Karnataka

• 1. ByApurva Jain Mridu Agarwal Section C

2. Karnataka Karnataka is a tapestry of colours, cultures, flavours, landscapes, timelessness and heart- stopping beauty. A place where vibrant worlds seamlessly meld into one another, every few hundred kilometres. Sedate plains suddenly rise to dizzying mist-covered hilly heights, and then plunge with careless abandon in a whitewater freefall, to become languid rivers that flow past cities - cities where time has stopped altogether, and cities where time rushes a relentless rush to keep up with the world; cities that sometimes escape into the deep quiet of thick forests and sometimes, stretch their arms wide open to embrace the sea. Host to some of India's largest and most powerful dynasties, the state has across the centuries, carried a legacy of art and culture as varied as its geography making it, by all means, a 191,791 square kilometre trail of whimsy. 3. Map of Karnataka 4. Architecture The Architecture of Karnataka can be traced to 345 with that of the Kadamba Dynasty. Karnataka is a state in the southern part of India originally known as the State of Mysore. Over the centuries, architectural monuments within the region displayed a diversity of influences, often relaying much about the artistic trends of the rulers of twelve different dynasties. Its architecture ranges dramatically from majestic monolith, such as the Gomateshwara, to Hindu and Jain places of worship, ruins of ancient cities, mausoleums and palaces of different architectural hue. Mysore Kingdom rule has also given an architectural master structure in the St. Philomena's Church at Mysore which was completed in 1956, in addition to many Dravidian style architectural temples. Two of the monuments are listed under the UNESCO World Heritage List of 22 cultural monuments in India.Styles of IndoSaracenic, Renaissance, Corinthian, Hindu, Indo-Greek and Indo-British style palaces were built in Mysore, the city of palaces.Sikh architecture at Bidar (1512) and also in Bangalore in 1956 can also be cited as having an impact on the architectural composition of the state. 5. Bangalore Palace Built by a Wodeyar king in 1887, the Bangalore Palace features the Tudor style of architecture marked by Gothic windows, battlements and turrets. 6. Mysore Palace Built in Indo-Saracenic architectural style, Mysore Palace or the Maharajah's Palace in Mysore is one of the most attractive historical monuments in Karnataka. 7. Srirangapatna Fort (Tipu's Palace) This historical Fort marks the place from where legendary warrior Tipu Sultan fought the British soldiers. 8. Statue of Gomateshwara, Sravanabelagola A much revered Jain pilgrim center, Sravanbelgola houses the colossal monolithic statue of Jain saint - Gomateswara. 9. Ugra Narasimha Statue Hampi The Ugra Narasimha Statue at Hampi - the ancient seat of Vijayanagar Empire in Karnataka, is a colossal rock idol cut to form the image of Narasimha. 10. Rich Architecture People with high profile in Karnataka generally own mansions or high profile flats. 11. Medium profile Architecture Medium class families prefer to live in societies, flats and apartments, rented houses, although there are people who own medium size 2BHK houses. 12. Low profile Architecture People with low income generally own a small house, and live in the slums. 13. Cuisine Karnataka is a gracious host and offers a spread that appeals to every palate. Traditional Kannadiga cuisine is typically South Indian with a little bit of sweetness for added measure. The feast of the land includes Udupi, Mangalorean, Kodava , Kannadiga, which again is a journey in itself - it varies with the geography. Even cereals vary and are consumed in every imaginable and unimaginable form. To the uninitiated, some of the preparations might come across as bewildering, but no less delicious.A highly evolved sweet tooth, and you get the deliriously wonderful concoctions, which are like nothing else in the world. 14. Breakfast As far as standard breakfast eats are concerned, you can choose from the popular uppittu (roasted semolina laced with chillies, coriander leaves, mustard and cumin seed), idli-sambar , thatte idlis (flat idlis), masala dosa , set dosa, rava dosa, puri palya, uthapam, vada sambar or kesari bhath and lots more. 15. The traditional culinary fare of Karnataka is a sumptuous spread that includes several essential menu items. These include protein-rich cereal salads like kosambri, palyas ,gojju, tovve, huli and pappad. A complete range of rice-based dishes, including chitranna vangibhath and pulliyogare form an integral part of the traditional repertoire. The most distinctive Karnataka dish, however, is the celebrated bisibelebhath, a unique combination of rice, dal, tamarind, chilli powder, and a dash of cinnamon. In rural areas, ragi mudde served either with mutton curry or soppina saaru make the staple diet.Traditional Fare 16. Dessert To end your meal, you may wish to indulge in sweets like chiroti (a light flaky pastry sprinkled with granulated sugar and soaked in almond milk) Mysore pak, obbattu or holige (a flat, thin, wafer-like chappati filled with a mixture of jaggery, coconut or copra and sugar, and fried gently on a skillet) and shavige payasa (made of milk, vermicelli, sugar and cardamom pods). 17. Influence on cuisine The cuisine is influenced from the neighboring South Indian regions and from the north Maharashta. A typical Kannadiga meal includes dishes in the order specified and is served on a banana leaf:Salt,kosambri Pickle, Palya, Gojju, Raita, Dessert (Yes, it is a tradition to start your meal with a dessert - Paaysa), Thovve, Chitranna, Rice and Ghee. Rice ,Joli and Ragi are the main cereals in Karnataka. Influence of coconut is also there. generous use of jaggery, palm sugar and little use of chilli powder. 18. Udupi Cuisine Udipi cuisine forms the integral part of karnataka cuisine. Dishes in Udupi cuisine are generally prepared from fruits, vegetables, grains and beans. No onion or garlic are in the dishes. Neither is any dish made from meat or fish. Some of the major ingredients used here are gourds, coconut, jackfruit, colocasia leaves, raw green bananas, mango pickle and red chillies. Sajjige, bajiil, Saaru, Sambhar, different types of rices and Uddinahittu are few of the major dishes in Udupi cuisine. 19. Clothing Karnataka dresses portray elegance of South Indian clothing. The dresses of Karnataka show grace and decency which are integral to the cultural spirit of the state. The men wear shirts or kurtas along with a lungi on the upper and lower body respectively. Although there is not much of a variation of the mens dresses in Karnataka, yet the dresses follow strict codes of custom laid down by tradition since the ancient times. Sarees have been the traditional dress for women in Karnataka. 20. Draping The Coorgi style of draping a saree in Karnataka involves tying the pleats on the back instead of the front and a small portion of the pallu is placed over the shoulder. Mysore silk sarees are made with lustrous zari and rich silk. The extraordinary sheen of the fabric and the purity of the zari make these saree an elegant women dress. The Kornadu saris are a mix of cotton and silk. The Konrad sarees are woven with a blue cotton yarn and silk yarn in several colors other than blue. The motifs at border are varied and the body of the sari has checks or stripes. 21. Casual Wear Casual wear in Karnataka is same as any other Metro city. People now prefer wearing western clothes. Though majority still prefers wearing Indian clothing such as kurtas and suit. Fashion still stays with the youngsters in this area. 22. Traditional wear Men drape a piece of cloth known as an angavastram around their shoulders and also wear a wraparound skirt called a lungi. on special occasions, men might dress themselves in ornate versions of their traditional costume, the Panche, which is Dhotilike apparel. Kanchipurram, Silk Saree is a hand-woven creation, he silk yarn is dyed to bring the desired colour and afterwards Jari is interleaved into the yarn. Pure Jari is a silk thread, intertwined with a thin silver wire and then gilded with pure gold. They usually turn out to be the bridal costume of Karnataka. Yakshagana is a traditional dance of Karnataka where the dancers wear colourful costumes. The traditional costume for this dance comprises of dhoti, a pyjama, a jacket and a loose gown. Most of the costumes of the dancers who perform the traditional ritualistic dances of Karnataka, are eye catching, colourful and bright. 23. Kasuti embroidery is a special craft practiced mainly in Uttara Kanara district or North Kanara district of Karnataka. The motifs on Irkal saris include architectural designs, cradle, elephant, squirrel among others. The Mysore crepe silk sarees are used as office wear sarees due to their light-weight, and easy to care nature.Embroidery 24. Jewellery Tulunad, which is a cast-brass two-part belt, having its top edged with cobra heads with long-drawn-out hoods and has a cobra clutch at front. The silver lingam caskets or Gundgurdgi lingam caskets are worn on the left arm or by a Lingayat Jangam priest under a cloth cap on the head. These are often pot shaped and each contains a movable jangama or lingam. Lingayat women wear a gold fertility necklace for obtaining male offspring that consists of thirty pendants set in gold, each with a symbolic meaning connected with fertility. Gemstone like black and red coral are set onto the chain.. For the worship of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, the Lingayats use a specifically designed polychrome wood necklace. 25. Jewellery Children mainly wear protective tiger-claw amulets or vyaghranakhas pendants set in gold and suspended on a gold chain. Belts of bells around their hips are also worn to frighten away evil spirits. The other ornaments worn by children are bell-anklets also called painjani and a silver amulet box on a chain that has a central figure of a makara or kirtimukha flanked by birds and bands of floral creepers. Kamardani or silver loop-in-loop belt which has a hooked closing is another popular piece of jewellery in this region. The silver ankle/ foot/ toe ornaments worn by the bride at a Coorgi marriage ceremony are popular among the people of Kodagu or Coorg. 26. Importance of women in Karnataka Karnataka women have played an important part in the cultural and political history of the state. From Gangubai Hangal to Ashwini Nachappa, from Shakuntala Devi to Aishwarya Rai, women from Karnataka continue to make a mark in India's cultural scene. Modern women in Karnataka are self-assured and educated professionals who participate actively in every sphere of human activity. However, a disparity of the condition among Karnataka women in the urban and the rural areas cannot be altogether denied. Incidents of gender discrimination has not been uncommon in Karnataka, especially in the rural areas and among the urban poor. The Karnataka State Women's Commission has recently formed a panel to initiate an in-depth study of the conditions of Karnataka's women. That would be followed by sure and planned steps to alleviate their plight. 27. Importance of women in Karnataka Karnataka women in the recent times have been extremely proactive in their upliftment in society. The formation of selfhelp groups to elevate their positions among the urban poor have been particularly noteworthy. With the support of he Asian Development Bank (ADB), these Karnataka women are working to eradicate the evils of alcoholism, borrowing and joblessness of their male counterparts. These poor women in Karnataka have also been active to become economically selfsufficient. This is dove mainly through small scale entrepreneurship, skilled labor, etc. The various urban centers of Karnataka now sees women in various professional spheres. The high literacy rate among the women of Karnataka has seen them emerge as very competent performers in the various industrial sectors and high-profile public spheres. 28. Festivals Karnataka's millennia-long tryst with royalty has left an indelible mark on its celebrations. Revelry that's complete in every way, with dance, music, great food and a riot of colours is a tradition here. From remembering the glorious past with art, music and poetry like the Hampi Festival does to frenzied bovine energy amidst muddy fields of the Kambala buffalo races the spectrum is quite wide. The festival of Dasara has the entire city of Mysore in raptures, while the scion of the royal family, once again dons his purple robes to pay a centuries-old extravagant homage to the guardian goddess. The many harvest festivals celebrated in various parts of the state are commemorated in ways that they deem befitting - from making an offering of groundnuts to the resident deity to firing a single shot to summon a god to making sugar idols - there's never a want for ceremony in these parts. And then you have the ceremony to end all ceremonies - the once-in-twelve-years larger than life religious ceremony that's the Maha Mastakabhisheka, during which the 52-foot statue of Bahubali is bathed in milk, sandalwood, vermillion, curd and what not. The festivals here are definitely the stuff of spectacular. 29. Dasara, Mysore (October November) Tula Sankramana, Coorg (October) Hampi Festival, Hampi (January - February) Vairamudi Festival, Melkote (March) Kambala (Buffalo Race), Southern Coastal Karnataka (November - March) Karaga, Bangalore (March April) Kadalekayi Parishe, Bangalore (November) Huthri, Coorg (November December) Banashankari Fair (February March) Maha Mastakabhisheka, Shravanabelagola (Every once in 12 years, next one in 2018) Bengaluru Habba (December)Festivals celebrated 30. Artifacts The woods used for ornamental work in India are Walnut, and Sandalwood, with its delicate natural fragrance is used in Mysore and a few other places in South India. Sal, Teak, Sheesham, Deodar, Redwood, Rosewood, Red Cedar, Ebony to name a few are extensively used by Indian craftsmen, as they focus on the fine decorative carving and inlay work. Over the centuries, each region in India developed its unique style of wooden structures, carvings and inlay work. 31. Sandalwood We are offering the best Sandalwood Artifacts of Mysore in Karnataka. The Sandalwood Artifacts in Mysore are intricately designed and have got a unique aesthetic appeal. Sandalwood can simply be described as a fragrant piece of wood. The 'true' sandalwood is the wood of trees in the genus Santalum; found in Southern India and Sri Lanka, Hawaii, and many South Pacific Islands. 32. Rosewood We have come up with attractive Rosewood Artifacts of Mysore, Karnataka. These Rosewood Artifacts are carved out with the use of best quality Rosewood and are completely resistant to termites and other harmful factors. These Rosewood Artifacts are crafted by talented craftsmen who have years of experience and with their unmatched artistic ability they put life in the Rosewood Artifacts. 33. Bidriware Pretty designs are engraved on growing chisel, thereafter it is inlaid with pure silver which is then polished with buffing machine. 34. Doll Making Evenly arranged on the wooden platform, decorated and displayed on the ninth day of Dusshera. 35. Ivory Carving Articles carved delicately without excessively ornate image adjoining the figures, mostly showcasing the figures of god and goddess. 36. Karnataka-Mysore Paintings Arts and crafts are never comprehensive without a reference to traditional Mysore paintings. 37. Stone carvers Shilpis the stone carvers in Karnataka are supreme of all. 38. Language The state of Karnataka has a strong cultural and historical background which is manifested in the rich development of language and literature of the region. The official language of the state of Karnataka is Kannada. However English is widely used. The Kannada language has no influence of Urdu. Kannada language has many rich literary creations that reflect the culture and tradition of the people of the state. The three gems Pampa, Ponna and Ranna also made immense contribution to the development of Kannada literature. Harihara, Raghavanka and Kereya Padmarasa were devotees of Lord Shiva who composed many literary marvels in praise of the Supreme Being. 39. Folk music Carnatic classical music lies at the very center of Karnataka music and dance traditions. From ancient times, Karnataka has contributed largely in ascertaining its structure and form. It has also presented the world with some of its major composers and performers. The veena along with violin and mridangam form the chief musical instruments. Unlike most states of southern India, the contribution of Karnataka to the world of North Indian Classical music has also been noteworthy. Kuchipudi is the original dance form with its origin in Karnataka. However, other classical dance forms like the Bharatanatyam also form important parts within the tradition of music and dance of Karnataka. 40. Folk dances There are various dance forms in Karnataka. Yakshgana and Dollu being the most admired and famous forms. 41. The original form of Yakshgana involves the use of recitative modes of poetry sung in loud voice, melodies of music, rhythm, and dance techniques and above all, costuming and graceful make up. It is distinctly differs in many ways from the norms of the Sanskrit stage, as it does not contain a highly elaborate language of hand gestures and eyegestures. But it should be noted that it is closely related to developments in literature in the adjoining states of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu and has some affinities to literary forms.Yakshgana 42. One very interesting story is told while tracing the origins of `Dollu` dance that is related with the divine couple Shiva and Parvathi. The story goes like this: To kill time, Shiva and Parvathi once were playing games. While playing they bet as well. The bet was that the loser has to leave Kailasa Mountain to live anonymously in `Bhuloka` i.e. on the earth. Shiva loses in the game and to keep to the bet, he moved into a cave on earth and stayed there in the form of a stone. `Mayamurthi` Shiva`s ardent loyalist guards the cave. As the time passes, Parvathi fed up of managing the universe and therefore sends `Vayu`, the Air god for searching to Lord Shiva. But all efforts are in vain.Dollu