Banavasi

Banavasi is an ancient temple town in Uttara Kannada in the South Indian state of Karnataka. Banavasi was the ancient capital of the Kannada empire Kadamba who ruled entire Uttara Kannada district. They were the first native empire to give prominence to Kannada.HistoryBanavasi is the oldest town in the Karnataka state. It has grown up around the Madhukeshwara Temple built in the 9th century and dedicated to Lord Shiva the supreme God in Shaivism, a major branch of Hinduism.In 2006, a 5th-century copper coin was discovered here with an inscription in the Kannada script, one of the oldest such coins ever discovered. The Directorate of Archaeology and Museums said that the coin's inscription in archaic Kannada proves beyond doubt that Banavasi had a mint in the 5th century.Adikavi Pampa, the first poet of Kannada, wrote his epics in Banavasi. The town once was the capital of the Kadamba rulers, an ancient royal dynasty of Karnataka. They established themselves there in A.D. 345 and ruled South India for at least two centuries.LocationBanavasi is surrounded by forests and villages, with the Varada river flowing around it on three sides. It is located 374 km from Bengaluru. The nearest railway stations are 70 km away in Haveri and Talaguppa. Sirsi, is the nearest town about 23 km away.