Karnataka

Introduction

2008-03-06 - Karnataka, Hampi 122

© api

Karnataka is a state in the southeast of India.

Geography

Karnataka is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, Goa] to the northwest, Maharashtra to the north, Andhra Pradesh to the east, Tamil Nadu to the southeast, and Kerala to the southwest. The state covers an area of 191,976 square kilometres. It is the eighth largest Indian state by area, the ninth largest by population.
The state has three principal geographical zones: the coastal region of Karavali, the hilly Malenadu region comprising the Western Ghats, and the Bayaluseeme region comprising the plains of the Deccan plateau. The bulk of the state is in the Bayaluseeme region, the northern part of which is the second-largest arid region in India. The highest point in Karnataka is the Mullayanagiri hills in Chickmagalur district which has an altitude of 1,929 metres. Some of the important rivers in Karnataka are Kaveri, Tungabhadra, Krishna, Malaprabha and the Sharavathi. About 38,724 km2 of Karnataka (20% of the state's area) is covered by forests. The forests are classified as reserved, protected, unclosed, village and private forests. The percentage of forested area is slightly less than the all-India average of about 23%, and significantly less than the 33% prescribed in the National Forest Policy.

Cities

• Bangalore - the capital and largest city
• Mangalore - port city
• Mysore

Sights and Activities

• Hampi Temples
• Badami Caves
• Pattadkal
• Aihole
• Banavasi
• Belur and Halebeedu
• Bijapur
• Bhandipur National Park
• Biligiri Ranga Hills
• Coorg
• Jog Falls

Events and Festivals

• Holi is quite popular in the Indian sub-continent and is traditionally celebrated on the day after the full moon in the month of Phalguna (early March), according to Hindu calender. Holi is a thanksgiving festival, where people offer prayer to God for good harvest and fertility of the land. Holi is a festival of freedom from social norms and caste inhibitions are shed for a day as people indulge in fun and merry-making. Colors and 'gulal' are showered on the people dressed up for the occasion and the whole community seems to merge into one big family under the guise of colors, without any distinction whatsoever. Children with face smeared with colors run around with 'pichkaris' (big syringes to splash colored water) and play amongst themselves. People exchange good wishes, sweets and gifts. Holi is also marked by vibrant processions which are accompanied by folk songs, dances and drum beating. Parties are also organized where snacks and the traditional milk-based drink “Thandai” is served which is often intoxicated with “Bhang”. Of late, lots of foreigners have started taking interest in this festival and they even enjoy the colors and the intoxicating drink. It is advised to cover your hair with a cap and eyes with sunglasses to avoid the colors splashing the eyes and damaging the hair.
• Republic Day - Republic Day is a national holiday in India every January 26 to commemorate the adoption of the Constitution in 1950 and the declaration of independence in 1930. The capital of New Delhi is the focus of the celebrations, including a flag raising ceremony, wreath laying, 21-gun salute, Presidential speech, and presentation of awards for selflessness and bravery. A massive military parade includes elephants ridden by children who have received national accolades.
• Gandhi Jayanti - Gandhi Jayanti is a national public holiday commemorating the birth of the peaceful activist, Mohandas Gandhi on October 2, 1869. The celebration coincides with the United Nations’ International Day of Non-Violence. In India, Gandhi is remembered through statues, flower and candle offerings, prayers and singing the devotional hymn Raghupati Raghava Raja Ram. The Indian government issues special mint rupees and postage stamps bearing his picture.
• Diwali - Diwali is the five-day festival of lights held in India in late October or early November each year. The widely celebrated Hindu event marks Lord Rama’s victory over the demon Ravan. Homes and streets are decorated with lights, candles and small clay lamps, and new clothes are worn and sweets are exchanged.
• Mysore Dasara

Weather

Karnataka experiences four seasons. The winter in January and February is followed by summer between March and May, the monsoon season between June and September and the post-monsoon season from October till December. Meteorologically, Karnataka is divided into three zones - coastal, north interior and south interior. Of these, the coastal zone receives the heaviest rainfall with an average rainfall of about 3,638.5 mm (143 in) per annum, far in excess of the state average of 1,139 mm. Agumbe in the Shivamogga district receives the second highest annual rainfall in India. The highest recorded temperature was 45.6 °C at Raichur and the lowest recorded temperature was 2.8 °C at Bidar.

Getting There

By Plane

Mysore Palace, Karnataka

© apbclm

Bengaluru International Airport (BLR) is a large international airport and is about 40 kilometres (25 miles) from the city. This new airport was opened in May of 2008 and has good connections. Currently the only way to get to the airport on public transport is on Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) which runs twelve bus routes from as many locations in the city to connect to the new airport although the city metro and a high-speed rail are planned to be built and in operation in 2011. This large airport has direct service to almost every airport in India, most major cities around Asia and a few European cities. Lufthansa flies to Frankfurt, British Airways to London, Air France to Paris and other international connections go to Kuala Lumpur, Sharjah, Bangkok, Dubai, Hong Kong, Dubai, Mauritius, Bahrain, Malé, Muscat, Singapore, Jeddah, Riyadh and Colombo.

By Train

Bangalore is an important railway station on the vast and extensive Indian Railway network. It is well connected to all the major cities of India by fast trains, including those to Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Hyderabad. For more details about timings, fare and availability of seats have a look at the Indian Railways official website.

External Links

• Official Website