Karnataka

One of the four southern Indian states,
whose inhabitants speak a Dravidian language, in this case Kannada. Karnataka is
one of the “linguistic” states formed after
India’s independence in 1947, intended to
unite people with a common language and
culture under one state government. The
state was largely formed from the former
kingdom of Mysore. In medieval times,
Karnataka was the seat of important
Hindu kingdoms, particularly the Hoysala
and Vijayanagar dynasties; these dynasties built cities at Belur, Halebid, and
Hampi, which are now important archeological sites. Karnataka is also the home of
the Lingayats, devotees (bhakta) of Shiva,
whose missionary work eventually
squeezed out the thriving Jain community.
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Karnataka
Jain monuments, such as the massive
statue at Shravanabelgola, still stand.
Karnataka also contains important Hindu
holy places, such as Shrirangapatnam and
Shringeri math. Even though much of the
state’s economy is still highly agricultural,
Karnataka’s capital, Bangalore, is a worldwide center for computer software development. For general information about
Karnataka and other regions of India, see
Christine Nivin et al., India. 8th ed., Lonely
Planet, 1998.