Davanagere is a city in the center of the southern Indian state of Karnataka. It is the seventh largest city in the state, and the administrative headquarters of eponymous Davanagere District. Davanagere became a separate district in 1997, when it was separated from the erstwhile undivided district of Chitradurga for administration conveniences.

Hitherto being a cotton hub and hence popularly known before as the Manchester of Karnataka, the commercial ventures of the city is now dominated by education and agro-processing industries. Davanagere is known for rich culinary traditions which encompass the diversity of entire Karnataka’s dishes due to its geographical position in the state as its epicenter. Notable among them is its aromatic benne dose that is associated with the name of the city.