Karnataka is generally regarded to be the place of origin of Carnatic Music, one of the most acclaimed expressions of classical music in the world. The word Carnatic was used to describe the genre of music which has its origin in the Carnatic region of India. Representative of the South Indian Classical forms of music, the term Carnatic started being used after the Sangita Ratnakara of Sarngadeva during the period of 1210 to1247. However, it was to take as many as the next two centuries for Carnatic Music to be transformed to the state it is today.
The kingdoms of Vijayanaga and Tanjavur were the main areas which looked after the promotion of this form of music while the royal families of the kingdoms were regarded as the patrons of Carnatic Music.
Today Carnatic Music has become such an integral part of the cultural outlook of Karnataka that a tour to Karnataka is considered to be incomplete without a performance of Carnatic Music.
