Dharwad District - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Dharwad
Karnataka Karnataka Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava... Coat-of-arms
State	Karnataka
Division Divisions of Karnataka Karnataka a state in southern India was formed on November 1, 1973. The state is divided into 4 divisions.* Bangalore Division* Belgaum Division* Gulbarga Division* Mysore Division-References and Additional Resources:**...	Belgaum
Taluks	Dharwad, Hubli,Kalghatgi, Navalgund,Kundgol
District headquarters	Dharwad
District Commissioner	Darpan Jain (IAS)
Area	4265 km²
Population (2011)	1,846,993
Codes Telephone Vehicle	+0836 KA-25
Time zone Time zone A time zone is a region on Earth that has a uniform standard time for legal, commercial, and social purposes. In order for the same clock time to always correspond to the same portion of the day as the Earth rotates , different places on the Earth need to have different clock times...	IST (UTC+5.30)

Dharwad District is an administrative district of the state of Karnataka

Karnataka

Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...

in southern India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

. Dharwad

Dharwad

Dharwad, also known as Dharwar, is a city and a DISTRICT PLACE in India's Karnataka state.Dharwad is the administrative seat of the Dharwad District. The municipality of Hubli-Dharwad covers an area of 200.23 km²...

is the cultural headquarters of North Karnataka

North Karnataka

North Karnataka is an arid plateau from elevation in the Karnataka state of southwest India. It is drained by the Krishna River and its tributaries the Bhima, Ghataprabha, Malaprabha, and Tungabhadra...

.

The administrative headquarters of the district is the town of Dharwad

Dharwad

. Dharwad, also known as Dharwar. Dharwad is famous for its Dharwad Peda - a milk based sweetmeat. Dharwad is the administrative seat of the district of the same name. The municipality (resulting from a merger with neighbouring Hubli in 1961) covers 191 km². Dharwad is located 425 km northwest of Bangalore

Bangalore

Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...

and 421 km south of Pune, on the main highway between Bangalore and Pune

Pune

Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...

in Maharashtra. KREIS North Unit of National Projects Construction Corporation has its headquarters here. Karnataka High Court circuit Bench is also based here.

Before 1997 the district had an area of 13738 km². In 1997, the new districts of Gadag and Haveri were created out of Dharwad's former territory, and a portion of Dharwad district was combined with lands formerly part of three other districts to create the new district of Davanagere.

History

The word "Dharwad" means a place of rest in a long travel or a small habitation. For centuries, Dharwad acted as a gateway between the Malenadu region and the plains, and it became a resting place for travellers. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word 'dwarawata', 'dwara' meaning "door" and 'wata' or 'wada'meaning "town".

Another theory is that during the Vijayanagara

Vijayanagara

Vijayanagara is in Bellary District, northern Karnataka. It is the name of the now-ruined capital city "which was regarded as the second Rome" that surrounds modern-day Hampi, of the historic Vijayanagara empire which extended over the southern part of India....

rule of Dharwad there was a ruler by name "of Dharav" (1403), and Dharwad got its name from him. There are some inscriptions that refer to Dharwad as Kampana Sthana.

Inscriptions found near Durga Devi temple in Narendra (a nearby village) and RLS High School date back to the 12th century and have references to Dharwad. This makes Dharwad at least 900 years old. Also, there is an inscription at Hanuman Temple at Bokyapur lake near Garag (a village about 18 km from Dharwad).

The Chalukyas ruled Dharwad during the 12th century. A stone inscription indicates that there was a ruler by the name of BhaskaraDeva in 1117. In the 14th century, the district was first overrun by the Bahmani Sultanate

Bahmani Sultanate

The Bahmani Sultanate was a Muslim state of the Deccan in southern India and one of the great medieval Indian kingdoms...

, after which it was annexed to the newly established Hindu

Hindu

Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...

kingdom of Vijayanagar

Vijayanagara Empire

The Vijayanagara Empire , referred as the Kingdom of Bisnaga by the Portuguese, was an empire based in South Indian in the Deccan Plateau region. It was established in 1336 by Harihara I and his brother Bukka Raya I of the Yadava lineage. The empire rose to prominence as a culmination of attempts...

, an official of which named Dhar Rao, according to local tradition, built the fort at Dharwad town in 1403. After the defeat of the king of Vijayanagar at Talikot (1565), Dharwad was for a few years practically independent under its Hindu governor; but in 1573 the fort was captured by the sultan of Bijapur, Adil Shah

Adil Shah

Adil or Adel Shah Afshar or Ali Qoli was Shah of Persia from 1747 until 1748.Subsequent to the assassination of Nader Shah in Fathabad , his nephew Ali Qoli declared himself Adil Shah , and shah of Persia...

, and Dharwad was annexed to his dominions. Adil Shah built a fort in an area later called MannaKille, and later Nazratabad. With this fort, the strategic importance of Dharwad increased and it thus attracted the attention of subsequent conquerors, including Aurangzeb

Aurangzeb

Abul Muzaffar Muhy-ud-Din Muhammad Aurangzeb Alamgir , more commonly known as Aurangzeb or by his chosen imperial title Alamgir , was the sixth Mughal Emperor of India, whose reign lasted from 1658 until his death in 1707.Badshah Aurangzeb, having ruled most of the Indian subcontinent for nearly...

, Shivaji, Aurangzeb's son Mu Azam, Peshwa

Peshwa

A Peshwa is the titular equivalent of a modern Prime Minister. Emporer Shivaji created the Peshwa designation in order to more effectively delegate administrative duties during the growth of the Maratha Empire. Prior to 1749, Peshwas held office for 8-9 years and controlled the Maratha army...

Balaji Rao, Hyder Ali

Hyder Ali

Hyder Ali was the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in southern India. Born Hyder Naik, he distinguished himself militarily, eventually drawing the attention of Mysore's rulers...

, Tipu Sultan

Tipu Sultan

Tipu Sultan , also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore. He was the son of Hyder Ali, at that time an officer in the Mysorean army, and his second wife, Fatima or Fakhr-un-Nissa...

and finally the British

British Raj

British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...

colonizers.

In 1685, the fort was taken by the Mughal

Mughal Empire

The Mughal Empire ,‎ or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...

emperor Aurangzeb

Aurangzeb

, and Dharwad, on the break-up of the Mughal empire, fell under the sway of the Maratha

Maratha

The Maratha are an Indian caste, predominantly in the state of Maharashtra. The term Marāthā has three related usages: within the Marathi speaking region it describes the dominant Maratha caste; outside Maharashtra it can refer to the entire regional population of Marathi-speaking people;...

Peshwa of Pune

Pune

. In 1764, the province was overrun by Hyder Ali

Hyder Ali

Hyder Ali was the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in southern India. Born Hyder Naik, he distinguished himself militarily, eventually drawing the attention of Mysore's rulers...

of the Mysore

Kingdom of Mysore

The Kingdom of Mysore was a kingdom of southern India, traditionally believed to have been founded in 1399 in the vicinity of the modern city of Mysore. The kingdom, which was ruled by the Wodeyar family, initially served as a vassal state of the Vijayanagara Empire...

, who in 1778 captured the fort of Dharwad. The fort was retaken in 1791 by the Marathas. After the final defeat of the Peshwa by the British in 1818, Dharwar was incorporated into the territory of the British East India Company

British East India Company

The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...

's Bombay Presidency

Bombay Presidency

The Bombay Presidency was a province of British India. It was established in the 17th century as a trading post for the English East India Company, but later grew to encompass much of western and central India, as well as parts of post-partition Pakistan and the Arabian Peninsula.At its greatest...

. During the early 19th century, when the British were expanding their domains, they faced a lot of opposition from local rulers, including Baba Saheb of Naragund and Kittur Rani Chennamma.

Dharwad was the home to the famous freedom fighter and the "Karnataka Kulapurohit", Sri Alur Venkatrao. It was Sri Alur Venkatrao’s work, ‘Karnataka Gatha Vaibhava’, that mooted the idea of unification of Kannada-speaking areas.

Dharwad was peaceful for most of late 19th century. During those times, the British started an English medium school in Dharwad in 1848. Later, in 1863, the Basel Mission organization started another school. In 1867 the British opened another school, Varmal school, which later on became known as a training college. In 1883, the municipality area included Sidapur, Lakamanhalli, Haveri Pete, Bagtalan, Madihal, Galaganjikop, Malapur, Kamalapur, Narayanpur, Saptapur, Atti kolla and Hosayellapur. The British government also established a railway station in 1888.

The town had a station on the Southern Maratha railway. By 1901, the town had a population of 31,279 and was home to several cotton gin

Cotton gin

A cotton gin is a machine that quickly and easily separates cotton fibers from their seeds, a job formerly performed painstakingly by hand...

a, a cotton

Cotton

Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....

mill, and two high schools, one maintained by the government and the other by the Basel German Mission.

After India's independence in 1947, the Bombay Presidency was reconstituted as India's Bombay State. In 1956 the southern, Kannada-speaking districts of Bombay State, including Dharwad, were added to Mysore

Mysore State

The Kingdom of Mysore was one of the three largest princely states within the erstwhile British Empire of India. Upon India gaining its independence in 1947, the Maharaja of Mysore merged his realm with the Union of India...

and renamed Karnataka in 1972. Dharwad is home to the Karnataka University and the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS) as well as numerous other colleges.

In 1941, Dharwad had a population of 47,992. In 1961, the town merged with the adjacent town of Hubli to become a single municipality, Hubli-Dharwad. The population of the twin cities is the second-largest in Karnataka, after Bangalore

Bangalore

. Hubli-Dharwad's population increased 22.99% between 1981 and 1991, from 527,108 to 648,298, and by 21.2% between 1991 and 2001. In the year 2008, a Circuit bench of the High Court of Karnataka was established in Dharwad.

Geographical features

Dharwad district is situated in the Western sector of the northern half of Karnataka State. The District encompasses an area of 4263 km² lying between the latitudinal parallels of 15°02’ and 15°51’ North and longitudes of 73°43’ and 75°35’ East. The district is bounded on the North by the District of Belgaum, on the East by the district of Gadag, on the South Haveri and on the West by Uttara Kannada district. All these districts which surround Dharwad district belong to Karnataka State itself.

Sub Divisions of District (Taluka's)

Dharwad
Dharwad
Dharwad, also known as Dharwar, is a city and a DISTRICT PLACE in India's Karnataka state.Dharwad is the administrative seat of the Dharwad District. The municipality of Hubli-Dharwad covers an area of 200.23 km²...
Hubballi
Kundgol
Kundgol
Kundgol is a panchayat town in Dharwad district in the Indian state of Karnataka.-Introduction:Kundgol is Located in Dharwad District of Karnataka is about 14 km south-west of Hubli and 32 km south-west of Dharwad....
Navalgund
Navalgund
Navalgund or Navalagunda is a panchayat town in Dharwad district in the Indian state of Karnataka.Navalagunda or Navilagunda means hill of peacocks.-Geography:...
Kalghatgi
Kalghatgi
Kalghatgi is a panchayat town in Dharwad district in the Indian state of Karnataka.- Kalaghatagi :.Gram devi jatra is famous in kalaghatagi.Benni family is one of the oldest family in kalaghatagi.Bhogenagarakoppa is a village of Kalaghatagi...

The District lies approximately about 800 mts above the sea level, which is why it enjoys a moderate and healthy climate. The District may be divided into 3 natural regions, viz., the Malnad, Semi-Malnad and Maidan. These regions on an average receive moderate to heavy rainfall and have dense vegetation. Kalghatagi and Alnavar area in Dharwad taluka in particular receive more rainfall than other talukas of the District.

On the agricultural front, the presence of black soil helps in raising crops like Cotton, Wheat, Ragi, Jowar and Oil seeds and that of red soil is more suitable for paddy.

Notable people

D. C. Pavate
D. R. Bendre
D. R. Bendre
Dattatreya Ramachandra Bendre was amongst the most famous of Kannada poets of the Navodaya Period. Praised as varakavi, literally 'gifted poet', he was the second person among eight recipients of Jnanpith Award for Kannada, the highest literary honour conferred in India...
K. S. Amur
K. S. Amur
Krishna Shyamacharya Amur a professor emeritus of mathematics in Differential geometry was head of the department of mathematics, Karnatak University, Dharwar....
G. S. Amur
G. S. Amur
Gururaja Shyamacharya Amur , a professor of literature, is a leading contemporary writer and critic in Kannada and English. He is a recipient of many prestigious awards including the Sahitya Akademi Award, Da. Ra. Bendre Award, Rajyotsava Award, State award and the Pampa award.Amur is the older...
Venkanna H. Naik
Venkanna H. Naik
Barrister Venkanna H. Naik from Gonehalli village was a Commissioner of Bijapur District, India, and a Deputy Commissioner of Dharwar District. He instigated several new plans to help sects of Bijapur district who were economically and socially backward.Venkanna was born to Devamma Venkanna Naik ...
Sudha Murthy
Gangubai Hangal
Gangubai Hangal
Gangubai Hangal was an Indian singer of the khyal genre of Hindustani classical music, who was known for her deep and powerful voice. Hangal belonged to the Kirana gharana.-Early life:...
Pandit Mallikarjun Mansoor
Panchakshri Gavai
Pandit Putturaj Gawai
Pandit Sawai Gandharva
Pandit Basavaraj Rajguru
Pandit Kumar Gandharva
Pandit Arjunsa Nakod
Pandit Bhimsen Joshi

Education

Dharwad has been a renowned centre of learning, with many famous high schools, colleges and universities.
List Of Educational Institutions in Dharwad. Marathi was a popular language in Dharwad till the middle of 19th century. Marathi schools Existed. Marathi and English were used in Govt. offices and court of law, so the language of the soil suffered a grate setback. So some great veterans of Karnataka the Kannada loving educational persons like Deputy Chennabasappa, Artal Rudragouda, Rodda Shrinivas Rao, Sir Siddappa Kambli, Sakkari Balacharya, R.H. Deshpande, Alur VenkatRao, Kadapa Raghavendra Rao, Sali Ramachandra Rao and others devoted their life's time to restore kannada by founding schools and colleges, teaching through the medium of Kannada.

The city of Dharwad is deemed to be the seat of Saraswati because of the educational institutions, educationists, education loving people and the atmosphere. Students from all surrounding districts came to educational purpose. At 8 and 10 in the morning and 12 and 5 in the afternoon the roads of Dharwad, busses and autorikshas brim with students. It appears as though the whole of Dharwad itself is one big school.

Dharwad has Kannada, English, Hindi, Marathi and Urdu medium schools. We would have a very brief outline of some of the very outstanding educational institutions

Important industrial centre

Hubli is an important industrial centre, with more than 1000 allied small and medium industries already established. There are machine tools industries, electrical, steel furnitures, food products, rubber and leather industries and tanning industries.

With the establishment of:

Tata Marcopolo Motors Ltd.
Telco Construction Equipment Company Limited (Telcon).
Kirloskar Eelectrical Co Ltd.
Bhoruka textile Mill.
NGEF Limited.
Karnataka Milk Federation.
BDK Group of Industries.
Murudeshwar Ceramics Ltd.
Kamat Group of Hotels (Popular group of hotels) started off in this very city.
JBM Industries.

IT Park Hubli - situated in the heart of the City and is promoted by the Government of Karnataka IT Department and KEONICS acts as the modalagency for maintaining and marketing of IT Park Hubli.

Transportation

By Road

NWKRTC (North West Karnataka Road Transport Corporation) is a state run corporation headquartered at Hubli. There is excellent inter-city transportation between Hubli, Dharwad, Kalghatgi, Navalgund and Kundgol as NWKRTC and Bendre Nagara Sarige (a consortium of private bus-owners) compete to cater to the large number of commuters between these places daily.
Bus services from the twin-cities exist to every part of Karnataka and neighbouring states and other popular destinations. There are many private bus operators who render travel services between Hubli and Bengalore, Mangalore

Mangalore

Mangalore is the chief port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located about west of the state capital, Bangalore. Mangalore lies between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghat mountain ranges, and is the administrative headquarters of the Dakshina Kannada district in south western...

, Pune

Pune

, Mumbai

Mumbai

Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...

, Goa

Goa

Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...

and Hyderabad.

By Railway

Several express and passenger trains ply between Hubli and Bangalore everyday. Hubli being an important railway junction has daily trains to Bangalore, Mumbai

Mumbai

, Pune

Pune

, Miraj

Miraj

Miraj , is an historic town in southern Maharashtra, India. The history of the town dates back to the early 10th century, and the town is known for its rich tradition of Hindustani classical music and for religious harmony. It served as a stronghold and a strategic bastion because of its location...

, Delhi

Delhi

Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...

, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad also known as Karnavati is the largest city in Gujarat, India. It is the former capital of Gujarat and is also the judicial capital of Gujarat as the Gujarat High Court has its seat in Ahmedabad...

, Vijayawada

Vijayawada

Vijayawada is the third largest city in Andhra Pradesh, India, located on the banks of the Krishna River and bounded by the Indrakiladri Hills on the West and the Budameru River on the North. The city is located in the Krishna District, about from the state capital Hyderabad.Vijayawada literally...

, Mysore and weekly services to Chennai

Chennai

Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...

, Howrah and Thiruvananthapuram

Thiruvananthapuram

Thiruvananthapuram , formerly known as Trivandrum, is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala and the headquarters of the Thiruvananthapuram District. It is located on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland...

.

By Air

Kingfisher Airlines

Kingfisher Airlines

Kingfisher Airlines is an airline group based in India. Its head office is Kingfisher House in Vile Parle , Mumbai. Kingfisher Airlines, through its parent company United Breweries Group, has a 50% stake in low-cost carrier Kingfisher Red....

provides daily flights to Bangalore, Mumbai and Hyderabad. With night-landing facilities being constructed at Hubli Airport, the traffic is expected to grow. .

Demographics

According to the 2011 census

2011 census of India

The 15th Indian National census was conducted in two phases, houselisting and population enumeration. Houselisting phase began on April 1, 2010 and involved collection of information about all buildings...

Dharwad district has a population

Demographics of India

The demographics of India are inclusive of the second most populous country in the world, with over 1.21 billion people , more than a sixth of the world's population. Already containing 17.5% of the world's population, India is projected to be the world's most populous country by 2025, surpassing...

of 1,846,993, roughly equal to the nation of Kosovo

Kosovo

Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...

or the US state of West Virginia

West Virginia

West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...

. This gives it a ranking of 256th in India (out of a total of 640

Districts of India

A district is an administrative division of an Indian state or territory. Districts are further subdivided, in some cases into Sub-Divisions, and otherwise directly into tehsils or talukas.District officials include:...

). The district has a population density of 434 PD/sqkm . Its population growth rate

Family planning in India

Family planning in India is based on efforts largely sponsored by the Indian government. In the 1965-2009 period, contraceptive usage has more than tripled and the fertility rate has more than halved , but the national fertility rate is still high enough to cause long-term population growth...

over the decade 2001-2011 was 15.13 %. Dharwad has a sex ratio

Sex ratio

Sex ratio is the ratio of males to females in a population. The primary sex ratio is the ratio at the time of conception, secondary sex ratio is the ratio at time of birth, and tertiary sex ratio is the ratio of mature organisms....

of 967 females

Women in India

The status of women in India has been subject to many great changes over the past few millennia. From equal status with men in ancient times through the low points of the medieval period, to the promotion of equal rights by many reformers, the history of women in India has been eventful...

for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate

Literacy in India

Literacy in India is key for socio-economic progress, and the Indian literacy rate grew to 74.04% in 2011 from 12% at the end of British rule in 1947. Although this was a greater than sixfold improvement, the level is well below the world average literacy rate of 84%, and India currently has the...

of 80.3 %.

Culture

The Dharwad region has contributed to some of the greatest exponents of Hindustani music including Sawai Gandharva

Sawai Gandharva

Rambhau Kundgolkar, popularly known as Pandit Sawai Gandharva , was a popular Hindustani Classical vocalist and Marathi stage actor of the Kirana Gharana. He was the first and foremost disciple of Utd. Abdul Karim Khan and guru of Bharat Ratna laureate Pt. Bhimsen Joshi. Pt...

, Mallikarjun Mansur

Mallikarjun Mansur

Mallikarjun Bheemarayappa Mansur was an Indian classical singer of the khyal style in the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana. He received the three national Padma Awards: Padma Shri in 1970, Padma Bhushan in 1976, and Padma Vibhushan in 1992.-Early life:...

, Bhimsen Joshi

Bhimsen Joshi

Pandit Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi ; February 4, 1922 - January 24, 2011) was an Indian vocalist in the Hindustani classical tradition. A member of the Kirana Gharana , he is renowned for the khayal form of singing, as well as for his popular renditions of devotional music...

(Died in 2011), Basavaraj Rajaguru, Kumar Gandharva

Kumar Gandharva

Kumar Gandharva or Shivaputra Siddharamayya Komkallimath was a Hindustani classical singer, famous for his unique vocal style, refusal to be bound by the tradition of any gharana, and his innovative genius...

and Gangubai Hangal

Gangubai Hangal

Gangubai Hangal was an Indian singer of the khyal genre of Hindustani classical music, who was known for her deep and powerful voice. Hangal belonged to the Kirana gharana.-Early life:...

.

Dharwad is an unlikely outpost of the Kirana Gharana

Kirana Gharana

Kirana Gharana is one of the most prolific Hindustani khyal gharanas.-History:The name of this school of music derives from Kirana or Kairana, a town and tehsil of Muzzafarnagar District in Uttar Pradesh...

. Ustad Abdul Karim Khan

Abdul Karim Khan

Ustad Abdul Karim Khan , was an Indian classical singer of the Kairana gharana .-Early life and background:...

was a frequent visitor to Mysore Darbar, where he had been conferred the title of Sangeet Ratna. On the way to Mysore, he used to stay with his brother in Dharwad, where he taught his most famous disciple, Sawai Gandharva

Sawai Gandharva

. Sawai Gandharva in turn was the guru to Gangubai Hangal

Gangubai Hangal

Gangubai Hangal was an Indian singer of the khyal genre of Hindustani classical music, who was known for her deep and powerful voice. Hangal belonged to the Kirana gharana.-Early life:...

, Bhimsen Joshi

Bhimsen Joshi

and Basavaraj Rajaguru.

Jnanpith Award

Jnanpith Award

The Jnanpith Award is a literary award in India. Along with the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship, it is one of the two most prestigious literary honours in the country...

winners D.R. Bendre, V. K. Gokak

V. K. Gokak

Vinayaka Krishna Gokak was a major writer in Kannada language and a scholar of English and Kannada literatures. He was fifth among eight recipients of Jnanpith Award for Kannada language for his epic Bharatha Sindhu Rashmi...

and Girish Karnad

Girish Karnad

Girish Raghunath Karnad is a contemporary writer, playwright, screenwriter, actor and movie director in Kannada language...

trace their origins to Dharwad. Kannada writer and critic, Kirtinath Kurtakoti winner of Sahitya Akademi, also lived in dharwad for a good part of his life. One of the greatest Marathi

Marathi people

The Marathi people or Maharashtrians are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group, that inhabit the Maharashtra region and state of western India. Their language Marathi is part of the southern group of Indo-Aryan languages...

writers, Sahitya Akademi Award

Sahitya Akademi Award

Sahitya Akademi Award is a literary honor in India which Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, annually confers on writers of outstanding works in one of the following twenty-four major Indian languagesAssamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri,...

winner G. A. Kulkarni

G. A. Kulkarni

G. A. Kulkarni or simply "GA" , was a legendary Marathi writer of short stories.GA grew up in Belgaum. After earning his masters degree, he taught English at JSS College in Dharwad for about 30 years. He had very strong liking for Dharwad and Belgaum. For medical treatment of his eyes, he...

also lived most of his life here in Dharwad. Leena Chandavarkar

Leena Chandavarkar

Leena Chandavarkar was an Indian actress who appeared in Bollywood movies and is now appearing in reality shows.- Biography :She appeared as a guest judge for the first 2 episodes of "K for Kishore", a new reality TV singing show launched by Sony TV during December 2007. She is now appearing again...

, famous Hindi actress and wife of late Kishore Kumar

Kishore Kumar

Kishore Kumar , born Abhas Kumar Ganguly, was an Indian film playback singer and an actor who also worked as lyricist, composer, producer, director, screenwriter and scriptwriter.Kishore Kumar was one of India's greatest performers of the late 20th century...

, belongs to this town and still owns property in Dharwad near the Railway Station.

Nandan Nilekani, the Co-Chairman of Infosys moved in with his uncle's family in Dharwad for his education and was a student of St Joseph's High School. Mr. Nilekani has sponsored the construction of Srijana, a state-of-the-art auditorium in the Karnatak College premises.

Dharwad has produced eminent legal luminaries like Sanglad J., Bannurmath J., A.C. Kabbin J., Mohan Shantangoudar J., B.S.Patil, Ashok Hinchigeri J., Subhash Adi J., and lawyers like Late Shri Hiregoudar, C.B Patil, Sharat S. Javali (Supreme Court), Mohan Katarki (lawyer for Karnataka in the Cauvery Water Dispute).

Uma Shashikant, eminent Investment Advisor and Sucheta Dalal, the Mumbai based financial journalist, who exposed the Harshad Mehta scandal also studied in Dharwad. P B Mahishi, T M Shivkumar, Ganapati Bhatt, Manish Desai and K Nandini have distinguished themselves in Civil Service. Lucy D'Abreu (oldest Briton ever) was also born in Dharwad.

Dharwad is also the birthplace of Palwankar Baloo, the first member of the Dalit

Dalit

Dalit is a designation for a group of people traditionally regarded as Untouchable. Dalits are a mixed population, consisting of numerous castes from all over South Asia; they speak a variety of languages and practice a multitude of religions...

(or "Untouchable") caste

Caste

Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...

to distinguish himself at cricket

Cricket

Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...

, and later to become a political activist for Dalit rights.
Sunil Joshi

Sunil Joshi

Sunil Bandacharya Joshi is a former Indian cricketer. He is an all-rounder who bowls slow left arm spin and bats left-handed. He used to travel 40 miles to Hubli each morning for practice, and then return to his native town of Gadag in time for school...

, the Indian cricket bowler, also hails from Dharwar and is also incidentally related to Pandit Bhimsen Joshi

Bhimsen Joshi

.

There are many spiritual personalities associated with this sleepy town. Some of them are Shishunal Sharif Saheb, Siddharoodha Swamigalu, Kumara Swamiji, Hurakadli Ajja, Mrityunjaya Appagalu, Mahanta Appagalu, and Garag Madiwaleshwara.

Tourism

Places of Interest, Dharwad district has many tourist attractions including historical temples and other monuments.

Dharwad

Amminbhavi is about 6 km from Dharwad
Dharwad
Dharwad, also known as Dharwar, is a city and a DISTRICT PLACE in India's Karnataka state.Dharwad is the administrative seat of the Dharwad District. The municipality of Hubli-Dharwad covers an area of 200.23 km²...

, It is famous for 24 Tirthankara Basadi, Hire Matha and cave temple. Hire Matha has the paintings on a wooden plank those are transferred from Kittur
Kittur
Kitturu , also called Kittur is a village in Belgaum District of Karnataka state. It is part of the Bailahongal taluk in Belgaum district. It is a place of historical significance because of the resistance of Rani Chennamma of Kitturu to the British Raj.-History:On the outskirts of the town lies...

.

Hubballi

Chandramouleshwara Temple at Unkal is famous for Historical Western Chalukya period Chandramouleshwara
Chandramouleshwara Temple
Unkal is one of the areas which come under Hubli-Dharwad in North Karnataka, it is on old Pune - Bangalore highway NH4. Chandramouleshwara Temple is very near to Unkal circle and Unkal Lake . Exactly opposite to the temple you can locate the very beautiful Nrupatunga Betta...

Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...

temple and Unkal lake. Chandramouleshwara Temple
Chandramouleshwara Temple
Unkal is one of the areas which come under Hubli-Dharwad in North Karnataka, it is on old Pune - Bangalore highway NH4. Chandramouleshwara Temple is very near to Unkal circle and Unkal Lake . Exactly opposite to the temple you can locate the very beautiful Nrupatunga Betta...

is one of the beautiful temples in Dharwad district.
Unkal Lake A pictorial water spot with a magnificent sunset view, this perfect picnic spot has green garden, recreational facilities for the children, boating facilities, etc. The lake is 3 km away from Hubli.

Bhavanishankar Temple This Chalukyan temple with the image of Sri Narayana is flanked by the ten incarnations of God.
Asar It was built by Mohammed Ali Shah in about 1646 to serve as a hall of justice. The building was also used to house two hairs from the Prophet's beard. Women are not allowed inside.
Nrupatunga Hill is a hillock located on the North-Eastern fringe of Hubli. The top of the hillock offers a pleasing panoramic view of Hubli city. The span of the panoramic view extends from Amargol in the North, to the Airport in the West all the way to the Southern parts of Hubli. It is a popular location for morning-walkers and especially in the evenings for the youth of Hubli to spend time.

Siddharoodha Math is the eminent religious institution, a centre of Advaita philosophy as preached by Swami Siddharoodha, is located at near outskirts of Hubli.
Glass House As the name suggests, this is a palace of glass, inaugurated by the former Indian Prime Minister, Smt.Indira Gandhi
Indira Gandhi
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhara was an Indian politician who served as the third Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms and a fourth term . She was assassinated by Sikh extremists...

.
Banashankari Temple Amargol
Banashankari Temple Amargol
Amargol is located in between Dharwad and Hubli and adjucent to Navanagar. It is famous for the ancient temple dedicated to Banashankari.Banashankari Temple at Amargol is 4 km from Unkal lake and Chandramouleshwara Temple Hubli...

is famous for the Shankarlinga and Banashankari Temple. It is in between Hubli and Dharwad
Dharwad
Dharwad, also known as Dharwar, is a city and a DISTRICT PLACE in India's Karnataka state.Dharwad is the administrative seat of the Dharwad District. The municipality of Hubli-Dharwad covers an area of 200.23 km²...

, and near to Navanagara.
Annigeri
Annigeri
Annigeri is a town in Navalgund taluk of Dharwad district in the state of Karnataka, India, located 20 km west of Gadag en route to Hubli and 35 km from Hubli-Dharwad.-Introduction:...

has many historical temples including Kalyani Chalukya period Amriteshwara temple. It is about 30 km from Hubli, between Hubli and Gadag.

Kundgol

Kundgol
Kundgol
Kundgol is a panchayat town in Dharwad district in the Indian state of Karnataka.-Introduction:Kundgol is Located in Dharwad District of Karnataka is about 14 km south-west of Hubli and 32 km south-west of Dharwad....

is about 15 km from Hubli-Dharwad. It is famous for Shambhulinga temple. The great place in history of Hindustani Music in Karnataka. It is like University of Hindustani Music. Birth place of Sawai Gandharva
Sawai Gandharva
Rambhau Kundgolkar, popularly known as Pandit Sawai Gandharva , was a popular Hindustani Classical vocalist and Marathi stage actor of the Kirana Gharana. He was the first and foremost disciple of Utd. Abdul Karim Khan and guru of Bharat Ratna laureate Pt. Bhimsen Joshi. Pt...

. Bharat Ratna
Bharat Ratna
Bharat Ratna is the Republic of India's highest civilian award, awarded for the highest degrees of national service. This service includes artistic, literary, and scientific achievements, as well as "recognition of public service of the highest order." Unlike knights, holders of the Bharat Ratna...

Pandit Bhimsen Joshi and Gangubai Hangal
Gangubai Hangal
Gangubai Hangal was an Indian singer of the khyal genre of Hindustani classical music, who was known for her deep and powerful voice. Hangal belonged to the Kirana gharana.-Early life:...

learnt Hindustani music here and Sawai Gandharva
Sawai Gandharva
Rambhau Kundgolkar, popularly known as Pandit Sawai Gandharva , was a popular Hindustani Classical vocalist and Marathi stage actor of the Kirana Gharana. He was the first and foremost disciple of Utd. Abdul Karim Khan and guru of Bharat Ratna laureate Pt. Bhimsen Joshi. Pt...

was there guru.

Kalghatgi

Tamboor
Tamboor
Tamboor is in Kalghatgi Taluk, Dharwad District in North Karnataka, India. It is about 8 km from Kalghatagi.Tamboor is a town about 11 km from Kalghatgi NH 63, 3km from main road in Karnataka state, India....

about 8 km from Kalghatgi
Kalghatgi
Kalghatgi is a panchayat town in Dharwad district in the Indian state of Karnataka.- Kalaghatagi :.Gram devi jatra is famous in kalaghatagi.Benni family is one of the oldest family in kalaghatagi.Bhogenagarakoppa is a village of Kalaghatagi...

. It is famous for Basavanna temple and Devikoppa Forest.
Shri Basaveshwar Temple is located in Bhogenagarakoppa at a distance of approximately 14 km from Kalghatagi.
Mahalakshmi temple
Shantinatha Basadi Jain temple

Rich Folk Heritage

Dollu Kunitha

It is a popular drum dance. The large drums are decorated with coloured cloth, and are slung around the necks of men. The dances are at times accompanied with songs relating to religious praise or wars.

Veeragase

Veeragase is popular folk dance. It is a symbolic presentation of the heroism and valour of God Veerabahadhra. Its exponents are called Lingadevaru and they perform the dance with religious fervour at festival time especially during the months of Shravana and Kartika.

Nandikolu kunitha

This art form is the domain of male devotees of Lord Siva. The Nandi pole is about 18 cubits in length, each cubit representing a 'dharma'. The length of the pole is fitted with brass pots and plates, and ornate silver or brass umbrella at the top with a silk tassel, which is the flag. The performer on a sling balances the pole; this requires skill as well as strength. The sight of the devotee's inspired dance, to the background beat and the resulting symphony of sounds, from the pots and plates on the pole, is truly breathtaking.

Jodu halige

Halige meaning two percussion instruments used by two artists to produce rhythmic notes of astounding energy and power. Their movements along the stage expressive of their physical energy harmonizes with the notes produced by the instrument. The Haligi (wood) circular in shape is made of buffalo hide. A short stick is used on it. The notes combined with the bodily movement pervade the stage and overflow to the audience.

Lambani nruthya

Lambani women dressed colourfully and move circularly with clapping and singing. This dance is out of the common. In dress, mode of living and dwelling, they dance on important festivities in a free manner.

Veerabhadra kunitha

The dance form depicts the story of Veerabhadra, the legendary minor god created by Lord Siva to teach a lesson to his father-in-law Daksha. Veerabhadra to go to the place of the yaga and destroy the ceremony.

The folk art forms of Karnataka need to be revived at the earliest, failing which they will disappear without a trace. Nowadays there is no attempt to perform or encourage in North Karnataka, especially with regard to Doddata, Sannata and Gombeyata.

People, Language,Customs

Kannada is most spoken language in this district. However, Marathi

Marathi language

Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...

is also spoken by a large population here and is second most important language here. The Kannada spoken here is known as Dharwad Kannada. This slightly varies from Kannada spoken in southern Karnataka. Men in rural areas wear headgear called a turban or Pheta

Pheta (turban)

Pheta is the Marathi name for the traditional turban worn in Maharashtra, India.It is traditionally worn during important events, ceremonies such as weddings. In some parts it is customary to offer male dignitaries a traditional welcome by offering a Pheta to wear. A traditional Pheta is usually...

. Also many wear white cap on their head.

Agriculture and Commerce

Jowar, maize, wheat, cotton, onions and rice are grown. The district also grows mangoes and bananas as horticultural produce. There are many subsidiary agricultural industries such as the production of puffed rice

Puffed rice

Puffed rice is a type of puffed grain made from rice; usually made by heating rice kernels under high pressure in the presence of steam, though the method of manufacture varies widely.-Origin:Pori has been mentioned in various Tamil...

, beaten rice, and edible oils.

Commercial centre

Hubli is the main trading centre for agriculture produce. Farmers not only from Karnataka, but from elsewhere sell their produce here. Hubli has a large APMC market at Amargol located between Hubli and Dharwad. Hubli APMC is an important market for red chillies, onions, rice, cotton and jowar. Hubli-Dharwad city has many medium and small sized industries producing engineering items, electrical goods and agricultural implements. There are several cotton spinning

Spinning (textiles)

Spinning is a major industry. It is part of the textile manufacturing process where three types of fibre are converted into yarn, then fabric, then textiles. The textiles are then fabricated into clothes or other artifacts. There are three industrial processes available to spin yarn, and a...

and ginning mills.

Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation

Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) was constituted in the year 1962 by combining two cities separated by a distance of 20 kilometers. This is a unique experiment in urban development history. The area of this Corporation is 181.66 km². spread over 45 revenue villages. The population of the city as per the 1991 Census was 7 Lacs. The present population is around 15 Lacs.

Hubli: Under the Government of India Act of 1850, the Hubli-Municipal council was established on August 15, 1855.
Dharwad: The Dharwad Municipal Council first came into existence on 1 January 1856. The first non-official President of the Council was S.K. Rodda in 1907, and Shri S.V. Mensinkai, was nominated in the following year. But the credit of being the first elected President goes to Shri S.G. Karigudari, who took office in 1920.

Hubli is well known as a commercial as well as industrial centre, whereas Dharwad is seat of learning. Popularly believed that, it is this diversity and geographical positions that the state government amalgamated the two cities.
The twin-city Corporation occupies unique place in Karnataka State. After the capital city of Bangalore, this is the largest city Corporation in the State. Off late, HDMC has seen numerous positive changes. The administration has become more transparent and public-friendly. The processes have been streamlined and developmental projects have been taken up on all fronts. With all the standards and policies set, HDMC has been awarded with ISO certification.

History

Geographical features

Notable people

Education

Important industrial centre

Transportation

Demographics

Culture

Tourism

Rich Folk Heritage

People, Language,Customs

Agriculture and Commerce

Commercial centre

Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation

See also