Karnataka (Kar)
Kan: ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ karnāṭaka
‘Black Country’ [Carnatic, Karanāta, Karanāta-desa]
From Dra/Tam: *kar/karu, ‘black’; Dra/Tam: nāṭu (nadu), ‘land’, ‘country’.
In its English form the name Carnatic has been wrongly applied to other parts of the southern region: the name specifically applies to the land (Karnataka, Carnatic, Karanāta) of the people speaking Kannada/Canarese.
The ‘black country’ is probably a reference to the black cotton soil found throughout Karnataka.
In 1947, this state was formed from the princely state of Mysore and in 1956, the Kannada-speaking regions of neighbouring states were added to what was then called Mysore state. The name was changed to Karnataka in 1973.
Karnataka can justifiably claim to be the ‘Coffee Cup of India’: it grows more of it (71% of India’s production) and drinks more of it than any other state.

Aihole (Kar)
Kan: ಐಹೊಳೆ aihoḷe 'Aryan Village’ [Ayyavole, Aryapura, Aivalli, Ahivolal]...
Badami/Vatapi (Kar)
Kan: ಬಾದಾಮಿ bādāmi ‘Vatapi’ [Vatapi,Vatapipura] Town, Karnataka (Kar) From...
Bagalkot/Bagalkote (Kar)
Kan: ಬಾಗಲಕೋಟ bāgalakōṭa ‘Fort Gateway’ [Bagadige] City/District, Karnataka...
Ballari/Bellary (Kar)
Kan: ಬಳ್ಳಾರಿ baḷḷāri ‘Bush Town’ [Bellary, Vallari,Vallaripuram]...
Belagavi/Belgaum (Kar)
Kan: ಬೆಳಗಾವಿ beḷagāvi ‘Bamboo Village’ City/District, Karnataka (Kar)...
Belur (Kar)
Kan: ಬೇಲೂರು bēlūru ‘Radiant Town’ [Velur, Velapuri, Beluhur] Town, Karnataka...
Bengaluru/Bangalore (Kar)
Kan: ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು beṅgaḷūru ‘Venga Tree Town’ City/Capital/District, Karnataka...
Bhadravati (Kar)
Kan: ಭದ್ರಾವತಿ bhadrāvati ‘Bhadra Village’ City, Karnataka (Kar) From Bhadra...
Bidar (Kar)
Kan: ಬೀದರ್ bīdar ‘Halting Place’ City/District, Karnataka (Kar) From Kan:...
Bijapur/Vijayapura (Kar)
Kan: ವಿಜಯಪುರ vijayapura 'Victory City' City/District, Karnataka (Kar) From...
Chikkamagaluru/Chikmagalur (Kar)
Kan: ಚಿಕ್ಕಮಗಳೂರು cikkamagaḷūru 'Youngest Daughter’s Town’ City/District/Hill...
Chitradurga (Kar)
Kan: ಚಿತ್ರದುರ್ಗ citradurga ‘Bright Fort’ [Chitaldoorg] ...
Davanagere (Kan)
Kan: ದಾವಣಗೆರೆ dāvaṇagere ‘Wormwood Tank’ City/District, Karnataka (Kar) From...
Gadag-Betageri (Kar)
Kan: ಗದಗ-ಬೆಟಿಗೇರಿ gadaga-beṭigēri ‘Rocky Road-Hill Tank’ [Kaldugu]...
Gajendragad (Kar)
Kan: ಗಜೇಂದ್ರಗಡ gajēndragaḍa ‘Elephant Fort’ [Gajendragarh] -Fort/Town,...
Gangavathi (Kar)
Kan: ಗಂಗಾವತಿ gaṅgāvati '(Holy) River Village' -City, Karnataka From Ganga or...
Halebidu/Halebeedu (Kar)
Kan: ಹಳೇಬೀಡು haḷēbīḍu ‘Old City’ [Halebid] Town/Monument, Karnataka From Kan:...
Hampi (Kar)
Kan: ಹಂಪಿ hampi ‘Pampa’ Monument, Karnataka From Pampa river. In the epic...
Hosapete/Hospet (Kar)
Kan: ಹೊಸಪೇಟೆ hosapēṭe ‘New City’ [Nagalapura, Hospet] ...
Hubballi/Hubli-Dharwad (Kar)
Kan: ಹುಬ್ಬಳ್ಳಿ hubbaḷḷi ‘Flowering Creeper’, ‘Gateway’ [Hubballi, Pubballi]...
Kalaburagi/Gulbarga (Kar)
Kan: ಕಲಬುರಗಿ kalaburagi ’Stone Garden’/'Rose Garden’ City/District, Karnataka...
Kolara/Kolar (Kar)
Kan: ಕೋಲಾರ kōlāra ‘Waterlily City’ [Kuvalapura Kolahalapura]...
Kuduremukha/Kudremukh (Kar)
Kan: ಕುದುರೆಮುಖ kuduremukha ‘Horse Face’ Mountain Range/Peak, Karnataka From...
Mandya (Kar)
Kan: ಮಂಡ್ಯ maṇḍya ‘Settlement’ City/District, Karnataka Skt: mandira,...
Mangaluru/Mangalore (Kar)
Kan:ಮಂಗಳೂರು maṅgaḷūru ‘Mangaladevi’s City’ [Mangalore, Mangalapuram]...
Mysuru/Mysore (Kar)
‘Buffalo City’ [Mahishuru] City/District, Karnataka Mahishuru. From Skt:...
Pattadakal (Kar)
Kan: ಪಟ್ಟದ್ಕಲ್ಲು paṭṭadkallu ‘Coronation Stone’ [Raktapura] From Skt: paṭṭa...
Raichur (Kar)
Kan: ರಾಯಚೂರು rāyac(h)ūru ‘Royal City’ City/District, Karnataka From Kan:...
Ranebennuru (Kar)
Kan: ರಾಣೇಬೆನ್ನೂರು rāṇēbennūru ‘Queen’s Town’ City, Karnataka (Kar) From...
Robertsonpete (Kar)
Kan: ರಾಬರ್ಟಸನ್ಪೇಟ್ rābarṭasanpēṭ 'Robertson Suburb' Town, Karnataka From...
Shivamogga/Shimoga (Kar)
Kan: ಶಿವಮೊಗ್ಗ śivamogga ‘Shiva Lane’ [Shimoga] City/District, Karnataka From...
Shravanabelagola/Sravanabelagola (Kar)
Kan: ಶ್ರವಣಬೆಳಗೊಳ śravaṇabeḷagoḷa ‘Monk's White Pond’ Town, Karnataka From...
Srirangapatnam/Srirangapatna (Kar)
Kan: ಶ್ರೀರಂಗಪಟ್ಟಣ śrīraṅgapaṭṭaṇa ‘Sri Ranga City’ [Seringapatnam] Temple...
Tumakuru/Tumkur (Kar)
Kan: ತುಮಕೂರು tumakūru ‘Mangosteen Town’ [Tumkur] City/District, Karnataka From...
Udupi/Udipi (Kar)
Kan: ಉಡುಪಿ uḍupi ‘Elevated Village’ [Odipu] City, Karnataka From Tlu: odi,...
Vijayanagara/Vijayanagar (Kar)
Kan: ವಿಜಯನಗರ vijayanagara ‘Victory City’ Historic site/District, Karnataka ...
Vijayapura/Bijapur (Kar)
Kan: ವಿಜಯಪುರ vijayapura ‘Victory Town’ [Bijapur] City/District, Karnataka ...