The lingua franca of the region is mostly Marathi and Kannada spoken here is laced with a generous dose of Marathi . Belgaum enjoys rich cultural diversity stemming from its proximity to the states of Maharashtra and Goa. Marathi,Kannada are the most spoken languages. The customs and traditions of Belgaum have been influenced by both theKannada and Marathi cultures. Traditional dressing in rural Belgaum is similar to the attires of people in the north Karnataka and Maharashtra; the men wear a turban with a long tailpiece at the rear and a dhoti (a sarong worn in a manner that allows easier movement) and the women wear saris. Both sexes have a strong preference for the Kolhapuri chappal, which are handcrafted in the villages near Ugar. However, in the city, the costumes are very much in tune with modern urban India.
The Second World Kannada Meet 2011 was held in the city on 11–13 March 2011 (First held at Mysore in the year 1985) to celebrate and enrich the tradition, culture and progress of the state
