Kannadigas
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
 India | |
| Languages | |
| Kannada (ಕನ್ನಡ) | |
| Religion | |
| Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Jainism |
Kannadiga (Kannada: ಕನ್ನಡಿಗ |masculine|), or KannaDati (Kannada: ಕನ್ನಡತಿ |feminine|) are an ethnic group primarily located in the state of Karnataka in India and neighbouring areas like Andhra Pradesh, Tamilnadu, Kerala ,Goa and Maharashtra. Native speakers of Kannada in other regions might also consider themselves as Kannadigas. Kannadigas are people who speak Kannada, its variants or its various dialects. The variations of dialects are several. Tulu, Kodava, Byari are some of variants while Janapadas of Soliga, Badaga and other tribes of Karnataka having rich contribution to Kannada literature have their own style.
Various districts of Kannada have mixed variations of dialects like Dhaarwaad Kannada, Sankethi, Havyaka, Are Bhashe, Mysooru Kannada, Mangalooru Kannada, Kundagannada etc., based on place. People speaking Kodava are Kodava-Kannadigas and Tulu are Tuluva-Kannadigas. Both Tulu and Kodava are written in Kannada script. Many Kannadigas have emigrated to countries like United States of America, United Kingdom, Australia and United Arab Emirates.
Kannada Empires
Kannadigas have built powerful empires and kingdoms with Kannada as the official language. The language was once popular from Kaveri to Godavari as mentioned in Kavirajamarga of 850 CE. Archeological evidences prove Kannada inscriptions found as far north as Madhya Pradesh (Inscription of Krishna III). The great Karnataka Expansion provides insights to various kingdoms of northern India whose originators were from Kannada country . The major empires, their regal capital and most distinguished kings are
- Western Ganga Dynasty - Talakadu - Durvinita
- Kadamba - Banavasi - Mayurasharma
- Badami Chalukya - Badami - Pulakesi II
- Rashtrakuta - Manyakheta - Amoghavarsha I
- Hoysala - Belur and Halebidu - Veera Ballala II
- Kalyani Chalukya - Kalyani or Basavakalyana -Vikramaditya VI
- Vijayanagara - Hampi - Hakka, Bukka, Krishnadevaraya
- Keladi Nayaka - Ikkeri - Shivappa Nayaka
- Kingdom of Mysore - Mysooru - Nalvadi Krishnaraja Odeyar
Other brave warriors include
- Kittur Rani Chennamma
- Onake Obavva
- Keladi Chennamma
- Sangolli Rayanna
- Tippu Sultan
- Chikka Vira Rajendra
Kannada Art
Sculpture
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Sculpture has been the epitome of art in Karnataka. Places of interest are
Pioneer sculptors include
Modern day contemporaries include visionary architects
- Mokshagundam Vishveshwaraiah - Kannambadi Katte or KRS dam
- Kengal Hanumanthaiah - Vidhana Soudha
Music
The oldest form of music Karnataka Shastreeya Sangeetha evolved over ages has been the cultural peak of Kannadiga creativity not to forget some of the finest additions from Telugu,Tamil and Malayalam singers is aesthetic art contributed to world community from Kannadigas. Purandara Dasa is the Sangitha Pithamaha or the pioneer of classical music form of India -The Karnataka Shastreeya Sangeetha. Almost all Kingdoms have seen musical glory throughout. Both Hindustani and Karnataka variations are respected and nurtured in Karnataka.The jugalbandi of the two would be soothing for ears.Bhavageete and Sugama Sangeetha are some innovations.
Contemporary musical thespians are
- Bhimsen Joshi
- Gangubai Hanagal
- P. Kalinga Rao
- Mallikarjuna Mansur
- Basavaraja Rajguru
- Veene Sheshanna
- Pitilu Chowdiah
- C. Aswath
Theatre
Rangabhoomi or the theatre culture is a timeless tradition with Kannadigas.While lots of the literature or gadya are written in praise of the heroic characters of the epics and puranas there are major works depicting the Kings and their power.These are called Nataka-plays having wide ranging stages for performance like Rangamancha -staged in theatres or Beedhinataka -staged on roads or Bayalata which is one of oldest and performed open-theatre.
Hari-kathe which cover entire night is another form where one (or more) person tells a story in an outstanding manner accompanied by music at background.Its a common feature to narrate battles,stories,devotions,pratha or vratha in front of temples on auspicious days.
Some famous Theatrical,Cinematic,Television personalities like Gubbi Veeranna,G V Iyer ,Rajkumar ,V. Shantaram ,Puttanna Kanagal ,Sri Ranga ,B V Karanth ,Girish Karnad ,Shankar Nag ,T N Seetharam have contributed for this richness.
Bengalooru Habba -festival of Bengalooru - a congregation of art performances at different places of the city has been initiated recently and is very successfully celebrated every year. In 2006 government of Karnataka tried to bring the folk lore and art into the city blues of Bangalore by initiating Jaanapada Jatre which was hugely successful and received well by art lovers is held on weekends in Lalbagh and other parts of the city.
Dance Forms
The heroic ,mystic ,fierce ,spirited reliving of various legends of epics are the major depictions and the theatre of battle scenes of heroism ,loyalty and treachery,colour and pageantry are the main subjects. More adapted with the course of nature and seasons adding colour to the harvesting seasons make dances of Karnataka a unparalleled Jaanapada kale or Common People's art. Some of the folk dances and classical dance forms include
The tribal forms of dance can also be found limitedly in the regions inhabited by Soligas and forests of Kodagu and Western Ghats.
Some socially harmful practices like devadasi had encroached the land which was imitating the courtesan artist performing in King's court of older times, but was demeaning the life the artist in the contemporary society wasn't allowed extensively to grow.Now the government of Karnataka is taking measures to curb it which prevails in parts bordering Maharashtra.
Kalaa Kshetras(The abode of Art)
- Karnataka Chitrakala Parishat
- Chowdiah Memorial Hall
- Gaayana Samaja
- Ranga Shankara
- Nrithya Grama
- Ravindra Kalakshetra
- Gubbi Veeranna Rangamandira
- Janapada Loka
- Rangayana
- NINASAM
are some of the favourite places of art lovers in Karnataka and have produced some of the finest artists.
Cuisine
Kannada Literature
Kannada literature is filled with literary figures and pioneers all through.
Pampa, Ranna and Ponna are considered as three jewels of Halegannada.
Basavanna, Akka Mahadevi, Harihara, Raghavanka,Kumara Vyasa, Sarvajna, Purandara Dasa, Kanaka Dasa ,Shishunala Shareefa etc were pioneers of Nadugannada.
Kuvempu, D.V.Gundappa, Da Ra Bendre, Masti Venkatesha Iyengar, Shivaram Karanth, V K Gokak, U R Ananthamurthy, Girish Karnad, G S Shivarudrappa, S.L. Bhyrappa, Poornachandra Tejaswi, Gopalakrishna Adiga, T.R. Subbarao, A N Krishna Rao, Govinda Pai, Thriveni, K. S. Nissar Ahmed, K.S. Narasimhaswamy, G P Rajarathnam ,T P Kailasam ,Dodda Rangegowda etc are popular navodaya literary figures. The literature works of Kannada in Navodaya is crowned with 7 Jnanpith awards by Government of India.
Some of the contemporary active institutions of Kannada literature are
Contemporary Popular Kannadigas
See also
- Kannada language
- Kannada literature
- Karnataka
- Karnataka literature
- Cinema of Karnataka
- Kannada poetry
- Kannada Wikipedia
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