There are certain regions in South India that have a lot of historical significance but are not known to many people, and Banavasi history is one such chapter which is not very popular across India. Banavasi is a small region in present day Karnataka which was historically known by different names such as Vanavasa, Vanavasaka, Vanavasi etc.  It is believed that Buddha Rakshita was Ashoka’s delegate who was appointed to look into the administration of Banavasi.

Temple Town

You can also say that the Banavasi was a temple town as it was built around the beautiful 9^th century Shiva temple called Madhukeshwara. Kadambas of Banavasi were the major powers in the region, before which, it was also the capital of Chutus and Satavahanas.

Origin of Kadambas of Banavasi

You will be surprised to know that Banavasi history is more than 100 years old, dating back to the 4^th Century. Lord Muruga is also known as Kadamba. After the powerful Chera Dynasty conquered the region, the people were called as Kadambas. Santivarman put up an inscription for his father, Kakusthavarman in Talagunda, who was the fifth ruler of that clan. Kakusthavarman ruled from 425 AD to 450 AD. The founder of the dynasty was Mayura Sarman who went to Pallava capital, Kanchi to complete his Vedic studies. It is believed that he had a fight with a Pallava Soldier, after which he honed his skills in fighting. He later defeated the Pallava army in the west to form his own independent territory in the region between the Western Ocean and Prehara. Banavasi-mandala was formed after this victory to become one of the oldest Indian administrative provinces. Banavasi-mandala started growing to include the regions between Varada and Tungabhadra when Rashtrakutas were in power. Archaeological evidence reinstates the fact that a civilisation exited in this region during the Satavahana Era as well.

The Rise and Fall

Krishnavarman was the last king of the Kadambas of Banavasi whose reign ended in 565 A.D. Krishnavarman was killed by the Pallavas in a battle and his son Vishnuvarman became friends with Pallavas. The grandson of Santivarman, Ravivarman, tried his best to unify the Kadamba kingdom. The Kadambas of Banavasis existed till the 10th century, after which they were acquired by Vijayanagar Empire.