Dakshina Kannada District is a coastal Karnataka district in the state of Karnataka. As boundaries, it has the Udupi District to the north, the Chikmagalur District to the northeast, the Hassan District to the east, the Kodagu District to the southeast, and the Kasaragod District in Kerala to the south. The Arabian Sea bounds it on the west. Mangalore is the administrative headquarters of the district. Significant towns in the district are Mangalore, Munnur, Surathkal Adyar, Bajala, Belthangadi, Kannur, Kotekara, Mulur, Mudushedde, Mulki, Pudu, Puttur, Someshwar, Sullia, Thumbe, Kokradi and Ullal.
History of Dakshina Kannada District
Before 1860, Dakshina Kannada was part of a greater district called Canara, which was under the administration of the Madras Presidency. In 1860, the British split the area into South Canara and North Canara, the former being retained in the Madras Presidency, while the later was made a part of Bombay Province in 1862. After Indian independence in 1947, South Canara was divided into Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts. The then undivided Dakshina Kannada district consists of the present day borders of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Kasaragod. Later in the year 1997, the Karnataka Government, for facilitating administration, split the greater Dakshina Kannada district into Udupi and the present day Dakshina Kannada districts in the year. The district is famous for red clay roof tiles, cashew nuts and unusual cuisine.
Tulu language is the main dialect of the Dakshina Kannada district. Kannada, Havyaka Kannada, Kundapura kannada, and Konkani are also spoken by a substantial. English language and Kannada being the administrative languages are understood by majority of the population.
Demography of Dakshina Kannada District
According to the Population Census in the year 2011, Dakshina Kannada District had population of 2,083,625 of which male and female were 1,032,577 and 1,051,048 respectively. The population of Dakshina Kannada District constituted 3.41 percent of total population of Karnataka. The population density of Dakshina Kannada district for 2011 is 457 people per sq. km. The average literacy rate of Dakshina Kannada in 2011 was 88.62 compared to 83.35 of 2001. If things are looked out at gender wise, male and female literacy were 93.31 and 84.04 respectively. The total literates in Dakshina Kannada District were 1,666,834 of which male and female were 866,331 and 800,503 respectively.
Education of Dakshina Kannada District
The Dakshina Kannada district has made substantial progress in academics. Primary and secondary education has reached every segment of society. The district`s literacy rate is considerably above the national average. A large number of educational establishments offering courses in Medicine, Engineering, Pharmacy, Nursing, Hotel and catering and Management are located in this district
Culture of Dakshina Kannada District
Dakshina Kannada District is a land of culture, tradition and rituals. The district has many temples of Hindu gods and goddess, which lend an aura of spiritualism to the place. The people of Dakshina Kannada worship the serpent god (Lord Subramanya). As a legend goes, Parashurama from sea reclaimed the district. Many native rituals like nagaradhane and Bhuta Kola are performed here. Kambla is a form of buffalo race organized on the muddy track in the paddy field. Moreover, cockfights are also held.
Tourism of Dakshina Kannada District
The places of tourist interest in the Dakshina Kannada district are Moodabidri (Site of the ancient Jain temples and the Bhattaraka seat), Krishnapura matha (one of the matha (monastery) belonging to ashta matha of udupi), Dharmasthala (the renowned temple of Lord Sri Manjunatheshwara is located here), Kadri, Kateel, Ullal and Subramanya (the famous prehistoric temple of the serpent Lord Subramanya is positioned here). The district is connected by road, rail, air and sea. There is a seaport at Panambur and an international aerodrome at Bajpe. The district is known as the Cradle of Indian banking because it has a dense network of branches of nationalized banks.
