TULUNAD

History

Tulu Nadu or Tulunad is the name of a region in India where the Tulu language is predominantly spoken. The Indic people known as Tuluva are natives of the region. The erstwhile district of South Canara is the core of the Tulu speaking region. The Old South Canara district is currently divided into Dakshina Kannada and Udupi of Karnataka and Kasaragod district of Kerala. This region is not an official administrative entity but there has been a movement in the region demanding statehood for Tulu Nadu within the framework of the Republic of India. Mangalore, Udupi and Kasaragod are its important cities.

Geography and Climate

Tulu Nadu lies along the Konkan Coast.^[17]Tulu Nadu is bounded on the west by the Arabian Sea and on the east by the Western Ghats. Tulu Nadu spans an area of 8,441 km²(3,259 sq mi), roughly 4.4 per cent of the total geographical area of present-day Karnataka.

Tulu Nadu also experience heavy rainfalls during Monsoon season. The coastal area of Tulu Nadu is very rich with respect to rainforests and backwaters. The region has a tropical climate; summer and winter months experience similar temperate conditions, with average temperatures ranging from 24 °C to 33 °C.

Region

Tulu Nadu refers to an area heavily dominated by tulu speaking people, consisting of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts of Karnataka and the northern parts of the Kasaragod district of Kerala up to the Chandragiri River. The Tuluva ethnic group constitutes a majority of the population in this region, with a major concentration in the coastal areas. Konkanis from Goa are the next major ethnic group here.