Kanakapura is a town and the headquarters of Kanakapura Taluk in the Ramanagara district in the state of Karnataka, India. Situated near the city of Bengaluru, this town is famous for the production of silk and granite. The place was originally under the Gangas and later under the Cholas, who administered it as a part of an area called Kilalainad. Later, the Hoysalas made it a major headquarters of a province (sime). Its name was changed as Kanakapura from its original Kanakanahalli. But earlier it is mentioned as Kanikaranahalli in two Hoysala records dated 1319 and 1317 A.D. from Hachchalu and Nyakanahalli (Kanakapura tq) villages respectively. Even a 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 people universally call it as Kanikaranahalli, which is otherwise corrupted as Kankanahalli, says Buchanan. He further says Kanikaranahalli has a Kannada origin - Kani + Karna or Kanikara...
