Architecture |alt=|left
Architecture and
sculpture has been the epitome of art in Karnataka. Be it the musical pillars of
Hampi, which is listed as a
UNESCO World Heritage Site, the (
monolithic) statue of Gommateshvara
Bahubali that was voted by Indians as the first of Seven Wonders of India the
Yelu Sutthina Kote of
Chitradurga (The Fort of Seven Laps) cutting across hill or the wholesomeness of carvings of temples which bared down all desires to be left out of it and formless (above all forms) all encompassing — the inner
garbhagrihas. The temples of Karnataka had in them many
shaili or varieties to credit. A majority of the temples were built using the locally available stones. dated 978–993 AD.|alt= ''.|alt= Some of the places of interest are: •
Ellora Caves houses the Kailasanatha temple of Ellora was built by the Rashtrakutas Dynasty and is declared a
World Heritage Site by
UNESCO •
Badami cave temples, a regal capital of the
Badami Chalukyas, now famous for its
sandstone cave temples •
Aihole is known for its many temples and
inscriptions of
Chalukya Pulakeshin II in the
Old Kannada script •
Basavakalyan, a major centre of social and religious movement in the 12th century by
Basava, consists of temples in Chalukyan architecture •
Itagi is home to the
Shiva temple built by
Vikramāditya. Considered to be the best specimen of Kalyani Chalukyan art, it has as many as 68 decorated pillars, an ornate tower and a doorway of great workmanship •
Lakkundi •
Belur •
Halebeedu •
Shravanabelagola •
Saumyakeshava Temple, Nagamangala •
Lakshminarayana Temple, Hosaholalu •
Mallikarjuna Temple, Basaralu •
Ikkeri •
Keladi •
Banavasi Pioneer sculptors include: •
Amarashilpi Jakanachari •
Ruvari Malithamma •
Chavundaraya •
Siddalinga Swami •
K. Venkatappa Modern day contemporaries include visionary architects such as: •
Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya, father of modern Indian engineering,
Kannambadi Katte or KRS dam •
Kengal Hanumanthaiah, Vidhana Soudha |alt=Modern Kannada art is primarily influenced by Raja Ravi Varma and his realism. Popular visual arts generally revolve around puppetry. Most traditional religious paintings include works that are very colorful. These are many of the places where art is displayed. •
Karnataka Chitrakala Parishat •
Chowdiah Memorial Hall •
Gaayana Samaja •
Ranga Shankara •
Nrithya Grama •
Ravindra Kalakshetra •
Gubbi Veeranna Rangamandira •
Janapada Loka •
Rangayana •
Ninasam •
Prabhat Kalavidaru Music Dasa sahitya is the literature of
Bhakti movement composed by devotees in honor of
Lord Vishnu or one of his
avatars.
Dasa is literally "servant" in Kannada and
sahitya is literature.
Haridasas ("servants of God") were preachers of
Bhakti to Vishnu. The bhakti literature of these Haridasas is collectively referred to as Dasa Sahitya. It is composed in the Kannada language. The
Haridasas richly contributed to the heritage of Karntataka music. They made an indelible impression on the religious and cultural life of Karnataka by spreading the
didactic teachings in a musical form to the hearts of the common folk. Like other doyens of Indian classical music, these scholars offered prayer to Vishnu through music, called
naadopasana. The Lord is described as
Samagana priya, and bhakti through music is the most preferred path to 'reach' Him. The Haridasa compositions are popularly known as
Devaranamas. Compositions like
Krishna Nee Begane Baaro, Venkatachala Nilayam, Jagadoddharana, Tamboori Meetidava are some of the many examples of their scholarly work. is the most commonly used instrument in Carnatic music. Some noted Haridasas or composers of Dasa Sahitya are: •
Purandara Dasa, widely regarded as
Karnataka Sangeeta Pitamaha or "Father of
Carnatic music" •
Kanaka Dasa, a younger contemporary of Purandara Dasa •
Sripadaraja •
Vyasatirtha •
Vadirajatirtha •
Jagannatha Dasa •
Jayatirtha •
Gopala Dasa •
Vijaya Dasa •
Naraharitirtha One of the oldest forms of music in the region is
Karnataka Shastreeya Sangeetha which has evolved over ages. Both
Hindustani and Karnataka variations are respected and nurtured by Kannadigas.
Bhavageete and
Sugama Sangeetha are some innovations. Other forms of music include
Gamaka, Joogera Pada and
Lavani.
Yakshagana is considered a unique and indigenous form of both music and dance of Karnataka. Contemporary musical thespians are: (1852-1926) notable Veena player and composer. •
Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, recipient of the
Bharat Ratna —
India's highest civilian honor •
Gangubai Hangal, awarded both
Padma Bhushan and
Padma Vibhushan in 1971 and 2002 respectively •
C. Aswath, recipient of
Karnataka Rajyotsava Prashasti for his immense contribution to
Bhavageete •
Veene Doraiswamy Iyengar •
Puttaraj Gawai •
Honnappa Bhagavathar •
P. Kalinga Rao •
Balappa Hukkeri •
Mallikarjuna Mansur •
Basavaraja Rajguru •
Veene Sheshanna •
T. Chowdiah •
Sawai Gandharva •
Kumar Gandharva •
Mysore Ananthaswamy •
Mysore Manjunath Theater artists at government-sponsored
Jaanapadha Jaatre Rangabhoomi or the theater culture is a tradition with Kannadigas. While a lot of (literature) is written in praise of the heroic characters of the epics and puranas, there are major works depicting the kings and their rule. These are called (plays having wide-ranging stages for performance like Rangamancha staged in either theaters or on streets) and
Bayalata (). As its etymology indicates,
bayalu means open-air field and
ata means theater. In southern Karnataka, the eastern and western varieties of
Yakshagana are termed Bayalata, whereas in the north, several other distinct genres are included under the name.
Harikathe which covers an entire night is another form where one (or more) person tells a story in an outstanding manner accompanied by music at background. It is a common feature to narrate battles, stories, devotions or
vratha in front of temples on auspicious days like
Dasara and
Maha Shivaratri. Harikathe is a composite art form composed of story telling, poetry, music, drama, dance, and philosophy. Today, late-night Harikathe sessions are organized overseas where Kannadiga population is considerable.
Togalu gombeyaata, is a unique puppet show form of shadow puppetry, Gombe ata involves story telling using character made from dolls, Whose performance is controlled by the humans in the background using invisible threads
Vasanta Habba (ವಸಂತ ಹಬ್ಬ), which means "spring festival" in Kannada is a cultural festival organized by the
Nrityagram foundation in
Bengaluru. It is a very popular event and is considered the classical
Woodstock of India. First held in 1990, it now attracts the best musicians, dancers and cultural artists from across India. Similarly,'Bengaluru Habba (ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು ಹಬ್ಬ is a congregation of art performances at places in the city which is successfully celebrated every year. It aims to provide aesthetic entertainment to a wide cultural, social and demographic cross-section of the city's people by partnering with corporates and other stakeholders since 2003. In 2006, the
Government of Karnataka tried to bring the folklore and art into the city of Bengaluru by initiating
Jaanapada Jaatre which was hugely successful and received well by art lovers. It is usually held on select weekends in
Lalbagh and other parts of the city. Some famous theatrical,
cinematic and television personalities like
T P Kailasam,
Gubbi Veeranna, C. Honappa Bhagavathar,
G V Iyer,
Dr. Rajkumar,
Puttanna Kanagal,
Kalpana,
B. S. Ranga,
B V Karanth,
Girish Kasaravalli,
Shankar Nag,
T.S. Nagabharana,
T N Seetharam have contributed for its richness.
Dance forms The mystic and spirited reliving of legends and epics are the major depictions in dance forms. With the theater of battle scenes of heroism, loyalty and treachery, colour and pageantry are the main subjects. More are adapted with the course of nature and seasons adding colour to the harvesting seasons. Tribal forms of dance can be found limited in the regions inhabited by
Soligas, of which
Pinasee is a traditional dance form. The people of
Kodagu in the
Western Ghats also have their own dance forms. Some of the folk dances and classical dance forms in Karnataka include: •
Dollu Kunitha, a popular
drum dance accompanied by singing •
Veeragase, It is vigorous dance which involves very intense energy-sapping movements performed by jangamas •
Kamsale, is a folk dance performed by the devotees of lord Male mahadeshwara with rhythmic instrument • Somana Kunitha / Chamana kunitha, a Form of mask dance, Somana kunitha is ritualistic performance during the festivals in temples, prominently glorifying village deities worshipped by the people since ages • Pooja Kunita, A religious folk dance of Karnataka which is performed by holding Shakti devata on the head • Suggi Kunitha, is performed during harvesting festival in Karnataka, Haalakki tribe living in coastal part of north canara perform this dance at the time of holy harvesting festival •
Goravara Kunitha is a treditional dance of kurubas which is dedicated to lord mialara linga •
Yakshagana is a form of dance which is popular in coastal Karnataka • Bhootha (Gana) Aradhane /
Buta Kola, This form of dance is widely performed in coastal regions. A dancer personifying a bhoota (holy spirit) dances around the plinth with sword & jingling bells. •
Gaarudi Gombe, where dancers adorn themselves with giant doll-suits made of
bamboo sticks •
Kolata, a stick dance. • Huttari, is a form of dance performed by Kodavas during harvest festival • Moodalapaya, is the eastern form of Yakshagana which is popular in North Karnataka •
Bayalata, featuring stories of
Puranas rendered as dance •
Bharatanatyam is classical dance of Karnataka, too. It is referred to as Bharata- Natya in Kannada. The similar dance content was discussed in the Kannada text
Manasollasa, written by Someshwara lll. • Jaggahalige Mela, is performed in hubli-dharwad region on the auspicious occasion of Holi & ugadi •
Karaga (festival), is celebrated annually which is dedicated to draupadi, Bengaluru Karaga is a notable event.
Martial arts The martial arts more prevalent in parts of North Karnataka with Garadi Mane present in every village and a head to train the youngsters into fit individuals.
Kusthi,
Malla Yuddha, Kathi Varase (which can be seen depicted in Veeragase and similar to sword fighting), Malla Kambha (gymnastics on a pole structure with/without rope) are some of the prominent arts practised. The Mysore
Odeyars arrange kaalaga or fights like
Vajra Mushti during
Dasara festival which is made less frightening these days as they are publicly staged. Rock lifting, Bull race, Kusthi, and Kabaddi are popular sports.
Yogasana, Praanayama and health-related camps are very popular throughout the state and some of the best
Yoga practitioners can be found here.
Art of Living is one such organization immensely popular all over the world. •
Malladihalli Sri Raghavendra Swami •
K. Pattabhi Jois Cuisine The cuisine of Karnataka includes many
vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. One of the earliest Indian books with chapters on culinary preparations,
Manasollasa, was from Karnataka, written during the reign of Kannada emperor Someshwara |||. The varieties reflect influences from the food habits of many regions and communities from the three neighbouring
South Indian states, as well as the state of
Maharashtra to its north. Soopa Shastra is notable medieval Kannada literally work written in 1508 A.D on the subject of Kannada cuisine. Some typical everyday dishes in Kannadigas homes include
Bisi Bele Bath,
Jolada rotti,
Ragi rotti,
Akki rotti, Masale rotti,
Saaru,
Huli,
Benne dose,
Ragi mudde, Chitranna, Chapathi, Poori, Avalakki, Puri Usli,
Puliyogare (tamarind rice) and
Uppittu.
Dosa (food) origin is linked to
Udupi cuisine. A recipe for dosa (as dosaka) can be found in Manasollasa. Plain and rave
Idli,
Masala Dosa or Masale dosey and
Maddur Vade are very popular in South Karnataka.
Neer dosa is a delicacy from coastal Karnataka.
Davanagere Benne dose is a notable flavourful dosa. Kadubu, a kind of
rice dumplings, is a popular and ethnic food in South Malnad regions such as
Sakaleshpura,
Mudigere,
Somwarapete, etc. and is consumed with (
black sesame) chutney. Among sweets,
Mysore Pak,
Dharwad pedha, Chiroti, Jalebi, and Belagavi Kunda are well known. Hurnagadab,
Karadantu of
Gokak and
Amingarh,
Obbattu (bele hurana holige), Kaayi Kadubu, Kaayi (coconut) Obbattu, Shenga holige, Thambittu (tamta), Karji Kai, Ellu unde, Ginna, Halubai, Rave Unde, Otthu Shavige Kaayi haalu, a variety of Payasa (Shavige payasa, kadle bele payasa, Hesaru bele payasa, Sabakki payasa), Sajjige, and
Kesari bat are popular sweets. Indis (
chutneys) of Karnataka have a very distinct taste and flavour. Some popular ones include Shenga indi (
groundnut), Agashi indi, Karal indi, Inichi indi, and Mavina indi (mango). Similarly, Karnataka (
pickles) too are very distinct from the rest, like Mavina (fine mango pickles), (lemon pickles), (entire mango pickle), (carrot pickle), and (chili pickle). Some non-vegetarian dishes include: Dhonne biriyani, Bamboo biriyani, Mutton pulao, Mangalore fish curry, fish fry, Mangalore mutton and chicken Sukka, Mandya naati style Baaduta, Ragi mudde - Koli saaru, rice with Mutton sambar, Egg curry, Pork curry, chicken sambar, or gravy, and Boti gojju, among others.
Clothing The costume of Kannada people varies from place to place. The Kannadiga male costume mainly includes
panche (some tie as Kachche) or
lungi (wrapping style depends on the region),
Angi a traditional form of shirt and
Peta turban worn in Mysuru style or Dharwad style.
Shalya is a piece of long cloth which is put on shoulder commonly seen in the countryside. Many use
Khadi in their clothing until date of which politicians are prominent ones. Female costumes include
Seere of which
Ilakal Seere and
Mysore silk are famous. Seere has variations of draping depending on regions like Kodagu, North and South Karnataka and
Karavali. Young women in some parts of Karnataka traditionally wear the
Langa davani before marriage.
Kasuti is a form of embroidery work which is very popularly sought-after art on dress and costumes. An urban male costume comprises trousers, a shirt and sandals, while that of females include
shalwar. Jeans are popular among the youth, while new age Khadi/silk printed with art or emblem also find place. ==Literature==