Banavasi

Banavasi is a town in the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka, India. It lies on the banks of the Varada River in the Western Ghats region and forms part of the historical Canara area. The town is widely regarded as the oldest extant town in Karnataka and was the capital of the Kadamba dynasty, a kingdom that rose to prominence in the region from around the 4th or 5th centuries CE.

The site preserves archaeological and architectural remnants from the Kadamba period and later eras, including an ancient temple complex. The best-known landmark is the temple complex associated with the Kadamba-era Madhav temple, among other shrines that reflect early medieval temple architecture. Inscriptions and ruins at Banavasi contribute to the understanding of early Kannada literature and administration, linking the town to the broader cultural and political history of southern India.

Today Banavasi is a small town that attracts visitors for its historic heritage, temple architecture, and rural surroundings. It remains a significant historical reference in Karnataka as an early urban center and as part of the region’s collective legacy from ancient to medieval polities.