Karnataka

"The road to paradise begins in Karnataka – and ends there. There is nowhere else to go. It is, as the poet says, cheluva Kannada Nadu. The word cheluva defies clear definition. It suggests beauty, grace, athomeness. In Karnataka, a graceful girl is a cheluve, one who is pleasing who radiates charm, contentment, peace. The state's theme song says: Udayavagali namma cheluva kannada nadu. May the lovely land of the Kannadigas arise. The people of Karnataka do not take their land – or themselves – for granted. The romantic in them always strives for the ideal and like all ideals, it is a movable feast. To say that the land is already beyond comparison is to invite comparison. To wish it to be is to live eternally in hope."