60 Interesting Facts About Karnataka

Facts About Karnataka: Karnataka is one of the four southern states of India. The state was established on November 1, 1956 as Mysore State and in 1973 the state was renamed as Karnataka.

Karnataka is bounded on the west by the Arabian Sea and Goa on the north by Maharashtra, on the east by Andhra Pradesh and on the south by Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The State covers an area of 1,91,976 sq km. It is 5.83% of the total area of India. Karnataka is the 8th largest state in India by area. It ranks 9th in India in terms of population. There are 29 districts in the state of Karnataka. Kannada is the main language of the state and Marathi, Konkani, Tulu and Tamil are some of the languages spoken.

The name Karnataka has many meanings. Karu = high or elevated and Nadu = land. I.e. the uplifted state. This is one of them. Also another meaning: karu = black color + nadu = land. I.e. a region of black clay. This black soil is found in large areas of Maharashtra and Karnataka. The area south of the river Krishna was called British Carnatic.

In the history of the state of Karnataka, many powerful empires were formed in medieval Karnataka. India has a rich tradition of sculpture, music, dance, philosophy and literature from Karnataka. Karnataka has won the highest number of Jnanpith awards in the field of literature since independence. Karnataka has also made great strides in the field of information technology. Karnataka has been instrumental in making India the country with the highest number of graduates by privatising higher education in India. The state capital is Bangalore and today it is considered as the IT capital of India.

Amazing Facts About Karnataka

Its sandal soap and sandal oil are renowned in world market.
Main festivals are – Mysore Dussera, Karaga, Ugadi and Diwali.
The name Karnataka is derived from Karunadu means “lofty land”.
The state accounts for 85 % of raw silk produced in the country.
The natural park of Banipur Wildlife sanctuary is 80 km from Mysore.
Yakshagana is a Poular dance form in coastal districts of Karnataka.
Karnataka accounts for 59 % of total Coffey production and 47 % of ragi production.
Mullayyanagiri (in western ghat) is the Highest peak of Karnataka with an altitude of 1930 m.
Gol Gumbaz of Bizapur has the second largest pre-modern dome just after Byzantine Hagia Sophia.
New Mangalore port is the main all weather seaport. Besides this 10 minor ports are also there.
HAL airport, Jakkur airport and Yelahanka air force station of Bangalore are military airbases.
Mineral Resources of Karnataka – Iron Ore, Copper, Chromite, magnesite, corundum, garnet, limestone.
Main agricultural products – rice, jowar, bajra, ragi, maize, ground nut, sunflower, mulberry, coconut etc.
Uttara Kannada is the largest district of Karnataka by area. Bengaluru urban district is largest by population.
Sravanbelagola, which is famous for 18 meter high monolithic statue of Gomateswara is important Jain pilgrimage centre.

Geographical Facts About Karnataka

Karnataka has the most number of waterfalls in India. The state is known to harbor in excess of 35 waterfalls spread across.
Important Mountains of Karnataka – Western Ghats, Chitradurga Hills, Biligiri Rangan Hills, Nandi Hills, Badami Hills, Gokak Hills
Main industries of Karnataka – Aircraft, Electronics, Software, telecom equipment, alloy steel, machine tools, watches, porcelain etc
Mysore palace is the second most visited tourist destination of India just after Taj Mahal. It was built by Krishnarajendra Wadiyar IV in 1912.
Literacy rate of Karnataka is 75.6 % which is just above national average of 74.04 %. Karnataka stands at 16th rank among Indian states in terms of literacy.
Karnataka borders with 6 states – Goa in west, Maharashtra in north, Telangana in northeast, Andhra Pradesh in east, Tamil Nadu in southeast and Kerala in southwest.
Gersoppa (Jog Falls) is world famous and is the second highest plunge waterfall of India. Tallest plunge waterfall of India is Nohkalikai Falls (335 mt) in Meghalaya.
Vijaynagar was a great Hindu empire of South India at the present location of Karnataka. This kingdom was defeated by Deccan Sultanates in the Battle of Talikota in 1565.
The Mysore Palace is only the second most-visited place in India after the wonder Taj Mahal. The regal beauty and epitome of royalty in Mysore is the pride of the whole state.
It is the year 1824! Rani Chennamma, the queen of Kittur, the princely state, became the first woman in India to lead an armed rebellion against the British East India Company.
We really thank the presence of Western Ghats across the state. With plenty of national parks and wildlife sanctuaries in Karnataka, the population of tigers is known to be the largest in India.

Cultural Facts About Karnataka

The state of Karnataka is a host to 13 different languages such as Tulu, Konkani, Kodava and Beary etc. are some of the widely spoken dialects within the state amongst which Kannada is superior.
The whole of South India is covered in carpets of green plantations. But it’s Karnataka that produces the largest amount of coffee. The first plantation was cultivated in Chikmagalur centuries ago.
The beautiful and extremely serene village of Mattur, located by the banks of Tunga river uses Sanskrit as a language for communication. Kannada is the second-favored language. Interesting, isn’t it!
The historical district of Bijapur, known for ‘Gol Gumbaz’ is fascinatingly the land of 5 rivers as well. The rivers flowing through this district include Krishna, Bhima, Doni, Malaprabha and Ghataprabha.
Well, the Karnataka Khadi Gramodyoga Samyukta Sangha or KKGSS is the only division in the whole country with the permission to sew and supply the ‘Flag of India.’ It is located in In Bengeri in Hubli city.
The Bangalore Club revealed an interesting and odd fact about former British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill. According to a ledger revealed by the club, Churchill owes INR 13 to the club in unpaid bills.
The two important river system are i) Krisna and tributaries, ii) Cauvery and tributaries. Both these rivers flow out of Karnataka eastwards to Bay of Bengal. Tungbhadra and Kabini are other important rivers.
Have you heard of the Karanji Lake in Mysore? Do visit, it’s a great place. It is surrounded by Butterfly Park and has a walk-through aviary which is considered to be the biggest “walk-through aviary” in India.

Historical Facts About Karnataka

The state of Karnataka sustains its winning streak of the prestigious Jnanpith literary awards with a maximum number of awardees nominated from the state. Karnataka has won a total of 8 Jnanpith literary awards.
The oldest surviving and fabled manuscript written by Chanakya or Kautilya, the Arthashastra can be found in the Oriental Research Institute. It was originally set up as the Mysore Oriental Library in the year 1891.
The Jog Falls aka Gersoppa is the second highest plunge waterfall in India. Located in Sagar taluk of Shimoga district, the Sharavathi river creates this waterfall. The falls drop down from a height of 253 m (830 ft).
Did you know the Lalbagh Botanical Garden has a priced collection of some of the oldest rock formations of the world. Dating back to 3,000 million years ago, these rocks are known to have originated before the dinosaurs.
A Plunge Waterfall is the one that drops vertically without a connection with the rocks on its way down. Exciting right? The Gersoppa falls, also known as the ‘Jog Falls’ ranks as the second-highest plunge waterfall in India.
Hampi, the city of temples and ancient complexes is a well known UNESCO World Heritage Site. The town is a witness of the grandiose of the Vijayanagar Empire, which is said to have lasted longer than that of the Mughal Empire.
Many get confused but it’s true. The hilly region of Ramanagara is the village of the legendary villain “Gabbar Singh” from the movie ‘Sholay.’ Ramnagara is located just 60 km away from Bangalore and is just a short road trip away.
The 10 day Mysuru Dasara in Mysore is quite famous for its festival triumph. Thousands of people visit here from around the world to witness the magical celebration. It is also known as “Nadahabba” or the state festival of Karnataka.

Economic Facts About Karnataka

There are five working civilian commercial airports in Karnataka. These airports are located in Bangalore, Mangalore, Belgaum, Hubli-Dharwad and Mysore. Bangalore and Mangalore also have international airports along with domestic one.
This statue of Bahubali is 58 feet tall and is the largest monolith statue in the world. Carved out from a single block of granite, it is visible from almost 30 km away. It is situated at Shravanabelagola, which is 145 km from Bangalore.
The Carnatic and Hindustani style of classical music have deep roots in Karnataka. Purandara Das is considered as Father of Carnatic Music while Bhimsen Joshi, Gangubai Hangal, Mallikarjun Mansur are the popular exponents of Hindustani music.
So many languages! The state is known to host people from various parts of India. An example of this is the fact that there are over 13 languages spoken across the state with Kannada being the most spoken language followed by Tamil and Telugu.
What? Yes, the state of Karnataka is the first in India where a private radio station was set up in the year 2001. Radio City 91.1 FM was the first national channel to be set up in Bangalore while currently it has built 50 more across the country.
To check the British expansion towards Mysore state, Hyder Ali and his son Tipu Sultan fought four significant Anglo-Mysore wars. After the death of Tipu Sultan in 4th and last Anglo Mysore war, Mysore state was annexxed to British territory in 1799.
The magnificent ruins of the Vijayanagara Kingdom still stand tall. The kingdom ruled a little longer than the Mughals and left behind the historic and famous Hampi ruins, a grand 14th-century city. And yes, it’s currently a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Cultural excellence has always been a pride and part of Karnataka. Purandara Dasa is known to be the main pillars of Carnatic Music. In fact, Pandit Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi also belongs to Karnataka who is the father and pillar of Hindustani Classical Music.
The state of Karnataka has a long history showcasing its establishment wherein it is revealed that the creation of the land was on the date of 1st November 1956 and was formerly known as the ‘Mysore state.’ It was only in 1973 that the name was revised and changed to Karnataka.
Rava Idli is a popular variant of the Idli and which was accidentally produced during the time of World War II due to the scarcity of rice. Instead of rice, then semolina (durum wheat) was used, and a delicious food item was created, which has been cherished through the decades.
The city of Mysore is home to a large number of productions including silk, sandalwood, and spices etc. However, the Karanji lake of Mysore is renowned for its walk-through aviary, which is the largest aviary in India. Surrounded by beautiful delights, this aviary is a popular tourist destination.
Karnataka’s history provides the country with the brave story of a queen who stood her ground and fought the British colonial power decades before the rise of Rani Laxmibai. Rani Chennamma, also known as Kittur Chennamma, was the queen of the formerly princely state Kittur. She led an armed rebellion against the East India Company and revolted the Kappa tax.
“Goloka” is a unique project launched by a charity organisation in Ramchandrapur Math of Shimoga district. This project is aimed to protect and develop different Indian breed cows. About 500 breeds of cows presently can be found in this ashram. This project also consists of Gomutra (cow urine) therapy center to develop a medicine called akra for treating ailments such as cancer.

Friends, hope you liked this post of Interesting Facts About Karnataka. If you liked this post, then you must Share it with your friends and Subscribe to us to get updates from our blog. Friends, If you liked our site FactsCrush.Com, then you should Bookmark it as well.