Britannica Sources used in this answer

Which language is the official language of Karnataka?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Keshava temple — Karnataka Keshava Temple, Somanathapura, Karnataka, India.

The official language of the state of Karnataka is Kannada, a Dravidian language spoken by a large majority of the population. In 2008, the government of India granted Kannada classical-language status, recognizing its long history and significant literary tradition.12