Tulu Nadu

Tulu Nadu
—  Region / Aspirant State  —
Landscape of a Tulu Nadu village
Combined map of Karnataka and part of northern Kerala
Tulu Nadu (South) is shown with other aspirant states of India
Coordinates: 13.00°N 75.40°E / 13.00; 75.40
Country	India
States	Karnataka and Kerala
District	Dakshina Kannada , Udupi and Kasaragod
Metro
Area
• Total	10,432 km2 (4,028 sq mi)
Population (2001)
• Total	3,957,071
• Density	356.1/km2 (922/sq mi)
Languages
• Official
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
Telephone code	0824, 0825
ISO 3166 code	[[ISO 3166-2:IN|]]
Vehicle registration	KA19, KA20, KA21, KL14
No. of districts	3
Largest city	Mangalore
IUCN category

Tulu Nadu is a Tulu-speaking region spread over parts of present Karnataka and Kerala States of India. It consists of the Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts of Karnataka and the northern parts of the Kasaragod district of Kerala up to the Payaswini River. Mangalore (Kudla/Kodial/Mangalapura), Udupi (Odipu) and Kasaragod (Kasrodu) are its important cities.

Demographics

According to Census of India 2001, the population of this region was 3,005,898.

Population

The majority of the population in Tulu Nadu are Tuluvas. Other ethnic groups who settled here include Konkanis, and Bearys.There is a good number of Kannada speaking population in Udupi district (Brahmavar/Kundapur/Byndore taluks) Other languages found are Havyaka Language, Nawait Language (spoken by Muslims in Bhatkal). Malayalam, Urdu and Marathi (marathi naiks/karade brahmins), Koraga language speaking population is also found throughout Udupi and D K districts.

Language

Tulunad (erstwhile Canara District which later became South Kanara/Dakshina Kannada district)was administratively cohesive when it formed part of the Madras Presidency, but the recognisation of Indian states in 1956-57 disrupted this with the accession of Kasargod Taluk in the south west of Kerala. The remainder of the region joined Karnataka.

Dialect Variation

The Netravati river divides Tulunad into two equal parts, a division that has produced district north and south dialect areas. Several Phonological and morphological isoglosses coincide with this division. There are also several social and cultural differences between the two divisions. As a result of closer contracts now being established across the Netravari, however, these differences appear to be gradually diminishing.A preliminary survey of this network is reported in D.N.S. Bhat (1970) and detailed research based on data for the Tulu lexicon project appears in Padmanabha (1990).

Geography

Tulu Nadu lies along the Konkan Coast. Tulu Nadu is bounded on the west by the Arabian Sea and on the east by the Western Ghats. Tulu Nadu spans an area of 8,441 km² (3,259 sq mi), roughly 4.4 per cent of the total geographical area of present-day Karnataka.

Climate

Tulu Nadu also experience heavy rainfalls during Monsoon season. The coastal area of Tulu Nadu is very rich with respect to rainforests and backwaters. The region has a tropical climate; summer and winter months experience similar temperate conditions, with average temperatures ranging from 24 °C to 33 °C.

History

Main article: History of Tulu Nadu

Landscape of a Tulu Nadu village

At the time of the birth of Christ, Tulu Nadu was inhabited by a people referred to as the Konkilankocar or Kōcar in Sangam period works. These are believed to be the same people as the Satyaputras of the Asokan inscriptions.

Historically, Tulu Nadu included the two separate lands of Haiva and Tuluva. The Ballal Kings of Sullia had ruled this area around 1100 years back. The Brahmin Bhargava migration to Tulunadu might have happened during the lifetime of the Kadamba king Mayuravarma at 345 AD. Madhvacharya in the 13th century built the eight monasteries (Matha) in Udupi.

During the rule of Vijayanagara Tulu nadu was administered in two parts – Mangaluru Rajya and Barakuru Rajya. Tulunad was the original homeland of the dynasty that founded the Vijayanagar Empire based in eastern Karnataka. Tulu Nadu was governed by feudatories of the Vijayanagara Empire until the 17th century. The longest reigning dynasty of Tulu Nadu was the Alupas. They were the feudatories of the prominent dynasties of Karnataka. The Kadamba dynasty of Banavasi was the earliest, under which the Alupas flourished. Later the Rashtrakutas of Manyakheta, Chalukyas of Badami, Chalukyas of Kalyani, Hoysalas of Durasamudra and Rayas of Vijayanagara were the overlords. The Alupas, however, were independent and their subordination was nominal at best. They ruled until the Vijayanagara kings totally dominated the Tulu Nadu from 14th to the 17th centuries. The region became extremely prosperous during Vijayanagara period with Barkur and Mangalore gaining importance. After the decline of the Vijayanagara Empire, the Keladi Nayakas of Ikkeri controlled much of Tulu Nadu.

A typical house in Tulu Nadu, with the roof constructed using Mangalore tiles

Over the following many centuries, more ethnic groups migrated to the area. Konkanis and Goud Saraswat Brahmins arrived by sea, as Mangalore was a major port that served not only the Portuguese but also the Arabs for maritime trades. Jains were already a prominent group and even today are uniquely preserved in Tulu Nadu. Though small in number, the Jains left behind indelible reminders of their glory with temples (bastis) in (Moodabidri) and monolithic statues of Bahubali in Karkala, Venoor and Dharmasthala. In the 16th century there was a large influx of Catholics to Tulu Nadu from Goa. They built excellent educational institutes and contributed to the development of education in the region. The Muslim community of Tulu Nadu were basically Arab traders who married local women and settled there. Some of them speak the Beary language, which is a mix of Tulu and Malayalam and others speak Urdu.

Under Portugal, the region was called the Missao do Sul (Mission of the South).In the 18th, it was conquered by Hyder Ali, the ruler of Mysore. After the British defeated Haidar's successor Tipu Sultan in 1799, the region was attached to the Madras Presidency before being reverted to the state of Mysore in the aftermath of independence. Mysore has since been renamed Karnataka. At the end of 18th century, Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan controlled the region. Mangalore played a prominent role in Tipu’s battles with the British. The British gained full control in 1801, after Tipu's death in 1799. The British ruled the region with Madras (now Chennai) as its headquarters. Tipu conquered the region and the British conquered it from him. Under the British, the region was organised into the districts of North Canara and South Canara respectively.

When the states were reorganised on linguistic basis in the 1956, Tulu Nadu (South Canara) which was earlier a part of Madras Presidency and North Canara which was a part of Bombay Presidency became part of the newly formed Mysore state, which was later renamed as Karnataka. Kasargod became part of the newly formed state of Kerala.

Culture

Monolith of Bahubali in Venur

A Yakshagana artist portraying a rakshasa (demon)

Monolith of Bahubali in Karkala

Chaturmukha Basadi, Karkala

Saavira Kambada Basadi, Moodabidri

The Yakshagana is a night-long dance and drama performance practised in Tulu Nadu with great fanfare. Piliyesa is a unique form of folk dance in the region fascinating the young and the old alike, which is performed during Marnemi (as Dussehra is called in Tulu) and Krishna Janmashtami. Karadi Vesha (Bear Dance) is one more popular dance performed during Dasara in Tulu Nadu. Bhuta Kola (Spirit worship), which is usually done at night is practised here. Kambala (Buffalo race) is conducted in water filled paddy fields. Korikatta (Cockfight) is another favourite sport for the people. Nagaradhane (Snake worship) is practised in the Tulu Nadu according to the popular belief of the Naga Devatha to go underground and guard the species on the top.

Tulu is a Dravidian language of India with over three million speakers. Most of its speakers are native to the districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi in the west of the state of Karnataka and Kasargod district of northern Kerala. Besides Tulu, Konkani is also widely spoken in the area. Also, a sizeable population of Muslims are Bearys who speak Beary bashe. The Tulu speakers are known as Tuluvas. The Tulu script, also known as the Tigalari script, bears partial similarity to the Malayalam script. It was used by Tuluvas for centuries, before it was eventually supplanted by the Kannada script. Most Tulu classics are in Tulu script, with a few in other scripts. This script was used by Brahmins. Udupi cuisine is popular across South India, mostly due to Udupi restaurants, which are primarily vegetarian. Apart from Southern India, there are famous Udupi Hotels in Mumbai and New Delhi too.

Economy

Historically, Tulu Nadu was primarily dependent on agriculture and fishing. The main crops grown were rice, Bengal gram, horse gram, vegetables and fruits. Plantation crops like coconut, areca nut, cocoa, cashew nut, and pepper are also grown. In the early 20th century, the Mangalore tile industry, cashew nut processing, and the banking industry grew substantially. Tulu Nadu is called "the cradle of Indian banking".^{[citation needed]} Five major banks of India (Syndicate Bank, Canara Bank, Corporation Bank, Vijaya Bank and Karnataka Bank) have their origins here. In the early part of the 21st century the area has been transforming itself into a hub of the information technology and medical services industries. There has been large-scale decline in agriculture and related industries due to the non-availability of labour and preference for white-collar jobs. Agricultural land is being converted to commercial and real estate properties, and environmental pollution is increasing drastically due to large-scale deforestation and increase in automobile use. A public sector petroleum refinery (MRPL) was established in the 1990s. Some chemical plants (e.g., fertilizers and pesticides) have been established. Tulu Nadu contributes the second highest revenue to Karnataka state after the city of Bangalore. This region has an international airport at Mangalore which is well connected to the rest of India and middle eastern countries. New Mangalore port (NMPT) is one of the major port of India is located at Panambur, Mangalore.

Education

Tulu Nadu is the most prominent Educational Hub on the western coast of India. There are hundreds of professional colleges in Tulu Nadu. Thousands of students from all over India and countries abroad study in these institutions. Mangalore and Manipal are the major cities that accommodate these students. National Institute of Technology Karnataka (NITK, Surathkal, owned by Central Government) is ranked as the best engineering college in Karnataka and is one among the top ten engineering colleges of India. KMC Manipal is one among the top ten Medical Colleges in India and stands at sixth position

Throughout Mangalore(Dakshina Kannada) and Udupi Districts, Christians/Protestant missions run many educational institutions offering basic education from l.k.g. to Acadmic degrees and professional education such Medical (e.g. Father Muller's Medical College), Engineering (e.g. St Joseph Engineering College) and Management education (St Aloysius Management College).

Demand for a separate Tulu Nadu state

In the post-independence era and following the Reorganisation of States, the Tuluvas began demanding official language status for Tulu and a separate state named Tulu Nadu for themselves. Though a bit subdued in between, this demand has grown stronger in recent years. Several organisations like the Tulu Rajya Horata Samiti have taken up the cause of the Tuluvas, and frequent meetings and demonstrations are held across the towns of Tulu Nadu (like Mangalore, Udupi, etc.) to voice their demands.

Notable people

• Ravi Shastri — Former Indian Cricket team captain.
• V. S. Acharya — Former Higher education minister in the Karnataka state government
• Aravind Adiga — Writer and journalist who won the Booker Prize in 2008
• Gopalakrishna Adiga — Kannada poet
• Ashish Kumar Ballal — Former captain of the Indian National Hockey team
• Yograj Bhat — Kannada cinema film director, producer, screenwriter and a lyricist
• Sandeep Chowta — Bollywood and Tollywood music director, head of Columbia Records in India
• George Fernandes — Former Railway and Defence Minister
• Bannanje Govindacharya — Madhava scholar
• Gurukiran — Singer, music director in the Kannada film industry
• Ganesh Hegde — Singer, performer, video director and Bollywood choreographer
• K. S. Hegde — Former Speaker of Lok Sabha and Supreme Court Judge
• Nitte Santosh Hegde — Former justice of the Supreme Court Of India, former Solicitor General of India, and Lokayukta (ombudsman) for Karnataka State of India from 2006–2011
• Veerendra Heggade — Philanthropist and the Dharmadhikari (hereditary administrator) of the Dharmasthala Temple
• K. V. Kamath — Chairman of Infosys Limited
• M. V. Kamath — Journalist and former Chairman of Prasar Bharthi
• B. V. Karanth — Playwright and director
• K. Shivaram Karanth — Kannada writer, social activist, environmentalist, Yakshagana artist, film maker and thinker
• Eesha Koppikhar — Bollywood actress
• Anil Kumble — Former cricketer
• Padma Shri Kadri Gopalnath - One of the pioneers of Carnatic music on the saxophone
• Shirish Kunder — Bollywood director
• Budhi Kunderan — Cricketer
• Madhwacharya — Hindu saint and philosopher
• Sheetal Mallar — Model who won the Femina Look of the Year in 1994
• Vijay Mallya — Liquor and airline baron
• V. Manohar — Music director, lyricist, film director and actor in Kannada Cinema
• Veerappa Moily — Minister of Corporate Affairs and former chief minister of Karnataka(former chief minister of Karnataka)
• Daya Nayak — Sub-inspector in the Mumbai Police
• Deepika Padukone — Bollywood actress
• Prakash Padukone — Former badminton player, most notable for winning the All England Badminton in 1980
• Anant Pai — Educationist and creator of Indian comics
• M. Govinda Pai — Kannada poet
• T. M. A. Pai — Doctor, educationist, banker and philanthropist who founded the university town of Manipal in Udupi
• Santosh Rai Pathaje — Cinematographer and director in the Kannada film industry
• Aishwarya Rai — Bollywood actress and former Miss World
• Prakash Raj — Actor, director and producer who won the National Award winner in 2008
• V. T. Rajshekar — Journalist, founder and editor of the Dalit Voice
• Abbakka Rani — Chowta queen of Tulu Nadu who opposed the Portuguese in the latter half of the 16th century
• U. R. Rao — Space scientist and former chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
• Ratnakaravarni — Kannada poet and writer
• Victor Rodrigues — Konkani novelist and short story writer
• V. J. P. Saldanha — Konkani littérateur, dramatist, novelist, short-story writer and poet
• Anushka Shetty — Kollywood and Tollywood actress
• B. R. Shetty — Entrepreneur
• Devi Prasad Shetty — Cardiac surgeon and philanthropist
• Shilpa Shetty — Bollywood actress
• Sunil Shetty — Bollywood actor, producer, and entrepreneur
• Reshma Shetty — American actress
• Rohit Shetty — Bollywood director
• Siddhanth Thingalaya — Track and field athlete
• Upendra — Kannada film actor, director, screen writer, lyricist and singer
• D V Sadananda Gowda — Former Chief Minister of Karnataka,Former Loksabha Member
• Rohit Soans — Surgeon

Many people in this are konkani speaking and some are kannada speaking.

See also

• North Malabar
• Tuluvas
• Mangaloreans
• Tulu language
• Tulu script
• Kasaragod Tulu
• Kundagannada dialect
• Temples in Tulunadu

References

• Dikshitar, V. R. Ramachandra; Iḷaṅkōvaṭikaḷ (1978). The Cilappatikaram. South India Saiva Siddhanta Works Pub. Society .
• Lozupone, Patsy; Beehler, Bruce M.; Ripley, Sidney Dillon (2004). Ornithological gazetteer of the Indian subcontinent. Center for Applied Biodiversity Science, Conservation International. ISBN 1881173852 .
• Plunkett, Richard (2001). South India. Lonely Planet. ISBN 9781864501612 .

Further reading

• Bhat, P. Gururaja (1975). Studies in Tuluva history and culture: (from the pre-historic times upto the modern). Bhatt .

External links

• World Tulu Conference
• Tuluvas Social Networking
• Tulu Nadu: The Land and Its People
• Mangalore Home Page
• History of tulunad – udupipages.com
• South Canara Gazetteer 1973
• A Research on Tulunadu and Tuluvas