Karnataka

In the 3rd century BCE, the region we now know as Karnataka came under the Maurya emperors of Magadha. Chandragupta, the founder, is said to have spent his retirement in Shravanabelagola as a Jain ascetic. Jainism, introduced by the Mauryas, survives and flourishes to this day in Karnataka, and has given it some of its finest and oldest attractions including the Gomateswara statues that stand tall in their majestic nakedness in multiple places in the state. The Mauryas were followed by the Satavahanas who ruled from Pratishtana in Maharashtra and Amaravati in present-day Andhra Pradesh. Their reign lasted over 400 years, ending in the 3rd century CE They in turn were followed by the Kadambas of Banavasi and the Western Ganga dynasty that ruled the region that is now Mysore. They are considered the first Kannada rulers. During the time of the Kadambas, the first works in Kannada were written by Adikavi (or first poet) Pampa, who wrote that even torture by an elephant bullhook would not make him forget the beauty of his beloved Banavasi. The Chalukyas, the Rashtrakutas and the Hoysalas were the other major dynasties who ruled major parts of Karnataka from the 7th to 12th centuries. They are responsible for many of the temples that survive to this day and are considered architectural marvels, These include Pattadakal, Belur and Halebeedu....