kodavas and Konkanis. Minor populations of Tibetan Buddhists and tribes like the Soligas, Yeravas, Toda peoples and Siddhis of Karnataka also live in Karnataka. The Folk arts of Karnataka cover the entire gamut of music, dance, drama, storytelling by itinerant troupes, etc. Yakshagana of coastal Karnataka, a classical folk play, is one of the major theatrical forms of Karnataka. Contemporary theatre culture in Karnataka remains vibrant with organizations like Ninasam, Ranga Shankara, Rangayana and Prabhat Kalavidaru continuing to build on the foundations laid by Gubbi Veeranna, T. P. Kailasam, B. V. Karanth, K V Subbanna, Prasanna and List of people from Karnataka#Theatre.Chief Editor:H Chittaranjan. 2005. Handbook of Karnataka, Gazetteer Department of the Government of Karnataka, Chapter XIII, pp332-337 Veeragase, Kamsale and Dollu Kunitha are popular dance forms. The Kingdom of Mysore style of Bharatanatyam nurtured and popularised by the likes of the legendary Jatti Tayamma continues to hold sway in Karnataka and Bangalore also enjoys an eminent place as one of the foremost centers of Bharatanatya.H Chittaranjan (chief editor). 2005. Handbook of Karnataka, Gazetteer Department of the Government of Karnataka, Chapter XIII, pp350-352

Karnataka also has a special place in the world of Indian classical music with both Carnatic music and Hindustani music styles finding place in the state and Karnataka has produced a number of List of people from Karnataka#Music. The Haridasa movement of the sixteenth century contributed seminally to the development of Carnatic music as a performing art form. Purandara Dasa, one of the most revered Haridasas, is known as the Karnataka Sangeeta Pitamaha ('Father of Carnatic music'). Celebrated Hindustani musicians like Gangubai Hangal, Mallikarjun Mansur, Bhimsen Joshi, Basavaraja Rajaguru, Sawai Gandharva and List of people from Karnataka#Classical Music - Hindustani hail from Karnataka and some of them have been recipients of the Kalidas Samman, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan awards.Gamaka is another Indian classical music music genre based on Carnatic music that is practiced 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), p283 Chitrakala Parishat is an organisation in Karnataka dedicated to promoting painting, mainly in the Mysore painting style.

Saree 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, known as Panche in Karnataka is the traditional attire of men. Shirt, Trouser and Salwar kameez are widely worn in Urban areas. Turban#Mysori turbans is the traditional headgear of Karnataka.

Rice and Ragi form the staple food in South Karnataka, whereas Sorghum is staple to North Karnataka. Apart from this, coastal Karnataka and Kodagu have a distinctive cuisine of their own. Bisi bele bath, Jolada rotti, Ragi mudde, Upma, Masala Dosa and Maddur vada are some of the popular food items in Karnataka. Among sweets, Mysore Pak and Dharwad pedha are popular.

Religion

The three most important schools of Hindu philosophy, Advaita, Vishistadvaita and Dvaita blossomed in Karnataka.Kamath (2001), p148 While Madhvacharya was born in Karnataka, Adi Shankaracharya chose Sringeri in Karnataka to establish the first of his four mathas. Ramanujacharya, who fled persecution by the Cholas in modern Tamil Nadu, spent many years in Melkote.Fearing persecution by the Cholas who were staunch Shaivaites, Ramanujacharya came to Karnataka in 1098 and lived there until 1122. He first lived in Tondanur and then moved to Melkote where the Cheluvanarayana Temple and a well organised Matha were built. He was patronized by the Hoysala king, Vishnuvardhana. (Kamath 2001), pp. 150-152 In the twelfth century, Veerashaivism 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 and Allama Prabhu, who established the Anubhava Mantapa where the philosophy of Shakti Vishishtadvaita was expounded. This was the basis of the Lingayat 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, 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), p396 Christianity reached Karnataka in the sixteenth century with the arrival of the Portuguese people and St. Francis Xavier in 1545.Sastri (1955), p398 Buddhism was popular in Karnataka during the first millennium in places such as Gulbarga and Banavasi. A chance discovery of edicts and several Mauryan relics at Sannati in Gulbarga district in 1986 has proven that the Krishna River basin was once home to both Mahayana and Hinayana Buddhism.

Mysore Dasara is celebrated as the Nada habba (state festival) and this is marked by major festivities at Mysore. Ugadi (Kannada New Year), Makara Sankranti (the harvest festival), Ganesh Chaturthi, Nagaradhane, Basava Jayanthi and Ramzan are the other major festivals of Karnataka.

Language , a doyen of 20th century Kannada literature

The Kannada language is the official language of the state and is the native language of approximately 65% of Karnataka's population. Kannada played a crucial role in the creation of Karnataka since linguistic demographics was a major criterion chosen to create the state in 1956. Tulu, Kodava Takk and Konkani are other major native languages that share a long history in the state. Urdu is spoken widely by the Muslim population. Less widely spoken languages include Beary bashe and certain dialects such as Sankethi language. Kannada features a rich and ancient body of literature covering topics as diverse as Jainism, Vachanas, and Haridasa. Evidence from edicts during the time of Ashoka the Great suggest that the Kannada script and its literature were influenced by Buddhist literature. The Halmidi inscription, the earliest attested full-length inscription in the Kannada language and script, dates to 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 Chattana, Beddande and Melvadu metres during earlier centuries.Narasimhacharya (1988), p12, p17 Kuvempu, the renowned Kannada poet and writer who wrote Jaya Bharata Jananiya Tanujate, the state anthem of Karnataka was the first recipient of the "Karnataka Ratna" award, the highest civilian award bestowed by the Government of Karnataka. Contemporary Kannada literature is well recognized in the arena of Indian literature, with seven Kannada writers winning India's highest literary honour, the Jnanpith award, which is the highest for any language in India.

Tulu is spoken mainly in the coastal districts of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada. Tulu Mahabharato, written by Arunabja in Tulu script, is the oldest surviving Tulu text. The Tulu language now uses the Kannada script due to the gradual decline of the Tulu script, which was in use until a few centuries ago. The Kodavas who mainly reside in the Kodagu district, speak Kodava Takk. Two regional variations of the language exist, the northern Mendale Takka and the southern Kiggaati Takka. Konkani is mostly spoken in the Uttara Kannada district and in some parts of the Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts. Both Kodava Takk and Konkani use the Kannada script for writing. English is the medium of education in many schools and widely used for business communication in technology-related companies and Business process outsourcing.

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.

Education , one of the premier institutes of India located in Bangalore

As per the 2001 census, Karnataka had a literacy rate of 67.04%, with 76.29% of males and 57.45% of females in Karnataka being literate. Karnataka is home to some of the premier educational and research institutions of India such as the Indian Institute of Science, the Indian Institute of Management and the National Law School of India University.

As of 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 Karnataka, 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 and English. The syllabus taught in the schools is either of the CBSE, the ICSE or the state syllabus defined by the Department of Public Instruction of the Government of Karnataka. In order to maximize 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 are conducted at the end of the period of secondary education and students who qualify are allowed to pursue a two-year Pre University Course; after which students become eligible to pursue baccalaureate degrees.

There are 481 degree colleges affiliated with one of the universities in the state, viz. Bangalore University, Mysore University, Mangalore University, Gulbarga University, Kuvempu University and Karnatak University. In 1998, the engineering colleges in the state were brought under the newly-formed Visvesvaraya Technological University headquartered at Belgaum, whereas the medical colleges are run under the jurisdiction of the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences. Some of these baccalaureate colleges are accredited with the status of a deemed university. There are 123 engineering, 35 medical and 40 dental colleges in the state. Udupi, Sringeri, Gokarna and Melkote are well-known places of Sanskrit and Veda learning.

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 Mangalooru 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 (Mysore Private Limited) and began publishing two newspapers, the 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.

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 include ETV Kannada, Zee Kannada, Udaya TV, Ushe TV, U2 Kannada Music TV Channel and TV9 (Kannada).

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 at Mysore.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 Bangalore 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 Bangalore 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 broadcasted 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. Recently, Karnataka has witnessed a growth in FM radio channels mainly in the city of Bangalore which has around 10 such channels and these have become hugely popular.

Sports is the highest wicket-taker for India in international cricket.Karnataka's smallest district, Kodagu, is a major contributor to 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. Bangalore has hosted a Women's Tennis Association 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 Tennis Academy are also situated in Bangalore. 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 has won the Ranji Trophy six times, second only to Mumbai cricket team in terms of success. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore regularly hosts International cricket 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 have represented India national cricket team and in some international matches 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: Sports like kho kho, kabaddi, Chinni Daandu and goli (marbles) are played mostly in Karnataka's rural areas.

Notable sportsmen from Karnataka include Prakash Padukone who won the All England Badminton Championships in 1980 and Pankaj Advani who has won three world titles in cue sports by the age of 20 including the World Snooker Championship in 2003 and the World Billiards Championship in 2005.

Flora and fauna

Karnataka has a rich diversity of flora and fauna. It has a recorded forest area of 38,720 km² which constitutes 20.19% of the total geographical area of the state. These forests support 25% of the elephant and 10% of the tiger 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, includes the western region of Karnataka. Two sub-clusters in the Western Ghats, viz. Talakaveri and Kudremukh, both in Karnataka, are on the tentative list of World Heritage Sites of UNESCO. The Bandipur and Nagarahole National Parks, which fall outside these subclusters, were included in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve in 1986, a UNESCO designation. The Indian roller and the Indian elephant are recognized as the state bird and animal while sandalwood and the Lotus (genus) are recognized as the state tree and flower respectively. Karnataka has five national parks: Anshi National Park, Bandipur National Park, Bannerghatta National Park, Kudremukh National Park and Nagarhole National Park. A Walk on the Wild Side, An Information Guide to National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries of Karnataka, Compiled and Edited by Dr. Nima Manjrekar, Karnataka Forest Department, Wildlife Wing, October 2000 It also has 25 wildlife sanctuaries of which seven are bird sanctuaries.

Wild animals that are found in Karnataka include the Elephas maximus, the Panthera tigris, the Panthera pardus, the Bos gaurus, the Cervus unicolor, the Axis axis, the Muntiacus muntjak, the Macaca radiata, the Loris tardigradus, the Paradoxurus hermaphroditus, the Viverricula indica, the Melursus ursinus, the Cuon alpinus, the Hyaena hyaena and the Canis aureus. Some of the birds found here are the Great Hornbill, the Malabar Pied Hornbill, the Ceylon Frogmouth, herons, ducks, kites, eagles, falcons, quails, partridges, lapwings, sandpipers, pigeons, doves, parakeets, cuckoos, owls, nightjars, swifts, kingfishers, bee-eaters and munias. {{Infobox Indian Jurisdiction|type = state|state_name = Karnataka|native_name = Karnataka|capital = Bangalore|abbreviation = IN-KA|official_languages = [Kannada language|legislature_type = Bicameral|legislature_strength = 224 + 75|leader_title_1 = Governors of Karnataka|leader_name_1 = Rameshwar Thakur|leader_title_2 = Chief Ministers of Karnataka|leader_name_2 = H. D. Kumaraswamy, until October 9th, 2007. Now under President's rule http://www.rediff.com/news/2007/oct/09kgovt6.htm]|area_total = 191791|area_total_cite = |area_magnitude = 11|area_rank = 8th|population_year = 2001|population_total = 52,850,562|population_total_cite =|population_rank = 9th|population_density = 275.6|districts = 29|website = www.karnataka.gov.in|seal = Karnataka_emblem.png-->Karnātakā (Kannada language: ಕನಾ೯ಟಕ) () is one of the four South India States and territories of Indias of India. The state was Unification of Karnataka on November 1 1956 with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally named Mysore State, it was renamed Karnataka in 1973. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, Goa to the northwest, Maharashtra to the north, Andhra Pradesh to the east, Tamil Nadu to the southeast, and Kerala to the southwest. The state covers an area of 191,791 km² or 5.83% of the total geographical area of India. It is the List of states of India by area, List of states of India by population and comprises 29 Districts of India. Kannada language is the official and most widely spoken language.

Though Origin of Karnataka's name 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 (black) and nadu (region), as a reference to the Vertisol found in the Bayaluseeme region of Karnataka. During the British Raj, the word Carnatic or Karnatak was used to describe this part of the region in general.

With an antiquity that dates to the paleolithic, Karnataka has also been home to Political history of medieval Karnataka. Great philosophers and musical bards patronised by these empires launched socio-religious and literary movements whose ennobling effects have been felt far and wide. Karnataka has contributed significantly to both forms of Indian classical music, the Carnatic music and Hindustani music traditions. Writers in the Kannada language have received the most number of Jnanpith in India. Bangalore, also known as Bengalūru, is the capital city of the state and is at the forefront of the rapid economic and technological development that India is experiencing.

History architecture in BelurThe history of Karnataka can be traced back to a paleolithic hand-axe culture evidenced by discoveries of, among other things, hand axes and cleavers in the region. Evidence of neolithic and megalithic cultures have also been found in the state. Gold discovered in Harappa was found to be imported from mines in Karnataka, prompting scholars to hypothesize about contacts between ancient Karnataka and the Indus Valley Civilization in 3000 BCE. Prior to the third century BCE, most of Karnataka was part of the Nanda Empire before coming under the Mauryan empire of Emperor Ashoka. Four centuries of Satavahana Dynasty 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;From the Talagunda inscription (Dr. B. L. Rice in Kamath, 2001, p30)Moares (1931), p10 the Western Ganga Dynasty was formed with Talakad as its capital.Adiga and Sheik Ali in Adiga (2006), p89Ramesh (1984), pp. 1-2 These were also the first kingdoms to use Kannada language 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), p10 These dynasties were followed by Kannada empires such as the Badami Chalukyas,The Chalukyas hailed from present-day Karnataka (Keay 2000, p168)The Chalukyas were native Kannadigas (N. Laxminarayana Rao and Dr. S. C. Nandinath in Kamath 2001, p57) the Rashtrakuta DynastyAltekar (1934), pp. 21–24Masica (1991), pp. 45-46 and the Western Chalukya Empire,Balagamve in Mysore territory was an early power centre (Cousens 1926, p10, p105)Tailapa II, the founder king was the governor of Tardavadi in modern Bijapur district, under the Rashtrakutas (Kamath (2001), p101) which ruled over large parts of the Deccan and had their capitals in what is now Karnataka.

At the turn of the first millennium, the Hoysala Empire gained power in the region. Hoysala architecture flourished during this time, which led to the distinctive Kannada meter (music) and the construction of temples and sculptures adhering to the Hoysala architecture.Kamath (2001), pp132–134Sastri (1955), pp. 358-9, p 361Foekema (1996), p14Kamath (2001), pp. 122-4 The expansion of the Hoysala Empire brought 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.Kamath 2001, pp. 157–160Kulke and Rothermund (2004), p188

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.Kamath (2001), pp. 190-191 The Bijapur Sultanate, which had risen after the demise of the Bahmani Sultanate of Bidar, soon took control of the Deccan; it was defeated by the Moghul empire in the late 17th century.Kamath (2001), p201Kamath (2001), p202 The Bahamani and Bijapur rulers encouraged Urdu and Persian literature and Indo-Saracenic architecture, the Gol Gumbaz being one of the high points of this style.Kamath (2001), p207 at Bijapur, KarnatakaIn the period that followed, parts of northern Karnataka were ruled by the Nizam of Hyderabad, the British Raj, and other powers. In the south, the Mysore Kingdom, former vassals of the Vijayanagara Empire, was briefly independent.Kamath (2001), p171 With the death of Krishnaraja Wodeyar II, 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.Kamath (2001), p171, p173, p174, p204 To contain European expansion in South India, Haider Ali and later Tipu Sultan fought four significant Anglo-Mysore Wars, the last of which resulted in Tipu Sultan's death and the incorporation of Mysore into the British Raj in 1799.Kamath (2001), pp. 231–234 The Kingdom of Mysore was restored to the Wodeyars and Mysore remained a princely state under the British Raj.

As the "doctrine of lapse" gave way to dissent and resistance from princely states across the country, Kittur Chennamma, Sangolli Rayanna and others spearheaded rebellions in Karnataka in 1830, nearly three decades before the Indian Rebellion of 1857. Other uprisings followed, such as the ones at Supa, Bagalkot, Shorapur, Nargund and Dandeli. These rebellions which coincided with the 1857 war of independence were led by Mundargi Bhimarao, Bhaskar Rao Bhave, the Halagali Beda uprising, Venkatappa Nayaka and others. By the late 19th century, the freedom movement had gained momentum; Karnad Sadashiva Rao, Aluru Venkata Raya, S. Nijalingappa, Kengal Hanumanthaiah, Nittoor Srinivasa Rau and others carried on the struggle into the early 20th century.

After India's independence, the Maharaja, Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar, allowed his kingdom's accession to 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 Unification of Karnataka, Kodagu and Kannada speaking regions from the adjoining states of Madras, Hyderabad and Bombay were incorporated into the Mysore state, under the States Reorganization Act of 1956. The thus expanded state was renamed Karnataka, seventeen years later, in 1973.

Geography The state has three principal geographical zones: the coastal region of Karavali, the hilly Malnad region comprising the Western Ghats and the Bayaluseeme region comprising the plains of the Deccan plateau. The bulk of the state is in the Bayaluseeme region, the northern part of which is the second largest arid region in India. The highest point in Karnataka is the Mullayanagiri hills in Chikkamagaluru district which has an altitude of . Some of the important rivers in Karnataka are the Kaveri, the Tungabhadra, the Krishna river and the Sharavathi.

Karnataka consists of four main types of geological formations — the Archean complex made up of Dharwad schists and granitic gneisses, the Proterozoic non-fossiliferous sedimentary formations of the Kaladgi and Bhima series, the Deccan trappean and intertrappean deposits and the tertiary and recent laterites and alluvial deposits. Significantly, about 60% of the state is comprised of the Archean complex which consist of gneisses, granites and charnockite rocks. Laterite cappings that are found in many districts over the Deccan Traps were formed after the cessation of volcanic activity in the early tertiary period. Eleven groups of soil orders are found in Karnataka, viz. Entisols, Inceptisols, Mollisols, Spodosols, Alfisols, Ultisols, Oxisols, Aridisols, Vertisols, Andisols and Histosols. Depending on the agricultural capability of the soil, the soil types are divided into six types, viz. Red, Lateritic soil, Black soil, alluvio-colluvial, forest and coastal soils.

Karnataka experiences four seasons. The winter in January and February is followed by summer between March and May, the monsoon season between June and September and the post-monsoon season from October till December. Meteorology, 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 . Agumbe in the Shivamogga district receives the second highest annual rainfall in India. Agumbe's receiving the second highest rainfall in India is mentioned by The highest recorded temperature was at Raichur and the lowest recorded temperature was at Bidar.

About 38,724 km² of Karnataka (i.e. 20% 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.

Sub divisions

There are 29 districts in Karnataka—Bagalkot district, Bangalore Rural District,Bangalore district, Belgaum district, Bellary district, Bidar district, Bijapur district, Chamarajanagar district, Chikballapur district, Chikmagalur district, Chitradurga district, Dakshina Kannada, Davanagere district, Dharwad district, Gadag district, Gulbarga district, Hassan district, Haveri district, Kodagu, Kolar district, Koppal district, Mandya district, Mysore district, Raichur district, Ramanagaram district, Shivamogga district, Tumkur district, Udupi district and Uttara Kannada. Each district is governed by a district commissioner or district magistrate. Each district is divided into sub-divisions, which are governed by sub-divisional magistrates; sub-divisions comprise blocks containing panchayats (village councils) and town municipalities.

As per the 2001 census, Karnataka's six largest cities sorted in order of decreasing population were, Bangalore, Hubli-Dharwad, Mysore, Gulbarga, Belgaum and Mangalore. Bangalore is the only city with a population of more than one million. Bangalore Urban, Belgaum district and Gulbarga district are the most populous districts, each of them having a population of more than three million. Gadag district, Chamarajanagar district and Kodagu districts have a population of less than one million.

Demographics According to the 2001 census of India, the total population of Karnataka is 52,850,562, of which 26,898,918 (50.89%) are male and 25,951,644 (49.11%) are female, or 1000 males for every 964 females. This represents a 17.25% increase over the population in 1991. The population density is 275.6 per km². 33.98% of the people live in urban areas. The literacy rate is 67% with 76% of males and 57% of females being literate. 83.8% of the population are Hindu, 12.23% are Muslim, 1.91% are Christian, 0.78% are Jains, 0.73% are Buddhist, and with the remainder belonging to other religions.

Kannada is the official language of Karnataka and spoken as a native language by about 64.75% of the people. Other linguistic minorities in the state as of 1991 are Urdu (9.72%), Telugu language (8.34%), Marathi (3.95%), Tamil language (3.82%), Tulu (3.38%), Hindi (1.87%), Konkani language (1.78%), Malayalam (1.69%) and Kodava Takk (0.25%). The state has a birth rate of 2.2%, a death rate of 0.72%, an infant mortality rate of 5.5% and a maternal mortality rate of 0.195%. The total fertility rate is 2.2.

In the field of super-specialty health care, Karnataka's private sector 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 leave much to be desired when it comes to primary health care.

Government and administration in Bangalore (seat of the Legislative Assembly)Karnataka has a parliamentary system of government with two democratically elected state legislatures, 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 which consists of 75 members with one-third of its members retiring every two years.

The government of Karnataka is headed by the List of Chief Ministers of Karnataka who is chosen by a majority vote of the members in the Legislative Assembly. The Chief Minister along with the council of ministers, drives the legislative agenda and exercises most of the executive powers.Pylee, M. V. 2003. Constitutional government in India. New Delhi: S. Chand & Co, p365 However, the constitutional and formal head of the state is the Governors and Lieutenant-Governors of states of India who is appointed for a five year term by the President of India on the advice of the union government."The Head of the State is called the Governor who is the constitutional head of the state as the President is for the whole of India", Pylee, M. V. 2003. Constitutional government in India. New Delhi: S. Chand & Co, p357 The citizens of Karnataka also elect 28 members to the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian Parliament. The members in the state assembly elect 12 members to the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament.

For administrative purposes, Karnataka has been divided into four revenue divisions, 49 sub-divisions, 29 districts, 175 taluks and 745 hoblies/revenue circles. The administration in each district is headed by a Deputy Commissioner (India) who belongs to the Indian Administrative Service and is assisted by a number of officers belonging to Karnataka state services. The Superintendent of Police (India), an officer belonging to the Indian Police Service 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 (India), an officer belonging to the Indian Forest Service, also serves the government. 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 (Attara Kacheri) in Bangalore, District Courts of India 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 Janata Dal (Secular) and the Bharatiya Janata Party. Politicians from Karnataka have played prominent roles in Government of India with some of them having held the high positions of Prime Minister of India and Vice President.

The official :Image:Karnataka emblem.png has a Gandaberunda in the centre. Surmounting this are four lions facing the four directions, taken from the Lion Capital of Asoka at Sarnath. The emblem also carries two Sharabhas with the head of an elephant and the body of a lion.

Economy Karnataka, which had a GSDP (Gross State Domestic Product) of about Rs. 1940.09 billion ($ 46.19 billion) in the 2006-2007 fiscal year, is one of the more economically progressive states in India. The state registered a GSDP growth rate of 9.2% for the year 2006-2007. Karnataka's contribution to India's GDP in the year 2004-05 was 5.2%.Karnataka was the fastest growing state over the past decade in terms of GDP and per capita GDP.With GDP growth of 56.2% and per capita GDP growth of 43.9%, Karnataka now has the sixth highest per-capita GDP of all states. Till September 2006 Karnataka received a Foreign Direct Investment of Rs. 78.097 billion ($ 1.7255 billion) for the fiscal year 2006-07, placing it third among the states of India. At the end of 2004, the unemployment rate in Karnataka was 4.94% compared to the national rate of 5.99%. For the fiscal year 2006-07, the inflation rate in Karnataka was 4.4%, compared to the national average of 4.7%. As of 2004-05, Karnataka had an estimated poverty ratio of 25%, which was slightly lesser than the national ratio of 27.5%.

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 as only 26.5% of the sown area is irrigated.

Karnataka is the manufacturing hub for some of the largest public sector industries in India, including Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, National Aerospace Laboratories, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, Indian Telephone Industries, Bharat Earth Movers Limited and Hindustan Machine Tools, which are based in Bangalore. Many of India's premier science and technology research centers, such as Indian Space Research Organization, Bharat electronics limited and the Central Food Technological Research Institute, are also headquartered in Karnataka.

Since the 1980s, Karnataka has emerged as the pan-Indian leader in the field of IT (information technology). As of 2007, there were nearly 2,000 firms operating out of Karnataka. Many of them, including two of India's biggest software firms, Infosys and Wipro are also headquartered in the state. Exports from these firms exceeded Rs. 50,000 crores ($12.5 billion) in 2006-07, accounting for nearly 38% of all IT exports from India. All this has earned the state capital, Bangalore, the sobriquet Silicon Valley of India.Karnataka also leads the nation in biotechnology. It is home to India's largest biocluster, with 158 of the country's 320 biotechnology firms being based here. The state also accounts for 75% of India's floriculture, an upcoming industry which supplies flowers and ornamental plants worldwide.

Seven of India's leading banks, Canara Bank, Syndicate Bank, Corporation Bank, Vijaya Bank, Karnataka Bank, Vysya Bank and the State Bank of Mysore originated in this state. The coastal districts of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada have a branch for every 500 persons - the best distribution of banks in India. As of 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.

Transport which is based in Bangalore.

Air transport in Karnataka, as in the rest of the country, is still a fledgling but fast expanding sector. Karnataka has airports at Bangalore, Mangalore, Hubli, Belgaum, Hampi and Bellary with international operations from Mangalore and HAL Bangalore International Airport airports. Airports at Mysore, Gulbarga, Bijapur, Karnataka, Hassan, India and Shimoga are expected to be operational by the end of 2007. Major airlines such as Kingfisher Airlines and Air Deccan are based in Bangalore.

Karnataka has a railway network with a total length of approximately . Until the creation of the South Western Zone headquartered at Hubli in 2003, the railway network in the state was in the Southern and Western railway zones. Several parts of the state now come under the South Western Zone, with the remainder under the Southern Railways. Coastal Karnataka is covered under the Konkan railway network which was considered India's biggest railway project of the century. Bangalore is extensively connected with inter-state destinations while other important cities and towns in the state are not so well-connected.

Karnataka has one major port, the New Mangalore Port, and ten other minor ports. The New Mangalore port was incorporated as the ninth major port in India on 4th 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. The inland water transport within the state is not well developed.

The total lengths of National Highways and state highways in Karnataka are and , respectively. The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation, the state public transport corporation, transports an average of 2.2 million passengers daily and employs about 25,000 people. In the late nineties, KSRTC was split into three corporations, viz., The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation, The North-West Karnataka Road Transport Corporation and The North-East Karnataka Road Transport Corporation with their headquarters in Bangalore, Hubli and Gulbarga respectively.

Culture artist

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 Tuluvas, Kodavas and Konkanis. Minor populations of Tibetan Buddhists and tribes like the Soligas, Yeravas, Toda peoples and Siddhis of Karnataka also live in Karnataka. The Folk arts of Karnataka cover the entire gamut of music, dance, drama, storytelling by itinerant troupes, etc. Yakshagana of coastal Karnataka, a classical folk play, is one of the major theatrical forms of Karnataka. Contemporary theatre culture in Karnataka remains vibrant with organizations like Ninasam, Ranga Shankara, Rangayana and Prabhat Kalavidaru continuing to build on the foundations laid by Gubbi Veeranna, T. P. Kailasam, B. V. Karanth, K V Subbanna, Prasanna and List of people from Karnataka#Theatre.Chief Editor:H Chittaranjan. 2005. Handbook of Karnataka, Gazetteer Department of the Government of Karnataka, Chapter XIII, pp332-337 Veeragase, Kamsale and Dollu Kunitha are popular dance forms. The Kingdom of Mysore style of Bharatanatyam nurtured and popularised by the likes of the legendary Jatti Tayamma continues to hold sway in Karnataka and Bangalore also enjoys an eminent place as one of the foremost centers of Bharatanatya.H Chittaranjan (chief editor). 2005. Handbook of Karnataka, Gazetteer Department of the Government of Karnataka, Chapter XIII, pp350-352

Karnataka also has a special place in the world of Indian classical music with both Carnatic music and Hindustani music styles finding place in the state and Karnataka has produced a number of List of people from Karnataka#Music. The Haridasa movement of the sixteenth century contributed seminally to the development of Carnatic music as a performing art form. Purandara Dasa, one of the most revered Haridasas, is known as the Karnataka Sangeeta Pitamaha ('Father of Carnatic music'). Celebrated Hindustani musicians like Gangubai Hangal, Mallikarjun Mansur, Bhimsen Joshi, Basavaraja Rajaguru, Sawai Gandharva and List of people from Karnataka#Classical Music - Hindustani hail from Karnataka and some of them have been recipients of the Kalidas Samman, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan awards.Gamaka is another Indian classical music music genre based on Carnatic music that is practiced 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), p283 Chitrakala Parishat is an organisation in Karnataka dedicated to promoting painting, mainly in the Mysore painting style.

Saree 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, known as Panche in Karnataka is the traditional attire of men. Shirt, Trouser and Salwar kameez are widely worn in Urban areas. Turban#Mysori turbans is the traditional headgear of Karnataka.

Rice and Ragi form the staple food in South Karnataka, whereas Sorghum is staple to North Karnataka. Apart from this, coastal Karnataka and Kodagu have a distinctive cuisine of their own. Bisi bele bath, Jolada rotti, Ragi mudde, Upma, Masala Dosa and Maddur vada are some of the popular food items in Karnataka. Among sweets, Mysore Pak and Dharwad pedha are popular.

Religion

The three most important schools of Hindu philosophy, Advaita, Vishistadvaita and Dvaita blossomed in Karnataka.Kamath (2001), p148 While Madhvacharya was born in Karnataka, Adi Shankaracharya chose Sringeri in Karnataka to establish the first of his four mathas. Ramanujacharya, who fled persecution by the Cholas in modern Tamil Nadu, spent many years in Melkote.Fearing persecution by the Cholas who were staunch Shaivaites, Ramanujacharya came to Karnataka in 1098 and lived there until 1122. He first lived in Tondanur and then moved to Melkote where the Cheluvanarayana Temple and a well organised Matha were built. He was patronized by the Hoysala king, Vishnuvardhana. (Kamath 2001), pp. 150-152 In the twelfth century, Veerashaivism 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 and Allama Prabhu, who established the Anubhava Mantapa where the philosophy of Shakti Vishishtadvaita was expounded. This was the basis of the Lingayat 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, 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), p396 Christianity reached Karnataka in the sixteenth century with the arrival of the Portuguese people and St. Francis Xavier in 1545.Sastri (1955), p398 Buddhism was popular in Karnataka during the first millennium in places such as Gulbarga and Banavasi. A chance discovery of edicts and several Mauryan relics at Sannati in Gulbarga district in 1986 has proven that the Krishna River basin was once home to both Mahayana and Hinayana Buddhism.

Mysore Dasara is celebrated as the Nada habba (state festival) and this is marked by major festivities at Mysore. Ugadi (Kannada New Year), Makara Sankranti (the harvest festival), Ganesh Chaturthi, Nagaradhane, Basava Jayanthi and Ramzan are the other major festivals of Karnataka.

Language , a doyen of 20th century Kannada literature

The Kannada language is the official language of the state and is the native language of approximately 65% of Karnataka's population. Kannada played a crucial role in the creation of Karnataka since linguistic demographics was a major criterion chosen to create the state in 1956. Tulu, Kodava Takk and Konkani are other major native languages that share a long history in the state. Urdu is spoken widely by the Muslim population. Less widely spoken languages include Beary bashe and certain dialects such as Sankethi language. Kannada features a rich and ancient body of literature covering topics as diverse as Jainism, Vachanas, and Haridasa. Evidence from edicts during the time of Ashoka the Great suggest that the Kannada script and its literature were influenced by Buddhist literature. The Halmidi inscription, the earliest attested full-length inscription in the Kannada language and script, dates to 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 Chattana, Beddande and Melvadu metres during earlier centuries.Narasimhacharya (1988), p12, p17 Kuvempu, the renowned Kannada poet and writer who wrote Jaya Bharata Jananiya Tanujate, the state anthem of Karnataka was the first recipient of the "Karnataka Ratna" award, the highest civilian award bestowed by the Government of Karnataka. Contemporary Kannada literature is well recognized in the arena of Indian literature, with seven Kannada writers winning India's highest literary honour, the Jnanpith award, which is the highest for any language in India.

Tulu is spoken mainly in the coastal districts of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada. Tulu Mahabharato, written by Arunabja in Tulu script, is the oldest surviving Tulu text. The Tulu language now uses the Kannada script due to the gradual decline of the Tulu script, which was in use until a few centuries ago. The Kodavas who mainly reside in the Kodagu district, speak Kodava Takk. Two regional variations of the language exist, the northern Mendale Takka and the southern Kiggaati Takka. Konkani is mostly spoken in the Uttara Kannada district and in some parts of the Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts. Both Kodava Takk and Konkani use the Kannada script for writing. English is the medium of education in many schools and widely used for business communication in technology-related companies and Business process outsourcing.

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.

Education , one of the premier institutes of India located in Bangalore

As per the 2001 census, Karnataka had a literacy rate of 67.04%, with 76.29% of males and 57.45% of females in Karnataka being literate. Karnataka is home to some of the premier educational and research institutions of India such as the Indian Institute of Science, the Indian Institute of Management and the National Law School of India University.

As of 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 Karnataka, 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 and English. The syllabus taught in the schools is either of the CBSE, the ICSE or the state syllabus defined by the Department of Public Instruction of the Government of Karnataka. In order to maximize 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 are conducted at the end of the period of secondary education and students who qualify are allowed to pursue a two-year Pre University Course; after which students become eligible to pursue baccalaureate degrees.

There are 481 degree colleges affiliated with one of the universities in the state, viz. Bangalore University, Mysore University, Mangalore University, Gulbarga University, Kuvempu University and Karnatak University. In 1998, the engineering colleges in the state were brought under the newly-formed Visvesvaraya Technological University headquartered at Belgaum, whereas the medical colleges are run under the jurisdiction of the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences. Some of these baccalaureate colleges are accredited with the status of a deemed university. There are 123 engineering, 35 medical and 40 dental colleges in the state. Udupi, Sringeri, Gokarna and Melkote are well-known places of Sanskrit and Veda learning.

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 Mangalooru 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 (Mysore Private Limited) and began publishing two newspapers, the 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.

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 include ETV Kannada, Zee Kannada, Udaya TV, Ushe TV, U2 Kannada Music TV Channel and TV9 (Kannada).

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 at Mysore.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 Bangalore 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 Bangalore 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 broadcasted 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. Recently, Karnataka has witnessed a growth in FM radio channels mainly in the city of Bangalore which has around 10 such channels and these have become hugely popular.

Sports is the highest wicket-taker for India in international cricket.Karnataka's smallest district, Kodagu, is a major contributor to 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. Bangalore has hosted a Women's Tennis Association 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 Tennis Academy are also situated in Bangalore. 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 has won the Ranji Trophy six times, second only to Mumbai cricket team in terms of success. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore regularly hosts International cricket 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 have represented India national cricket team and in some international matches 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: Sports like kho kho, kabaddi, Chinni Daandu and goli (marbles) are played mostly in Karnataka's rural areas.

Notable sportsmen from Karnataka include Prakash Padukone who won the All England Badminton Championships in 1980 and Pankaj Advani who has won three world titles in cue sports by the age of 20 including the World Snooker Championship in 2003 and the World Billiards Championship in 2005.

Flora and fauna

Karnataka has a rich diversity of flora and fauna. It has a recorded forest area of 38,720 km² which constitutes 20.19% of the total geographical area of the state. These forests support 25% of the elephant and 10% of the tiger 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, includes the western region of Karnataka. Two sub-clusters in the Western Ghats, viz. Talakaveri and Kudremukh, both in Karnataka, are on the tentative list of World Heritage Sites of UNESCO. The Bandipur and Nagarahole National Parks, which fall outside these subclusters, were included in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve in 1986, a UNESCO designation. The Indian roller and the Indian elephant are recognized as the state bird and animal while sandalwood and the Lotus (genus) are recognized as the state tree and flower respectively. Karnataka has five national parks: Anshi National Park, Bandipur National Park, Bannerghatta National Park, Kudremukh National Park and Nagarhole National Park. A Walk on the Wild Side, An Information Guide to National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries of Karnataka, Compiled and Edited by Dr. Nima Manjrekar, Karnataka Forest Department, Wildlife Wing, October 2000 It also has 25 wildlife sanctuaries of which seven are bird sanctuaries.

Wild animals that are found in Karnataka include the Elephas maximus, the Panthera tigris, the Panthera pardus, the Bos gaurus, the Cervus unicolor, the Axis axis, the Muntiacus muntjak, the Macaca radiata, the Loris tardigradus, the Paradoxurus hermaphroditus, the Viverricula indica, the Melursus ursinus, the Cuon alpinus, the Hyaena hyaena and the Canis aureus. Some of the birds found here are the Great Hornbill, the Malabar Pied Hornbill, the Ceylon Frogmouth, herons, ducks, kites, eagles, falcons, quails, partridges, lapwings, sandpipers, pigeons, doves, parakeets, cuckoos, owls, nightjars, swifts, kingfishers, bee-eaters and munias.

Karnataka - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Coordinates: 12°58′13″N 77°33′37″E  /  12.970214, 77.56029 Karnataka (Kannada: ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ, pronounced [kəɾˈnɑːʈəkɑː] (help · info)) is a state ...

Namesco. A World Apart
Karnataka; Karnataka Tourism; Discount Travel; Travel City Direct; Direct Travel Insurance; Direct ... Services provided by Namesco Web Hosting. Feature packed. FREE Domain Name.

Karnataka | Bangalore | Mysore | Bangalore Restaurants | Karnataka ...
Provides information on many topics relevant to the state.

Welcome to the official website of Government of Karnataka
Main site for the state government. General information and links to other departments and other websites.

Karnataka definition of Karnataka in the Free Online Encyclopedia.
Encyclopedia article about Karnataka. Information about Karnataka in the Columbia Encyclopedia, Computer Desktop Encyclopedia, computing dictionary. karnataka news

Karnataka - Monmouth Festival 30/7/2002
They are fronted by the very talented and lovely Rachel Jones, here singing with the full-on passion that is a hallmark of this super band.

Karnataka
Karnataka ... After migrating up the coast of western India, Sayuri-Emerald reached an area off the Karnataka coast close to Shirali in the Uttar Kanada district in mid-November ...

BBC NEWS | South Asia | BJP government falls in Karnataka
The Hindu nationalist chief minister of India's southern state of Karnataka resigns after a week in office

Karnataka travel guide - Wikitravel
Open source travel guide to Karnataka, featuring up-to-date information on attractions, hotels, restaurants, nightlife, travel tips and more. Free and reliable advice written by ...

Karnataka Tourism :: -
subscribe to our feed