The bountiful natural surroundings of Karnataka have sculpted the cultural domain of the state widely. The picturesque scenes of nature induced sense of artistry among the inhabitants of Karnataka and they have championed in the field of art and craft. The famous Bidri metalwork of Karnataka is an attractive piece of art and is of high demand across the world. The folk art center of Karnataka at Ramnagaram is a trust developed by the state government for the preservation of the precious folk art of the state.

The tribes of Karnataka apparently display the blend of culture, ethnicity and religion. The dominant religion in Karnataka is Hindu and few of the inhabitants adopted Islam and Christianity. Every tribe of the state has its unique life style and style of celebrating festivals. Kodavas and Croog tribes of Karnataka are famed all over the state for their traditional distinctions. The list of tribal communities in Karnataka is long and some of the eminent tribes include Bedar tribe, Hakkipikki tribe, Toda tribe, Jenu Kuruba, Kadu Kuruba, Kattunayakan, Konda Kapus tribe and Sholaga tribe.

Festivals of the tribal communities in Karnataka are enormous since every tribe has its own set of festivals. Each of such festivals has a different story of triumph and tourists have to plan according to the calendar of the tribes to see the festivals. Mysore Dassara is a highly celebrated festival in Karnataka. Tourists get the scope to see much of extravaganza in this festival as the procession of Dussera includes elephants with highly ornate caparisons. The grand style of a single day festival involves enormous pomp and show.

A myriad dance of Karnataka is a major factor that defines the culture of the state. Among all the dances Yakshagana is a popular one. The high dramatization of this dance is complemented by pompous way of delivering emotion filled dialogues. This dance is almost 4 centuries old and has a deep relevance with Kathakali dance of Kerala.