Karnataka has a recorded history of more than 2,000 years , Karnataka with all its charm and richness in culture and traditional grandeur is a treasure trove of heritage sites. Termed as "The Priceless Gift of Indulgent Nature", Karnataka is a unique blend of a glorious past and a rich present. Known as the Capital of Agarbathi (Incense Sticks), Arecanut, Silk, Coffee and Sandal Wood, Karnataka carries numerous charms which no place can rival in the world.
All this is apart from the fact that Karnataka has been the cultural heritage center for hundreds of years and its testimony stands spread across the state.Karnataka has contributed so much that it far exceeds that of the other regions individually. Music, Religion and Philosophy are some of the fields where Karnataka had excelled very much. The folk theatres have an ancient and rich tradition, the two principal forms being Yakshagana and the Puppet-theatre. 'Yakshagana' is the equivalent to the Kathakali of Kerala in terms of the dresses and the style of dancing. Open-air folk theater or "Bayalata" of Karnataka is a famous dance form, performed at religious festivals and family celebrations. The Pattadakal Dance Festival is a festival of dance held at Pattadakal. Doddata, a less refined dance form than Yakshaganna, pics stories from "Ramayana" and "Mahabharata" and enact them.
The state's long and colourful history, and the several forts, palaces, temples, mosques, and churches make it an interesting place to explore. Travel to Hassan, Hampi, Mysore and Belur and see the past glory of India, which is very much evident in their monuments and ancient structures. Karnataka has a variance of interests such as the ruins of Vijaynagar, sculptures of Belur and Halebid; Mausoleum of Gol Gumbaz at Bijapur; golden sands of Karavalli, proud hills of Kodau; majestic mysore world's tallest freestanding monolith of Bahubali. There is a 17 m statue of Jain Saint Gomateshwara in Sravanabelagola, near Mysore. Huge monolithic Jain statues are peculiar to the Kannada culture.
Coorg has a fascinating history and one of the interesting aspects of its colorful past was the fact that Queen Victoria of England was the godmother of a Coorg princess! After Coorg was annexed by the British in 1834, Chikka Veerarajendra, the last Raja of Coorg, was taken by the British to Vellore in Tamil Nadu, and then to Varanasi in 1835. Chikka Veerarajendra, with two of his wives and his favorite daughter Gowramma sailed to England in 1852. He was the first Indian Raja to sail from India to England. He died in London in 1859. Queen Victoria was the godmother of princess Gowramma. The Queen was present during Gowramma' s baptism by the Archbishop of Canterbury on June 30, 1852, and the princess was given the name Victoria Gowramma.
Queen Victoria was keen to forge a matrimonial alliance between princess Gowramma and Maharaja Duleep Singh, son of Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Punjab, but the alliance failed to materialize. Eighteen-year-old princess Gowramma fell in love with a 48-year-old widower Col. John Campbell and they were married in 1860. The marriage failed in a few years and a dejected princess succumbed to tuberculosis and passed away in 1864. The couple had a girl child who was named Edith Victoria Gowramma Campbell.
Prior to the annexation of Coorg by the British in 1834, Coorg had been ruled by Lingayat Rajas since 1600.
It is interesting to note how a prince in the garb of a priest, took possession of Coorg and began the rein of the Lingayat rajas. A prince of Ikkeri family in Shimoga district, assumed the role of a Lingayat priest and established himself at Haleri, to the north of Madikeri, the capital of Coorg. Gradually, he assumed kingship of Coorg and his heirs ruled the place for the next two centuries.
Most of the early accounts of Coorg are essentially legendary and the only authentic record of Coorg history is available after the ninth and 10th centuries. According to inscriptions, Coorg was ruled by several south Indian dynasties like Gangas, Pandyas, Cholas, Kadambas, Changalvas and Hoysalas. After the fall of Hoysala rule in the 14th century, Coorg came under the supremacy of the Vijaynagar empire. Subsequently, Coorg was ruled by petty local chieftains called Nayakas, till the advent of the Lingayat Rajas.
After the annexation of Coorg by the British in 1834, Coorg was ruled directly by the British till the Indian Independence in 1947. The Indian Constitution recognized Coorg as part ' C' state and an elected government assumed office in 1952 with its own chief minister. In November, 1956, Coorg was merged with the erstwhile state of Mysore, during the reorganization of states. Now, Coorg is a district in the state of Karnataka.
The richness and hospitality of Karnataka can only be felt and never explained better.
