The Kannada flag, a strip of yellow and red, symbolises both

Kannada Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...

and

Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...

. Although it doesn't have any official status. Based on ancient Kannada, people believe the yellow and red colours in the flag stand for Arashina (Turmeric) and Kumkuma (Vermilion). These two substances signify auspiciousness and well-being in Karnataka and among Kannada people across. It is hoisted every year by the Chief Minister of Karnataka on

Karnataka Rajyotsava ''Kannada Rajyotsava'', also known as Karnataka Formation Day or Karnataka Day, is a state public holiday and celebrated on 1 November of every year. This was the day in 1956 when all the Kannada language-speaking regions of south western Indi ...

(November 1).

Government banner

The

Government of Karnataka The Government of Karnataka, abbreviated as, GoK, or simply Karnataka Government, is a democratically-elected state body with the governor as the ceremonial head to govern the Southwest Indian state of Karnataka. The governor who is appointed ...

can be represented by a banner that depicts the emblem of the state on a white background.

History

Vijayanagara Empire

The

Vijayanagara Empire The Vijayanagara Empire, also called the Karnata Kingdom, was a Hindu empire based in the region of South India, which consisted the modern states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa and some parts of Telangana and Mahar ...

was a

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

empire based in the region of

South India South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, as well as the union territ ...

, which consisted the modern states of

Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil language ...

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

Goa Goa () is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is located between the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north and Karnataka to the ...

and some parts of

Telangana Telangana (; , ) is a state in India situated on the south-central stretch of the Indian peninsula on the high Deccan Plateau. It is the eleventh-largest state and the twelfth-most populated state in India with a geographical area of and 3 ...

and Maharashtra. Sun, Moon, Dragger and Boar (

Varaha Varaha ( sa, वराह, , "boar") is an avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu, in the form of a boar. Varaha is generally listed as third in the Dashavatara, the ten principal avatars of Vishnu. Varaha is most commonly associated with the leg ...

) were identified with Royal insignia of the Vijayanagara kings.

Kingdom of Mysore (1880s–1974)

The present-day Karnataka state went through a series of geopolitical and cultural transformations. After

India's independence The Indian independence movement was a series of historic events with the ultimate aim of ending British rule in India. It lasted from 1857 to 1947. The first nationalistic revolutionary movement for Indian independence emerged from Bengal. ...

in 1947, the constitutional changes took nearly three years to come into effect, during which the Kingdom of Mysore remained the state's original form territorially. In 1950, the Kingdom of Mysore was renamed

Mysore State Mysore State, colloquially Old Mysore, was a state within the Dominion of India and the later India, Republic of India from 1947 until 1956. The state was formed by renaming the Kingdom of Mysore, and Bangalore replaced Mysore as the state's c ...

when India became a democratic republic, but

Maharaja Mahārāja (; also spelled Maharajah, Maharaj) is a Sanskrit title for a "great ruler", "great king" or " high king". A few ruled states informally called empires, including ruler raja Sri Gupta, founder of the ancient Indian Gupta Empire, a ...

Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar (18 July 1919 – 23 September 1974) was the 25th Maharaja of Mysore from 1940 to 1950, who later served as the governor of Mysore and Madras states. Early life Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar was born on 18 July 1919 at M ...

continued to be the chief head of Mysore State (as ''maharaja'', then as ''

rajpramukh Rajpramukh was an administrative title in India which existed from India's independence in 1947 until 1956. Rajpramukhs were the appointed governors of certain Indian provinces and states. Background The British Indian Empire, which inclu ...

'', and finally as governor). In 1956, the Reorganisation of States Act on linguistic-basis was passed by the Republic of India, which furthered Mysore State's frontiers. Coastal parts of

Mangalore Mangalore (), officially known as Mangaluru, is a major port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats about west of Bangalore, the state capital, 20 km north of Karnataka–Ke ...

, which previously belonged to Madras Presidency, were incorporated into Mysore State, as well as Kannada-speaking regions of Bombay Presidency (sometimes referred to as Bombay-Karnataka region) and Hyderabad State (Hyderabad-Karnataka region). In 1974, Mysore State was renamed Karnataka State. Until this point, the flag of the Kingdom of Mysore remained the state's flag, official until 1956, and ''de facto'' thereafter, until 1974, alongside the bi-coloured Kannada flag. With the renaming of state, pro-Kannada movements throughout Karnataka gained pace, during which the bi-coloured Kannada flag became more prevalent. The Mysore Kingdom flag was oblong and bi-coloured: a red strip on the top, symbolising vermilion, and a maroon strip on the bottom. In the centre was inscribed the coat of arms of the Kingdom of Mysore. Some synonymous versions of the flag redact the emblem; the original version, however, comes with it inscribed in the centre. The coat of arms bore a mythical two-headed eagle, called ''

Gandabherunda Gandaberunda () or Bheruṇḍa (Sanskrit: भेरुण्ड, lit. ''terrible'') is a two-headed bird in Hindu mythology, believed to possess immense magical strength. Later Vaishnava traditions hold it to be a form of Vishnu to fight Sharabha ...

'', in Kannada. This emblem itself was an adoption from that of the

. Mysore Kingdom inherited this right after the principality was commissioned in 1399 by

Harihara II Harihara II (1342–1404 CE) was a emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire from the Sangama Dynasty. He patronised Kannada poet Madhura, a Jaina. An important work on Vedas was completed during his time. He earned the titles ''Vaidikamarga Sthapana ...

, anointing Mysore Kingdom's first ruler,

Yaduraya Wodeyar Adi Yaduraya (later, Vijaya Raja Wodeyar; 1371–1423) was the first raja of the Kingdom of Mysore from 1399 until his death in October 1423. Chakravarthy Harihara II of the Vijayanagara Empire installed Yaduraya as his vassal and as a dedic ...

, as its ruler. After the state's renaming in 1974, this flag was gradually decommissioned. Nevertheless, this flag remains, to this day, the official flag of the Mysore royal family, and is used during the private and, sometimes, in public, celebrations of the Dasara festival, including the Special Assembly (''khas durbar'') during the carnival.

Kingdom of Mysore Under Haider Ali and
Tipu Sultan Tipu Sultan (born Sultan Fateh Ali Sahab Tipu, 1 December 1751 – 4 May 1799), also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore based in South India. He was a pioneer of rocket artillery.Dalrymple, p. 243 He i ...
(1761–1799)

In the second half of the 18th century, the Maharajas of Mysore were reduced to the role of puppet rulers, with the real power held by the

Muslims Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...

. At least 3 flags are known from this period. Hyder Ali standard from Battle of Sholinghur 1781 captured by

Madras Regiment The Madras Regiment is the oldest infantry regiment of the Indian Army, originating in the 1750s. The regiment took part in numerous campaigns with both the British Indian Army and the post-independence Indian Army. History The town of Madras wa ...

. White with a red border, with five red disks was the naval flag used from c. 1784 to 1799, the year of Tipu Sultan's defeat by the British. The weak and primitive local navy disintegrated at the first serious clash with European ships, and with it the flag disappeared. Another flag is a green triangle with gold symbols seen in one of James Hunter's paintings.

Jamkhandi State

Jamkhandi State Jamkhandi State was one of the Maratha princely states of British India. It was founded in 1811 and its capital was at Jamakhandi. It was administered as part of the Deccan States Agency of the Bombay Presidency and was one of the former states ...

was one of the

Maratha The Marathi people ( Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as ...

princely states A princely state (also called native state or Indian state) was a nominally sovereign entity of the British Indian Empire that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule, subject to ...

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...

. It was founded in 1811 and its capital was at Jamakhandi. State flag used until 1948. The state coat of arms without colors appeared on a plain

saffron Saffron () is a spice derived from the flower of ''Crocus sativus'', commonly known as the "saffron crocus". The vivid crimson stigma and styles, called threads, are collected and dried for use mainly as a seasoning and colouring agent in ...

background. An oval shield with a ritual ax flanked by two torches placed on the bordure. Around the shield, supported by two draped elephants with a flag in their trunks, were various figures: above the sun and moon, below various weapons and a scroll with the name of the country.

Mudhol State

Mudhol State Mudhol State was a princely state during the British Raj. The rulers were from the Ghorpade clan of the Marathas. It was one of the former states of the Southern Maratha Country and its capital was the city of Mudhol in present-day Bagalkote Di ...

was a princely state during the

British Raj The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was him ...

. The rulers were from the Ghorpade clan of the

Marathas The Marathi people ( Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a ...

. It was one of the former states of the

Southern Maratha Country The Belagavi border dispute or Belgaon border dispute is a dispute between the Indian states of Karnataka and Maharashtra over which state Belagavi rightfully should be part of. Belagavi is now a district in Karnataka, but in British India, wa ...

and its capital was the city of

Mudhol Mudhol is a city previously known as "'Muduvolalu"' in the Bagalkote District in the northern part of the South Indian state of Karnataka. It is about from the district headquarters of Bagalkot and from subdivision of Jamakhandi. It is famous ...

Ramdurg State

Ramdurg State was one of the

princely states ruled by the Bhave family during the

. It was administered as part of the

Deccan States Agency The Deccan States Agency, also known as the Deccan States Agency and Kolhapur Residency, was a political agency of British India, managing the relations of the British government of the Bombay Presidency with a collection of princely states and ...

of the Bombay Presidency, founded in 1799. It was one of the former states of the

and its capital was at Ramdurg. National flag adopted at an unknown date and abolished in 1948. The classic Bhagwa zenza (deep indented square), usually worn with a large orange ribbon. It was also the banner of the ruler.

Sandur State

Sandur State was a princely state of India during the

, part of the

Madras States Agency The Madras States Agency was an agency of India. Founded in 1923, it consisted of these five princely states (by precedence) : * Travancore, ruled by a Maharaja with a hereditary salute of 19-guns; * Cochin, ruled by a Maharaja with a hereditar ...

. Its capital was the town of Sanduru. State flag adopted at an unknown date and abolished with the state in 1949. Proportions 4/7. The orange field signified the descent of the ruling dynasty from the

Maratha Empire The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern Indian confederation that came to dominate much of the Indian subcontinent in the 18th century. Maratha rule formally began in 1674 with the coronation of Sh ...

. The black and white canton was taken from the insignia of the Armed Forces. Another flag of Sandur, considered a royal flag, featured an emblem consisting of a sun with an umbrella and a lizard on an Bhagwa Dhwaj. The umbrella and the lizard are the crest and

badge A badge is a device or accessory, often containing the insignia of an organization, which is presented or displayed to indicate some feat of service, a special accomplishment, a symbol of authority granted by taking an oath (e.g., police and ...

of the principality's coat of arms respectively. The same emblem appeared on the war flag, it was a white triangle with two black stripes above and below it.There is no evidence to link the design of the national flag with the similar design of the old Georgian flag.

Kannada flag

The ''Kannada flag'' is a flag that is in popular use in the state of

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. It is widely identified with

, Kannadigas and the

language. The flag does not represent separatist ideology and was used across the length and breadth of the state by Kannada-centric organisations and private individuals to show solidarity with Kannada causes and demonstrate their unity. It finds a place in the official website of the Government of Karnataka.

History

The Kannada Movement, Chaluvali, is a result of various socio-political issues that rocked the capital in the early part of the 20th century. The British established the Cantonment and brought a large number of Tigalas from the

Madras province The Madras Presidency, or the Presidency of Fort St. George, also known as Madras Province, was an administrative subdivision (presidency) of British India. At its greatest extent, the presidency included most of southern India, including the ...

to work. When the plague killed a large number of people at the end of the 19th century, the two major textile mills in Bengaluru were closed down. After three decades, they were restarted and workers from Arcot were brought in. Added to that population were the officials in the British government who were all from Tamil Nadu. The local language was pushed to a corner as all of them were using their mother tongue. It was only in 1909 when Sir M Visverwaraya became the dewan that a Mysuru Economics Conference was established for integrated development of the Kingdom of Mysore and R H Deshpande, founder of Karnataka Vidhyavardhaka Sangha in Dharwad, suggested a Servants of Karnataka Society, similar to Servants of India Society to safeguard the interests of Kannada. This was the actual beginning of Karnataka Sahitya Parishat in 1915. Following an advertisement in the newspaper calling invitations from “painters for Bangalore municipality, knowledge of Tamil and Telugu compulsory” writer A N Krishna Rao and his band of faithful followers launched a Kannada movement. In 1962, a Bengaluru Kannadiga conference was held at the Mysuru Commerce Bhavan inaugurated by

Kengal Hanumanthaiah Kengal Hanumanthaiah (14 February 1908 – 1 December 1980), also spelt as Kengal Hanumanthaiya, was the second Chief Minister of Karnataka (then, Mysore State) from 30 March 1952 to 19 August 1956. He contributed to the construction of Vidhana ...

and attended by a number of stalwarts like

Gubbi Veeranna Gubbi Hampanna Veeranna (1891 – 1972) was an Indian theatre director. He was one of the pioneers and most prolific contributors to Kannada theatre. He established the drama company, ''Gubbi Sree Channabasaveshwara Nataka Company'', which play ...

, Khadri Shamanna, M Ramamurthy, Veerakesari Seetharama Shastri, who formulated several actions plans to safeguard Kannada in the capital. Gradually the movement took the momentum and several incidents during that time shed interesting insights. For instance, when the 1963 Tamil film '' Kaanchi Thalaivan'' showed the war between Chalukya and Pallava, a scene in which the king stamps on the Kannada flag, created a lot of dissentment among Kannada activists, and a special screening was arranged at Minerva theater for all writers, artists, eminent personalities to give their opinion. There were heated exchanges of words between the exhibitors and the people. But the result was the unification of Kannada activists. In 1964, the government declared a state holiday for a cricket match between MCC and Presidents’ XI and refused to declare November 1 a holiday. Protests and subsequent developments resulted in the Rajyotsava Day being declared a state holiday. M Ramamurthy went on a

Padayatra A padayatra ( sa, पादयात्रा, pādayātrā, journey by foot, translit-std=ISO) is a journey undertaken by politicians or prominent citizens to interact more closely with different parts of society, educate about issues concerning ...

, protesting against the hoisting of flags from neighboring state parties in the capital and soon he realized Kannadigas did not have a flag to hoist. He designed a flag that was yellow, a Karnataka map, and a paddy crown in the center. Since everybody wanted a simple flag, the current yellow and red flag was adopted. The yellow color represents ‘Arisina’ (

Turmeric Turmeric () is a flowering plant, ''Curcuma longa'' (), of the ginger family, Zingiberaceae, the rhizomes of which are used in cooking. The plant is a perennial, rhizomatous, herbaceous plant native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast ...

) and the red color represents ‘

Kumkuma Kumkuma is a powder used for social and religious markings in India. It is made from turmeric or any other local materials. The turmeric is dried and powdered with a bit of slaked lime, which turns the rich yellow powder into a red color. In Ind ...

’ of Goddess

Bhuvaneshwari Bhuvaneshvari (Sanskrit: भुवनेश्वरी, IAST: ''Bhuvaneśvarī'') is a Hindu goddess. She is the fourth amongst the ten Mahavidya goddesses in Shaktism, and one of the highest aspects of '' Mahadevi''. She is identified as Adi ...

. The flag is in popular use all over Karnataka to represent Karnataka and Kannada. The Kannada Movement also has seen several agitations like The Gokak Chaluvali, demand for Bengaluru Kannada TV channel and many others. In all these agitations, the Kannada flag has been the symbol of the unity of Kannadigas. In 2009,

B. S. Yeddyurappa Bookanakere Siddalingappa Yediyurappa (born 27 February 1943), often referred to by his initials BSY, is an Indian politician currently serving as the member of the Bharatiya Janata Party Parliamentary board committee since 17 August 2022, t ...

, then Chief Minister of Karnataka, issued a circular enforcing restrictions on hoisting the Kannada flag on government buildings. Later, this move was challenged in Karnataka High Court in 2012 after then Chief Minister

D. V. Sadananda Gowda Devaragunda Venkappa Sadananda Gowda (born 18 March 1953), is an Indian politician who served as the union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers of India in the Second Modi ministry from 14 November 2018 to 7 July 2021. He also served as the Mi ...

mentioned in his budget speech that the hoisting of the Kannada flag on 1 November will be made compulsory in all government offices, schools, and colleges.

References

{{Reflist Flags of India Government of Karnataka 2018 in India

Government banner

History

Vijayanagara Empire

Kingdom of Mysore (1880s–1974)

Jamkhandi State

Mudhol State

Ramdurg State

Sandur State

Kannada flag

History

See also

References