Karnataka People

Karnataka people are an extremely varied mix of ethnic, racial and religious affiliations. Malayalis, Tamils, Marathis and people from Andhra Pradesh have co-existed in mutual harmony with the indigenous people of the land for centuries. Karnataka people have always upheld the ideals of tolerance. It therefore seems obvious that people of varied ethnicities have made and still continue to make Karnataka their home. Indigenous tribes like the Kurubas are the original people of Karnataka. However, at various points of time, people of both Aryan and Dravidian ethnicities have made Karnataka their home. If Brahmins and other upper caste Hindus came with Shankaracharya and made Karnataka their home, then the Tigalas came in the times of Hyder Ali.

Kannad is the official language and is spoken by most people in Karnataka. But at the same time there are other linguistic groups like Tamil, Malayali, Konkani, Hindia and Urdu speaking people. Hinduism is the most widely followed religion in Karnataka followed by Islam and Christianity. The Malayali groups are centered around Mysore and form a distinct socio-linguistic group within Karnataka people. The Coorgs of the Koduva district form a distinct group among Karnataka people. Despite being a part of the Kannad mainstream, they do have customs, religious practices and dress codes that are unique to their tribe.

The various ethnicities within the people from Karnataka have extremely indigenous traditions, customs and languages. Kurubas are the main tribal group. They are further divided into many ethnicities like Bewttada Kuruba and Jenu Kurubas. These people of Karnataka have their individual language and their very own religion. The Kurubas depend largely on agriculture as their mode of livelihood. Modern Karnataka has an extremely cosmopolitan feel about it. Various people from across India as well as various parts of the world have heartily made Karnataka their home.

Karnataka Women

Karnataka women have played an important part in the cultural and political history of the state. From Gangubai Hangal to Ashwini Nachappa, from Shakuntala Devi to Aishwarya Rai, women from Karnataka continue to make a mark in India's cultural scene.

Modern women in Karnataka are self-assured and educated professionals who participate actively in every sphere of human activity.

However, a disparity of the condition among Karnataka women in the urban and the rural areas cannot be altogether denied. Incidents of gender discrimination has not been uncommon in Karnataka, especially in the rural areas and among the urban poor. The Karnataka State Women's Commission has recently formed a panel to initiate an in-depth study of the conditions of Karnataka's women. That would be followed by sure and planned steps to alleviate their plight.

Karnataka women in the recent times have been extremely proactive in their upliftment in society. The formation of self-help groups to elevate their positions among the urban poor have been particularly noteworthy. With the support of he Asian Development Bank (ADB), these Karnataka women are working to eradicate the evils of alcoholism, borrowing and joblessness of their male counterparts. These poor women in Karnataka have also been active to become economically self-sufficient. This is dove mainly through small scale entrepreneurship, skilled labor, etc.

Last Updated on 27 June 2013 March 2013