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News: The Karnataka government announced “Tulu” as the state’s second additional administrative language alongside Kannada.
About Tulu Language

- Tulu is a Dravidian language.
- It is mainly spoken in two coastal districts, Dakshina Kannada and Udupi of Karnataka and Kasaragod district of Kerala.
- Kasaragod district is called the ‘Sapta bhasha Samgama Bhumi (the confluence of seven languages)’ and Tulu is one among the seven.
- This region is informally known as Tulu Nadu.
- It has borrowed many words from the Kannada language but they are not closely related.
- The Tulu script is also known as the Tigalari script and it has resemblance with Malayalam script.
- The Tulu speakers are known as Tuluvas.
- The oldest available inscriptions in Tulu are from the period between 14th to 15th centuries AD.
- Tulu has a rich oral literature tradition with folk-song forms like paddana and traditional folk theatre yakshagana.
- It also has an active tradition of cinema, with around 5 to 7 Tulu language movies produced a year.
- Moreover, Tulu films are screened every day in Mangalore and Udupi in at least one theater.
- Recognition: Karnataka has officially recognized Tulu as an additional administrative language in the Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts.
- There has been rising demand to include Tulu language in 8th Schedule.



