Kanakapura

thumb|A view of the forested area around the Kanakapura bus station

Kanakapura is a city in the Bengaluru South district of Karnataka on the banks of the Arkavathi river and the administrative center of the taluk of the same name. Its founder is Shrihan Kanaka Sigmanath, hence its name. Kanakapura is the largest cocoon silk producer in India. The Kaveri River flows around 21 km in Kanakapura Taluk. The city previously belonged to the Bangalore Rural District. It was formerly the largest constituency in the country. (). The Kodihalli Wildlife Range and Harohalli Wildlife Range are under its division. The Kaveri Wildlife Sanctuary consists of two main zones: the Sangam Wildlife Range and the Mugguru Wildlife Range. == Etymology == The place was originally written under the Gangas and later under the Cholas, who administered it as a part of an area named Kilalainad. Later, the Hoysalas made it a major headquarters of a province (sime) and its name was changed to Kanakapura from its original Kanakanahalli. However, earlier mentions refer to the city as Kanikaranahalli in two Hoysala records dated 1319 and 1317 A.D. from Hachchalu and Nyakanahalli (Kanakapura tq) villages respectively. A more recent record dated 1662 A.D. by Mysore rulers from Malagala also mention the place as Kanikaranahalli being the headquarters of a sime. The local inhabitants universally call it as Kanikaranahalli, which is otherwise corrupted as Kankanahalli, according to Buchanan. He further claims that Kanikaranahalli has a Kannada origin, in which Kani and Karna or Kanikara signifies showing sympathy.