Coordinates	40°37′29″N73°57′8″N
Native name	Belgaum
Other name	/
Type	city
State name	Karnataka
District	Belgaum
Leader title	Mayor
Leader name	Manda Balekundri
Altitude	762
Population as of	2011
Population total	4778439
Area total	13415
Area telephone	+91831
Postal code	590 00X
Vehicle code range	KA-22
Skyline	Kamala basadi belagavi 1.jpg
Skyline caption	Kamala Basati at fort Belgaum. }}

Belgaum ( Belagaavi, Belgaon) is a city and a municipal corporation in Belgaum district in the state of Karnataka, India. It is the fourth largest city of the state of Karnataka, the first three being Bangalore, Mysore, Hubli-Dharwad.

It is situated nearly 2,500 ft (762 m) above sea-level and is the headquarters of Belgaum district, which borders the states of Maharashtra and Goa. Belgaum is also the headquarters for the Belgaum division. The division comprises the districts of Bagalkot, Belgaum, Bijapur, Dharwad - Hubli, Gadag, Haveri, and Uttara Kannada. The Government of Karnataka has proposed making Belgaum the second capital of the State of Karnataka with the recently upcoming second state administrative building Suvarna Soudha.

History

The Vadgoan and Madhavpur suburbs of Belgaum were important urban centres between 400 BC and 300 AD. The present city was built in the 12th century AD by the Ratta dynasty who were based at nearby Saundatti. The fort of Belgaum was built in 1204 by a Ratta officer named Bichiraja. Belgaum served as the capital of that dynasty between 1210 and 1250, before the Rattas were defeated by the Yadava Dynasty of Devagiri. Belgaum then briefly came under the sway of the Yadavas of Devagiri. The Khiljis of Delhi invaded the region at the turn of the 14th century and succeeded in ruining both the indigenous powers of the region, the Yadava and the Hoysalas without providing a viable administration. This lacuna was supplied by the Vijayanagara Empire, which had become the established power of the area by 1336. A century later, the town had become a bustling trading hub for diamonds and wood, owing to its favourable geographic location in the kingdom.

In 1474, the Bahmani Sultanate, then ruling from Bidar, captured the fort of Belgaum. Shortly afterward, in 1518, the Bahamani sultanate splintered into five small states, and Belgaum became part of the Adilshahi sultanate of Bijapur. The Adilshahis reinforced the fort of Belgaum; much of the existing structure dates from 1519. In 1686, the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb overthrew the Bijapur sultanate, and Belgaum passed nominally to the Mughals. However, the Mughal empire went into decline after the death of Aurangzeb in 1707, and his principal detractors, the Maratha confederacy, took control of the area during the rule of the Peshwas. In 1776, the country was overrun by Hyder Ali of Mysore, but was retaken by the Peshwa with British assistance. In 1818, the British deposed the last Peshwa and annexed his kingdom, which included Belgaum.Kitturu Chennamma ( ಕಿತ್ತೂರು ರಾಣಿ ಚೆನ್ನಮ್ಮ) (1778–1829) was the queen of the princely state of Kittur in Karnataka. In 1824, 33 years before the 1857 War of Independence in Murree, she led an armed rebellion against the British in response to the Doctrine of lapse. The resistance ended in her martyrdom and she is remembered today as one of the earliest Indian rulers to have fought for independence.

Belgaum was chosen as the venue of the 39th session of Indian National Congress in December 1924 under the Presidentship of Mahatma Gandhiji. The city served as a major military installation for the British Raj, primarily due to its proximity to Goa, which was then a Portuguese territory. Once the British left India, the Indian Government continued and still continues to have Armed forces installations in Belgaum. In 1961, the Indian government, under the Prime Ministership of Nehru used forces from Belgaum to end Portuguese rule of Goa.

When India became independent in 1947, Belgaum and its district became part of Bombay State. In 1956, the Indian states were reorganised along linguistic lines by the States Reorganisation Act, and Belgaum District was transferred to Mysore State, which was renamed Karnataka in 1972.

In 2006, the Government of Karnataka announced that Belgaum would be made the state's second capital and that the city would be a permanent venue for the annual 15-day session of the state legislature.

Etymology

Belgaum is anglicized name of Belgaavi/Belgaon. The names are from the Sanskrit Velugrama, Kannada for Venugrama i.e. "Bamboo village" and the same, Belagavi in Kannada , Belgaon in Marathi .

Off late, the city has carved itself a new name as Kunda nagari because of its famous sweet dish Kunda . The city is also known as Sugar City", and the district as Sakkare Jille" (Sugar District) because of its enormous sugarcane cultivation and sugar production.

The name Belgaum had been proposed to be changed to Belagaavi by the Karnataka government. However Central government has not agreed to rename the city, as Belgaum is caught between Karnataka and Maharashtra in the border dispute. One of the Centre's guidelines for renaming places is that the names should not hurt people's sentiments, have political overtones or be already in use in some other state.

Border dispute

Belgaum was incorporated into newly formed Mysore state (now Karnataka) with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act (1956),which reorganised India's states along linguistic lines, despite having large Marathi-speaking population; about three fourths of total population(1956) Since then, Maharashtra continues to claim the district, and the case is now in Supreme Court of India. But Mahajan commission reports clearly states that Belgaum is a part and parcel of Karnataka.

Geography

Belgaum is located at . It has an average elevation of 751 metres (2463 feet). The city is situated in the northwestern parts of Karnataka and lies at the border of two states, Maharashtra and Goa on the western ghats (50 km from Goa state border). It is one of the oldest towns in the state, lying at a distance of 502 km from Bangalore;515 km from Hyderabad and 500 km from Mumbai. The district comprises 1278 villages with an area of 13,415 km² with a population of around 48 lakhs or 4.8 million (47,78,439) according to the census 2011. Situated near the foothills of the Sahyadri mountain range (Western Ghats) at an altitude of about 779m, 100 km from the Arabian Sea with the river Markandeya flowing nearby, Belgaum exhibits swift and kaleidoscopic changes in topography, vegetation and climate.

Climate

Belgaum is well known for its pleasant climate throughout the year. It is at its coldest in winter (November - February temperatures dropping to 9 degrees Celsius), and experiences continuous monsoon during July to September. The annual average rainfall is over 200  cm" , 2000 mm.

Demographics

India census, Belgaum had a population of 629,600. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Belgaum has an average literacy rate of 78%, higher than the national average of 65%; with 54% of the males and 46% of females literate. Eleven percent of the population is under 6 years of age. Here majority of the population are Marathis followed by Kannadigas and Urdu speaking Muslims. Belgaum is a cosmopolitan city as people from all over India dwell here.

Culture

The lingua franca of the region is mostly Marathi and even the 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. Kannada and Marathi are the main languages spoken. The customs and traditions of Belgaum have been influenced by both the Kannada 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. However, in the city, the costumes are very much in tune with modern urban India. Second World Kannada Meet 2011 was held in the city on 11–13 March 2011 (First being held at Mysore in the year 1985) to celebrate, enrich the tradition, culture and progress of the state.

Economy

Belgaum is the commercial hub & divisional headquarters of north Karnataka, stands second to Bangalore in terms of overall exports in the state (mainly automotive industry). It is an important location for vegetables, fruits, meat, poultry, fish, wood (due to heavy rainfall, rivers & water abundance), mining production & trading in north Karnataka mainly traded with Goa also with major cities like Pune, Bangalore. Rich deposits of Bauxite are found in Belgaum district, and have led to the creation of the (HINDALCO) Indian Aluminium Company Birla Group for production of aluminium. Additionally, uranium deposits have recently been found in Deshnur, a small village near Bailhongal town. Belgaum is a major producer of milk in the state, almost 1/3 or 30% of state's production & has the highest number of Sugar factories, being home to Renuka Sugars is also known as Sugar Bowl of Karnataka & Sugar district of India.

From the early 1970s, Belgaum began developing as an important centre for the manufacture of heavy Machine tools, including the manufacture of high pressure oil Hydraulics.

Its also a foundry hub of the Karnataka state having about 200 Foundries producing more than 70000 tons of automotive and industrial castings of ferrous base and the supporting ancillaries like CNC and conventional machine shops which finish the castings that are produced in Belgaum.

Trade flourishes in Belgaum, and many areas of the city are dedicated to certain kinds of trade. For example, almost all automobile-related trade and manufacture happens in the Fort Road area of the city & Udyambag. The Raviwarpeth area is known as the wholesale market which sells commodities like grains, tea, etc.

Belgaum also is a strong industrial hub for Machine Shops catering to Automotive Manufacturing, Specially in Crankshaft machining & Castings. The geographical location of the city is an advantage since it is situated right in between Bangalore and Mumbai/Pune to support the major automotive and aerospace companies.

A Special Economic Zone is being setup along the Pune-Bangalore highway to cater to precision engineering requirements of the global aerospace, automotive and industrial verticals.

Defence training centres

Its salubrious climate, proximity to the coast and strategic position near Portuguese Goa commended it to the British as a suitable location for an army training center and cantonment, which it continues to be today for the Indian Armed Forces, along with an air force station of the Indian Air Force. The British had a sizable infantry post here, having realized the military importance of its geographical location. Perhaps that is one of the reasons for Belgaum's sobriquet The Cradle of Infantry. Development of a Rail Network for movement of resources and later troops was one of the means employed by both the East India Company and the British to exert control over India. Belgaum houses the Maratha Light Infantry Regimental Centre (MLIRC). It also houses the Commando Training Wing which is a part of the Infantry School, Mhow, where the country's infantry commandos are trained in endurance, escape and evasion, guerrilla and commando warfare techniques and to live off the land. The Commando course at Belgaum is mandatory for all infantry officers. Officers of other arms and services and even some foreign officers undergo the course. In between the Military hospital and the commando training centre there lies an eminent school called Belgaum Military School established in 1945 spread over an area of .

Tourism and attractions

Belgaum is located 502 km from Bangalore and 154 km from Panaji. Nestled in the foothills of the Western Ghats, it enjoys a cool, salubrious climate and is surrounded by natural beauty in the form of rivers, hills and dense evergreen forests covered tourists places like Amboli, Sindhudurg district, jamboti etc. Inside the city, A wide variety of historical sites, temples and churches exist in and around the city, most notably the fort Kamala Basti, Kapileshwar temple (South Kashi), the hills of Vaijyanath, Ramtirth in Kanbargi, the aerodrome at Sambra and others.

Tourist Attractions within and nearby the city

#The Handloom cottage industries, and Silk weavers located in Vadgaon and Angol are known for the exquisitely designed Saris. #The Cantonment Area with its lush cover of greenery, the MLIRC (Maratha Light Infantry Regimental Centre) is also based here. #Jamboti, 20 km south-west of Belgaum, is a popular tourist spot with its evergreen hilltop forests. #Vajrapoha Falls on the Mandovi river are located 26 km from Belgaum. #Godchanmalki falls is a popular destination at a distance of about 60 km from Belgaum. They are stepwise falls which are approximately 100 metres in length, with a step at every 30 metres. #Gokak Falls is yet another resplendent waterfall 62 km from Belgaum and 6 km from the Gokak town. #Amboli hill station (Maharashtra) This little known coastal highland area, around 70 km from Belgaum, is fabulous during the monsoons. Thick forests, curving misty ghats and shades of vibrant greens. # Asha Kiran Planetarium, School of Astronomy and Audio-Visual Education Research Centre. This is a new Planetarium that has recently been started in Belgaum. It is located in Ganeshpur. #Dudhsagar Water Falls, located around 120 km from Belgaum, is a scenic waterfall located on the Mandovi River. The spot also provides various options for trekkers. The best time to visit is during or soon after the Monsoon.

One can also visit Buthramanhatti park and Hidkal dam which are quite close to the city.

Architecture

Kamal Basadi is a Jain temple located within the walls of the fort.

Belgaum Fort is a huge construct present in the center of the town. It dates back to 1519. The foundation of the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha, a legislative administrative office complex, was laid in Belgaum in August 2007 to celebrate the golden jubilee celebrations of the unification of Karnataka.

Cuisine

Belgaum is known for its cross culture food right from the Bombay chats to the Chinese delicacies. Belgaum is also famous for its "Kunda" (especially Purohit Kunda), and "Kalakand". A special sweet called "Mandige" or "Maande" is a must during weddings.

Educational institutions

Belgaum is also an important educational center. Consisting of 8 engineering colleges, 5 medical colleges, and some of the dental colleges across the city and district.Vishweshwariah technological university is the biggest university of Karnataka for technical education (for BE,Mtech, MCA, MBA) is based in Belgaum. basic degree colleges,9 polytechnic colleges and 3 Law colleges are other educational institutions. KLE and KLS societies are two big educational giants based in Belgaum.

From the late 1970s onwards, Belgaum began seeing a substantial increase in the number of professional education institutions. While initially this was seen largely in the medical and engineering fields, Belgaum today hosts institutions from a number of other professional streams as well. Apart from these, Belgaum also has a large number of law, science and arts colleges, affiliated to the Karnatak University.

The establishment of the Visvesvaraya Technological University in 1998, with the affiliation of more than 140 engineering colleges, raised the importance of Belgaum as a centre of education in Karnataka. Belgaum also hosts a number of medical colleges. The impact of this growth has considerably changed the cultural, linguistic and industrial profile of the city, due to the influx of students from across India (and even across the world), some of whom made Belgaum their home base after completion of their education there.

VTU Belgaum

Visvesvaraya Technological University or VTU, named after Bharat Ratna Sir M Visweshwariah, is located in Machche in Belgaum. It has more than 150 colleges affiliated to it. And more than 50000 students graduate from VTU every year.

KLE Society

In 1916, Karnataka Lingayat Education (K. L. E.) Society was founded by the Seven Founder Life Members, who are also addressed as "Saptarishis" [Seven Saints]. On 13 November 1916, K.L.E. Society started an Anglo Vernacular (G A High school now)School in Belgaum. Lingaraj College came into existence in June 1933. In 1947, B.V.B. College of Engineering and Technology was started in Hubli. J.N. Medical College at Belgaum and G.H. College at Haveri was started in the year 1963. It also runs World famous KLE engineering college in Belgaum. From 1984 onwards, K.L.E. Society started Dental, Education, Nursing, Information Technology, Computer Applications, Hotel Management, Business Management, Tourism, Fashion Designing, Agriculture Colleges and Polytechnics across India. Today under the leadership of Mr. Prabhakar Kore, the KLE Society runs 207 institutions.

Karnatak Law Society

Karnatak Law Society(KLS) was founded in 1939 by a group of diehard freedom fighters and eminent lawyers. Their distinguished vision and sheer service motto not only brought succor and solace to a large number of quality education aspirants but it also paved the way for the establishment of one of the greatest institutions of all times to come. KLS imparts unparallel quality education in Engineering, Management and other allied areas to more than 20,000 students through eleven institutes situated in various parts of Northern Karnataka. KLS is managed by an elite pool of Lawyers, Engineers, Doctors, Industrialists and Chartered Accountants.

Rani Channamma University

It also recently got Rani Channamma University independent, which was earlier PG centre of Karnatak University, Dharwad.

Transportation

Road

Belgaum is connected by road via the National Highways 4 (connecting Maharashtra [Now part of the Golden Quadrilateral], Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu) and 4A (connecting Karnataka and Goa). NWKRTC run buses to all corners of karnataka as well as neighboring states. There are many prominent private buses which servers to all major destinations in karnataka and surrounding states.

Air

Belgaum Airport was the only airport in north karnataka for decades (with an airforce base). Belgaum is directly connected with Mumbai. The airport currently serving the city is Belgaum Airport at Sambra, located at 10 km from the city on SH20. Schedules have been erratic, as the air connectivity is primarily provided by feeder airlines. Belgaum currently has regular flights to Mumbai (Kingfisher Airlines)

Rail

Belgaum is on the main Indian Railways grid being part of south western division and is well connected by rail to major destinations such as Bangalore, Mysore, Mangalore, Pune, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Goa and New Delhi. Belgaum railway station is oldest in this region.. Indian Railways run a passenger train from Hyderabad - Belgaum which takes 18 hrs to reach.

Assembly session

In 2006 Government of karnataka decided to held Assembly session every year during winter season for one week. Suvarna Vidhana Soudha is under construction.

Newspapers

Sarala Maatu (), a Kannada weekly

Tarun Bharat is a leading Marathi daily for the region. Started in 1919 by Late Baburao Thakur, this newspaper takes on the current affairs. "Kannadamma Daily" is a leading Newspaper published from Belgaum with a strong presence in North Karnataka, started 1974 by Late Shri.M.S.Topannavar, who fought for development of Belgaum and for Kannada in Belgaum.

Gallery

References

External links

Municipal Corporation of Belgaum

Government website on Belgaum district

Directorate of Industries & Commerce

Belgaum on Wikimapia

Ultimate Guide for Belgaum City

Belgaum Fort of Rattas on Google Maps

AllABoutBelgaum.com The only daily updated news portal for Belgaum

Category:Forts in Karnataka Category:Tourism in Karnataka Category:Former Indian capital cities Category:Cities and towns in Belgaum district Category:Places connected with Jainism

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