<P> Karnataka has 11 ports, including the New Mangalore Port, a major port and ten minor ports, of which three were operational in 2012 . The New Mangalore port was incorporated as the ninth major port in India on 4 May 1974 . This port handled 32.04 million tonnes of traffic in the fiscal year 2006--07 with 17.92 million tonnes of imports and 14.12 million tonnes of exports . The port also handled 1015 vessels including 18 cruise vessels during the year 2006--07 . Foreigners can enter Mangalore through the New Mangalore Port with the help of Electronic visa (e-visa). Cruise ships from Europe, North America and UAE arrive at New Mangalore Port to visit the tourist places across Coastal Karnataka . </P> <P> The total lengths of National Highways and state highways in Karnataka are 3,973 and 9,829 kilometres (2,469 and 6,107 mi), respectively . The KSRTC, the state public transport corporation, transports an average of 2.2 million passengers daily and employs about 25,000 people . In the late nineties, KSRTC was split into four corporations, viz., The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation, The North - East Karnataka Road Transport Corporation and The North - West Karnataka Road Transport Corporation with their headquarters in Bangalore, Gulbarga and Hubli respectively, and with the remnant of the KSRTC maintaining operations in the rest of the state from its headquarters in Bangalore . </P> <P> The diverse linguistic and religious ethnicities that are native to Karnataka, combined with their long histories, have contributed immensely to the varied cultural heritage of the state . Apart from Kannadigas, Karnataka is home to Tuluvas, Kodavas and Konkanis . Minor populations of Tibetan Buddhists and tribes like the Soligas, Yeravas, Todas and Siddhis also live in Karnataka . The traditional folk arts cover the entire gamut of music, dance, drama, storytelling by itinerant troupes, etc . Yakshagana of Malnad and coastal Karnataka, a classical dance drama, is one of the major theatrical forms of Karnataka . Contemporary theatre culture in Karnataka remains vibrant with organisations like Ninasam, Ranga Shankara, Rangayana and Prabhat Kalavidaru continuing to build on the foundations laid by Gubbi Veeranna, T.P. Kailasam, B.V. Karanth, KV Subbanna, Prasanna and others . Veeragase, Kamsale, Kolata and Dollu Kunitha are popular dance forms . The Mysore style of Bharatanatya, nurtured and popularised by the likes of the legendary Jatti Tayamma, continues to hold sway in Karnataka, and Bangalore also enjoys an eminent place as one of the foremost centres of Bharatanatya . </P> <P> Karnataka also has a special place in the world of Indian classical music, with both Karnataka (Carnatic) and Hindustani styles finding place in the state, and Karnataka has produced a number of stalwarts in both styles . The Haridasa movement of the sixteenth century contributed significantly to the development of Karnataka (Carnatic) music as a performing art form . Purandara Dasa, one of the most revered Haridasas, is known as the Karnataka Sangeeta Pitamaha (' Father of Karnataka a.k.a. Carnatic music'). Celebrated Hindustani musicians like Gangubai Hangal, Mallikarjun Mansur, Bhimsen Joshi, Basavaraja Rajaguru, Sawai Gandharva and several others hail from Karnataka, and some of them have been recipients of the Kalidas Samman, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan awards . Noted Carnatic musicians include Violin T. Chowdiah, Veena Sheshanna, Mysore Vasudevachar, Doreswamy Iyengar and Thitte Krishna Iyengar . </P>

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