State in southwestern India. The capital and largest city is Bangalore. Population 61,130,704 (9th among states).
Geography
The area of the territory is 191,791 km². Karnataka is located in the southwestern part of India. It borders on the states of Maharashtra and Goa (in the north and northwest), Kerala and Tamil Nadu (in the south), Andhra Pradesh (in the east), and is washed by the Arabian Sea in the west. The territory of the state extends approximately 750 km from north to south and 400 km from west to east. The state is located in the Deccan Plateau region, at the point where the Western and Eastern Ghats converge into the Nilgiri mountainous region. The highest point of Karnataka is Mount Mullayanagiri, which has an altitude of 1929 m above sea level and is located in the district of Chikkamagaluru.
There are 3 main geographical regions: the coast of the Arabian Sea, located to the west of the Western Ghats, has a width of 48-64 km. The Western Ghats stretch along the coast through Karnataka, the average height of this area is about 900 m above sea level. The Deccan Plateau occupies most of the interior of the state and has a rather dry climate.
The most important rivers of the state include the Kaveri, Krishna, Ponnayar, Palar, Tungabhadra Sarawathi.
Climate
According to a2zdirectory.org, there are 4 seasons: winter (January to February), summer (March to May), monsoon season (June to September) and post-monsoon season (October to December). In the post-monsoon and winter seasons, the climate is the most mild and favorable throughout the state. April and May are the hottest and driest months. In June, the weather is hot and very humid, the next 3 months (July, August and September) are characterized by a decrease in daytime temperatures, but equally high humidity. The average rainfall is 1248 mm per year, varying from 562 mm in the Bagalkot district to 4119 mm in the Udupi district.
Story
In the 8th century, the state of Rashtrakuts was formed on the territory of the state with its capital in the city of Manyakheta (modern Malkhet in the Gulbarga region). With the collapse of the Mughal power in the 18th century, the territory of the modern state became a springboard for powerful nabobs. The end of their independence was put by the Carnatic Wars.
After the Partition of British India in 1947, Mysore became part of the Indian Union as the State of Mysore, and its Maharajah became the Rajpramukh of the new state.
In 1956, the Government of India passed the States Reorganization Act, according to which neighboring territories with a Kannada-speaking population were annexed to Mysore. In 1973, the name of the state was changed to “Karnataka”.
Population
According to the 2001 census, the population of Karnataka is 52,850,562, of which 50.9% are men and 49.1% are women. The urban population is 34%, the literacy rate is 66.6% (76.1% for men and 56.9% for women). Hindus make up 83% of the population, Muslims – 11%, Christians – 4%, Jains – 0.8%, Buddhists – 0.7%.
Largest cities
Bangalore, Hubli, Mysore, Gulbarga, Belgaum, Mangalore.
Culture
The ethnic, linguistic and religious diversity of the population of the region, combined with a long history, have contributed greatly to the cultural diversity of these places. In addition to Kannada, the state is home to the Tulu, Kodava, and Konkani peoples. There are such tribes as Soliga, Yereva, Toda and Siddi, as well as communities of Tibetan Buddhists. Folk art includes music, dance, storytelling, etc. One of the main components of the theatrical art of the state is the dance and drama art of the yakshagan. Contemporary theatrical art remains vibrant and diverse with organizations such as Ninasam, Ranga Shankara, Rangayana and Prabhat Kalavidaru. Popular dance forms include viragas, kamsal, kolata, and dollu kunitha. The Mysore style of bharatanatyam also remains popular.
Karnataka also has a special place in the world of Indian classical music, with two styles, Karnataka (Karnatic) and Hindustani, having a number of adherents here.
Kitchen
Karnataka includes many vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes and has influences from neighboring South Indian states as well as the more northern state of Maharashtra. Some of the most typical dishes include: Bisi Bele Bath, Jolada Rotti, Chapati, Ragi Rotti, Akki Rotti, Saaru, Khuli, Wangi Bath, Khara Bath, Kesari Bath, etc.
Attractions
- Gol-Gumbaz – the mausoleum of the Bijapur Sultan (XVII century).
- In Mysore, the former capital of all South India including the present Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and a significant part of Kerala, and the old capital of the state, a number of palaces are concentrated, attracting domestic tourism, despite their relatively small antiquity. A sacred mountain rises above the city with the temple of Mahishasuramardini and others.
- The Jain shrine is a colossal statue of the holy Bahubali – Gomateshwar.
- Tibetan refugee settlements established in the 1960s XX century., have a number of temples, found only in Northern India and Tibet.
- The modern capital of the state, Bangalore, has a copy of the Windsor Palace, commissioned by the local rajah.
- On the way between Bangalore and Mysore, there is an abandoned estate of the Russian artist Svyatoslav Roerich and his wife Devika Rani, on whose territory they are buried.
