ImportMaster at 16:29, 19 April 2022

2022-04-19T16:29:26Z

New page

{{More citations needed|date=April 2022}}{{short description|Unofficial Indian state flag}}{{Incomprehensible|date=April 2022}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2020}}
The Kannada flag, a strip of yellow and red, symbolises both [[Kannada]] and [[Karnataka]].

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]] (November 1st).<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bangalore |first1=Mirror |title=Kannada Flag |url=https://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com/entertainment/lounge/decoding-kannada-flag/articleshow/21287831.cms |website=Bangalore Mirror}}</ref>

==Flag of the Kingdom of Mysore (1399–1974)==
[[File:Flag of Kingdom of Mysore.svg|thumb|The original flag of the [[Kingdom of Mysore]], and its subsequent [[Mysore State]] and the reorganised [[Karnataka|Karnataka State]]]]

The present-day Karnataka state went through a series of geopolitical and cultural transformations. After [[Independence Day (India)|India's independence]] 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]] when India became a democratic republic, but [[Maharaja of Mysore|Maharaja]] [[Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar]] continued to be the chief head of Mysore State (as ''maharaja'', then as ''[[rajpramukh]]'', and finally as governor). In 1956, the [[States Reorganisation Act, 1956|Reorganisation of States Act on linguistic-basis]] was passed by the [[Republic of India]], which furthered Mysore State's frontiers. Coastal parts of [[Mangalore]], 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,{{Citation needed|date=December 2020}} 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]]'', in Kannada. This emblem itself was an adoption from that of the [[Vijayanagara Empire]]. Mysore Kingdom inherited this right after the principality was commissioned in 1399 by [[Harihara II]], anointing Mysore Kingdom's first ruler, [[Yaduraya Wodeyar]], 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 [[Wadiyar dynasty|Mysore royal family]], and is used during the private and, sometimes, in public, celebrations of the [[Mysore Dasara|Dasara]] festival, including the Special Assembly (''khas durbar'') during the carnival.{{Citation needed|date=December 2020}}

==Kannada flag==
[[File:Flag of Karnataka.svg|thumb|The Kannada flag]]

The ''Kannada flag'' is a flag that is in popular use in the state of [[Karnataka]], [[India]]. It is widely identified with [[Karnataka]], Kannadigas and the [[Kannada]] 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.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-karnataka/Rajyotsava-celebrated-without-usual-fanfare/article14868367.ece |title=Rajyotsava celebrated without usual fanfare |newspaper=The Hindu |date=2 November 2007 |access-date=11 January 2020}}</ref> It finds a place in the official website of the Government of Karnataka.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.karnataka.gov.in/Pages/kn.aspx |title=Pages - kannada |publisher=Karnataka.gov.in |date=2015-12-22 |access-date=2016-12-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161209045312/http://karnataka.gov.in/Pages/kn.aspx |archive-date=9 December 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===History===
[[File:Flag of Karnataka (2018 proposed).svg|thumb|2018 flag proposal]]
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 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 [[M. Visvesvaraya|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 Vidyavardhaka Sangha|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 [[Kannada Sahitya Parishat|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]] and attended by a number of stalwarts like [[Gubbi Veeranna]], Khadri Shamanna, [[Ma Ramamurthy|M Ramamurthy]], [[K. R. Seetharama Sastry|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 a Tamil film was shown in three theaters in the city which showed war between Chalukya and Pallava, a scene in which the king stamps on the Kannada flag created a lot of dissentient 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 1st a holiday. Protests and subsequent developments resulted in the [[Karnataka Rajyotsava|Rajyotsava Day]] being declared a state holiday. M Ramamurthy went on a Padayatra, 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’ (Haladi) and the red color represents ‘Kumkuma’ of Goddess Bhuvaneshwari. 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 agitation|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.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Mirror |first1=Bangalore |title=Kannada Flag |url=https://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com/entertainment/lounge/decoding-kannada-flag/articleshow/21287831.cms}}</ref>

In 2009, [[B. S. Yeddyurappa]], then [[Chief Minister of Karnataka]], issued a circular enforcing restrictions on hoisting the Kannada flag on government buildings.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hindu.com/2009/06/09/stories/2009060955290500.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629024817/http://www.hindu.com/2009/06/09/stories/2009060955290500.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=2011-06-29 |work=[[The Hindu]] |title=Kannada flag: circular to be withdrawn |date=2009-06-09 |access-date=2016-12-01}}</ref> Later, this move was challenged in Karnataka High Court in 2012 after then Chief Minister [[D. V. Sadananda Gowda]] 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.

==Government banner==
The [[Government of Karnataka]] can be represented by a banner that depicts the [[Emblem of Karnataka|emblem of the state]] on a white background.

<gallery>
File:..Karnataka Flag(INDIA).png|Banner of Karnataka
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[Emblem of Karnataka]]
* [[Jaya Bharata Jananiya Tanujate]]
* [[Flag of India|National flag of India]]
* [[List of Indian state flags]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Flags of India]]
[[Category:Government of Karnataka]]
[[Category:2018 in India]]
[[Category:Flags introduced in 2018|Karnataka]]
[[Category:Flags of indigenous peoples|Karnataka]]

Flag of Karnataka - Revision history

ImportMaster at 16:29, 19 April 2022