Culture of Karnataka

With a number of celebrated musicians Gangubai Hangal, Mallikarjun Mansur and Bhimsen Joshi who have been recipients of the Kalidas Samman, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan awards; music is the life blood of the state. Despite numerous linguistic and religious variations, the people of Karnataka are bound together by a rich tradition of dance and music.

Having produced a number of stalwarts in both Karnataki and Hindustani style, Karnataka occupies a special place in Indian classical music. Permeated with the astute devotion of Kanaka Dasa and Purandara Dasa, Karnataki music is said to have flourished immensely during the Haridasa movement in sixteenth century under the royal patronage of the Vijayanagar Empire and the Wodeyars. Popularly known as a land of cultural dances, Karnataka boasts of having given the oldest and most popular form of classical dance to India in the form of Mysore style of Bharatanatyam. With Bharatnatyam enjoying a wide patronage in Karnataka, mainstream dances like Kuchipudi and Kathak are also widely performed here in addition to some of the dance forms like Veeragase, Kamsale and Dollu Kunitha.

Celestial Music or Yakshagana is another quite popular dance and drama performance. This elaborate performance unfolds a celestial world before the audience through rare dance, music, songs, scholarly dialogues and colorful costumes. This night-long event usually takes place in open-air theatres or paddy fields.

Known for its rich cultural heritage, the land of Karnataka has also patronized the contemporary theatre culture. Most of the folk theatre forms of the state incorporate themes amassed from the great epic Mahabharata. Another theatre form popular in the coastal towns of Karnataka is 'Bhoota Aradhana' or devil worship where the evil spirits are enacted to be taken out in a procession amidst continuous beating of drums and bursting of firecrackers . In the Southern parts of Karnataka, theatre is a potential medium to appease the serpent spirit. An intricate ritual is conducted to do so in the most extravagant manner which is called Nagamandala. Under this ritual, dancers or Vaidyas dress themselves as nagakannikas and dance the night away. Theatre is flourishing rapidly in the state due to the vibrant efforts of organizations like Ninasam, Ranga Shankara, Rangayana and Prabhat Kalavidaru which are continuing to build on the foundations laid by Gubbi Veeranna and T. P. Kailasam.

With most of the residents of the state being Kannada people, Karnataka is also home to Tuluvas, Kodavas and Konkanis. Some tribes like the Soligas, Yeravas, Todas and Siddhis along with minor populations of Tibetan Buddhists also live in Karnataka.

The dressing style of the people in Karnataka is purely ethnic. The traditional dress of women in Karnataka is saree which is worn in the most distinct style by the women in Kodagu whereas men are clad in Panche- the traditional attire with Mysore Peta used as a traditional headgear. But now, urban people have started wearing Shirt, Trouser and Salwar kameez.

Rice, Ragi and Sorghum are the staple food items in Karnataka. Having a distinctive cuisine, the people of Karnataka relish Bisi bele bath, Jolada rotti, Ragi mudde, Uppittu, Masala Dose and Maddur Vade delightedly.