Karnataka the eighth largest state in India by area, spreads over an area of 191,791 Sq Kms. The population of 44,977,201 makes the state, 9th largest state in India. Bangalore, is the capital of the state, while Mysore, Mangalore, Hubli- Dharwad, Davanagere,Bellary and Belagum are its major cities. The state was known as Mysore till November 1, 1973, then its name was changed to Karnataka. The state with 30 districts is situated on the western boundary of the Deccan plateau. It is bordered by Maharashtra and Goa on the north, Tamil Nadu and Kerala on the south and Andhra Pradesh on the east. The Arabian Sea lies on the west side of Karnantaka. Karnataka is one among the fastest growing States of the country in terms of Industries. Known as the Capital of Agarbatti (Incense Sticks), Karnataka is also the producer of are canut, silk and coffee. The major proportion of Karnataka's economy is agrarian, Bangalore exports 35per cent of total software export of the country. Karnataka is the alone exporter of Sandalwood in India, while Kolar Gold Fields (KGF) is the only producer of gold in the country.
People :
Karnataka is well known for it rich culture and traditional grandeur. The people of the state have been living in close contact with all their neighbours such as the Marathas, the Andhras, the Tamilians and the Malayalis. Karnataka is worldwide famous for Carnatic Music, a peculiar type of Classical Music patroned by many across the continents. Kannada is the official language of Karnataka. Other languages spoken in the state are Kodava, Takk, Tulu, Sankethi, Urdu, Konkani, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi and Malayala etc.
Festivals :
The state celebrates many colourful festivals, most of them are temple festivals. The important temple festivals are the Paryaya festival,Vairamudi festival, Karaga Festival, Keil Poldu and Lakshadeepotsavam etc.Apart from the temple festivals Dussehra is the major festival celebrated for ten days in September- October. In additon many state festivals are also celebrated like the Coorg festival, Hampi-Vijayanagar festival and the Hoysala festival.
Attractions in Karnataka :
» National Parks and Sanctuaries -
Karnataka has several national parks namely Bandipur National Park (Mysore),Bannerghatta National Park (Bangalore), Nagarhole National Park (Mysore),Kudermukh National Park (South Kannada district), Dandeli and Anshi NationalPark (North Kannada district). In addition the state houses sanctuaries like Rangantittu Bird Sancturay (Mandya), Brahmagiri and Pushpagiri Wild LifeSanctuaries (Kodagu).
» Water Falls and Caves - Karnataka is popular forits waterfalls as Jog falls of Shimoga district is one of the highest waterfalls in Asia. Some of the most famous waterfalls are Magor falls,Lalgulli falls, Sathod falls, Shivanasamudra falls and Shivganga falls etc.Some of the popular caves of Karnataka are Yana caves, Kavala caves,Syntheri rocks in North Kannada district and Sugriva's cave in Hampi.
» Temples - The temples at Aihole, Badami and Pattadakal in Bijapur district are major attraction for lovers of art. The temple of Halebedu, Belur and Somanathpur are famous for architectural splendour. Built around 900 years ago the Kesava temple of Belur is an excellent example of Hoysala art. The 12th century Hoysaleswara and Kedareswara temples of Halebid are masterpieces of Hindu art.
» Forts - Karnataka is famous for a large number offorts like the forts of Bidar, Gulbarga, Bijapur, Vijayanagara, Badami,Basava Kalyan, Srirangapattan, Keladi, Chitradurga and Mysore etc. There are several hill forts like the forts at the Nandi Hill (Kolar district),Savanadurga (Bangalore district) and Madhugiri, Pavagada, Midigeshi inTumkur district. The coastal island forts like Bahadurgadh, Basavaraja Durga, Devagad and Kurmagad are very famous.
Accessibility : The cities of Karnataka are well connected by Rail, Road and Rail link.
» Air - Bangalore, the capital of Karnataka has itsown airport, which operates flights for major cities in the country like Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune , Ahmedabad, Coimbatore,Thiruvananthpuram, Hyderabad, Goa, Kochi, Calicut and Mangalore. Bangalore airport is directly connected to airports of other world cities Singapore,Dubai, London, Oman, Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia etc.
» Rail - Bangalore railway station is connected to the major cities in India. There are trains from Ahmedabad, Cochin, New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Mangalore, Chennai, Mysore,Nagpur, Tiruvananthapuram, Vasco-da-Gama (Goa) and.
» Road - Karnataka is connected to major cities and towns with National highways and several other roads. Bangalore is connected by good motorable roads with all major cities of the country. The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses run within the state as well as outside.
Accommodation :
The hotels in the state offer a vast accommodation choices. There are many hotels ranging from star category to business category catering to the needsof tourists.
Best Time to Visit :
The state can be visited through out the year, but the best time to visit Karnataka is October to March.
