Dakshina Kannada
Encyclopedia
Geography
The district geography consists of sea shore in the west and Western GhatsWestern Ghats
The Western Ghats, Western Ghauts or the Sahyādri is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan...
in the east. The major rivers are Netravathi, Kumaradhara, Phalguni
Phalguni
Phalguni may be:*the Phalguni river*an asterism and lunar mansion in traditional Hindu astronomy and astrology, see Nakshatra#List_of_Nakshatras...
, Shambhavi, Nandini or Pavanje
Pavanje
Pavanje or Pawanje is a village in South Canara district of Karnataka state, India. It is sited on the north bank of the Pavanje River, adjoining national highway 17 between Udupi and Mangalore.Pavanje lies to south of Haleangadi. The Arabian sea is on west of this village...
and Payaswini which all join Arabian sea
Arabian Sea
The Arabian Sea is a region of the Indian Ocean bounded on the east by India, on the north by Pakistan and Iran, on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, on the south, approximately, by a line between Cape Guardafui in northeastern Somalia and Kanyakumari in India...
. Vast areas of evergreen forests which once covered this district, have been destructed due to rapid and unplanned urbanisation and hectic commercial activities. Teak, Karmara (Ebony), Wild Jack, Bhogi and many other native trees have disappeared from many areas of Dakshina Kannada district. Unlike other villages of India, where cluster of houses surrounded by farm fields make a village. In Dakshina Kannada district, houses are in midst of farm field or garden or plantation of coconut
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
or arecanut, many times houses in a village are separated by few hundred metres or yards. The typical scenario of house in midst of farm fields or garden or forest has been disappearing. The rapid increase in population,income and also breakup of joint family system has led to construction boom from 1990's.
Climate
Language
Tulu and Konkani are the native languages of majority of people living in Dakshina Kannada district. Kannada, is spoken by a substantial number of people as mother tongue.Historic Sites
- MoodabidriMoodabidriMoodabidri , is a small town 37 km northeast of the Dakshina Kannada district headquarters, Mangalore, in Karnataka, India....
: Site of the ancient Jain temples and the BhattarakaBhattarakaA Bhaṭṭāraka is the head of traditional Jain institutions. They are responsible for training of scholars, maintenance of libraries, managing the endowments, presiding over the installation ceremonies and running of Jain institutions....
seat. - Krishnapura mathaKrishnapura mathaThe Krishnapura Matha is a Madhwa Vaishnava monastery. It is one of the Ashta Mathas of Udupi founded by Dvaita philosopher Madhvacharya of Udupi. Krishnapura Monastery is currently headed by Vidyasagara Thirta.. The first swami of this monastery was Janardhana Thirta, who was one of the direct...
: One of the matha (monastery) belonging to ashta matha of udupi. - DharmasthalaDharmasthalaDharmasthala is a temple village on the banks of the Nethravathi River in the Belthangadi taluk of the Dakshina Kannada district in Karnataka....
: Popular temple of Lord Sri Manjunatheshwara is located here - KadriKadriIn Estonian, Kadri is a feminine given name. The name entered Latvian as the variant of Kadri, Kadrija.Notable people who share the given name Kadri include:Male:*Kadrî of Pergamon, 16th century Turkish linguist...
: Famous temple of Lord Shiva - KateelKateelKateel or Kateelu is a temple town in the Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka, India. It is about 29 kilometers away from Mangaluru and is considered one of the holiest temple towns in Hinduism...
: Famous temple of Goddess Sri Dugra Parameshwari - MundkurMundkurMundkur is a village in Karkala Taluk, Udupi district Karnataka, India. The Durga Parameshwari temple located here is more than 1300 years old. -History of Sri Kshethra Mundkur:...
: Sri Durga Parameshwari Temple - Karinjeshwara Temple : Famous ancient temple of lord Shiva Parvati on a huge rock
- UllalUllalUllāḷ is a panchayat town in Dakshina Kannada district in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is a small town about 8–10 km south of Mangalore close to the border between the two southern states of Karnataka and Kerala. It comprises two revenue villages, Ullal and Parmannur, in Mangalore Taluk...
: Excellent site seen for Sunset in the beach - Kukke Subramanya : Famous ancient temple of the serpent lord Subramanya is located here.
- Mulki : Durgaparameshwari Temple
- St Aloysius ChapelSt Aloysius ChapelSt. Aloysius Chapel, or the chapel of St. Aloysius College, is a Christian chapel in Mangalore in the state of Karnataka in southwest India.-History:...
, Mangalore - Milagres ChurchMilagres ChurchThe Milagres Church is a historic Roman Catholic Church situated in the Hampankatta locality of Mangalore. The church was built in 1680 by Bishop Thomas de Castro, a Theatine from Divar, Goa. The original structure was constructed at the site of the present-day cemetery...
, Mangalore - Sayyed Madani Mosque and Dargah,Ullal
- Sultan Battery, Mangalore
- Puttur:Popular temple of Lord Sri Mahalingeshwara is located here
- VittalVittalVittal is a village in the southern state of Karnataka, India. It is located in the Bantwal taluk of Dakshina Kannada district in Karnataka.-Demographics:...
:Famous ancient temple of the Panchalingeshwara temple is located here. - UppinangadiUppinangadiUppinangadi or Uppinangady is a town in the Dakshina Kannada district in the state of Karnataka. It is surrounded by the Kumaradhara River on one side and Nethravathi on the other. When the town's two surrounding rivers rise during the rainy season and meet, this is called the "Sangam", which is...
: Sahasralingeshwara temple. - Kepu,Ananthadi,Balnadu:Famous for goddess ullalthi temple and its unique heritage
Cultures,Traditions and rituals
Parashurama
Parashurama , is the sixth avatar of Vishnu and belongs to the treta yuga, and is the son of a Brahmin father Jamadagni and mother Renuka. He is considered one of the seven immortal human. He received an axe after undertaking a terrible penance to please Shiva, from whom he learned the methods of...
from the sea. Hence worship of serpent is done to original inhabitats. Nagaradhane
Nagaradhane
Nagaradhane is a form of snake worship which, along with Bhuta Kola, is one of the unique traditions prevalent in coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada , Udupi and Kasaragod alternatively known as Tulu Nadu- Origin of Nagaradhane :...
or Snake worship is practised according to the popular belief of the Naga Devatha
Naga
Naga or NAGA may refer to:* Nāga, a group of serpent deities in Hindu and Buddhist mythology.-People:* Nayan / Nayar/Nair people of Kerala Society* Naga people, a diverse ethnic identity in Northeast India...
to go underground and guard the species on the top. Worship of spirits is prevalent in these areas. Rituals like Bhuta Kola are done to satisfy the spirits. Kambla, a form of buffalo race on muddy track in the paddy field, is organised. Cock fight (Kori Katta in Tulu) is another pastime of rural agarian people, but unfortunately has turned in to gambling.
Yakshagana
Yakshagana
Yakshagana is a musical theater popular in the coastal and Malenadu regions of Karnataka, India. Yakshagana is the recent scholastic name for what are known as kēḷike, āṭa, bayalāṭa, bayalāṭa, daśāvatāra . It is believed to have evolved from pre-classical music and theatre during Bhakti movement...
is the popular folk art of this district. The Yakshagana
Yakshagana
Yakshagana is a musical theater popular in the coastal and Malenadu regions of Karnataka, India. Yakshagana is the recent scholastic name for what are known as kēḷike, āṭa, bayalāṭa, bayalāṭa, daśāvatāra . It is believed to have evolved from pre-classical music and theatre during Bhakti movement...
is a night-long dance and drama performance practiced in Tulu Nadu with great fanfare. Pilivesha
Hulivesha
Hulivesha "Tiger Masque" is a folk dance unique to the Tulu Nadu region of Karnataka. Hulivēṣa is performed during Navratri to honour the goddess Sharada - an aspect of Saraswati whose favoured animal is the tiger...
(Tiger dance) is a unique form of folk dance in the region fascinating the young and the old alike, which is performed during Dasara
Mysore Dasara
Mysore Dasara is the Nadahabba of the state of Karnataka. It is also called Navaratri and is a 10-day festival with the last day being Vijayadashami, the most auspicious day of Dasara. Dasara usually falls in the month of September or October...
and Krishna Janmashtami. Karadi Vesha (Bear Dance) is one more popular dance performed during Dasara
Mysore Dasara
Mysore Dasara is the Nadahabba of the state of Karnataka. It is also called Navaratri and is a 10-day festival with the last day being Vijayadashami, the most auspicious day of Dasara. Dasara usually falls in the month of September or October...
.
Kambala
Kambala
Kambaḷa is a traditional water buffalo race in muddy waters held from December until March. It is the native sport of Tulu Nadu region of South India.-Format :...
or buffalo race is conducted in water filled paddy fields.
Transportation
Dakshina Kannada has good network of roads. Bus services are run by both private players & the state run KSRTCKarnataka State Road Transport Corporation
Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation or KSRTC is the state owned road transportation company in Karnataka.-About:KSRTC was set up in the year 1961 under the provisions of Road Transport Corporation Act, 1950. It is wholly owned by the Government of Karnataka. The Government of India is also...
. The district had public limited (public listed) companies running transport business even before independence of India in 1947.
The district has three national highways connecting to different parts of Karnataka state and India. NH-17 connects district with Udupi, Karwar
Karwar
Karwar is the administrative headquarters of Uttara Kannada district in Karnataka, India. It is a seaside town situated on the banks of the Kali river which is on the west coast of the Indian peninsula. The town lies about 15 kilometres south of the Karnataka–Goa border and 519 km north-west...
, Mumbai, Goa and Kochi. NH-13 connects Shivamogga and Sholapur with the Dakshina Kannada. NH-48 connects district with Bengaluru,Hassan and Sakleshpura.Recently the state highway connecting Mangalore to Mudigere has been declared as national highway -234 . The NH-234 will connect Mangalore in Karnataka state to Villipuram in Tamil Nadu via Charmadi
Charmadi
Charmadi is a village in Beltangady taluk of Dakshina Kannada district. It is one of the points in Western ghats through which motorable road passes connecting Dakshina Kannada with Chikkamagaluru district. The section of ghat is known by the name of Charmadi ghat...
, Mudigere
Mudigere
Mudigere is a panchayat town in Chikmagalur district in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is 35 km from the district headquarters. Several pilgrimage sites such as Dharmasthala , Horanadu, Kalasa, Sringeri are near to the town...
, Belur
Belur
Belur may refer to any of the following:* Belur, Karnataka, town in Karnataka, India* Belur, West Bengal, India, a locality on the west bank of the Hooghly River* Belur Math, the religious abbey located in Belur, West Bengal, India...
, Halebeedu Chintamani and Vellore.
The first railway line was laid around 1907 A.D. connecting city of Mangalore with Azhikal. This railway line helped to connect district with other places of then Madras presidency. The Konkan Railway
Konkan Railway
The Konkan Railway is a railway line which runs along the Konkan coast of India. It was constructed and is operated by the Konkan Railway Corporation...
connects Dakshina Kannada with Maharastra, Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
, Gujarat, Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
, Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
and Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
by train. There are direct trains from Mangalore to Mumbai, Thane
Thane
Thane , is a city in Maharashtra, India, part of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, northeastern suburb of Mumbai at the head of the Thane Creek. It is the administrative headquarters of Thane district. On 16 April 1853, G.I.P...
, Chennai, Goa and Trivandrum. Many trains starting from Kerala to Gujarat, Rajasthan and Delhi pass through this district. Recently train services have started to Bangalore via Hassan and Kukke Subramanya. The Dakshina Kannada district has a seaport at Panambur
Panambur
Panambur is the site of New Mangalore Port. It is located in Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka state, India, north of the Gurupura river. The name Panambur is derived from 'Panam' which means Money and 'Ur' which means place or village in Tulu language.There is a Nandaneshwara temple in...
. It is one of the major sea ports on western coast of India. The district is connected by air through Mangalore International Airport
Mangalore International Airport
Mangalore Airport, formerly known as Bajpe Airport, is a domestic and customs airport serving the coastal city of Mangalore, India...
at Bajpe
Bajpe
Bajpe is a census town in located close to Mangalore city in Dakshina Kannada district in the state of Karnataka, India. It is around 18 km from the heart of the city of Mangalore. The Mangalore International Airport is located at Bajpe and is popularly known as the Bajpe...
.
Agriculture
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
, Coconut
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
, Arecanut, Black Pepper
Black pepper
Black pepper is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The fruit, known as a peppercorn when dried, is approximately in diameter, dark red when fully mature, and, like all drupes, contains a single seed...
and Cocoa. Rice is generally cultivated three seasons in a year, Karthika or Yenel (May–October), Suggi (October to January) and Kolake (January to April). This is subjected to availability of water for the rice or paddy crop. Urad
Urad (bean)
Vigna mungo, known as urad, urad dal, udad dal, urd bean, urd, urid, black matpe bean, black gram, black lentil [not to be confused with the much smaller true black lentil ], maas , đậu đen or white lentil, is a bean grown in southern Asia...
or Black gram is grown in some areas during season of Suggi. Cultivation of vegetables and fruits in fields and gardens for own consumption and selling has declined substantially. The district has APMC market in various taluks for the procurement of agriculture produce. The Karnataka Milk Federation
Karnataka Milk Federation
Karnataka Milk Federation sells products by the name of Nandini. They are famous for taste and quality. Nandini sweets like pedha, jalebi, paneer, curds and milk are savored by thousands of people in India. As the name suggests it is the federation of milk producers association working on...
has a milk processing plant at Kulshekara in Mangalore
Mangalore
Mangalore is the chief port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located about west of the state capital, Bangalore. Mangalore lies between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghat mountain ranges, and is the administrative headquarters of the Dakshina Kannada district in south western...
. The plant process milk procured from the cattles owned by farmers of the district.
Commerce and Industry
The district is called as Cradle of Indian banking and is the most industrialized district in Karnataka.Major nationalised banks of India like Canara Bank
Canara Bank
Canara Bank is a state-owned financial services company in India. It was established in 1906, making it one of the oldest banks in the country. As on 2009 November, the bank had a network of 3057 branches, spread across India...
, Corporation Bank
Corporation Bank
Corporation Bank is an India-based banking company based in Mangalore, India. The bank was founded with an initial capital of Rs. 5000 , and first day’s canvassed resources of less than one USD 1, has currently 12,724 full time employees, and operates from several branches in India.The Bank is a...
, Syndicate Bank
Syndicate Bank
Syndicate Bank Ltd. is one of the oldest and major commercial banks of India. At the time of its establishment, the bank was known as Canara Industrial and Banking Syndicate Limited. The bank, along with 13 major commercial banks of India, was nationalized on 19 July 1969, by the Government of...
, Vijaya Bank
Vijaya Bank
-History:Vijaya Bank , a medium sized bank with presence across India. It was founded on October 23, 1931 by A. B. Shetty and a few other farmers in Mangalore, Karnataka in India.. The objective was to promote banking habits, thrift and entrepreneurship among the farming community of Dakshina...
and private sector Karnataka Bank
Karnataka Bank
Karnataka Bank Limited is a private sector banking institution based in the town of Mangalore in Karnataka, India. The Reserve Bank of India has designated Karnataka Bank as an A1+-class scheduled commercial bank....
evolved from this district.
Red clay tile (Mangalore Tiles
Mangalore Tiles
Mangalore tiles are a type of tiles native to the city of Mangalore, India. The tiles were first introduced to India in 1860 by a German missionary. Since then the industry flourished in India...
), Cashew
Cashew
The cashew is a tree in the family Anacardiaceae. Its English name derives from the Portuguese name for the fruit of the cashew tree, caju, which in turn derives from the indigenous Tupi name, acajú. It is now widely grown in tropical climates for its cashew nuts and cashew apples.-Etymology:The...
processing factories and Beedi
Beedi
A beedi is a thin, South Asian cigarette filled with tobacco flake and wrapped in a tendu leaf tied with a string at one end.The word comes from beeda, Marwari for a leaf wrapped in betel nuts, herbs, and condiments....
industry once flourished in this district. Service sector is booming with setting up of professional education institutes and information technology related services (IT & ITES).
As the district is on the shore of Arabian sea, fishing is one of the major occupation of many people. The major fishing places are Bunder (Old harbour), Panambur, Surathkal, Kotekar and Sasihitlu.
The major industries in Dakshina Kannada are concentrated around Mangalore viz. Mangalore Chemical and Fertilizers Ltd. (MCF), Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Ltd. (KIOCL), Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL), BASF
BASF
BASF SE is the largest chemical company in the world and is headquartered in Germany. BASF originally stood for Badische Anilin- und Soda-Fabrik . Today, the four letters are a registered trademark and the company is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, London Stock Exchange, and Zurich Stock...
, ELF GAS, etc. There is a chocolate manufacturing plant at Puttur run by co-operative CAMPCO
Campco
The Central Arecanut and Cocoa Marketing and Processing Co-operative Limited or CAMPCOwas found on 11 July 1973 at Mangalore. The organisation working on principles of co-operative was found to migitate the sufferings of arecanut and cocoa growers in Indian states of Karnataka and Kerala. The...
.
Major information technology and outsourcing companies have started locating their facilities in Mangalore. viz. Infosys, Lasersoft infosystems Ltd., MPhasis BPO, etc. Wipro
Wipro
Wipro Limited formally Western India Products Limited is a global IT services and consulting company headquartered in Bangalore, India. As of 2011, Wipro is the second largest IT services company by turnover in India and employs more than 120,000 people worldwide as of March 2011...
also plans to set up its development facility soon in Mangalore. Three dedicated IT parks are currently under construction. Two such parks are under construction, one Export Promotion Industrial Park (EPIP) at Ganjimutt and a second IT SEZ near Mangalore University
Mangalore University
Mangalore University is a public university located in Konaje, Karnataka State of India. Ranked with a four star by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council in June 2000, this young university offers higher education and conducts research in various fields...
. A third IT SEZ is being proposed at Ganjimutt. Another IT SEZ of 2 million square feet (180,000 m2) is under construction at Thumbe
Thumbe
Thumbe is a census town in Dakshina Kannada district in the Indian state of Karnataka. Thumbe in Kannada literally means a minute white flower without any fragrance but considered extremely auspicious for worship of Shiva.-Demographics:...
by the BA group. This will include a business centre, convention centre, mall and helipad facility. The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation ONGC plans to set up a multiproduct SEZ
SEZ
SEZ may refer to:*Special Economic Zone*Seychelles International Airport...
(Special economic Zone) with an investment of over Rs. 35,000 crore.
Education and Research
College of Fisheries
College of Fisheries is located in the city of Mangalore which is headquarters of Dakshina Kannada district. The college offers courses in graduate, undergraduate and Phd levels. It is also involved in research of fisheries science. It has two campus within Mangalooru. One at Hoigebazar, another at...
.
located at Yekkur near Kankanady. The district is home to many research institutes like National Research Centre for Cashew at Puttur. Another is a Central Plantation Crops Research Institute at Vitla
Vitla
Vitla also Vittal or Vittel is a village in Bantwal taluk of Dakshina Kannada district, India, around 18 km from Bantwal in Bantwal Taluk. It is also 14 km from Puttur and 40 km from Mangalore. Vitla was an assembly constituency of Karnataka Legislative Assembly, but discontinued from 2008...
.
Demand for a separate Tulunadu state
The Tuluvas of Southern India are a separate culture from the Kannadigas within India. From India's independence and the following reorganization of states, the Tuluvas had been demanding official language status for Tulu and a separate state for themselves comprising Dakshina Kannada and Udupi Districts of Karnataka and Kasaragod District of North Kerala. Though a bit subdued in between, this demand has grown stronger in recent years. Several organizations like the Tulu Rajya Horata Samiti have taken up the cause of the Tuluvas and frequent meetings and demonstrations are held across towns in Tulunadu (like Mangalore, Udupi etc.) to voice their demands of inclusion of Tulu as an official language in the Eight Schedule of the Constitution and teaching of Tulu in schools in Tulu Nadu, and ultimately the creation of Tulunadu state for Tulu ethnic people.