History of Benda Kaalu Ooru --- Bangalore --- Bengaluru

The popular tale of Bengaluru (now Bangalore) getting its name from 'Benda Kaalu Ooru' meaning 'Town of boiled beans' after King Veera Ballala II of the Hoysala dynasty in 1120 AD was fed boiled beans by an old woman in the forest is historically incorrect. The name 'Bengalooru' was recorded much before King Ballala's time in a 9th century inscription found in a temple in Begur village near Bangalore.

Bangalore was founded by Kempe Gowda I, who in 1537 AD built a mud fort in an area which is now K.R Market, Avenue Road and its nearby areas. Kempe Gowda built 8 gates for this fort:

* Yelahanka Gate (present Mysore Bank Square).
* Yeshwantpur Gate (near Upparapet police station).
* Kengiri Gate (now a police station is named after it).
* Halasoor (Ulsoor) Gate. (Now a police station is named after it).

* Kanakanahalli Gate (near Vokkaligara Sangha Bldg).
* Sonde Koppa Gate.
* Anekal Gate.
* Delhi Gate (at the Fort in K.R Market, which was rebuilt in stone by Hyder Ali). Inside the fort, he built the localities (pets) of Balepet, Aralepet (Cottonpet), Chickpet, Doddapet (Avenue Road), Upparapet, etc.

·        To this day these areas bear their old names, and serve as major wholesale & commercial markets.
Kempe Gowda II came to power in 1585 and it was he who set the limit for Bangalore’s expansion by erecting 4 watch towers. These Watch towers still exist and are known as the Kempe Gowda Towers.

·        In 1638, the army of Adil Shah, the Sultan of Bijapur, led by Ranadulla Khan & Shahaji Bhonsle (Shivaji's father) captured Bengalooru fort. Kempe Gowda II was then forced to retreat to Magadi, from where he and his successors ruled as Magadi Rulers. Magadi was later annexed to Mysore Kingdom in 1728.

·        Bangalore was gifted twice as a Jagir and sold once. In 1638 AD, Adil Shah gifted it to Shahaji Bhonsle, thus starting the Maratha rule of Bangalore. In 1689, the Mughals captured Bangalore from the Marathas and sold it to Chikka Devaraja Wodeyar of Mysore for 3 lakh pagodas (gold coins). In 1759, Hyder Ali, commander of Mysore’s army, received Bangalore as a Jagir from Krishnaraja Wodeyar II. Later Hyder Ali declared himself ruler of Mysore Kingdom after Krishnaraja Wodeyar II's death. Bangalore returned to the Wodeyars after Hyder's son, Tippu Sultan, died in 1799 fighting the British.

·        The British established the post of 'Mysore Resident' of Mysore Kingdom in 1799 and appointed Col.Sir Barry Close as the first Resident. In 1804 The Mysore Resident was shifted from Mysore to Bangalore. The Resident's office & house known as 'The Residency' was first situated in the SACRED HEARTS SCHOOL (GOOD SHEPHERD CONVENT) building opp St.Joseph's college in Bangalore. It also housed a jail, while the site across the road where convicts were hanged now houses the ST. JOSEPH'S COLLEGE. Many a ghost was seen wandering about before the College came up! The Road along the 'Residency' came to be called 'RESIDENCY ROAD' and even today it's known as Residency Road though officially it has been changed to ' Gen. Cariappa Road '. In fact 'The Residency' later in 1881 shifted to what is today the RAJ BHAVAN, but Residency Road has retained its name ever since 1804 (now 200 years).

·        The Raj Bhavan in Bangalore was built in 1840s & owned by Sir Mark Cubbon, who was Commissioner then. Cubbon was passionately fond of Arabian horses and used to keep at least fifty horses in his stable here. Lewin Benthem Bowring who succeeded Cubbon as Commissioner purchased the bungalow with its vast estate in 1862 for the British Govt to be used as the official Commissioner’s Bungalow. Later when the post of Commissioner was abolished, the Resident came to stay here and it came to be known as 'The Residency'. But the road still was known as Commissioner’s Road, which is the reason why the road on the old Residency building continued to be known as 'Residency Road'.

·        In 1806, the British established a new CANTONMENT AREA in Bangalore (at Ulsoor) for its army and called it the 'Civil & Military Station'. Till India’s independence this Cantonment area was ruled directly by the British. Thus Bangalore comprised two separate areas, to the West, Bangalore (Pettah) administered by the Mysore Maharaja, and to the East, Bangalore Cantonment, administered as a separate unit by the British Govt through the Resident. Soon the Cantonment area became not only a military base for the British army & its family, but also a settlement for a large number of Europeans, Anglo-Indians, missionaries, and Tamil speaking workers & traders from the neighbouring British controlled Madras Presidency.

·        The Cantonment area under the British consisted of Shoolay, Blackpully (now SHIVAJINAGAR) , The Parade (M.G ROAD AREA), St. John's Hill, Fraser Town, Benson Town, Cleveland Town, Cox Town, Richard's Town, Ulsoor, Knoxpet (Murphy Town), Agram, Richmond Town, Langford Town, Austin Town (named after British Resident, Sir James Austin Bourdillon), Whitefield (Anglo-Indian Colony created in 1882), etc. Even today these Suburbs exist. The names given to the roads in the Cantonment were according to the military arrangement and campus. Thus, there was Artillery Rd, Brigade Rd, Infantry Rd, Cavalry Rd, South Parade (now M.G. ROAD), East Parade (near Mittal Towers), etc. The heart of the city in those days was the so called MacIver Town, the area around South Parade, St. Mark's Road, Brigade Road and Cubbon Road.

·        The Shoolay area (now Ashoknagar) still has streets named Wood Street, Castle Street, etc. The name ' SHOOLAY CIRCLE ', however, still exists near Brigade Towers. The famous Shoolay Police Station of the Cantonment was renamed Ashoknagar Police Station and now it has been demolished.

·        COLES PARK is named after British Resident of Mysore Kingdom, Arthur H. Cole, who was Resident from 1809 - 1812 and again from 1818 - 1827.

·        The British Cantonment area was also a host to SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL, the future British Prime Minister who stayed in Bangalore from 1897 to 1900.

·        In 1892, new extensions were added to the old town of Bangalore (Pettah) by creating CHAMARAJPET (named after Chamarajendra Wodeyar) and SHESHADRIPURAM (named after the Mysore Diwan Sir K. Sheshadri Iyer).

·        In 1898, a plague broke out in Bangalore. The Bangalore Administration at once laid out 2 new bigger extensions to the City to meet the demand that had risen due to people being forced to leave their original areas that were affected. This resulted in laying out a suburb, named BASAVANGUDI after the Basaveswara (Bull God) Temple (also called Bull Temple) erected by Kempe Gowda I and another suburb, named MALLESWARAM, after the Kadu Malleshwara (Siva) Temple in the old Mallapura village.

·        In 1901, VICTORIA HOSPITAL was established in commemoration of Queen Victoria of England's Diamond Jubilee.

·        In 1902, VANIVILAS HOSPITAL & SCHOOL was opened and the Road was also named VANIVILAS ROAD in memory of Maharani Vani Vilas Sannidhana, the Queen Regent of Mysore.

·        In 1905, Bangalore became the first city in India to get electrical power.
During the post-Independence period KUMARA PARK area came into existence in 1947, JAYANAGAR was inaugurated in 1948, and at Binnamangala was created the INDIRANAGAR extension during the late 1960s.

·        The large stone building on Residency Road, now housing L.I.C. adjacent to Devatha Plaza once housed The Reserve Bank of India. The present canteen of L.I.C. was once the strong room of the bank!

·        One wonders why in the old records there is a reference to ' CENOTAPH ROAD ' in Bangalore when there is none to be seen. Cenotaph Road is today the NRUPATHUNGA ROAD named after Kannada poet Nrupathunga. The Cenotaph (Tomblike monument), was there at what is now the Corporation Circle . This Cenotaph was built in memory of Lt. Col. Moorhouse, Capt. Delany and about 50 soldiers who died in the siege in 1791, besides soldiers who died in different wars with Tipu Sultan till 1799. This monument was destroyed on Oct 28th 1964, by the Bangalore City Corporation and even the engraved stones are not to be traced! Only one broken small section piece has been located in the Corporation compound, used as a bench.

·        CUBBON PARK is named after Sir Mark Cubbon, who was the British Commissioner of Mysore Kingdom from 1834 to 1861. Sir Mark, incidentally, had never set his eyes on the park. He left India in April 1861, and died on his way back home at Suez on 23rd April 1861. Cubbon Park was planned in 1864 by Sir Richard Sankey, the then Chief Engineer of Mysore (SANKEY TANK & SANKEY ROAD is named after Richard Sankey). The park was initially known as ' Meades Park ' after John Meade, the then acting Commissioner of Mysore. Subsequently it was rechristened as Chamarajendra Park in 1927 and later came to be known as Cubbon Park.

·        CHURCH STREET at M.G's is called so, because the road used to lead directly to St. Marks Church. At one time the compound of the Church was much bigger and the Church could be seen as you walked along Church Street.

·        MUSEUM ROAD next to Church Street was named so since the Museum was located there before it was shifted to the present Kasturba Road in 1866.

·        MAYO HALL at M.G. Road was erected in memory of Lord Mayo, the Governor-General of India who was assassinated in the Andamans in 1872. Built with public subscription it was handed over to the Municipal Commission in 1883.

·        LALBAGH (meaning Red Garden) is not the original name of the famous garden in Bangalore, which was established by Hyder Ali in 1760 as a mango garden. In earlier records it was referred to as the Mango Tope & the Cypress Garden. The reason why people started calling it Lalbagh was due to the fact that Hyder & Tipu had a beautiful garden called Lalbagh at their capital, Srirangapatna.

·        THE HOLY TRINITY CHURCH at Trinity Circle, at the end of M.G. Road, was earlier the British Army's Garrison church, opened in 1851. The beauty of Trinity Church is not only in its tall tower & unparalleled pillars, but also the British military memorials inside.

·        In 1868 the construction of Attara Kacheri (present High Court) was completed. The Secretariat (with 18 revenue departments) was shifted to Attara Kacheri from Tippu's Palace at K.R Market. Attara Kacheri literally means '18 Courts/Offices’.

·        The TAJ WEST END HOTEL is the oldest Hotel in Bangalore and still maintains some of its earlier memories!! The original Proprietors were Spencer & Co Ltd, Madras. Today it's owned by the Taj Group of Hotels.

·        Opposite the Telegraph Office near Bangalore GPO, is the compound of the most famous Hotel of the late 1800's, The Cubbon Hotel. Today it is in ruins.

·        Spencer & Co (where FOOD WORLD is now located) started by an Englishman, Mr. Oakshot, was the most sophisticated and only Departmental Store in B'lore in earlier days.

·        On the West of Spencer's (present FOOD WORLD) one used to find Liberty Theatre (today try Handloom House!). Before it was called Liberty, it was The Globe, and before that the Crystal Picture Palace.

·        The very popular Funnel's Restaurant of the 1800's & early 1900's stood where the present DECCAN HERALD Office stands at M.G Road.

·        S.J. POLYTECHNIC & SILVER JUBILEE PARK (at K.R MARKET - KRISHNA RAJENDRA MARKET) was set up in 1927 to commemorate the Silver Jubilee Celebration of Mysore Maharaja Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV. The SJP ROAD thus got its name.

·        J.C ROAD (Jaya.Chamarajendra Road) is named after Jayachamaraja Wodeyar the last Maharaja of Mysore.

·        The TATA SILK FARM was established south of Basavanagudi in 1906. The farm no longer exists but the area however is still known as 'Tata Silk Farm'.

·        In 1910, a General Hospital was opened at Malleshwaram and named after Mysore Princess Kempu Cheluvarajamnanni. Today this Hospital at Malleshwaram Circle is popularly known as K.C. GENERAL HOSPITAL.
      

·        Bangalore once had 141 lakes (tanks) of which 7 are untraceable, 7 are now small pools of water, 18 are illegally occupied by slums & private parties, 14 were dried up & leased out by the Government, 28 have been converted as parks, BDA housing extensions, & commercial areas and the remaining 67 lakes are in fairly advanced state of deterioration, save for two or three like Ulsoor lake, Sankey Tank, Hebbal, etc.
       
·        Some famous water bodies (tanks) which no longer exist are :
Dharamambudi Tank (present SUBASH NAGAR, BANGALORE CITY TRANSPORT SERVICE & KSRTC BUS stands are built on the bed of this lake). That's why we still have a road named TANKBUND ROAD in that area.

·        Sampangi Tank (present KANTEERAVA STADIUM was built on the bed of this lake).
Miller's Tank (now houses Guru Nanak Bhavan, schools, and several buildings).

·        The Halasoor Tank (now called ULSOOR LAKE), is the only surviving tank built by the Gowda (Kempe Gowda) rulers in Bangalore.
        
·        Gandhinagar area is popularly nicknamed MAJESTIC, because of the Majestic Talkies (Theatre), which still exists in that area.

·        ANANDA RAO CIRCLE at Majestic is named after Shri T. Ananda Rao, who was Dewan of Mysore from 1909 - 1912.

·        VIDHANA SOUDHA, which houses the state Goverment's Secretariat & Legislative Assembly. It was planned & constructed in 1954 by Kengal Hanumanthaih, Chief Minister of the then Mysore State (Between 1951-1956).

·        The Double Road near Lalbagh is now named KENGAL HANUMANTHAIH ROAD (K.H. ROAD).

·        CHOWDIAH MEMORIAL HALL, opposite Sankey Tank, has been built in memory of T. Chowdiah, a noted musician & violinist. This building is shaped like a violin, the stringed instrument of Chowdiah. Also the road along the Nehru Planetarium near Raj Bhavan is named T.CHOWDAIH ROAD.

·        RAVINDRA KALAKSHETRA, near K.R. Market was built to commemorate Rabindranath Tagore's centenary. It promotes cultural activity. R.T. NAGAR is also named after Rabindranath Tagore.

·         My tailpiece. Most of you would have read R K Narayan's MALGUDI DAYS. Does anyone know where Malgudi is? It is actually the combination of the names of two areas in bangalore - one where R K Narayan lived and the other where his in-laws lived. It is the combination of MALleswaram and BasavanGUDI.

Rashtrakavi Kuvempu


Kuppalli Venkatappa Puttappa (Kuvempu) : 1904 -1994




Born in Hirekodige and brought up in Kuppalli, Thirthahalli thaluk in Shimoga district. He got his B.A. and M.A. degree in Kannada literature at Maharaja's College, Mysore and he became lecturer in Kannada at the same same College and he became a professor and a principal, and retired as the Vice-chancellor of the University of Mysore.


In long five decades he created abudent 30 major collections of poems, children's Literature and translations, plays and novels. For his great prolific literature excellence he was awarded and honoured as "Rastrakavi".

Honours and awards:1. Adhyaksha in Kannada Sahitya Sammelana, in 1957 at Dharwad
2. 'Padmavibhushana' by the Government of India.
3. Doctorate from Universities of Mysore, Bangalore and Gulbarga
4. 'Rashtrakavi' title by the Government of Mysore.
5. Sahitya Akademi award 1955
6. Jnanpith award-for his Epic "Ramayana Darshanam" in 1969
7. Pampa award in 1988 of Karnataka

writings:
1. Ramayana Darshanam
2. Kanooru Heggaditi
3. Kaanuru Subbamma Heggadathi
4. Malegalalli Madumagalu
5. Jalagara
6. Smashana Kurukshetra
7. Shudra Tapasvi
8. Rakthakshi 



Dattatreya Ramachandra Bendre


Dattatreya Ramachandra Bendre

D.R. Bendre (1896-1981): Dattatreya Ramachandra Bendre, widely acknowledged as one of the greatest poets in the Kannada language, is a household name in Karnataka. He appeared on the Kannada poetic scene in the early decades of this century with Gari, a highly impressive volume of lyrics, and dominated it for five decades. Though open to influences from all over the world, he was firmly rooted in the Indian and Kannada poetic traditions to which he brought new life and vitality. He received the Sahitya Akademi prize for Aralu Maralu in 1959, the Jnanpith award in 1974, and was a Fellow of the Sahitya Akademi.

SRIRANGAPATNA


Srirangapatna also spelt as Srirangapattana, is city of historic, religious, and cultural hubsituated in Mandhya district of Karnataka, just about 13kms from Mysore. A must see place on Bangalore- Mysore Highway. Here you will come across the entire town as an island enclosed by River Kaveri. This history-rich town was the capital of the Warrior-Kings Hyder Ali and his son Tipu Sultan - The Tiger of Mysore. 
Fort :
 It is from here that Tippu charged at the British soldiers with his legendry sword. An obelisk in the Fort marks the place where he fell - betrayed by his own men. Within the Fort is a Mosque and the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple.
Daria Daulat Bagh :Built in 1784, this Summer Palace was one of Tipu's favourite retreats. It stands on a raised plaform at a height of 1.5 metres. The Bagh is situated on the banks of Cauvery river has treasured the painting, engraving, arms that depict the Valant victories and Struggles of Tipu Sultan. The structure made of teak, this Indo-Saracenic structure has ornate and beautiful frescoes. The corridors showcase murals which describe Tipu’s ordeals in the battlefield against the British.
Paintings : Records reveal that the palace is built by Moghul Governor Dilavar Khan, inspired Tipu to built this palace. The painting “ The storming of Seringapattam” has been painted by Sir Robert Ker Porter in 1800 depicts the capture of capital on May 4th , 1799. It shows English officers, including General Baird, Sergeant Graham and Colonel Dunlop. Some of the paintingsshow the walls of Tipu’s fort , minarets of the mosque and gopuram of the Ranganatha Swamy temple in the background.
It is sad to see the detoriation of this precious pieces of art, due to shoddy maintainance, utter neglect. The paintings emphasize the glorious victory achieved by Haidar and Tippu over the English contingent led by Col. Bailee in the battle at Pollilur near Kanchipuram in 1780. Both Government and tourists need to share responsibility in restoring the monuments.
Museum showcases painting with Tipu wearing a turban, a striped shirt, a necklace and a belt adornedwith precious stones with a sword attached. In 1792, G F Cherry painted the portrait. One more portrait was made by Jony Zoffany in 1780. There are pencil sketches of the Tipus sons, minister of the Nizam, his son, Krishna Raja Wodeyar III his maternal uncle, Nandi Raja all drawn by Thomas Hickey, an English artist between 1799 and 1801. The museum boast of collection of coins of various denominations of those times and medals made of bronze, silver and copper issued by the English to commemorate their victory over Tipu.
Timings of Museum : 9 A.M. to 5 P.M.
Admission fees : Rs.2/- per head and free on Fridays.
Masjid-E-Ala or Jamia Masjid :The mosque situated near the Bangalore Gate of the fort buit by Tippu Sultan It is said that he performed the first imamath himself. standing on a high basement with an open court in the open court in the front and a covered verandah with a spacious prayer hall with the “Mihrab” on the west. There is an inscription mentioning the ninety-nine names of Allah and another records the date of its construction by Tippu in 1787 A.D.
There are 2 minarets that are double storied and octagonal in shape with pigeonholes surmounted by domes that adds to the grandeur of the entire structure. There are 200 steps leading to the top of the minarets from where one can get a picturesque view of the Masjid.
Gumbaz :Mausoleum of Tippu Sultan, and his father Hyder Ali and mother Fathima Begam. This was built by Tippu Sultan between 1782-84, the Gumbaz, an imposing structure in the midst of the Lalbagh garden, stands on a high and wide platform with an open verandah of polished pillars all round.
The importance of Gumbaz lies in its well-shaped large dome, ivory inlaid doors, carved stone windows of fine workmanship and inscriptions. Tipu's favourite Tiger stripes cover the walls.Inside are the tombs of Haidar in the center, his wife and his son Tippu on either side. In the verandah and on the platform are the other tombs of Haidar’s family members.
Colonel Bailey’s Dungeon :Named after Colonel Bailey who died here in 1780 A.D., this dungeon was used to imprison Captain Baird, Colonel Brithwite, Captain Rulay, Frazer, Samson and Lindsay by Tipu Sultan. The dungeon measures 30.5 metres width 12.2 metres height and is built of brick and mortar.
Prisoners were chained to stone slabs fixed on its walls. During the seige of Srirangapatnam, one of the cannons rolled back, pierced the ceiling and fell into the dungeon. One can see them still lying there .

Place of Martyrdom :The place where Tippu Sultan’s body was found.
How to reach :
Distance : Located 13 km from Mysore, 127kms towards South-West of Bangalore
Nearest Town : Srirangapatna
Nearest Railway Station : Srirangapatna
Nearest Airport : Mysore Airport.


SOURCE : KARNATAKA.COM

Kannadiga or Kannadati


Kannadiga or Kannadati is a reference to the people who natively speak the Kannada language. Kannadigas are mainly located in the state of Karnataka in India and in the neighboring states of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa and Maharashtra. The frequently used English plural form is Kannadigas.

Kannadigas are people who speak Kannada, its variants or its various dialects as their mother tongue. Various districts of Karnataka have mixed variations of dialects like Dharwad Kannada, Sankethi, Naddvara Kannada, Havigannada, Bengaluru Kannada, Are Bhashe, Mysooru Kannada,Kundagannada, etc. Janapadas of Soliga, Badaga and other tribes of Karnataka having rich contribution to Kannada literature have their own style. Many Kannadigas have emigrated to countries like United States of America, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. Apart from native speakers, Kannada is also spoken by Tuluvas, Konkani, Kodavas of Karnataka and Telugu and Tamil settlers in the state.

Source : wikipedia

Timeline of Karnataka history


PeriodDynastyImportant Kings
Pre-historic  
Early yearsSatavahanasSeemukha
Gowtamiputra
325 A.D.- 540 A.D.Kadambas of BanavasiMayurasharma
Kakusthaverrma
325 A.D.- 999 A.D.Gangas of TalkadAvinita
Durvinita
Rachamalla
500 A.D. - 757 A.D.Chalukyas of BadamiMangalesha
Pulakeshi II
757 A.D. - 973 A.D.RashrakootasKrishna I
Govinda III
Nripatunga I
973 A.D. - 1198 A.D.Chalukyas of KalyanVikramaditya VI
1198 A.D. - 1312 A.D.Yadavas of DevagiriSingahana II
1000 A.D. - 1346 A.D.HoysalasVishnuvardhana
Ballala II
1336 A.D. - 1565 A.D.Vijayanagar KingsDevaraya II
Krishnadevaraya
1347 A.D. - 1527 A.D.Bahamani KingsMohammed Shah I
Modammed Shah II
1490 A.D. - 1686 A.D.Sultans of BijapurYusuf Adil Khan
Ibrahim Adil Shah II
1500 A.D. - 1763 A.D.Nayakas of KeladiShivappa Nayaka
Queen Chennamma
1399 A.D. - 1761 A.D.Wodeyars of MysoreRanadheera Kanthirava
Chikkadevaraja
1761 A.D. - 1799 A.D.Hyder Ali and Tippu SultanHyder Ali
Tipu Sultan
1800 A.D.Division of Karnataka: But for old Mysore, Karnataka was share among the Bombay and Madras presidencies  belonging to the British, The Marathas and the Nizam of Hyderabad.
1800 A.D. - 1831 A.D.Wodeyars of MysoreKrishnaraj Wodeyar III
1831 A.D. - 1881 A.D.British EmpireBritish Commissioners
1881 A.D. - 1950 A.D.Wodeyars of MysoreKrishnaraj Wodeyar IV
Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar
1956Present day Karnataka is formed.


Source : http://www.kamat.com

RAHUL DRAVID

It's hard to plot Rahul Dravid on the graph of cricketing greats. There has rarely been a historic Indian win without a vital contribution from 'The Wall', yet, playing in the Tendulkar era, his achievements have been eclipsed by the blinding presence of the 'Little Master'.

One of three prominent Karnataka cricketers to make their mark in the 90s, along with Anil Kumble and Javagal Srinath, Dravid seemed like he was born out of a batting text book with a strikingly "copybook" technique. In an age where batsmen were innovating and tweaking the norm as the game evolved, Dravid stuck by the methods that he was blooded with.

His earliest Test impact of note following a 95 on debut was against South Africa in 1997, when he backed his maiden century (148) with a half-century to lead India to a rare away draw. A series of impressive knocks helped cement the foundation of 'The Wall'. A lack of flamboyance was his lone limitation during his formative years. Whilst effective in Tests, it often frustrated fans in limited overs. A metamorphosis took place during the 1999 World Cup, beyond which Dravid's batting became a marvellous sight to behold in all forms of the game. By 2002, he successfully shed his defensive style and no longer seemed shadowed by the famed Tendulkar-Ganguly opening duo. Since then, the Number 3 batsman carved his own niche as India's batting anchor. Now, a decade and a half later, he is the only Indian batsman, barring Tendulkar, to have never been dropped from the Test side since his debut.

Following the match-fixing controversy, he was appointed deputy to captain Sourav Ganguly and the added responsibility egged Dravid to greater consistency. He notably played a vital supporting role to VVS Laxman in India's historic defeat of an all-conquering Australia in 2001. By 2004, he had scored centuries against every Test-playing nation. Captaincy duty soon arrived but the spotlight repulsed him. It also affected his ODI form and after a poor 2007 World Cup he relinquished the armband to focus on his batting. Consequently, he was dropped from ODIs and left out in the cold for 2 years.

Still, his position in the classic format remained untouched, unquestioned. Few could match his Test achievements, which remained consistent as ever, vindicating him even when people around were losing faith. But Rahul Dravid battles on tirelessly, the epitome of an unsung hero in the annals of world cricket.


ANIL KUMBLE

India's legendary spinner Anil Kumble is undoubtedly one of the best bowlers the game has seen. There are very few who can match his achievements which include many a records. His retirement from international cricket was a significant milestone in the sport's rich history as he will forever be remembered as a fierce competitor and a true sportsman to have ever played the sport.
Born on 17th October 1970 in Bangalore, Kumble was a strong student and showed a knack for cricket from a very young age. He started playing competitive cricket at the age of 13 when he played for a 'street club' called Young Cricketers in Bangalore. He played his first class game in 1989 when he played for Karnataka against Hyderabad. His good performances at the domestic leagues as well as in the under 19 tournament earned him a call to the national One Day side. He made his ODI debut on April 25, 1990 against Sri Lanka in Sharjah during the Australasia Cup. The same year, he made his test debut against England.
Every cricketer's dream is to feature in the Cricket World Cup and Kumble, a veteran of several World Cups, will be remembered as a star performer for India. His most memorable tournament was the 1996 World Cup held in the Indian sub-continent. Kumble ended the tournament as the highest wicket taker, bagging 15 wickets in all. The 10th match of the tournament saw Kumble at his best when India played against West Indies. The spinner rattled the West Indian middle order, bowling out three batsmen which included the wicket of dangerous all rounder Roland Holder for a golden duck. Kumble almost replicated the feat against Kenya when he crippled the last hope of the African nation by taking the wickets of Hitesh Modi and Thomas Odoyo in quick succession.
Kumble took part in the 2003 and 2007 editions as well and made his presence felt especially in the former tournament. He retired from ODIs after India's dismal outing in the 2007 World Cup hosted by West Indies.
Apart from his incredible performances in the World Cups, Kumble's list of achievements in his highly successful cricketing career is staggering. His 10-wicket haul in a test match inning against Pakistan in Delhi in February 1999 is perhaps the most memorable of them all. He is the only player, other than England's Jim Laker, to achieve this feat. Kumble was also a successful Test captain for India from November 2007 to 2008. He announced his retirement from international cricket on November 2, 2008 after representing India for 18 years.

KARNATAKA STATE



The criteria for formation of Indian States is language [and of course politicians these days!]. India became a Republic in the year 1950 and in same year linguistic provinces were formed. The state of Mysore is one such state in south India.
The state of Mysore was created taking into fold various parts of the region, which were ruled by kings. Several districts in, now called North Karnataka and Hyderabad Karnataka were dissolved in the new state. The new state was named after Mysore, which by itself was a princely state.
People of North and Hyderabad area did not accept the name Mysore. People of this region were demanding a change in the name. After prolonged debate the name of the state was changed to Karnataka on November 1, 1973.
Late Devaraj Urs the then Chief Minister of state took this landmark decision. Officially the new state was born on Nov. 1 and on this day every year birthday of the state is celebrated. This is popularly called as Kannada Rajyotsava or Karnataka Rajyotsava. Rajyotsava means "birth of a state".

KARNATAK STATE DISTICTS

    1. Bangalore Urban
    2. Bangalore Rural
    3. Bagalakot 
    4. Belgaum
    5. Bellary 
    6. Bidar 
    7. Bijapur  
    8. Chamarajanagar  
    9. Chikballapur 
    10. Chikkamaglur  
    11. Chitiradurga 
    12. Davanagere  
    13. Dharwad
    14. Gulbarga 
    15. Gadag  
    16. Hassan  
    17. Haveri  
    18. Kolar  
    19. Koppal  
    20. Mandya  
    21. Mangalore 
    22. Mysore 
    23. Raichur  
    24. Ramanagram 
    25. Shimoga 
    26. Tumkur 
    27. Udupi  
    28. Uttara Kannada
    29. Chikkodi
    30. Yadgir

    MAP OF KARNATAKA


    Karnataka Tourism places

    Karnataka is one of the four southern states of India. Bordered by the Arabian Sea on the west, it is surrounded by Goa, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu andKerala. The state has three main regions: the coastal plains abutting the sea; theWestern Ghats running parallel to the coastline; and the inland plains of the Deccan Plateau. One of the most industrialised states in India, Karnataka also produces 90% of India's gold, almost 60% of its coffee and a significant amount of raw silk and sandalwood products.

    Bangalore (now called Bengaluru) in southeast Karnataka is the capital as well as the biggest city. Bangalore has more than 50% of software companies in the country based in it and is called the Silicon Valley of India. It is also famous for its pubs and gardens and has a pleasant climate through the year. South of Bangalore is the city of Mysore, the erstwhile capital of the Wodeyar kings. The festival of Dussehra, with caparisoned-elephant processions being its main attraction, is celebrated in October-November.

    At Hampi in central Karnataka, are the ruins of the capital of one of South India's largest historical empires the Vijaynagar Empire (14th-16th century); the 16th-cenuryVittala Temple is a World Heritage site. The towns of Belur and Halebid are in the south, famous for their 12th-century temples built by the Hoysala dynasty.Sravanbelgola is also in south Karnataka and is host to probably the world's tallest monolithic statue a 17-m high image of a Jain deity built in the 10th century. Thevillage of Badami in the north is famous for its ancient cave temples built between the 6th and 8th centuries.

    Madikeri is the main town of the hilly tracts of southwestern Karnataka called theKodagu (Coorg) region. The area has a number of spice and coffee plantations and is good for trekking. Popular spots here are the Jog Falls and Kudremukh. Further south are the Bandipur and Nagarhole National Parks.

    The western coastline of the state along the Arabian Sea has a number of beach towns including MangaloreKarwarGokarnaMalpe and Marwanthe.

    KANNADA LANGUAGE

    Kannada emerged as an independent language in the 9th century. It is spoken by 65% of the population of Karnataka. Kannada is almost as old as Tamil, the truest of the Dravidian family. Initially the area of the Kannada speech extended much further to the north than present Karnataka, but was pushed back by the Aryan Marathi.


    ¤ The Kannada Literature
    The early (pre 800AD) bits and pieces of Kannada literature are insufficient to lay claims to the literature’s origins. The oldest extant book is king Nripatunga’s literary critique Kavi Raja Marga (circa 840). Jainism being a popular religion at the time, there were some Jaina poets like Srivijaya and Guna Varman I. 
    A new trend began with the ‘Three Gems’ of Kannada literature, Pampa, Ponna and Ranna in the 10th century, where prose and verse were mixed – the campu style. The three poets extensively wrote on episodes from the Ramayana and Mahabharata and Jain legends and biographies. Chavunda Raya, Ranna’s elder contemporary then came up with an elaborate work – a history of all the 24 Jaina tirthankaras (saintly teachers). The Chola kings of Tamil-land got too aggressive around the 11th century and fought wars.
    This meant a lean phase in literary activities except for the works of a few writers like Naga Chandra, known for his Jain Ramayana, the Jain poetess Kanti, the grammarian Naga Varman II who wrote Karnataka Bhasha Bhushana in Sanskrit sutras (aphorisms), and Kirtti Varman and Vritta Vilasa.

    ¤ The middle phase--(1150-1800AD)
    The middle phase of Kannada literature (1150-1800AD) saw the power of Puranic Hinduism over Jainism. A very distinct phase of writing began the second half of the 12th century in the Vira-Shaiva phase with Basava’s Vachanas.
    There was a spate of writers like Harihara, Raghavanka and Kereya Padmarasa writing fervently about Shiva in the 12th-13th centuries.
    Rebellion against the orthodox rituals came from the brilliant poetess Akkamahadevi, a harbinger of Bhakti poetry (see below). 
    The Jains, too, weren’t idle all this while; they composed legendary histories of various tirthankaras (ford makers). In all, the 13th century was chock-full with poems, literary criticism, grammar, natural science and translations from Sanskrit.

    ¤ Kannada literature Has Strong Hindu Influence
    Kannada literature took a strong Hindu bend with the orthodox Vijayanagara kings (14th-15th AD). Some eminent names were Bhima Kavi, Padmanaka, Mallanarya, Singiraja and Chamarasa. The Bhakti movement also affected Kannada literature in the 15th and 16th centuries. The Ramayana, Mahabharata and Puranas were translated afresh using the folk meters satpadi and regale. Devotional songs of dasas or singing mendicants were compiled, which formed an important part of popular literature.

    ¤ The Change of Language From Middle To Modern Kannada
    The next two centuries were a busy period with many rules, of the Wodeyar kings, Bijapur Sultans and Mughals, and much literary activity.
    Bhattakalanka Deva’s Karnataka Shabdaushasana (1604AD) on grammar, Sakdakshara Deva’s romantic campu the Rajshekhara Vilasa (1657AD), the historical compositions of the Wodeyar period (1650-1713AD), Nijaguna Yogi’s Viveka Chintamani of Shaiva lore (mid 17th century), Nanja Raja’s Puranic works the Shiva Bhakti Mahatmya and Hari Vamsa (circa 1760), were some of the notable creations.
    All this while the language was changing from Middle to Modern Kannada. The popular Yakshagana, dramatization of Puranic tales with much singing, was an innovation of the late 18th century. A good mass of folk poetry thus came to be written.

    Modern education made a late entry in Karnataka as compared to other parts of India. Works based on Sanskrit models, like Shakuntala of Basavappa Shastri, continued till the late 19th century. With a little initiation from the Christian missionaries, the Academy of Kannada Literature was set up in Bangalore in 1914.

    Gradually modern literature gained tempo and translations were made from English, Bengali and Marathi. Kerur and Galaganatha attempted the first novels in Kannada, followed by a host of novelists like Shivarama Karanta, K. V. Puttapa, G P Rajaratnam, Basavaraja Kattimani, Nanjanagudu Tirumalamba (the first major woman writer in modern Kannada) and others.

    The short story too made its advent with Panje Mangesha Rao and Masti Venkatesha Ayyangar. A new trend in drama began with the use of colloquial language. Poetry, too, wasn’t left behind; B. M. Shrikanthayya too Kannada poetry to great heights with innovations like the blank verse.

    Literature in Kannada today is a big enterprise, with bustling centres like the University of Mysore, the Karnataka University at Dharwar and the Kannada Sahitya Parishad of Mysore.

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