Tax Form: Fill & Download for Free

Karnataka (Kannaḍa: ಕರ್ಣಾಟಕ or ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ; ISO 15919: Karnāṭaka; Sanskr̥ta: कर्णाटक)Basic stats:Karnataka is 6th largest state by area and 8th largest by population. It is the 3rd largest economy as well.HDI — It has 12th highest ranking in Human Development Index among Indian states.Forest Cover — With ~20% of its area under forest, it ranks relatively low in forest cover at 21. [Report published by Forest Survey of India in 2018][1]Crime stats —It ranks 10th in overall as well as congnizable crime rate. [Report published by National Crime Records Bureau in 2016][2]For the states and UTs for which data is available, it ranks 6th in human trafficking.[3]Suicide rate in the state is also high, at 17.4 suicides per 100,000 people - the 10th highest among the states and UTs.[4]In terms of reported crimes against women, the state ranks 11 in terms of total crime rate and 19th in terms of cognizable offenses.[5]Literacy and Education—The literacy rate is above national average, and the state ranks 23rd in literacy rate [Census 2011][6].Gross Enrollment Ratio of the state stands at 21, which is lower than national average. [Statistics of School Education- 2010-11 published by MHRD][7]Health —It ranks 10th among Indian states in regards to life expectancy at birth.[8]Its rank as per institutional deliveries is 7th considering all states and UTs and 5th considering only states.[9]Obesity ranking of Karnataka is at 12 for both males and females.[10] Coincidentally, its rank in terms of people with lower BMI than normal is also at 12 for both males and females.[11]The access to clean drinking water is higher than national average (national average = 85.5) with 87.5% people having access, making the state’s rank at 11). [Census 2011][12]As per Report on Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) published by Planning Commission (GoI) in 2011, the state ranks 2nd in effective coverage of supplementary nutrition program for children.[13]Vaccination coverage of Karnataka is at 62.6% overall, making its rank at 14 among states. Its urban coverage (59.8%) is lower than rural coverage (64.8%)Economy — Given that Karnataka is India’s 3rd largest economy, economic prosperity is high in may regardsIt has the 2nd highest employment rate among states.Likewise, tax revenues are also high taking the state rank to 6.[14]It ranked 8th among all states and UTs for ease of doing business as of 2018.[15]Nature[16]Karnataka has a rich biodiversity, mainly the courtesy of Sahyadri and various hill ranges of Eastern Ghats. Karnataka supports ~25% of elephant population and ~20% of tiger population of India.Some of the protected areas are listed below.Protected Areas:National Parks —Bandipur National Park[17] —A former hunting ground of the kings of Mysore kingdom, it is now one of the premier tiger reserves in the country. It was formed in 1974 by adding ~800 km[math]^2[/math] to pre-existing hunting grounds of Venugopal Wildlife Park established in Mysore kingdom in 1931. [See: 2019 Bandipur forest fires - Wikipedia]It is seen as a vast pasture for grazing cattle and for collection of firewood and other forest produce by farmers in surrounding villages; this has led to large number of gaurs being killed in disease outbreak transmitted from domestic cattle in 1968. Invasive species of Lantana and Parthenium are making way into the forests at the cost of local wildlife. National Highways 181 and 766 pass through this place leading to many vehicular deaths of wild animals.Nagarahole (Kannada: Snake River) National Park —Separated from Bandipur National Park by Kabini/Kapila river, it is also one of the premier tiger reserves in the country.Wildlife Sanctuaries —Biligiriranga Swamy Wildlife Sanctuary[18] —Created around Biligiriranga Swamy (Kannada: Lord of the stage i.e. Viṣṇu residing on white hill) Temple, this wildlife sanctuary is located in Biligiriranga hills that link southern ranges of Eastern Ghats with Sahyadri, therefore, forming a critical wildlife corridor.The sanctuary suffers considerably from illegal quarrying.Melkote Temple Wildlife Sanctuary located near Melkote temple[19] —It is a small sanctuary known primarily for once abundant Cycas circinalis[20], a species of cycad found only in southern India, and now under the brink of extinction.Someshwara Wildlife Sanctuary[21] —Named after the presiding deity of the temple within the sanctuary, it houses Sitanadi nature camp run by Karnataka Forest Department. A rainforest research station was established by herpotologist Romulus Whittaker in the nearby Agumbe village.Bird Sanctuaries —Bohnal Bird Sanctuary[22] —The sanctuary has its origin in Bonal tank, constructed by Pam Naik, the ruler of Shorapur in 17th century. The tank was subsequently enlarged by British administrator of Shorapur Meadows Taylor, and the tank started attracting migratory birds.Dangers to flora and fauna:Karnataka’s wildlife faces severe problem of poaching, habitat destruction and consequent human conflicts, pollution and invasive species.Habitat Destruction —Destruction of forest land for agriculture and other purposes: large tracts of forest land have been cleaned up for monoculture plantations like teak, coffee and rubber. This has led to the destruction of species that were dependent on the forest. An example of this is loss of special habitats in such as Myristica swamps and high altitude grasslands. In the dry zone, they have adversely affected several species dependent on large tracts of scrub such as wolf and Great Indian bustard.Construction of Linganamakki reservoir in Shimogga district led to extinction of Hubbardia heptaneuron grass. Dams and reservoirs cause large scale destruction of wildlife habitats.Illegal mining scars large tracts of open lands, leading to forest destruction. This includes Kudremukh Iron Ore Company that mines in the protected areas of Kudremukh.Human-Wildlife Conflicts —To keep wildlife away from villages, people often use [illegal] electric fencing and nets. Electric fencing often causes deaths of land animals due to electrocution, particularly elephants. Farms are protected from birds using nets bound on nearby trees — these nets instead of killing instantly, cause dismemberment of wings and legs, leading to a slow agonizing death.→ A male plum headed parakeet meets a tragic death in a net set by hunters. He would have died slowly and painfully after having his body parts partially or completely torn off. (Source: Illegal Trapping of Birds in Uttara Kannada, Karnataka)Pollution —Release of industrial waste and human effluents into rivers have caused significant damages to species that reside in rivers and riverbanks.Air pollution has caused significant discoloring of foliage in Bengaluru. Of the 22 species of lichen plants noted in Lal Bagh Botanical Gardens[23] in 1980, 18 were no longer present in 1997, just 17 years later.Invasive species —Introduction of the carnivorous African Catfish has caused significant decline in local fish populations in Karnataka’s rivers.Weeds like Eupatorium, Lantana and Parthenium have invaded large tracts of land causing destruction. Lantana is a dry bush that easily catches fire; this excacerbated the Bandipur fires of 2019 causing loss of ~17000 acres of forest land. Eupatorium houses ticks that are vectors of Kyasanur forest disease that has 10% morbidity rate among humans.Natural Wonders:Dodda Alada Mara (Kannada: ದೊಡ್ಡ ಆಲದ ಮರ Big Banyan Tree)[24] —A special mention is deserved by the state’s largest banyan tree. Dodda Alada Mara is located in Bengaluru. It covers an area of ~3 acres. In 2000s, the main trunk and roots succumbed to natural disease, making the tree look like many separate trees.It is a special tree since less than 150 banyan trees now survive in India.Panoramic view of Dodda Alada Mara (Source: File:BIG banyan tree.jpg - Wikipedia)Waterfalls —Karnataka has some of the highest waterfalls in India.[25]Kuchikal Falls[26] formed by Varahi river is the highest waterfall in India, at a height of 455m. It is located in Shimoga district. It is cascade type waterfall.Dudhsagar (Sea of milk) Falls[27] , a 4-tiered waterfall is India’s 5th tallest, with a height of 310m. It is formed over Mandovi river. It is shared among Karnataka and Goa.Barkana Falls[28] formed over Seetha river is 9th highest in India at 259m. It is also located in Shimoga district.Gerusoppe falls[29] , the 10th highest at 253m also lies in Shimoga district. It is also the 2nd highest plunge waterfall in India. It is formed over Sharavati river.→ Gerusoppe falls (Source: File:Jog Falls 05092016.jpg - Wikipedia)Along with above mentioned waterfalls, other spectacular waterfalls of the state include Magoda falls (198m) over Gangavalli river and Keppa falls (1116m) in Uttara Kannada district, Hebbe falls (168m) and Kalhatti falls (122m) in Chikkamagaluru district.Education[30][31]The foremost and most famous higher education institute in Karnataka is likely Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru. It was established in 1909. It has ranked 1st in the 'university' and 'overall' category for the last 3 consecutive years (2016-18) in NIRF rankings (by Government of India). Research students constitute more than 70% of the students on the campus and Ph.D. degrees are offered in 40 different disciplines. The institute is the 1st Indian institute to provide Masters degree courses.The 3rd oldest Indian Institute of Management, IIM-B in Bengaluru was established in 1973.[32] Nadathur S. Raghavan Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning (NSRCEL) was set up in 2002 to aid the entrepreneurial activities of its students.The country’s 1st National Law University as well as one of the first in the country to offer the five-year integrated undergraduate law degree — National Law School of India University (NLSIU)[33] — was established in Bengaluru in 1986.University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering (UVCE) was established in 1917, under the name Government Engineering College by Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya. It is the country’s 5th oldest engineering institute.South Asia’s largest university is located in Karnataka - Bangalore University. NLSIU is located in BU’s Jnan Bharati Campus.Indian Institute of Science (भारतीय विज्ञान सन्स्थान​) [34][35] —Source: File:Indian Institute (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Indian_Institute_of_Science_logo.svg)of (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Indian_Institute_of_Science_logo.svg) Science logo.svg (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Indian_Institute_of_Science_logo.svg)- (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Indian_Institute_of_Science_logo.svg) Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Indian_Institute_of_Science_logo.svg)IISc deserved special mention in higher education institutions of not just Karnataka, but entire India, since the story of its establishment is in itself mind blowing.Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata, the founder of Tata Group had a chance meeting with Svami Vivekananda in 1893 on a voyage from Japan to Chicago. They discussed Jamsetji’s plan to bring steel industry in India, and 5 years later, the project started with Jamsetji’s funding and Vivekananda’s supervision.The committee so formed presented a draft proposal to George Curzon in 1898. Subsequently, Scottish chemist and Nobel laureate William Ramsay[36] proposed Bengaluru as the most suitable site.The then ruler of Mysore kingdom, Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV[37] donated land and other facilities. The biggest monetary donation was made by Hyderabad kingdom’s ruler Mir Osman Ali Khan[38].English chemist and William Ramsay’s co-worker - Morris William Travers[39] became its 1st director. Dr. Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman[40] became its 1st Indian director and 4th director overall.Dr CV Raman was succeeded by Jnan Chandra Ghosh[41], a chemist and a student of acclaimed scientist Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray. The 2nd head of ISRO (after Dr. Vikram Sarabhai) - Dr. Satish Dhawan also served as the institute’s director.Economy[42]Not only Karnataka is India’s 3rd largest economy, it also enjoys 2nd lowest unemployment and 3rd highest FDI inflow.Agriculture and Livestock:Agriculture is the backbone of Karnataka’s economy, with ~65% land under cultivation. At the same time, agriculture is heavily dependent on monsoon, since the extent of aridity here is seconded only by that of Rajasthan.Karnataka is India’s largest producer of mulberry, coffee, coarse cereals, raw silk and tomatoes.The state also occupies 2nd place in production of flowers.Source: File:Traditional ploughing - Karnataka.jpg - Wikipedia→ Haystacks on stilts in paddy fields (Source: File:UKanaraHaystack.jpg - Wikipedia)Agriculture demands water and therefore Karnataka’s irrigation needs are met through canals and reservoirs. India’s largest and Asia’s 2nd largest irrigation tank - Shanti Sagar[43] - is located on Bhima river in Channagiri, Karnataka.→ Shanti Sagar [Source: File:View of Shanthi Sagar (Soole Kere) ಸೂಳೆ ಕೆರೆ near channagiri,davengere karnataka.JPG - Wikipedia]Industry:Karnataka is the hub of some of the largest public sector undertakings.Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is headquartered in Bengaluru and employs ~20,000 people.Manufacturing —Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has its headquarters in Bengaluru. It employs ~9500 people in Karnataka, making it one of the largest public sector employers in the state. National Aerospace Laboratories, Indian Telephone Industries, Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML), Bharat Electronics Limited, Hindustan Machine Tools are also all headquartered in Bengaluru.Indian subsidiaries of Volvo and Toyota are also headquartered in Bengaluru.TVS and Tata Motors have manufacturing plants in Mysore and Dharwad respectively. Many companies manufacture machinery and electrical equipment here like Kirloskar, ABB, L&T etc. BASF and Bosch also manufacture in Karnataka.Minerals —The only company in India that produces gold by mining and extracting it from the ore is Hutti Gold Mines Limited[44] that has plants at Hutti and Chitradurga. The famed Kolar Gold Fields are now closed.Software Industry[45] —Karnataka stands first among all the states of India in terms of revenue generated from software exports. Most of the industry is located in Bengaluru. The story of Karnataka’s IT industry starts with Texas Instruments setting up its base in Bengaluru. A total of 1973 companies (as on writing this answer) in the state are involved in Information Technology-related business.The earliest startups in Bengaluru are now multi-billion companies — Wipro, Infosys, Mindtree etc. Flipkart also originated in Bengaluru.→ Infosys headquarters in Bengaluru (Source: File:BangaloreInfosys.jpg - Wikipedia). Infosys is India’s 2nd largest IT company.Banking —7 of the country’s leading banks originated Karnataka: Canara Bank, Syndicate Bank, Corporation Bank, Vijaya Bank, Karnataka Bank, Vysya Bank and State Bank of Mysore. Between 1880 and 1935, 22 banks were established in coastal Karnataka, 9 of them in Mangalore.Energy generation and consumptionOverview:40% of the state’s energy needs are met by its oldest power plant - Raichur Thermal Power Station[46]. Additional 35% is met by Linganamakki reservoir.Despite this, the state is India's top producer of solar energy, with an installed capacity of 5.16 GW, and total capacity from renewable sources being 12 GW of the installed 27 GW in the state. SELCO Solar Light private limited[47] has been promoting solar energy’s use in rural areas of the state, and has twice won Ashden Award (Green Oscars).Hydro-electricity:India’s 2nd oldest hydro-power plant is located in Karnataka in the island town of Shivanasamudra over Shivanasamudra falls on Kaveri river. It is also one of the oldest hydro-power plants in Asia.Krishna Raja Sagara (Sanskr̥ta: कृष्ण राज सागर​)[48] a.k.a. KRS—The name of the reservoir, the dam that makes it and the nearby settlement.The gravity dam, made of mortar, lies just below the confluence of Kaveri with Lakshmana Tirtha and Hemavati. It was commissioned in 1911 and completed in 1924. It was built during the reign of Kr̥ṣṇa Rāja Wāḍiyāra IV, the then king of Mysore kingdom under the supervision of the kingdom’s chief engineer Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya. The dam became the 1st dam in India to employ automatic crest gates, instead of spillways, to prevent over-topping of the dam.→ KRS Dam [Source: File:Krishna raja sagara dam.JPG - Wikipedia]TransportThe state has a well developed transport system.Railways:The headquarter of South-Western Railways lies in Hubbali.Airways:Kempegowda Internation Airport[49] in Bengaluru is the 3rd busiest airport in India by passenger traffic and 29th busiest in Asia. It also became Karnataka’s 1st fully solar powered airport.Mangalore International Airport is the 2nd busiest airport in Karnataka (after KIA) and is one of the only 3 airports in India to have tabletop runways (others being Kozhikode airport in Kerala and Lengpui airport in Mizoram)Waterways:The state has 11 ports — 1 major and 10 minor ports.New Mangalore Port[50] is the state’s only major port and the 7th largest port in the country.Roadways:The state run Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation is a popular mode of transport by general public in the state.An excellent answer on KSRTC by Goutham R (ಗೌತಮ್ ಆರ್): Goutham R (ಗೌತಮ್ ಆರ್)'s answer to What makes KSRTC special?.Architecture[51]Karnataka became the origin point of Karnata Dravida architecture which comprises architectural and sculptural innovations of Kadamba, Chalukya, Hoysala, Rashtrakuta and Karnata empires. The temples in Karnataka display fusion of Nagara and Drāviḍa temple style along with many of their own experimentations.Karnataka has many spectacular monuments in Aihole, Pattadakkal, Badami (Vatapi), Gadag, Hampi (Vijayanagara), Srikalahasti, Halebidu, Alampur, Mahakuteshvara, etc.Karnataka also has examples of Sikh, Indo-Islamic, Neo-Drāviḍa, Tibetan, and Christian (particularly Neo-Gothic) styles.To keep the answer short, only some places would be listed.Some unique examples of architecture in Karnataka —Murdeshwar Śiva Temple : Neo-Drāviḍa StyleMurdeshwar Śiva Temple houses the tallest entrance tower and tallest Śiva statue in India. It follows a blend of Drāviḍa style and modern architecture.The sole entrance tower of Murdeshwar is ~76m tall and has 20 stories. The statue of Śiva is 37m high — it is the tallest Śiva statue in India, and 2nd tallest in the world (after Kailashnath statue in Nepal)Source: File:Murudeshwar temple statue.JPG - WikipediaVidhana Soudha and Vikasa Soudha : Neo-Drāviḍa StyleVidhana Soudha is the seat of Karnataka’s legislature. Vikasa Soudha is a replica built as an annexe.Source: File:Vidhana Souda , Bangalore.jpg - WikipediaBhuvaraha Narasimha temple at Halasi : Kadamba ArchitectureBhuvaraha Narasimha (ISO 15919: Bhūvarāha Narasimha; Sanskr̥t: भूवराह नरसिम्ह​) temple at Halasi is one of the earliest specimen of Kadamba architecture. Halasi was the 2nd capital of Kadambas who had Banvasi as their primary capitalSource: File:Halasi 12.jpg - WikipediaPattadakal Group of Monuments : Early/Eastern/Vatapi Chalukya architecture[52]Pattadakal is a UNESCO World Heritage site having 10 temples. It was used as coronation site for Vatapi Chalukyas, who were earlier fuedatories of Kadambas.The largest of these temples is Virupaksha temple, also called Shri Lokeshvara Mahasila Prasada after its sponsor Queen Lokmahadevi. It was inspired from Kailashanathar temple in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu and itself served as inspiration for Kailashanatha Temple in Ellora.→ Shri Lokeshvara Mahasila Prasada (ISO 15919: Śrī Lōkēśvara Mahāśilā Prasāda) [Source: File:Pattadakal, Virupaksa Temple (9842959473).jpg - Wikipedia]Vitthala Temple at Hampi : Hoysala architectureVitthala (ISO 15919: Viṭṭhala) temple is noted for its musical pillars, which when tapped, produce musical notes. The activity of tapping them, though, is now prohibited to prevent their deterioration.Source: File:View of dilapidated main mantapa at the Vitthala templein Hampi.jpg - WikipediaGol Gumbaz (Kannada: ಗೋಲ ಗುಮ್ಮಟ) in Vijayapura: Indo-Islamic architecture[53]It is the mausoleum of Mohammad Adil Shah, Sultan of Bijapur. Running around the inside of the dome is a whispering gallery where even the softest sound can be heard on the other side of the mausoleum due to the acoustics of the space.It is the 2nd largest pre-modern dome in the world (after Hagia Sophia in Turkey)Source: File:GolGumbaz2.jpg - WikipediaMysore Palace[54] in Mysuru : Indo-SaracenicIt is the official residence of Wadiyar dynasty and is located in the middle of the city. Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV and his mother Kempananjammanni, commissioned the British architect Lord Henry Irwin to build a new palace.Source: File:Mysore Palace Morning.jpg - WikipediaBahubali statuesThere are 5 monolithic statues of Jain figure Bahubali, all made of granite and taller than 6m.Gommatagiri Bahubali statue, at ~6m is the smallest among the five, located at Gommatagiri, in Mysore district. It was constructed in 1100 CE. The hill on whose top it is located, has stairs cut into it leading to the statue.Source: File:Statue of Bahubali at Gommatagiri, Mysore.JPG - WikipediaVenur Bahubali statue on the banks of Phalguni river in Venur is the 4th tallest at ~11m. It was constructed in 1604 CE by Timanna Ajila, and sculpted by the legendary sculptor Janakachari. The statue faces westwards.Source: File:Venur - Bahubali.JPG - WikipediaDharmasthala Bahubali statue, at ~12m is the 3rd tallest, located in Dharmasthala. It was installed in 1973 CE by Veerendra Heggade, the hereditary administrator of Dharmasthala temple (Manjunatha Temple).Source: File:Towering Grace.jpg - WikipediaKarkala Bahubali statue is the 2nd tallest, measuring ~13 m in height, and located in Karkala. The statue is made of a single block of granite, and was completed in 1432 CE during the reign of King Vira Pandya on insistence of the kingdom’s head priest and the king’s mentor Lalitakirti.Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fi...Gomateshwara Statue in Vindhyagiri (Vindhya hill), Shravanabelagola, is the tallest free standing monolithic icon in the world, measuring at ~17 m in height. The statue is supported only till lower legs and partially the upper legs, by the rock itself from which it is carved out of.It was constructed circa 938 CE during the reign of Karnataka Gaṅgā dynasty (Western Gaṅgā dynasty; 350–1000 CE), commissioned by the minister Cāvundarāya.Source: File:Shravanabelagola Bahubali wideframe.jpg - WikipediaKabini Bridge : Gothic StyleKabini Bridge is the oldest bridge with both railway line and road on the same bridge in India. The bridge was used as a meter-gauge railway bridge until 2007, post which the railway activities were stopped as railways moved on the broad-gauge. It was built in 1735 CE.Source: File:Nanjangud Oldest Bridge.jpg - WikipediaThegchog Namdrol Shedrub Dargye Ling in Bylakuppe[55] : Tibetan ArchitectureThegchog Namdrol Shedrub Dargye Ling (Tibetan: བོད་ཡིག ཐེག་མཆོག་རྣམ་གྲོལ་བཤད་སྒྲུབ་དར་རྒྱས་གླིང་།) is one of the largest centres on Nyingma lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. The city Bylakuppe is the third largest Tibetan settlement in the world (after Tibet and Dharmashala).→ Entrance Gate [Source: File:Namrodoling Monastery Bylakuppe2.jpg - Wikipedia]→ Outer View [Source: File:Temple Sculpture.jpg - Wikipedia]Guru Nanak Jhira Sahib in Bidar[56] : Sikh ArchitectureSource: File:Bidar Gurudwara Nanak Jhira Sahib.jpg - WikipediaThis gurudwara was constructed in 1948 dedicated to Guru Nanak. Bidar being home to one the 1st 5 Sikhs — Sahib Singh — has a long association with Sikhism. Its tank is fed from water from a natural spring nearby.Unfortunately, the spring’s recharge zone - the nearby hills - are being built at a rapid rate, leading to septic tanks and soak pits sending contaminated water below surface. This implies that the gurdwara tank may run dry or suffer from contaminated water.Places of interest for Karnataka’s architecture:Pattadakal - Wikipedia — A UNESCO World Heritage Site having monuments of Vatapi ChalukyasAihole - Wikipedia — The cradle of experimentation of Vatapi Chalukyas, experimentation in architecture and arts that began in Aihole yielded the monuments in PattadakalBadami cave temples - Wikipedia — A collection of magnificent Vatapi Chalukya era cave temples in the city that served as their capital Vatapi, now BadamiHampi - Wikipedia — A UNESCO World Heritage Site and the erstwhile capital of Karnata empire.Halebidu (town) - Wikipedia — The erstwhile capital of Hoysala empire, housing some of their finest architectural examplesBelur, Karnataka - Wikipedia — The capital of Hoysalas after Dwarasamudra (Halebidu) was ransacked, housing some of their finest architectural examplesSports[57]Sports infrastructure of Karnataka is mostly concentrated in Bengaluru. The city also hosted the 4th National Games in 1997. It also houses the headquarters of Sports Authority of India.The most popular sport in Karnataka is cricket, and the state team has won Ranji trophy 7 times, seconded only by Mumbai.Kodava Hockey Festival[58] taking place in Kodagu district is one of the largest field hockey tournaments in the world. Kodagu is considered the cradle of Indian hockey, as more than 50 players from this place have represented India in international hockey.On an ending note, the state symbol of Karnataka — Gandabherunda (Kannada: ಗಂಡಭೇರುಂಡ gaṇḍabheruṇḍa) — a 2 headed bird considered a form of Viṣṇu. The bird features on the state emblem as well.Source: File:GBerunda.JPG - Wikipedia→ Emblem of Karnataka (Source: File:Seal (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Seal_of_Karnataka.svg)of (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Seal_of_Karnataka.svg) Karnataka.svg (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Seal_of_Karnataka.svg)- (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Seal_of_Karnataka.svg) Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Seal_of_Karnataka.svg))I would be really thankful to anyone who could get me a relevant quote in Kodava. I wished to start my answer with that.More answers about KarnatakaShivaprasad Poovandur's answer to What is the importance of Barkur in Karnataka's history?Nitin Bhargava (ನಿತಿನ್ ಭಾರ್ಗವ)'s answer to Are there any recent fascinating discoveries related to Kannada and its history?Rajiv Satyanarayana's answer to Which are some of the very old prehistoric sites in and around Karnataka which are related to Kannada-Karnataka culture?Empires and kingdoms of Karnataka:Nitin Bhargava (ನಿತಿನ್ ಭಾರ್ಗವ)'s answer to What are the contributions of the Kannada origin dynasties to Indian history, culture and Sanatana Dharma? Which are the places they ruled in India in different time periods?Shivaprasad Poovandur's answer to What was the administrative system like in the Rashtrakuta Empire?Nitin Bhargava (ನಿತಿನ್ ಭಾರ್ಗವ)'s answer to Which was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire?Temples of Karnataka:Gavi Gangadhareshwara temple: Goutham R (ಗೌತಮ್ ಆರ್)'s answer to What are the special facts about Gavipuram, Bengaluru?Restaurants in Karnataka:Goutham R (ಗೌತಮ್ ಆರ್)'s answer to Why and how did the Sagar named restaurants become so famous in Bengaluru?Goutham R (ಗೌತಮ್ ಆರ್)'s answer to What is special about a Brahmin’s cafe? There are several Brahmin’s Cafes in various parts in the city of Bengaluru, India. Do they serve food only to Brahmins, and are these run by Brahmins?Quora profiles to visit:Aditya KulkarniGoutham RNitin Bhargava (ನಿತಿನ್ ಭಾರ್ಗವ)Gopalkrishna VishwanathRajiv SatyanarayanaFootnotes[1] Forest cover by state in India - Wikipedia[2] List of states and union territories of India by crime rate - Wikipedia[3] Indian states and territories ranked by incidents of human trafficking - Wikipedia[4] List of states and union territories of India by suicide rate - Wikipedia[5] Indian states and territories ranked by safety of women - Wikipedia[6] List of Indian states and union territories by literacy rate - Wikipedia[7] Indian states ranked by school enrollment rate - Wikipedia[8] List of Indian states by life expectancy at birth - Wikipedia[9] Indian states ranking by institutional delivery - Wikipedia[10] Obesity in India - Wikipedia[11] Indian states ranking by underweight people - Wikipedia[12] List of Indian states and union territories by access to safe drinking water - Wikipedia[13] List of Indian states by Child Nutrition - Wikipedia[14] List of states and union territories of India by tax revenues - Wikipedia[15] Ease of doing business ranking of states of India - Wikipedia[16] Wildlife of Karnataka - Wikipedia[17] Bandipur National Park - Wikipedia[18] Biligiriranga Hills - Wikipedia[19] Melukote - Wikipedia[20] Cycas circinalis - Wikipedia[21] Someshwara Wildlife Sanctuary - Wikipedia[22] Bonal Bird Sanctuary - Wikipedia[23] Lal Bagh - Wikipedia[24] Dodda Alada Mara - Wikipedia[25] List of waterfalls in India by height - Wikipedia[26] Kunchikal Falls - Wikipedia[27] Dudhsagar Falls - Wikipedia[28] Barkana Falls - Wikipedia[29] Jog Falls - Wikipedia[30] Education in Karnataka - Wikipedia[31] List of institutions of higher education in Karnataka - Wikipedia[32] Indian Institute of Management Bangalore - Wikipedia[33] National Law School of India University - Wikipedia[34] Indian Institute of Science[35] Indian Institute of Science - Wikipedia[36] William Ramsay - Wikipedia[37] Krishna Raja Wadiyar IV - Wikipedia[38] Mir Osman Ali Khan - Wikipedia[39] Morris Travers - Wikipedia[40] C. V. Raman - Wikipedia[41] Jnan Chandra Ghosh - Wikipedia[42] Economy of Karnataka - Wikipedia[43] Shanti Sagara - Wikipedia[44] Hutti Gold Mines Limited - Wikipedia[45] Software industry in Karnataka - Wikipedia[46] Raichur Thermal Power Station - Wikipedia[47] SELCO | Innovative Energy Solutions[48] Krishna Raja Sagara - Wikipedia[49] Kempegowda International Airport - Wikipedia[50] New Mangalore Port - Wikipedia[51] Architecture of Karnataka - Wikipedia[52] Pattadakal - Wikipedia[53] Gol Gumbaz - Wikipedia[54] Mysore Palace - Wikipedia[55] Namdroling Monastery - Wikipedia[56] Guru Nanak Jhira Sahib - Wikipedia[57] Sports in Karnataka - Wikipedia[58] Kodava Hockey Festival - Wikipedia

Among the 220 odd tribes of NE India, only Khasis speak an Austro-Asiatic (AA) language, a family of languages generally considered to be the oldest identifiable language group of a region that spreads from east India to southeast Asia. 'Austro' is an adjective meaning 'southern'. One of the major theories of the origin of the AA languages postulates a northeastern India locus or somewhere in the vicinity of the Bay of Bengal. The two main language groups in the Northeast are Tibeto-Burman, e.g. spoken by Garo, Bodo, and most of the Arunachal tribes and Indo-European e. g. Assamese. There are no native speakers of Dravidian in the Northeast, another major language group of India.The Austro-Asiatic languages are thought to be the first languagesto be spoken in ancient India, the early form of which is called Proto-Austro-Asiatic. Among the AA languages, Munda predates the other languages. The date of separation of the two main Austroasiatic subfamilies, Muṇḍā and Mon-Khmer (e. g. Khasi), has never been estimated and must be placed well back in prehistory. The competing theory that the AA languages originated in SE Asia is partly based on the observation that the Mon-Khmer languages show greater diversity and spread in that region. This argument could be mitigated by the relative isolation of AA languages in India since they were later surrounded by other language groups which were more dominant and inhibited the spread of AA languages in eastern and NE India.The consideration of the AA languages as the earliest to be spoken in India bears consonance with a body of genetic studies that have explored the origin and migrations of the earliest inhabitants of India. While the linguistic and genetic evidence is not fully conclusive, there are several interesting pointers to the origin of the Khasis that have scientific credibility.Out of Africa and In Our GenesHomo sapiens originated in east Africa about 200,000 thousand years ago. Because of drought and search for food, a small band set out northwards, crossing the Red Sea to the Arabian peninsula. Over the next millennia, migrations spread out in various directions, but firstly towards the East, reaching India about 60-70, 000 years ago. In later migrations, the other continents became populated, and these first intrepid humans became the 'aborigines' of their lands, followed much later by other human groups. From India, passing through the Northeast corridor, onward migrations travelled to East Asia, Southeast Asia and Australasia. The "Out of Africa" theory, is the most widely accepted model of the geographic origin and early migration of modern humans. This initial migration out of Africa was responsible for the peopling of the world.It has been estimated that from a population of 2,000 to 5,000 individuals in Africa, only a small group, possibly as few as 150 to 1,000 people, crossed the Red Sea. Today at the Bab-el-Mandeb straits the Red Sea is about 12 miles (20 km) wide, but 50,000 years ago sea levels were 70 meters lower (owing to glaciation) and the water was much narrower. The group that crossed the Red Sea travelled along the coastal route around the coast of Arabia and Persia until reaching India, which appears to be the first major settling point.Reaping the growing use of genetics to track genealogies, the National Geographic Society set up the Genographic Project to study ancient ethnic communities. Material from genetic studies has been culled and compiled in a reader-friendly format on their website and anyone can get their DNA tested by sending in a vial with a saliva swab.According to their website, "When DNA is passed from one generation to the next, most of it is recombined by the processes that give each of us our individuality. But some parts of the DNA chain remain largely intact through the generations, altered only occasionally by mutations, which become 'genetic markers'. These markers allow geneticists to trace our common evolutionary time line back many generations.Different populations carry distinct genetic markers. Following the markers through the generations reveals a genetic tree on which today's many diverse branches can be followed backwards to their common African root. The markers in our genes allow us to chart the ancient human migrations from Africa across the continents".Through the eons of time, the full story remains written in our genes. When DNA is passed from one generation to the next, most of it is recombined by the processes that give each of us our individuality. But some parts of the DNA chain remain largely intact through the generations, altered only occasionally by mutations, which become genetic markers. These markers allow geneticists to trace our common evolutionary time line back many generations and to chart the ancient human migrations from Africa across the continents.The Munda and KhasiAustro-Asiatic populations are considered to be the first to have arrived and settled in India. The ancestors of the Munda arrived 66,000 years ago, and the first genetic offshoot were the Khasi, about 57,000 thousand years ago, who then migrated to Northeast India. Khasi speakers probably went on to Southeast Asia via the Northeast Indian corridor about 40,000 years ago. So the AA Khasi tribes represent a genetic continuity between the populations of South Asia and Southeast Asia. Khasis, the only AA speakers in the Northeast are surrounded by tribes of Sino-Tibetan-Burman origin, who came to the region 10-20,000 years ago.In a genetic study of 25 groups from different parts of the country conducted in 2007, blood samples of 1222 individuals from the major ethnolinguistic groups were tested. These included Indo-European, Dravidian, Tibeto-Burman and the three AA populations residing in India: (1) Mundari, spoken by tribes inhabiting Chota-Nagpur plateau in Central and Eastern India, (2) Mon-Khmer, spoken by Nicobarese andShompen tribes from Andaman and Nicobar islands and (3) Khasi-Khmuic, represented by the Khasi from Northeast India. Ninety-two Khasis from the West Khasi Hills, East Khasi Hills, Jaintia Hills andRi-Bhoiin Meghalaya were tested. The primary institutes which conducted the study were the Indian Statistical Institute, and the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, both in Hyderabad."The results suggest a strong paternal genetic link, not only among the subgroups of Indian Austro-Asiatic populations but also with those of Southeast Asia…The results also indicate that the haplogroup O-M95 had originated in the Indian Austro-Asiatic populations ~65,000 yrs BP (Before Present) and their ancestors carried it further to Southeast Asia via the Northeast Indian corridor. Subsequently, in the process of expansion, the Mon-Khmer populations from Southeast Asia seem to have migrated andcolonized Andaman and Nicobar Islands at a much later point of time. Our findings are consistent with the linguistic evidence, which suggests that thelinguistic ancestors of the Austro-Asiatic populations have originated in India and then migrated toSoutheast Asia.O-M95 is a gene entity which originated in the Munda and is found in India only among Austro-Asiatic populations, but now seen all over Southeast Asia. This strongly suggests that Austro-Asiatic populations of India are not only linguistically linked to Southeast Asian populations but also genetically associated. The tracking of gene entities leads to a calculation for TMRCA (time to most recent common ancestor) which indicates that the Khasi appeared 57,000 years ago, 9000 years after the Munda.Migrations through the Northeast land corridorTwo major routes have been proposed for the initial entry of humans to East Asia:(1) via Central Asia to Northeast Asia, and subsequently onwards to Southeast Asia and beyond, and(2) through India to Southeast Asia. Given its unique geographic position, Northeast India is the only region which provides a land bridge between the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia,sandwiched between the mountains of Eastern Himalayas on the north and the Indian Ocean on the south."Given that the Austro-Asiatic linguistic family is considered to be the oldest and spoken by certain tribes in India, Northeast India and entire Southeast Asia, we expect that populations of this family from Northeast India should provide the signatures of genetic link between Indian and Southeast Asian populations. In order to test this hypothesis, we analyzed mtDNA and Y-Chromosome SNP and STR data of the eight groups of the Austro-Asiatic Khasi from Northeast India and the neighboring Garo and compared with that of other relevant Asian populations. The results suggest that the Austro-Asiatic Khasi tribes of Northeast India represent a genetic continuity between the populations of South and Southeast Asia, thereby advocating that northeast India could have been a major corridor for the movement of populations from India to East/Southeast Asia."The technical language aside, the conclusions of the study are clear. The genetic evidence points to the direction of migration from Northeast India to Southeast Asia and beyond, supplementing evidence from linguistic studies. The authors of the study describe the Khasi tribe as providing the hitherto missing link between the AA populations of the two regions and this finding is highlighted in the title of the article.The data from archaeology are of more recent antiquity, but are mentioned to round off this discussion. Because of heavy rains and mountainous hillsides, archeological evidence is not easily preserved and may have been washed into the rivers and floodplains. Neolithic stone tools have been found at several locations in the Northeast . In Meghalaya, stone implements have been found at several sites, including around Umiam-Barapani, including Sohbetpneng. A large 'tool factory' has been excavated at the foot of the LumDiengiei hill slope with 'unfinished' and 'un-ground' tools. The earliest Neolithic sites in India date to around 7500 BC and the Northeast sites have not been conclusively dated.In the last few years there has been a deluge of papers on genetic origins, not all in agreement. Because of their highly technical nature, the conclusions are sometimes difficult to decipher. Historians are not geneticists and geneticists are not historians and neither are linguists. These interdisciplinary gulfs are yet to be bridged in history textbooks. But a great deal of light has been shed on the origins and antiquity of the Khasis and other ethnic groups of the Northeast.Khasi peopleKhasiKhasi men near Moulvibazar, BangladeshTotal population1,512,831Regions with significant populationsIndia-1,427,711Meghalaya-1,411,775Assam-15,936Bangladesh85,120Languages-KhasiReligionMajority:•Christianity 85%Minority:Islam 2%, • Others 13%Related ethnic groupsKhmers, Palaungs, Was, Kinh and other Mon–KhmersThe Khasi people are an indigenous ethnic group of Meghalaya in north-eastern India with a significant population in the bordering state of Assam, and in certain parts of Bangladesh. The Khasi people form the majority of the population of the eastern part of Meghalaya, and is the state's largest community, with around 48% of the population of Meghalaya. They are the only Mon-Khmer speaking people in South Asia. A cultural tradition of the Khasi people is that they follow the matrilineal system of descent and inheritance. Under the Constitution of India, the Khasis have been granted the status of Scheduled Tribe.HistoryKhasi mythologyKhasi woman and standing-stones, near Laitlyngkot, Meghalaya, IndiaKhasi mythology traces the tribe's original abode to 'Ki Hynñiewtrep ("The Seven Huts").According to the Khasi mythology, U Blei Trai Kynrad (God, the Lord Master) had originally distributed the human race into 16 heavenly families (Khadhynriew Trep).However, seven out of these 16 families were stuck on earth while the other 9 are stuck in heaven. According to the myth, a heavenly ladder resting on the sacred Lum Sohpetbneng Peak (located in the present-day Ri-Bhoi district) enabled people to go freely and frequently to heaven whenever they pleased until one day they were tricked into cutting a divine tree which was situated at Lum Diengiei Peak (also in present-day Ri-Bhoi district), a grave error which prevented them access to the heavens forever. This myth is often seen [by whom?] as a metaphor of how nature and trees, in particular, are the manifestation of the divine on Earth and destroying nature and trees means severing our ties with the Divine. Like the Japanese, the Khasis use the rooster as a symbol because they believe that it was he who aroused God and also humbly paved and cleared the path for God to create the Universe at the beginning of time. The rooster is the symbol of morning marking a new beginning and a new sunrise.In the mid-sixteenth century there were twenty-five separate Khasi chiefdoms along with the separate kingdom of Jaintia. Before the arrival of the British, the Jaintia were vassals to a Series of dominant kingdoms from the thirteenth to the eighteenth centuries (e.g., the Kachari, Koch, and Ahom). At the beginning of the sixteenth century Jaintia rule was extended to Sylhet and this marked the beginning of Brahman influence on the Jaintia. The annexation of Sylhet in 1835 (instigated by the seizing of British subjects for human sacrifice) preceded the subjugation of the Khasi states by some twenty or more years. By 1860, the British had annexed all of the Jaintia Hills region and imposed taxes on it as a part of British India. The Khasi states had limited cultural relations before the arrival of the British, characterized in large part by internal warfare Between villages and states and raiding and trading in the Sylhet and Brahmaputra valleys. The incorporation of the markets at Sylhet into the British colonial economy in 1765 marked the beginning of Khasi subjugation. Khasi raids in the 1790s led to the rise of British fortifications in the foothills and an eventual embargo on Khasi-produced goods in Sylhet markets. In 1837 the construction of a road through Nongkhaw State linking Calcutta to the Brahmaputra Valley led to the eventual cessation of Khasi-British hostilities, and by 1862 treaties between the British and all of the Khasi states (allowing Khasi autonomy and freedom from British taxation) were signed. A significant amount of cultural change (e.g., an increase in wealth, Decline of traditional culture, rise in educational standards, and frequent intermarriage) occurred after the British made Shillong the capital of Assam. In 1947 there was constituted an autonomous tribal area responsible to Assam's governor as an agent of the president of India. However, the native state system with its various functionaries remains intact, and Khasis now have their own state, Meghalaya, in which they predominate.LanguageThe Khasi language is classified as part of the Austroasiatic language family. According to Peter Wilhelm Schmidt , the Khasi people are related to the Mon-Khmer people of South East Asia. Multiple types of research indicate that the Austroasiatic populations in India are derived from migrations from Southeast Asia during the Holocene period. Many of the words are similar to other Austroasiatic languages such as Palaung and Khmer language:Tiger- Khla (Both Khasi &Khmer).To fly- Her in [Khasi], haer in [Khmer]Belly- kpoh in [khasi], poh in [khmer], bung in Vietnamese.New- 'Thymme or thymmai' in Khasi , thmei or thmai in [Khmer], moi in VietnameseYear- Snem in [Khasi] , chnem in [khmer], nam in VietnameseFar- jngai in [Khasi], chngay in [Khmer]Leaf- Sla or 'la in [khasi] , slaek in [khmer], la in [Vietnamese language]Crab- tham in [khasi] , ktam in[khmer]Fingers- preamti in[only pnar dialect (khasi sub-tribe)] , mreamdai in[khmer ], ngon tay in Vietnamese.Toes- preamjat in [only pnar dialect (khasi sub-tribe)],mreamcheung in [khmer], ngon chan in Vietnamese.Children- Khun,khon,kon in [khasi], kaun, kon, in [khmer], con in [vietnamese]Birds- sim in {khasi}, 'chim in {vietnamese}Eyes- khmat or 'mat in {khasi}, mat in {vietnamese}Fish- 'kha in [Khasi] , 'Ca' in [Vietnamese]Mother - mei in [khasi] , mẹ in [vietnamese], mea also in [Thai a kra-dai language family]Lion- 'sing' in [Khasi] , singto in [Thai a kra-dai language family]Rice- Khaw in [Khasi] and Thai also 'Khaw', Gao in Vietnamese.There are also similar to those in Sino-Tibetan languages, such as nga meaning "I," which is the same in Tibetan, Burmese, and Old Chinese as it is in Khasi. Traces of connections with the Kachin tribe of North Burma have also been in the Khasis. The Khasi people also have their own word for the Himalayan mountains which is "Ki Lum Mankashang" which means that at one point in time, they did cross the mighty mountains. Therefore, all these records and their present culture, features, and language strongly show that they also have a strong Tibeto-Himalayan- Burman influence. The word "Khas" means hills and they have always been people of cold and hilly regions and have never been connected to the plains or arid regions. This nature-loving tribe calls the wettest place on Earth their home. The village of Mawsynram in Meghalaya receives 467 inches of rain per year.Primarily an oral language, they had no script of their own, they used the Bengali script until the arrival of the Welsh missionaries. Particularly significant in this regard was a Welsh evangelist, Thomas Jones, who had transcribed the Khasi language into the Roman Script.Modern timesThe Khasis first came in contact with the British in 1823, after the latter captured Assam. The area inhabited by the Khasis became a part of the Assam province after the Khasi Hill States (which numbered to about 25 kingdoms) entered into a subsidiary alliance with the British.The main crops produced by the Khasi people are betel leaf, areca nut, oranges, local Khasi rice and vegetables.“The Khasi people belong to one of the earliest groups of races migrating to North East India,” writes Hamlet Bareh in The History and Culture of the Khasi People. They came through the traditional route of migration from South East Asia to the fertile valley of the Brahmaputra that is through the Patkai Hills in the east near today’s Nagaland. “It is interesting to note that there is a matriarchal tribe called Khasi in Laos which is associated with the Moi and Rade Jarai groups of clans,” Bareh writes.Social anthropologists trace matrilineal social customs to parts of Sumatra, Cambodia, among Khasoas of Laos, and parts of Vietnam, linking migration of the Khasis to the North East. Gurdon too found many affinities among the Khasis and Mon-Khmers of the Far East. Because the belief is strong that they are all descendents of the ancient mother divided into individual clans, traditionally, marriage within the same clan is prohibited. In Garo hills, where clans are divided into maharis, a man is not supposed to marry a girl of the same mahari. Some pundits believe it was ordained so that there is no intermarriage and weakening of the race. The language is another clue to the Khasis’ origin. into maharis, a man is not supposed to marry a girl of the same mahari. Some pundits believe it was ordained so that there is no intermarriage and weakening of the race.The language is another clue to the Khasis’ origin. Most of the tribals who also migrated to this region, for example, the Bodos, speak a Tibeto-Burman language but the Khasi language is affiliated to the Palaung dialect prevailing in Myanmar and Indo-China belonging to the Mon-Khmers, a branch of the Austro-Asiatic society. With the arrival of the missionaries a majority of the Khasis converted to Christianity but the Jaintias had long been followers of Hindu religion. The word Jaintia seems to be Aryanization of the original word Synteng (children of ancient mother) into Zaitein and then Jaintia. Interestingly, as early as the middle of the eighth century reference is found of a kingdom of stri-rajya, literally kingdom of women, which is identified as the Jaintia kingdom (Calcutta Review, 1867).From Shillong on way to Cherrapunji, the wettest place in the world, one comes across unusual megaliths or menhirs dotting the countryside. As they jut out to the sky they paint a sombre and awesome sight. They are often compared to the Stonehenge erections in England, though they are far apart geographically. However, Hutton drew attention to groups of stone ossuaries in North Cachar Hills in central Assam, now renamed Karbi Anglong district, and concluded that this is the way the Khasi migrants travelled en route before finally settling down in the present location. Megaliths or funeral burial urns had once been widespread in Tonkin, Indonesia and Myanmar and Hutton concluded that the practice was brought along by the Khasis to this region.Geographical distribution and sub-groupsKhasi states, 1947According to the 2011 Census of India, over 1.41 million Khasi lived in Meghalaya in the districts of East Khasi Hills, West Khasi Hills, South West Khasi Hills, Ri-Bhoi, West Jaintia Hills and East Jaintia Hills. In Assam, their population reached 35,000. It is generally considered by many Khasi sociologists that the Khasi Tribe consist of seven sub-tribes, hence the title 'Children of the Seven Huts': Khynriam, Pnar, Bhoi, War, Maram, Lyngngam and Diko. The Khynriam (or Nongphlang) inhabit the uplands of the East Khasi Hills District; the Pnar or Synteng live in the uplands of the Jaintia Hills. The Bhoi live in the lower hills to the north and north-east of the Khasi Hills. and Jaintia Hills towards the Brahmaputra valley, a vast area now under Ri Bhoi District. The War, usually divided into War-Jaintia and War-Khynriam in the south of the Khasi Hills, live on the steep southern slopes leading to Bangladesh. The Maram inhabit the uplands of the central parts of West Khasi Hills Districts. The Lyngngam people who inhabit the western parts of the West Khasi Hills bordering the Garo Hills display linguistic and cultural characteristics which show influences from both the Khasis to their east and the Garo people to the west. The last sub-group completing the "seven huts", are the Diko, an extinct group who once inhabited the lowlands of the West Khasi Hills.Khasi women in traditional dressA Khasi manDressKhasi children, 1944Dancers during the festival of Shad Suk Mynsiem in ShillongThe traditional Khasi male dress is a Jymphong, a longish sleeveless coat without collar, fastened by thongs in front. Nowadays, most male Khasis have adopted western attire. On ceremonial occasions they appear in a Jymphong and sarong with an ornamental waist-band and they may also wear a turban.The traditional Khasi female dress is called the Jainsem or Dhara, both of which are rather elaborate with several pieces of cloth, giving the body a cylindrical shape. On ceremonial occasions, they may wear a crown of silver or gold. A spike or peak is fixed to the back of the crown, corresponding to the feathers worn by the menfolk. The Jainsem consists of two pieces of material fastened at each shoulder. The "Dhara" consists of a single piece of material also fastened at each shoulder.MarriageThe Khasis are, for the most part, monogamous. Their social organisation does not favour other forms of marriage; therefore, deviation from this norm is quite rare. Young men and women are permitted considerable freedom in the choice of mates. Potential marriage partners are likely to have been acquainted before betrothal. Once a man has selected his desired spouse, he reports his choice to his parents. They then secure the services of a mediator to make the arrangements with the woman's family (provided that the man's clan agree with his choice). The parents of the woman ascertain her wishes and if she agrees to the arrangement her parents check to make certain that the man to be wed is not a member of their clan (since Khasi clans are exogamous, marital partners may not be from the same clan). If this is satisfactory then a wedding date is set.Divorce (with causes ranging from incompatibility to lack of offspring) is easily obtainable. This ceremony traditionally consists of the husband handing the wife 5 cowries or paisa which the wife then hands back to her husband along with 5 of her own. The husband then throws these away or gives them to a village elder who throws them away. Present-day Khasis divorce through the Indian legal system.The type of marriage is the determining factor in the marital residence. In short, post marital residence for a married man when an heiress (known as Ka Khadduh) is involved must be matrilocal (that is, in his mother-in-law's house), while post-marital residence when a non-heiress is involved is neolocal. Generally, Khasi men prefer to marry a non-heiress because it will allow them to form independent family units somewhat immune to pressures from the wife's kin. Traditionally (though nowadays rule is not absolutely true), a Khasi man returns to his Iing-Kur (maternal home) upon the death of his spouse (if she is a Khadduh and they both have no children). These practices are the result of rules governing inheritance and property ownership. These rules are themselves related to the structure of the Khasi Kur (clan system).OnomasticsKhasi names are known for their originality and elaborate nature. The given names may be invented by parents for their children, and these can be based on traditional native names, Christian names, or other English words. The family names, which they call "surnames," remain typically in the native Khasi language.The Khasi people do not have sub-tribes, a confusion that sometimes arises from the expression Khynriam, u Pnar, u Bhoi, u War. This term is mainly based on the geographical location a Khasi inhabits. Khasi inhabiting the northern part are known as Bhoi, as that area is often called Ri Bhoi. People in the east are known as the Pnar, and they call their land as Rilum Jaintia. The south are called War or Ri War, because of its mountainous regions and soil fertility. The west has a number of regional names: Maram, Rimen, Khatsawphra, Mawiang, Lyngam. A Khasi who inhabits the central area is known as Khynriam. The War inhabitants of the Khasi community designed and built living root bridges of the War region.'Traditional politiesThe royal seat of Khyrim at SmitThe traditional political structure of the Khasi community is democratic in nature. In the past, the Khasis consisted of independent native states called Syiemships, where male elders of various clans under the leadership of the Chief (called U Syiem) would congregate during Durbars or sessions and come to a decision regarding any dispute or problem that would arise in the Syiemship. At the village level, there exists a similar arrangement where all the residents of the village or town come together under the leadership of an elected Headman (called U Rangbah Shnong), to decide on matters pertaining to the locality. This system of village administration is much like the Panchayati Raj prevalent in most Indian States. There were around 25 independent native states on record which were annexed and acceded to the Indian Union. The Syiems of these native states (called Hima) were traditionally elected by the people or ruling clans of their respective domains. Famous among these Syiemships are Hima Mylliem, Hima Khyrim, Hima Nongkhlaw, amongst others. These Syiemships continue to exist and function till today under the purview of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC), which draws its legal power and authority from the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India.ReligionBefore the arrival of Christian missionaries, the majority of the Khasi people practiced an indigenous tribal religion.Though around 85% of the Khasi populace have embraced Christianity, a substantial minority of the Khasi people still follow and practice their age old indigenous religion, which is known as Ka Niam Khasi and Niam tre. The main Christian denominations followed by the Khasis include Catholicism, Anglicanism, Presbyterianism (largest Christian denomination among the Khasis), and others. There are also a small number of Khasis, as a result of inter-community marriages, who are Muslims. There are also followers of Khasi Unitarianism as founded by Hajom Kissor Sing Lyngdoh Nongbri.Khmer peopleKhmer peopleជនជាតិខ្មែរTotal population c. 16–17 millionRegions with significant populations[1] Cambodia 14–15 million[2] Vietnam 1,319,652[3] Thailand 1,146,685[4] United States 331,733[5] France 80,000 (2015)[6] South Korea 49,100[7] Australia 36,920 (2016)[8] Malaysia 30,113[9] Canada 25,245[10] Japan9,195[11] New Zealand 8,601[12] Laos 7,141[13] Germany 1,035[14] United Kingdom >1,000[15] Singapore 832Languages KhmerReligionTheravada BuddhismAnimism and folk religionRelated ethnic groupsMon, Wa, and other Austroasiatic-speaking groupsKhmer people (/kəˈmɛər, kəˈmaɪ/; Khmer: ជនជាតិខ្មែរ,Khmer pronunciation: [kʰmaːe], Northern Khmer pronunciation:[kʰmɛr]) are a Southeast Asian ethnic group native to Cambodia, accounting for over 97% of the country's 15.9 million people.They speak the Khmer language, which is part of the larger Austroasiatic language family found in parts of Southeast Asia (including Vietnam and Laos), parts of central, eastern, and north eastern India, parts of Bangladesh in South Asia, in parts of Southern China and numerous islands in the Indian Ocean.The majority of the Khmer are followers of the Khmer style of Buddhism, a highly syncretic version that blends elements of Theravada Buddhism, Hinduism, animism, and veneration of the dead.Significant populations of Khmers reside in adjacent areas of Thailand (Northern Khmer) and the Mekong Delta region of neighboring Vietnam (Khmer Krom), while there are over one million Khmers in the Cambodian diaspora living mainly in France, the United States, and Australia.DistributionCambodiaA map of ethnic groups in Cambodia.The majority of the world's Khmer people live in Cambodia, the population of which is over 90% Khmer.Thailand and VietnamThere are also significant Khmer populations native to Thailand and Vietnam. In Thailand, there are over one million Khmer, mainly in Surin (Soren), Buriram (Borei Rom) and Sisaket (Sri Saket) provinces. Estimates for the number of Khmer in Vietnam (known as Khmer Krom) vary from the 1.3 million given by government data to 7 million advocated by the Khmer Krom Federation.Khmer percentage of the total population in various provinces of ThailandWestern nationsDue to migration as a result of the Cambodian Civil War and Cambodian Genocide, there is a large Khmer diaspora residing in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and France.HistoryOrigin mythsAccording to one Khmer legend attributed by George Coedes to a tenth century inscription, the Khmer people arose from the union of the brahmin Kambu Swayambhuva and the apsara ("celestial nymph") Mera. Their marriage is said to have given rise to the name Khmer and founded the Varman dynasty of ancient Cambodia.A more popular legend, reenacted to this day in the traditional Khmer wedding ceremony and taught in elementary school, holds that Cambodia was created when an Indian Brahmin priest named Kaundinya (commonly referred to as Preah Thoang) married Princess Soma, a Naga (Khmer: neak) princess. Kaundinya sailed to Southeast Asia following an arrow he saw in a dream. Upon arrival he found an island called kok thlok and, after conquering Soma's Naga army, he fell in love with her. As a dowry, the father of princess Soma drank the waters around the island, which was revealed to be the top of a mountain, and the land below that was uncovered became Cambodia. Kaundinya and Soma and their descendants became known as the Khmer and are said to have been the rulers of Funan, Chenla and the Khmer Empire.This myth further explains why the oldest Khmer wats, or temples, were always built on mountaintops, and why today mountains themselves are still revered as holy places.Arrival in Southeast AsiaAncient Khmer script from the Chenla era.Bas-relief showing Khmer daily life during the Khmer Empire.The Khmers, an Austroasiatic people, are one of the oldest ethnic groups in the area, having filtered into Southeast Asia from southern China, possibly Yunnan, around the same time as the Mon, who settled further to the west and to whom the Khmer are ancestrally related. Most archaeologists and linguists, and other specialists like Sinologists and crop experts, believe that they arrived no later than 2000 BCE (over four thousand years ago) bringing with them the practice of agriculture and in particular the cultivation of rice. This region is also one of the first places in the world to use bronze. They were the builders of the later Khmer Empire, which dominated Southeast Asia for six centuries beginning in 802, and now form the mainstream of political, cultural, and economic Cambodia.The Khmers developed the Khmer alphabet, the earliest alphabet still in use in Southeast Asia, which in turn gave birth to the later Thai and Lao alphabets. The Khmers are considered by archaeologists and ethnologists to be indigenous to the contiguous regions of Isan, southern Laos, Cambodia and South Vietnam. That is to say the Khmer have historically been a lowland people who lived close to one of the tributaries of the Mekong River. The reason they migrated into Southeast Asia is not well understood, but scholars believe that Austroasiatic speakers were pushed south by invading Tibeto-Burman speakers from the north as evident by Austroasiatic vocabulary in Chinese, because of agricultural purposes as evident by their migration routes along major rivers, or a combination of these and other factors.The Khmer is not part of Greater Indian but just adopting Indian religions, sciences, and customs and borrowing from their languages. The first powerful trading kingdom in Southeast Asia, the Kingdom of Funan, was established in southeastern Cambodia and the Mekong Delta in the first century, although extensive archaeological work in Angkor Borei District near the modern Vietnamese border has unearthed brickworks, canals, cemeteries and graves dating to the fifth century BCE.The Kingdom of Funan is considered to be the mother of all later Southeast Asian kingdoms. During the Funan period (1st century - sixth century CE) the Khmer also acquired Buddhism, the concept of the Shaiva imperial cult of the devaraja and the great temple as a symbolic world mountain. The rival Khmer Chenla Kingdom emerged in the fifth century and later conquered the Kingdom of Funan. Chenla was an upland state whose economy was reliant on agriculture whereas Funan was a lowland state with an economy dependent on maritime trade.These two states, even after conquest by Chenla in the sixth century, were constantly at war with each other and smaller principalities. During the Chenla period (5th-8th century), Cambodians left the world's earliest known zero in one of their temple inscriptions. Only when King Jayavarman II declared an independent and united Cambodia in 802 was there relative peace between the two lands, upper and lowland Cambodia.Map of South-east Asia c. 900 AD, showing the Khmer Empire in red.Jayavarman II (802–830), revived Cambodian power and built the foundation for the Angkorean empire, founding three capitals—Indrapura, Hariharalaya, and Mahendraparvata—the archeological remains of which reveal much about his times. After winning a long civil war, Suryavarman I (reigned 1002–1050) turned his forces eastward and subjugated the Mon kingdom of Dvaravati. Consequently, he ruled over the greater part of present-day Thailand and Laos, as well as the northern half of the Malay Peninsula. This period, during which Angkor Wat was constructed, is considered the apex of Khmer civilization.Khmer Empire (802–1431)The Khmer kingdom became the Khmer Empire and the great temples of Angkor, considered an archeological treasure replete with detailed stone bas-reliefs showing many aspects of the culture, including some musical instruments, remain as monuments to the culture of the Khmer. After the death of Suryavarman II (1113–50), Cambodia lapsed into chaos until Jayavarman VII (1181–1218) ordered the construction of a new city. He was a Buddhist, and for a time, Buddhism became the dominant religion in Cambodia. As a state religion, however, it was adapted to suit the Deva Raja cult, with a Buddha Raja being substituted for the former Shiva Raja or Vishnu Raja.The rise of the Tai kingdoms of Sukhothai (1238) and Ayutthaya (1350) resulted in almost ceaseless wars with the Cambodians and led to the destruction of Angkor in 1431. They are said to have carried off 90,000 prisoners, many of whom were likely dancers and musicians.The period following 1432, with the Cambodian people bereft of their treasures, documents, and human culture bearers, was one of precipitous decline.Post-empire (1431-present)Angkor Wat in the 1900s.Upper class Khmer ladies in the 1800s.In 1434, King Ponhea Yat made Phnom Penh his capital, and Angkor was abandoned to the jungle. Due to continued Siamese and Vietnamese aggression, Cambodia appealed to France for protection in 1863 and became a French protectorate in 1864. During the 1880s, along with southern Vietnam and Laos, Cambodia was drawn into the French-controlled Indochinese Union. For nearly a century, the French exploited Cambodia commercially, and demanded power over politics, economics, and social life.During the second half of the twentieth century, the political situation in Cambodia became chaotic. King Norodom Sihanouk (later, Prince, then again King), proclaimed Cambodia's independence in 1949 (granted in full in 1953) and ruled the country until March 18, 1970, when he was overthrown by General Lon Nol, who established the Khmer Republic. On April 17, 1975, Khmer Rouge, who under the leadership of Pol Pot combined Khmer nationalism and extreme Communism, came to power and virtually destroyed the Cambodian people, their health, morality, education, physical environment, and culture in the Cambodian genocide.On January 7, 1979, Vietnamese forces ousted the Khmer Rouge. After more than ten years of painfully slow rebuilding, with only meager outside help, the United Nations intervened resulting in the Paris Peace Accord on October 23, 1992 and created conditions for general elections in May 1993, leading to the formation of the current government and the restoration of Prince Sihanouk to power as King in 1993. The Khmer Rouge continued to control portions of western and northern Cambodia until the late 1990s, when they surrendered to government forces in exchange for either amnesty or re-adjustment for positions into the Cambodian government.In the 21st century, Cambodia's economy has grown faster than that of any other country in Asia except for China and India. Today, post-conflict Cambodia exports over $5 billion worth of clothing, mainly to the United States and the European Union, is one of the top ten exporters of rice in the world, and has seen international tourist arrivals balloon from less than 150,000 in 2000 to over 4.2 million in 2013.Cambodia is no longer seen as being on the brink of disaster, a reputation it gained in the 1980s and 1990s as guerilla-style warfare was still being waged by the Khmer Rouge until their ceasefire in 1998. Cambodians in the diaspora are returning to their homeland to start businesses, and immigrant Western workers in fields as diverse as architecture, archaeology, philanthropy, banking, hospitality, agriculture, music, diplomacy and garments are increasingly attracted to Cambodia because of its relaxed lifestyle and traditional way of life.Culture and societyCourt ladies of King Sisowath I, late 1800s.Khmer dancers at Angkor Wat, 1920s.Ang Mey (centre), Queen of Cambodia from 1840 to 1860.The culture of the ethnic Khmer is fairly homogeneous throughout their geographic range. Regional dialects exist, but are mutually intelligible. The standard is based on the dialect spoken throughout the Central Plain, a region encompassed by the northwest and central provinces. The varieties of Khmer spoken in this region are representative of the speech of the majority of the population. A unique and immediately recognizable dialect has developed in Phnom Penh that, due to the city's status as the national capital, has been modestly affected by recent French and Vietnamese influence.Other dialects are Northern Khmer dialect, called Khmer Surin by Cambodians, spoken by over a million Khmer native to Northeast Thailand and Khmer Krom spoken by the millions of Khmer native to the Mekong Delta regions of Vietnam adjacent to Cambodia and their descendants abroad. A little-studied dialect known as Western Khmer, or Cardamom Khmer, is spoken by a small, isolated population in the Cardamom Mountain range extending from Cambodia into eastern Central Thailand. Although little studied, it is unique in that it maintains a definite system of vocal register that has all but disappeared in other dialects of modern Khmer.The modern Khmer strongly identify their ethnic identity with their religious beliefs and practices, which combine the tenets of Theravada Buddhism with elements of indigenous ancestor-spirit worship, animism and shamanism.Most Cambodians, whether or not they profess to be Buddhists (or Muslims), believe in a rich supernatural world. Several types of supernatural entities are believed to exist; they make themselves known by means of inexplicable sounds or happenings. Among these phenomena are khmaoc (ghosts), pret and besach (particularly nasty demons, the spirits of people who have died violent, untimely, or unnatural deaths), arak (evil spirits, usually female), neak ta (tutelary spirits residing in inanimate objects), mneang phteah (guardians of the house), meba (ancestral spirits), and mrenh kongveal (elf-like guardians of animals). All spirits must be shown proper respect, and, with the exception of the mneang phteah and mrenh kongveal, they can cause trouble ranging from mischief to serious life-threatening illnesses.The majority of the Khmer live in rural villages either as rice farmers or fishermen. Their life revolves around the wat (temple) and the various Buddhist ceremonies throughout the year. However, if Khmers become ill, they will frequently see a kru khmae (shaman/healer), whom they believe can diagnose which of the many spirits has caused the illness and recommend a course of action to propitiate the offended spirit, thereby curing the illness.The kru khmae also is learned in herb lore and is often sought to prepare various "medicines" and potions or for a magical tattoo, all believed to endow one with special prowess and ward off evil spirits or general bad luck.Khmer beliefs also rely heavily on astrology, a remnant of Hinduism. A fortune teller, called hao-ra or kru tieay in Khmer, is often consulted before major events, like choosing a spouse, beginning an important journey or business venture, setting the date for a wedding and determining the proper location for building new structures.Throughout the year the Khmer celebrate many holidays, most of a religious or spiritual nature, some of which are also observed as public holidays. The two most important are Chol Chnam (Cambodian New Year) and Pchum Ben ("Ancestor Day"). The Khmer Buddhist calendar is divided into 12 months with the traditional new year beginning on the first day of khae chaet, which coincides with the first new moon of April in the western calendar. The modern celebration has been standardized to coincide with April 13.Khmer culture has influenced Thai and Lao cultures and vice versa. Many Khmer loanwords are found in Thai and Lao, while many Lao and Thai loanwords are found in Khmer. The Thai and Lao alphabets are also derived from the Khmer script.GeneticsThe Khmer people are genetically closely related to other Southeast Asian populations. They show, strong genetic relation to other Austroasiatic people in Southeast Asia and East Asia and have a minor genetic influence from Indian people.The genetic testing website 23andme groups Khmer people under the "Indonesian, Khmer, Thai & Myanmar" reference population. This reference population contains people who have had recent ancestors from Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar and Thailand.Immunoglobulin GHideo Matsumoto, professor emeritus at Osaka Medical College tested Gm types, genetic markers of immunoglobulin G, of Khmer people for a 2009 study.The study found that the Gm afb1b3 is a southern marker gene possibly originating in southern China and found at high frequencies across southern China, Southeast Asia, Taiwan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Assam and parts of the Pacific Islands.The study found that the average frequency of Gm afb1b3 was 76.7% for the Khmer population.LinksA new twist to Khasi originKhasi people - WikipediaOrigin & Migration of Khasi people: Out of Africa & in our GenesThe great mother of hillsI’m A Khasi And This Is What It Is Like To Be From A Super Minority In IndiaKhāsi languageAGREEMENT IN KHASI AND MUNDA LANGUAGES on JSTORKhasi–Khmuic languages - WikipediaKhasi | Encyclopedia.comKhmer people - WikipediaReferencesCensus of India Website: Office of the Registrar General. http://censusindia.gov.in/Census Registrar. 2011.Statistical Profile of Scheduled Tribes in India 2013. Ministry Of Tribal Affairs Statistics Division Government of http://India.www.tribal.nic.inWho are Indigenous Peoples? United Nations Factsheet. un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/ documents/5session_factsheet1.pdf (nd)George van Driem. Glimpses of the Ethnolinguistic Prehistory of Northeastern India. In Origins and migrations in the extended eastern Himalayas. Toni Huber and Stuart Blackburn (eds). Leiden & Brill, 2012. P187-211.Linguistic History of the Indian Subcontinent. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (nd)Austroasiatic languages. Encycl Britannica. britannica.com/topic/ Austroasiatic-languages. (nd)Paul Sidwell and Roger Blench. Part IV Origins and diversification: the case of Austroasiatic groups. N. J. Enfield, editor. Chap 14 The Austroasiatic Urheimat: the Southeastern Riverine Hypothesis. In Dynamics of Human Diversity, 317-345. Pacific Linguistics, 2011The Genographic Project by National Geographic – Human Migration …https://genographic.nationalgeographic.com. (nd)Y-chromosome evidence suggests a common paternal heritage of Austro-Asiatic populations.Kumar, A. N. S. Reddy, J. P. Babu, T. N. Rao, B. T. Langstieh, K. Thangaraj, A. G. Reddy, L. Singh and B. M. Reddy. BMC Evolutionary Biology, 7:47 doi:10.1186/1471-2148-7-47, 2007.Reddy BM, Langstieh BT, Kumar V, Nagaraja T, Reddy ANS, et al (2007) Austro-Asiatic Tribes of Northeast India Provide Hitherto Missing Genetic Link between South and Southeast Asia. PLoS ONE 2(11): e1141. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0001141Piecing Together from Fragments: Re-evaluating the'Neolithic' Situation in Northeast India. Tiatoshi Jamir, Department of History & Archaeology, Nagaland University. academia.edu (nd)

What are your views on Narendra Modi's project "Statue of Unity"?Ans: I personally believe the Statue of Unity is indeed a fitting tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, India’s first Deputy Prime Minister and Home minister as well as the man who played a key role in unifying India as what we see today. Definitely, such a personality must be honored, especially in Gujarat, his home state.Keeping the politics and imaging building part of Narendra Modi aside, such monuments do help in popularizing tourism for years to come as well as give an iconic representation to a place or destination. For example, Taj Mahal wasn't built as a tourist attraction, rather a personal tribute of an Emperor to his beloved wife. But today gives a strong international identity to the entire country. To build such a monument, it cost nearly 32 Million (3.2 Crore Rs) in 1648 AD which means its nearly 52.8 Billion Rs (USD 827 Million) in today's rates. Compare to that, the Statue of Unity is just USD 290 Million worth.However, there is something important to understand. Taj Mahal was built by an Emperor who never had to worry about the life of commoners of his own country, while Statue of Unity built by Prime Minister/Chief Minister who had direct accountability to people. That's the big difference between Monarchy and Democracy.Emperor Shah Jahan rarely worried about building any public housing or residential facilities or public infrastructure for the common man. He loved building a magnificent Red Fort and Juma Masjid in Delhi along with marble fountains laid Chandhi Chowk where moonlight can be reflected on its avenues, but never worried about people who lived on sides of this same Red fort or people who have to do business in Chandi Chowk. Can a Modern democratic Indian leader have similar priorities as like any Emperor? Don't think I am criticizing a Mughal emperor. I too loved the great beautiful structures of Mughal emperors and fascinated with it. But the priorities of Empire and Republic always stand to differ.The taxpayers of United State of America didn't spend a penny to set up Statue of Liberty, so as the French Govt. Instead with was financed by individuals, companies, and others in Paris as well as in New York to fund for such a project. No one could complain as it wasn't a taxpayer project. Today Statue of Liberty is a global symbol of New York and everlasting symbol of French-American relationship. That’s the beauty of democracy. The democracy of America and France prevented their governments spending taxpayer money on such projects while people got engaged in developing projects that would soon become global icons.World’s Largest Bird Statue in Kollam- Kerala as part of a larger project- Jatayu ParkIn Kerala, we recently built World's largest bird statue at Kollam to honor the mythical bird Jatayu of Ramayana. Ofcourse we didn't shout at top of our voice, as the best publicity always comes from those who use it and finds it valuable.But its so surprising that no one in Kerala complained about developing such a huge statue and project worth Rs 100 crore. Why so? Simply because it was a private-public partnership where a team of investors led by a senior businessman to invest for a project while the role of Govt was limited in handing over the land to such venture. Not a penny of tax payer’s money used to develop the famous Jatayu Park which now has an Adventure center as well as a Nature ParkJatayu park, an example of a unique business model - Times of IndiaIt's not impossible for a state like Gujarat to find private investors to fund for such project. After all its the fabled land of Adanis and Ambanis, the epitome of private investment and capitalist ventures. We live in a land where businessmen are ready to invest Rs 1000 crore for a movie project. It's definitely not hard to find a group of investors who can invest for a 2000 crore+ Statue project which comes as a tourist package and long terms rights of the project.What makes me surprised is that Gujarat Govt itself using Rs 2400 Crores worth taxpayer's money to fund for such statutes. I as a Malayalee, living in Kerala may not be worried about Gujarat Government’s funding pattern, but definitely, as an Indian taxpayer, I do have right to question Central Govt allocating 200 crores of money for such project.The Gujarat ModelThis particular investment pattern exposes the fabled Gujarat Model of development where you ignore the social realities of the much larger public around and focus things that show off big to others. I am sorry if this offends my Gujarati friends. I say this out of my own experience living in Ahmedabad and working for IIM-A. I realized the hollowness when we visited numerous villages for various surveys and other data collection. We had published a report in 2007 about electrification issues of Gujarat then as the state was inching towards India’s first Power surplus state (I can’t find that report online). Interestingly the same has been echoed even 5 years later in 2013 based on census recordsGujarat now supplies near 24-hour electricity not only to its large cities and towns but to the 18,000 villages, too. All sources put together, Gujarat now produces about 14,000 MW power of which about 2,000 MW is surplus. There are some dark spots – like the latest census shows 11 lakh homes in the state still have no power source – though. Of these, about 15% are in urban areas. At least nine lakh homes are in rural areas, where the government claims to have implemented Jyoti Gram. About nine lakh houses use kerosene lamps to light their homes. Of this, over eight lakh are in rural areas.‘Power-full’ Gujarat gives 24-hour electricity - Times of IndiaEven in the case of the Statue of Unity, the effects of the Gujarat model can be well seen.It's easy to call anyone who is protesting as Naxals etc. But hardly anyone checked why are the tribals living close to the statue area protesting? Why Gujarat Govt need to put a large contingent of police to prevent tribals tearing up the posters of the inauguration of the world’s largest statue?The shop that was once by the road side was demolished to widen the road. The land was never formally acquired and demolished as it fell in the way. The owner rebuilt the shop and now fears that shop will submerge any-day when water rises in the weir that flows down as water is being released for inauguration.Angry tribals tore apart posters in the Narmada districtAnd more ridiculous part- Police posted to guard flexes and posters announcing the inauguration to prevent tribals removing such.The two extreme worlds the exist in Gujarat Model- the 2900 crore project vs Rs 2000 worth Shanties for humans to live.Most of us who live in cities and enjoy a middle-class life fails to understand many realities that rural India faces.Imagine working hard, all around 6 months in farms and all of the sudden water gushes in from the nearby dam that ruins your hardwork and your income. That is what exactly happening in the site of the Statue of UnityNavagam is one of those villages where land will be submerged as water rises in the weir of Narmada river. As the ‘Statue of Unity’ is set to inaugurated on October 31, water from the dam has been released in the weir for the VIPs and guests to witness a river full of water. About 40 acres of land in Navagam will be submerged till October 31. Farmers had cultivated vegetables which are almost ready. Nobody told us that water is being released from the dam. We are witnessing the water level rise by the hour and land submerging gradually, A family owns between 2-4 acres of land. There are poor tribal families who sustain themselves on crops and vegetables they grow on their small patch of land. Now that the land will be submerged, most of them will have no means of feeding themselves or their family,” says Sanjay Tadvi, son of Ambaben, and a resident of Navagam.Six villages – Navagam, Waghariya, Limdi, Kevadiya, Kothi and Gora -- immediately around the Sadhu Bet, the location of the ‘Statue of Unity’ are badly affected. Of these, Waghariya has lost all of its land, while Kevadiya village has lost about 90% of land.The Tall Price That Gujarat's Tribals Are Paying for the 'Tallest' Statue | NewsClickThis is the exact problem which we need to address as our tribute to the man who worked to unify this nation shouldn’t create disunity among the people atleast of the home state.And this problem is exactly what the Gujarat Model of Development has to address. Sweeping problems underneath the carpet helps no one. You can’t hide the realities from the public. And please, telling realities will not make anyone Anti-National. Cleaning our own homes is not an act of disgrace, rather making it sustainable for all to live.I would definitely agree, Gujarat is a paradise for investors as well as for salaried urban middle class. I too enjoyed that. But there is a huge gap between urban crowd and rural crowd in Gujarat as the fruits of development rarely trickle downThe Truth Behind the Gujarat Growth ModelGujarat model: The gleam of state’s high growth numbers hides dark reality of poverty, inequalityModi’s ‘Gujarat Model’ Of Development: A Reality CheckXi Jinping's Ahmedabad visit: Slum areas, including historic Dandi bridge, on way to Sabarmati Ashram covered up‘We are Gujaratis, too. Why are you ashamed of us?It's easy to cover up and showcase the best to the world. But beyond the green curtains, there are many hardcore realities which need to be addressed that no statues can address.I am from Kerala and thus this model of development definitely can’t accepted by many of us who have a different notion of development. I won’t say, we are perfect. We have many imperfections, we have many problems, we have many defects, perhaps more serious issues than Gujaratis.But still, our basic notion is to address those realities by discussing it and trying to resolve rather hiding from the public and making a window dressing.Incidentally, when Modi was boasting the greatness of this statue, in Kerala we were inaugurating housing for 192 fishermen who lost their houses in 2016–2017 period.Kerala builds refurbished houses for heroic fishermen in record timeModi Govt Spends Rs 3,000 Cr On Statue Of Unity; Kerala Govt Builds Houses For Poor Fishermen In Rs 20 CrAnd let me even acknowledge, out of 20 crores which Kerala Govt spent for this public housing, 6.5 crores came from Central Govt in form of funds from PM Awas Yojna. So essentially Central Govt also used taxpayer money for this project just like they allocated for Statue of Unity.But can any Indian question the logic of Govt of India spending on housing for those who have no houses? No!!! But that question lingers for a statue.Its here the old debate topic of Gujarat vs Kerala Model comes up.A popular cartoon getting viral in Kerala explaining the difference of model between Gujarat and KeralaI am definitely not against the mammoth project like Statue of Unity. Rather I, just like any other urban middle-class person, would love to visit and enjoy the place thus adding a value to the tourism of Gujarat as well as offering a respect to such a great personality. Our family has a relationship with VP Menon, the lieutenant of Sardar Patel in the integration of India and we still have the below photograph at our homeSardar Vallabhbhai Patel with Cochin Maharaja- H.H Pariksht Thampuran and State’s Secretary- VP Menon at Cochin Hill Palace to sign Instrument of Accession of Cochin into Indian Union. Cochin was the first Kingdom in India to voluntary offer accession into India and was a staunch supporter of Patel’s dream of unified India.So since my childhood, I had heard a lot of Sardar Patel as well as VP Menon’s hard work in unifying 562 Princely states that form much of Modern India.Naturally, for a proud Malayalee Indian, it's definitely great to see such a man being honored for well before the world.But my opinion is that it must not be at cost of much larger society. Even Patel dreamt for such an India which should prioritize on basic needs of society than show-offs.And that sums up my views on the Statue vs Govt expenditure on it.