Dakshina Kannada district is located in the state of Karnataka in India, with its headquarters in the coastal city of Mangaluru. The district covers an area nestled between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea. Dakshina Kannada receives abundant rainfall during the Indian monsoon. It is bordered by Udupi district (formerly a part of this district) to the north, Chikmagalur district to the northeast, Hassan district to the east, Kodagu to the southeast and Kasaragod district of Kerala to the south. According to the 2011 census of India, Dakshina Kannada district had a population of 2,089,649. It is the only district in Karnataka to have all modes of transport - road, rail, water and air - due to the presence of a major hub, Mangaluru. This financial district is also known as the Cradle of Indian banking.
Geography
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File:Sullia. Karnataka (3).jpg|Hilly region – Sullia Town
File:Tannirubhavi beach 02.JPG|Coastal plain – Tannirbhavi Beach
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The district geography consists of seashores in the west and Western Ghats in the east. The soil is mostly lateritic type, characterised by high iron and aluminium content.
The major rivers in the district are Netravathi, Kumaradhara, Gurupura (Phalguni), Shambhavi, Nandini or Pavanje and Payaswini; all flow into the Arabian Sea. At Uppinangadi, the Netravathi and Kumaradhara rivers rise during the monsoon and meet. This event is called "Sangam", which in Sanskrit means confluence. Near Mangaluru, an estuary is formed by the union of the rivers Netravathi and the Gurupura which merge into the Arabian Sea.
The topography of the district is plain up to inside the coast and changes to undulating hilly terrain sharply towards the east in the Western Ghats. Teak, bamboo and rosewood trees are found in the hilly areas towards the east. The Geological Survey of India has identified this district as a moderately earthquake-prone region and categorised it in the Seismic III Zone. In rural Dakshina Kannada, houses are in the midst of a farm field or plantations of coconut or arecanut, separated by a few hundred metres.
Shirlalu village (in the Kudremukh range of Belthangady taluk), with a maximum elevation of , is the highest point in Dakshina Kannada.
Climate
Dakshina Kannada features a Tropical Monsoon climate (Am) according to the Köppen climate classification. The average annual rainfall in Dakshina Kannada is . The average humidity is 75% and peaks in July at 89%.
History
Legend
left|thumb|Parshurama asks Varuna to create the western coast from the sea
As per the Gramappadhathi, Dakshina Kannada (along with the rest of the west coast) was created by Parshurama standing on top of the Western Ghats, and caused the land to rise from the sea by throwing his axe. It was then given to 64 families of Brahmins to settle. He created a temple on Kunjaragiri Hill in memory of his mother. Kutashila, spoken of in the Markandeya Purana, is believed to be the town of Kollur, the abode of Mookambika Devi. Several rivers in the district, including the Netravati, are believed to be mentioned in the Markandeya Purana. Other traditions in the local Paddanas speak of Mayurasharma's inviting of Brahmins from Ahichchhatraa and his organisation of the district.
Early history
The earliest recording of what would become Dakshina Kannada district is found in Sangam literature, specifically in a poem of Mamulanar. M Govinda Pai identified the kingdom of Harita mentioned in the Harivamsha as Dakshina Kannada, specifically correlating the word Mudugara with Moger, part of the title of the fishermen community in the district. Pai speculated as an alternative that the entire strip from North Kanara to Kanyakumari was inhabited by Nagas who worshipped snakes, and that the character Shankachuda mentioned in several works including the work Nagananda, was from this region. Their origins go back further, and if Greek identifications are to be believed the Alupas may have been prominent local chiefs since the 2nd century CE. The Halmidi inscription of 450 CE mentions an Alupa chief fighting as a commander of the Kadambas in a battle against the Kekayas and Pallavas. In a stone inscription near Gudnapur dated to c. 500 CE, the Alupas are mentioned as subordinates to the Kadambas. In 602, the Mahakuta Pillar inscription refers to the Aluvas as being conquered by Kirtivarman I of the Chalukyas. In the Aihole inscription, it appears the Chalukyas had crushed an Alupa rebellion in the early 7th century. During the reign of Vinayadtiya, it is mentioned how the Alupa chiefs helped the king restore peace after the disastrous war with the Pallavas. This Alupa ruler, Aluvarassa I, travelled from Mangalapura (modern Mangalore).
Vijayanagara Empire
A 1204 inscription shows Mangalore had regained its position as capital from Barkur. Over the course of the 13th and 14th centuries, Alupa power declined steadily until Alupakheda was annexed by the Vijayangara Empire. The first Vijayanagara inscription in the district was from 1345 in Attavara. For the next three centuries, the empire administered Tulu Nadu with a firm hand especially as Tulu Nadu was the conduit through which much of their western trade, and how they secured horses from Arabia. Harihara Raya built a fort at Barkur, and instituted a revenue system where half of crops went to the cultivators while the rest were divided between landlords, Brahmins and the state. Ibn Batutta mentioned how the Muslim governor of 'Honore' paid tribute to a Vijayanagara revenue collector in Barkur with the title Wadiyar. While passing from Karwar to Kozhikode, he stayed in a port identified as 'Manjarur', identified as Mangalore, and noted the country to be prosperous but with few wheeled vehicles. In 1860, the British split the area into South Canara and North Canara, the former being retained in the Madras Presidency, while the latter was made a part of Bombay Presidency in 1862. Kundapur Taluk was earlier included in North Kanara but was later re-included in South Kanara. South Kanara included present Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Kasaragod districts and the Aminidivi Islands.
Independence movement
During the 1920s, several newspapers in the district drew inspiration from the freedom struggle such as Tilaka Sandesh, Satyagrahi and others. South Kanara participated in the non-cooperation movement led in the district by Karnad Sadashiva Rao. All independence movements gained significant traction in the district, and Gandhi and Nehru both visited Mangalore during the Freedom struggle. In 1942 large numbers of leaders were jailed in the Quit India movement. The Udupi district was formed from the northern taluks of Dakshina Kannada in 1997. Later, the Karnataka Government, for the purpose of administration, split the greater Dakshina Kannada district into Udupi and present day Dakshina Kannada districts on 15 August 1997. Three taluks of the former district – Udupi, Karkala and Kundapura – formed the new Udupi district.
Administration
Map showing the taluks of Dakshina Kannada District|left|thumb
The district comprises nine talukas: Mangaluru, Puttur, Sullia, Bantwal, Belthangady, Kadaba, Ullala, Mulki and Moodabidri. It used to include seven northern talukas (Udupi, Kundapur, Karkala, Hebri, Brahmavar, Kaup and Byndoor), but these were separated in August 1997 to form Udupi district. The office where taluk administration is hosted is called "Taluk Kacheri". The Taluk (Taluka or Tehsil) are further divided into Hobli's. Mangaluru, Surathkal, Gurupura and Mulki are Hobli's under Mangaluru taluk. Panemamangalore, Vitla and Bantval are under Bantwal taluk. Puttur and Uppinangady are under Puttur taluk. Belthangadi, Kokkada and Venoor are under Belthangady taluk. Sulya and Panja Hobli's are under Sullia taluk. The newly formed taluks of Moodabidri, Ullala and Kadaba have one Hobli each. The office in which Hoblis function is called "Nada Kacheri". The district has 2 revenue subdivisions, namely Mangaluru and Puttur. Mangaluru subdivision has 5 taluks and Puttur subdivision has 4 taluks.
Important cities and towns in Dakshina Kannada include Mangaluru, Surathkal, Puttur, Sullia, Bantwal, Vittal, Moodabidri, Shirthady, Kinnigoli, Uppinangady, Nellyadi, Kadaba, Belthangady, Guruvayankere, Venur, Mulki, Dharmasthala, Ujire and Subramanya. The district is well known for beaches, red clay roof tiles (Mangalore tiles), cashew nut and its products, banking, education, healthcare and cuisine. Mangalore being the second largest city of Karnataka and Puttur are the largest and the major cities of Dakshina Kannada.
Dakshina Kannada District has 1 City Corporation (Mangaluru), 2 City Municipal Councils, 3 Town Municipal Councils, and 8 Town Panchayaths.
Demographics
According to the 2011 census, Dakshina Kannada has a population of 2,089,649, of which male and female were 1,034,714 and 1,054,935 respectively. roughly equal to the nation of North Macedonia. This gives it a ranking of 220th in India (out of a total of 640). second in HDI, first in literacy and third in sex ratio among all districts in Karnataka.
Tuluvas, distributed among the Billava, Mogaveera, Bunt, Kulala, Tulu Gowda and Devadiga communities, are the largest ethnic group in the district. Of these the Billavas are the most numerous community. The Konkani people, Brahmins, Holeyas, the hill-tribes (Koragas), Muslims, Mangalorean Catholics and Arebhashe Gowdas comprise rest of the population. The Brahmins belong chiefly to the Shivalli, Saraswat, Havyaka, Chitpavan, Daivadnya and Kota sub-sections.
Religion and caste
In Dakshina Kannada, Hindus form the majority, while Muslims and Christians form significant minorities. Muslims and Christians have greater presence in urban areas.
The Beary community forms 90% of Dakshina Kannada's Muslim population. The Masjid Zeenath Baksh, the oldest mosque in the region, was built in 644 CE, only 12 years after the death of Muhammad. Almost all Muslims in Dakshina Kannada are Sunni, following the Shafi'i school of jurisprudence.
The majority of Christians in the district are Catholics, now called the Mangalorean Catholics. They trace their ancestry to Goa. A minority are Protestants, its followers were converted by missionaries in the late 1800s who established numerous educational institutions.
Historically Jainism and Buddhism had a significant presence in the district. Jainism was the traditional religion of the Alupas as well as the Chowtas. The Chowtas ruled Dakshina Kannada during the Portuguese invasions of the 1500s.
The caste composition of region in total population is estimated as 18% Billava, 12–14% Bunts, 11% SC - ST, 3–4% Mogaveera, 2% Gaud Saraswat Brahmins and other castes comprises the remaining 18–20 % of the population.