North Karnataka


North Karnataka is a geographical region consisting of mostly semi-arid plateau from elevation that constitutes the northern part of the Karnataka state in India. It is drained by the Krishna River and its tributaries the Bhima, Ghataprabha, Malaprabha, and Tungabhadra. North Karnataka lies within the Deccan thorn scrub forests ecoregion, which extends north into eastern Maharashtra.
It includes the districts of Belgaum, Vijayapura, Bagalkot, Bidar, Bellary, Gulbarga, Yadagiri, Raichur, Gadag, Dharwad, Haveri and Koppal district.
Major cities in the region are Belgaum, Hubballi, Dharwad, Bellary, Bijapur, Gadag, Ranebennur, Koppal, Gangavati, Sindhanur, Raichur, Yadagiri, Hospet, Bagalkot, Kalaburgi, Bidar Haveri, Gokak, Kampli
Though the region is semi-arid, part of Belgaum district receive enough rainfall to make them lush and green throughout the year. Belgaum district is quite big and though the north parts of the district are arid and receive less rainfall, the southern parts which are adjacent to North Canara district, like Londa, have an almost highland tropical climate. The stretch from Londa to Alnavar has some of the most dense jungles on the Western coastal belt of India. They are part of the Western Ghats and their foothills which are now protected under National Wildlife laws.
Certain parts of the region are well irrigated by many largest multipurpose projects like Upper Krishna Irrigation Project that includes Basava Sagara and Almatti Dams, Tungabhadra Dam and many major and minor lift irrigation projects.
Notable difference from the regions of Old Mysore, Coastal Karnataka and Central Karnataka in terms of language, cuisine and culture, the region is well known for its contributions to the literature, arts, architecture, economy and politics of Karnataka.

Transport

Train

Airports in the region are
Belgaum Airport is an airport in Belgaum, a city in the Indian state of Karnataka. Built in 1942 by the Royal Air Force, Belgaum Airport is the oldest airport in North Karnataka. The RAF used the airport as a training site during World War II, providing support to the South East Asia Command. Because of its location in the village of Sambra, east of Belgaum, the airport is also known as the Sambra airport. The new terminal building was inaugurated by Civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju on 14 September 2017. The airport is also home to an Indian Air Force station at which new recruits to the military receive basic training.
Hubli Airport, also known as Hubballi Airport is a domestic airport serving the twin cities of Hubli and Dharwad in the state of Karnataka, India. It is situated on Gokul Road, 8 kilometres from Hubli and from Dharwad.

Overview

North Karnataka is known for its freedom fighters, social reformers, Hindustani musicians and figures in literature, law, science and technology. It has many Jain monuments from the Kadambas, Rashtrakutas, Badami Chalukyas, Kalyani Chalukyas, Sevuna and Vijayanagara periods. Aihole is known as the cradle of Hindu rock architecture with over 125 temples and monuments, including Rashtrakuta monuments at Lokapura, Bilgi and Kuknur; Kalyani Chalukyas monuments built in the Gadag style at Lakkundi, Gadag and the Koppal District and the Vijayanagar empire temples at Vijayanagara. Badami Chalukyas monuments at Pattadakal, Aihole, and Badami are also well-known. Hampi, in the Bellary District, has some 54 World Heritage monuments and 650 national monuments. Vijayapura or Bijapur city is well known for its historical monuments of architectural importance built during the rule of the Adil Shahi dynasty.

History of North Karnataka

Prehistoric period

North Karnataka's history and culture date back to prehistoric times. The earliest Stone Age find in India was a hand ax at Lingasugur, in Raichur district. Sangankal Hills in the Bellary district, which is known as the earliest village settlement of South India, dates back to the Neolithic period. Iron weapons from 1200 BC, found at Hallur in Dharwad district, demonstrate that North Karnataka used iron earlier than northern India.
Prehistoric sites in North Karnataka include rock shelters in Bellary, Raichur and Koppal districts with red paintings which include figures of wild animals. The paintings are done in such a way that the walls of caves are not facing northwest, so the northwest monsoon does not affect them. These rock shelters are found at Kurgod, Hampi in Bellary district and Hire Benakal, near Gangavati in the Koppal district. Burial chambers using granite slabs are also found; the best examples are the dolmens of Hire Benakal and Kumati in Hadagali Taluk.
Vibhuthihalli at Shahapur Taluk in the Yadgir district, an Archaeological Survey of India ancient astronomy site, was created with megalithic stones. The stones, arranged in a square pattern with astronomical significance, cover an area of. Ashoka's stone edicts, found in the state, indicate that major parts of Northern Karnataka were under the Mauryas. Many dynasties left their imprint upon the development of North Karnatakan art, among them the Chalukyas, the Vijayanagara Empire and the Western Chalukyas. The inscriptions related to Chutu dynasty are the oldest documents found in North Karnataka.

Ancient

rule is important in the development of architecture known as Karnata Dravida. Hundreds of monuments built by the Chalukyas are found in the Malaprabha river basin. They ruled an empire extending from the Kaveri in the south to the Narmada in the north. The Badami Chalukya dynasty was established by Pulakeshin I in 543; Vatapi was the capital. Pulakeshin II was a popular emperor of the Badami Chalukya dynasty. He defeated Harshavardhana on the banks of the Narmada river, and defeated Vishnukundins in the south. Vikramaditya I, known as Rajamalla and for building temples, engraved a Kannada inscription on the victory pillar at the Kailasanatha Temple. Kirtivarman II was the last Badami Chalukya king, overthrown in 753 by the Rashtrakuta King Dantidurga.
The Western Chalukya dynasty is sometimes called the Kalyani Chalukyas, after its regal capital at Kalyani or the Later Chalukya from its theoretical relationship to the sixth-century Badami Chalukyas. The Western Chalukyas developed an architectural style known today as a transitional style, an architectural link between the early Chalukya Dynasty and the later Hoysala empire. The Chalukyas built some of the earliest Hindu temples in India. The best-known examples are the Mahadeva Temple in the Koppal District; the Kasivisvesvara Temple at Lakkundi in the Gadag District and the Mallikarjuna Temple at Kuruvatti and the Kallesvara Temple at Bagali, both in the Davangere District. Monuments notable for craftsmanship are the Siddhesvara Temple at Haveri in the Haveri District, the Amrutesvara Temple at Annigeri in the Dharwad District, the Sarasvati Temple in Gadag, and the Dodda Basappa Temple at Dambal. Aihole was an experimental base for architectural creation.
Badami Chalukyas and Kalyana chalukyas also known as.

Kadambas

The Kadambas were an ancient dynasty of South India who primarily ruled the region which is the present-day Goa state and the nearby Konkan region. The early rulers of this dynasty
established themselves at Vaijayanti in 345 AD and ruled for more than two centuries. In 607, the Chalukyas of Vatapi sacked Banavasi, and the Kadamba kingdom was incorporated into the expanding Chalukyan empire. In the eighth century, the Chalukyas were overthrown by the Rashtrakutas, who ruled until the 10th century. In 980, descendants of the Chalukyas and Kadambas revolted against the Rashtrakutas; the Rashtrakuta empire fell, resulting in the establishment of a second Chalukyan dynasty. Chatta Deva, a member of the Kadamba family who helped the Western Chalukyas in this coup, re-established the Kadamba dynasty. He was primarily a vassal of the Western Chalukyas, but his successors enjoyed considerable independence and were well-placed in Goa and Konkan until the 14th century. The successors of Chatta Deva occupied both Banavasi and Hangal, and are known as the Kadambas of Hangal. Later, the Kadambas paid nominal allegiance to the other major powers of the Deccan Plateau and maintained their independence. Four families of Kadambas ruled in southern India: the Kadamba of Hangal, Goa, Belur and Banvasi.

Rashtrakutas

During the rule of Dantidurga, an empire was built with the Gulbarga region in modern Karnataka as its base. This clan came to be known as the Rashtrakutas of Manyakheta, who rose to power in 753. During their rule, Jain mathematicians and scholars contributed important works in Kannada and Sanskrit. Amoghavarsha I was the best-known king of this dynasty and wrote Kavirajamarga, a landmark Kannada work. Architecture reached a high-water mark in the Dravidian style, the best examples of which are seen in the Kailash Temple at Ellora, the sculptures of Elephanta Caves in modern-day Maharashtra and the Kashivishvanatha and the Jain Narayana Temples at Pattadakal in modern North Karnataka. Scholars agree that the kings of the imperial dynasty in the eighth to tenth century made the Kannada language as important as Sanskrit. Rashtrakuta inscriptions appear in both Kannada and Sanskrit, and the kings encouraged literature in both languages. The earliest existing Kannada literary writings are credited to their court poets and royalty. Kailash Temple is an example of Dravidian art. This project was started by Krishna I of the Rashtrakuta dynasty which ruled from Manyakheta in modern Karnataka. It is located 40 km from the city of Manyakheta, on the banks of the Kagini River in Gulbarga district.

Carnatic expansion

Vijayanagara empire

Vijayanagara is considered the greatest medieval Hindu empire and one of the greatest in the world at that time. It fostered the development of intellectual pursuits and the fine arts. Abdur Razzaq said, "The eye of the pupil has never seen a place like it and the ear of intelligence has never been informed that there existed anything to equal it in the world".

Deccan Sultanates

The Vijayanagara Empire, with its capital at Hampi, fell victim to the army of the Deccan Sultanates in 1565. As a consequence of this, Bijapur became the most important city of the region. It is a land of monuments; perhaps no other city except Delhi has as many monuments as Bijapur. Bahmani Shahis and Adil Shahis of Bijapur have played an important role in the history of Karnataka with their contributions to art and architecture and their propagation of Islam in the state. The Bidar Sultanate was part of the Deccan sultanates, which were founded by Qasim Barid.

Minor dynasties

Princely states

The following are the princely states of British India:
North Karnataka has contributed to various styles of Indian Architecture during the rule of the Kadamba, Badami Chalukyas, Western Chalukya, Rashtrakuta and Vijayanagara empires:
is one of the oldest Dravidian languages, with an age of at least 2,000 years. The spoken language is said to have separated from its proto-Dravidian source later than Tamil, and at about the same time as Tulu. However, the archaeological evidence indicates a written tradition for this language of around 1,500–1,600 years. The initial development of Kannada is similar to that of other Dravidian languages and independent of Sanskrit. In later centuries, Kannada has been greatly influenced by Sanskrit in vocabulary, grammar and literary style.
As for the Dravidian race, the Monier-Williams Sanskrit Dictionary lists for the Sanskrit word draviḍa a meaning of a "collective name for Karnatakas, Gurjaras, Kannadigas and Mahārāstras". North Karnataka has its own dialect of Kannada.
In Kannada utsava means "festival".
The following are festivals celebrated in North Karnataka sponsored by Govt of Karnataka
;Temples of North Karnataka
The temples of North Karnataka may be categorised as historical or modern.
;World Heritage Sites
;National Park and Sanctuaries in North Karnataka
Utsav Rock Garden is a sculptural Garden located near NH-4 Pune-Bangalore road,Gotagodi Village,Shiggaon Taluk, Haveri District, Karnataka. Utsav Rock Garden is an sculptural garden representing contemporary art and rural culture. A typical village is created where men and women are involved in their daily household activities. A unique picnic spot which delights common people, educated and intellectuals. There are more than 1000 sculptures in the garden of different sizes. It is an anthropological museum. It represents traditional farming, crafts, folklore, cattle herding and sheep rearing.

Notable people of North Karnataka


D.R.Bendre, Shamba Joshi, Sriranga, Betageri Krishnasharma, Raobahaddur, Basavaraj Kattimani, MM kalaburagi, Mallikarjun kharge,dharam Singh, Shankar Mokashi Punekar, Keerthinath Kurthakoti, Satyakama, Krishnamurti Puranik, Chennaveer Kanavi, Shantarasa, Srinivas Vaidya, G.S.Amur, Mallikarjun Mansur, Bhimsen Joshi, Gangubai Hangal, Basavaraj Rajguru, Patil Puttappa, Charanraj, Shruti, Sunil Joshi, Srikanth, B.Sreeramulu, Sudha Murthy

Universities and other educational institutions

North Karnataka has produced many Hindustani classical musicians of repute. The golden era of Hindustani music in North Karnataka began with the rise to fame of five vocalists: Mallikarjun Mansur, Gangubai Hangal, Kumar Gandharva, Bhimsen Joshi and Basavaraj Rajguru. These five not only contributed to Hindustani classical music, but also left behind a large number of students.

Musicians from Karnataka

Arts and crafts

Garag, a small town located 15 km north of Dharwad, was the sole producer of the national flag and the hand-woven khadi for its manufacture. Hubballi Siree produces both silk and cotton sarees, worn by most villagers in North Karnataka and parts of Maharashtra. The fabric is primarily woven in Gadag-Betigeri. Bellary has approximately 4,800 families employed in the textile industry.Belagavi Saree also known as "Shahpur Saree" is also famous in North Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra. Rabakavi-Banahatti, the twin cities which is also one of the taluqs of Bagalkot district, is most famous in cotton sarees especially Jakhads and Combed sarees. These sarees are famous in Maharashtra, Andra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, where they are worn in most of the ethnic occasions and also they may be seen in most of the Kannada, Tamil, Telugu and Marathi serials. The famous textiles in Rabakavi-Banahatti are Padmavati Sarees, Sinchana Sarees, Bharati Sarees and Vijayalakshmi Sarees.

culture

jewelleries

for women:
- "akada" is a hair jewellery
- ear jewellery: kivihoova, bugudi, hujru, gubbi bAvali
- nose jewellery: moogu bottu,nath
- neck jewellery: guladAli/thali,boramAla,ekas aar,gejje tikki,patri tikki,shringar haar,puthli haar,patige bajubandh: gejje bajubandh,vanki
- Bangles: pAtli,thode,bilvar,bale
- waist jewellery: gejje dAbu,Patti dAbu
- for legs: thode,chAla/kalgejje for legs, kAlungura for married woman,ullagaddi pilli,meen pilli,muru kalasada pilli and kalAvara pilli
for men:
- ear: muruvu
- hand: poche,suttungara
- waist: ududAra,gejje ududAra,gonasi ududAra
children:
- leg: mullugejje,thode,kAla kadaga,hAlagadaga
- hand: bindali,kadaga

Natural resources

The Hutti Gold Mine is the only gold-extraction company in India. It operates in Hatti, an ancient gold- mining area about 70 km from Raichur. Tourism is also permitted inside the mine. The Gadag, Koppal and Bellary districts are rich in manganese, gold and iron ore.kalaburagi district is rich in lime

Cuisine

Northern Karnataka cuisine may be primarily found in the districts of Bidar, Kalburgi or Gulbarga, Vijaypura or Bijapur, Bagalakote, Belagavi, Raichuru, Dharwad, Gadag, Haveri, Koppala and parts of Ballari.
Wheat and jowar rottis are common.
The following are typical items in a vegetarian Northern Karnataka meal:

Hinduism

Lingayatism

The followers of Basavanna and Panchacharyas who worship god through "istalinga". Lingayats constitute the majority population of this portion of the state.

Brahmins

Varna in Hinduism specialising as priests, teachers and protectors of sacred learning across generations are known as Brahmanaru.

Buddhism

Buddhism in North Karnataka dates from the third to the first centuries BC. Sannati and Kanaganahalli are two important excavation sites, and there is a Tibetan Buddhist colony at Mundgod.

Jainism

Banjara

Banjara's are the followers of Banjara.