Information on genotypic and phenotypic variances, genotypic and phenotypic coefficients of variation (GCV and PCV, respectively) and heritability were estimated for 11 characters in 171 okra genotypes, representing a wide geographical origin, grown at Dharwad during rabi 1990 and kharif 1991. Considerable differences were observed for some characters in the two seasons. Number of pods per plant, weight of good pods per plant, number of borer infested pods and weight of borer infested pods per plant showed seasonal differences; in general, genotypic and phenotypic variance were higher in the kharif than rabi season. Estimates of PCV and GCV values ranged from 14.7% for days to flowering (kharif) to 71.6% for weight of borer infested pods (kharif). Relatively high genetic advance was observed for characters such as plant height, number of good pods per plant and weight of good pods per plant, indicative of the likely effectiveness of selection for such characters.