Tulu Nadu
Tulu Nadu | |
|---|---|
Region | |
South Canara, an erstwhile district, forms the centre of the Tuluva region called 'Tulu Nadu'. | |
| Coordinates: 13°00′N 75°24′E / 13.00°N 75.40°E | |
| Country | India |
| State | Karnataka, Kerala |
| Districts | Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Kasaragod |
| Largest City | Mangalore |
| No. of districts & Talukas | 3 Districts and 18 Taluks |
| Area | |
• Total | 10,432 km2 (4,028 sq mi) |
| Population (2011) | |
• Total | 4,574,385 |
| • Density | 438.50/km2 (1,135.7/sq mi) |
| Demonyms | |
| Languages | |
| • Lingua Franca | Tulu |
| • Spoken | Tulu, Konkani, Beary, Kannada, Malayalam |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| Telephone code | 0824, 0825 |
| ISO 3166 code | ISO 3166-2:IN |
| Vehicle registration | KA19, KA20, KA21, KA62, KA70, KL14. |
Tulu Nadu, or Tulunad, is a region and a proposed state on the southwestern coast of India. The region is predominantly inhabited by the Tulu people, also known as Tuluva, who speak Tulu, a Dravidian language. The former district encompassed the territories of the contemporary Dakshina Kannada (Kudla) and Udupi (Odipu) of Karnataka State, and Kasaragod district (Kasrod) of Kerala state. These areas collectively form the cultural region of the Tuluver.
Historically, Tulu Nadu lies between the Gangavalli River (Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka) and Chandragiri/Payaswini River (Kasaragod district of Kerala). Despite its distinct cultural identity, the region is not recognized as an official administrative entity.
Kudla (Mangaluru) is the largest city in Tulu Nadu, the third-largest city by area, and the fifth-largest by population in Karnataka. Udupi (Odipu) and Kasarogod (Kasrod) are two other major cities in this region, both located on the Kerala-Karnataka border.
The term "Tulunadu" appears as "Tuḷu Nāṭṭu" in Akananuru, a classical Tamil poetic work that is part of the "Eight Anthologies" (Ettuthokai) — a collection of Sangam literature composed over 2000 years ago.