Kolar
Encyclopedia
Kolara is a city in the South India
n state of Karnataka
. It is the headquarters of Kolar District
. It is known for being one of the gold mining sites in India.
It is located at a distance of about 68 kilometres (42.3 mi) from Bengaluru and 39 kilometres (24.2 mi) from Kolar Gold Fields. It is situated on the Bengaluru to Chennai
National Highway-4
.
The city is located on the southern maidan (plains) region of Karnataka
. The Ammerallikere, a tank, forms its eastern boundary. To the north is the Kodikannur tank, the main source of water supply to the city. The nearest railway junction is Bangarpet at a distance of about 15 km.
sovereignty lasted from about 350 to 550 CE, initially ruled from Kolar as their Capital City. The founding king of the Ganga dynasty was Konganivarman Madhava who made Kolar his capital around 350 and ruled for about twenty years.
Kolar, the headquarters of the Kolar district, was earlier known as Kuvalala, also known as Kolahala Pura. Historically, Kolar is said to be associated with the epic age, which recalls many legends associated with Avani in Mulbagal Taluk, which was also called Avani Kshetra. it is the Birth place city of Ramanji.
It was once known as Avantika- Kshetra, a sacred place in Kolar district in Karnataka State. It was famous for its religious establishments from ancient times. <
It was once known as Aavanya which was under the Ganga prince Madhava Muttarasa, who governed several districts. In about A.D 890, it was called Avanya-Nadu under the dynasty of king Anoop. In A.D 931, it’s earliest grant relates that Tribhuvana Kartara Deva, who held the title of Kali Yuga Rudra, ruled over the Avaniya Thana for 40 years. During this period he constructed 50 temples and two large tanks. The Avani Sthana continued to survive as a religious establishment from 9th to 11th century. There are temples dedicated to Rama Dasharathi, Laxmana, Bharata, Bali and Sugriva. This place is renowned as birth place of Lava- Kusa, the twin sons of Rama and also as the hermitage of Valmiki.
Madhava Muttarasa was non other than the Shivamara Muttarasa ( Shivamara –II) who succeeded his father Sripurusha Muttarasa .
It is said that the sage Valmiki
, the author of the epic Ramayana
, lived here and Sri Rama stayed here on the way back to Ayodhya, after his conquest of Lanka. The legend goes further to establish that Seetha Devi, after being rejected by Rama, gave birth to her twins Lava and Kusha in this Avani.
The hill to the west of Kolar, called the Satasringa Parvata or 'Hundred-Peaked Mountain' is 'Antharagange', associated with the story of Parasurama and his fight with King Kartaviryarjuna over Surabhi, the divine cow. As the story goes, King Kartavirya Arjuna (Sahasrarjuna) and his army visited Jamadagni, Parasurama's father, when the king demanded the magical cow from Jamadagni. When Jamadagni refused, the King sent his soldiers to take the cow, but Parashurama killed the entire army and the king with his axe. In return, the princes beheaded Jamadagni. Thus, Parasurama took an oath to behead the entire Kshatriya race, which is said to have taken place on the hills. It is said that the 'kolahala' on the death of Kartaviryarjuna gave its name to the town, which later become Kolar. Kannada
, is the main languages spoken in the district of Kolar.
),Gandinagar, M.G road, M.B road, New Bus Stand, Rahmath Nagar, Gowripet, Khutub Ghowri Mohalla, Aralepet and Kurubarapet. Kote, or the fort area once encompassed the Temples of Kolaramma
, Someshwara
and was bordered by the Kolaramma Lake. Now the fort is all but gone, disappeared into new residential areas.
Kolar's Clock Tower is one of the very well known landmarks
, Kolar had a population of 113,299. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Kolar has an average literacy rate of 72%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 76%, and female literacy is 68%. In Kolar, 13% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Kannada is the major language, however a significant population speaks Telugu. Tamil is also spoken in few places like KGF.
The major temples in the town are the Kolaramma Temple and the Someswara Temple. Someswara Temple is a fine example of the Vijayanagara style, complete with a massive pillared Mukha Mandapa
, heavy Prakara walls, ornate Kalyana mantapa, a Devi Shrine and a lofty Gopura with fine stucco figures on the tower; while the door frame is carved in the typical Vijayanagara style, with dwarapalas, etc. The temple has a large tank (Kalyani) also. There are Vijayanagara inscriptions on the wall of the store room and the yagashala, dated to 15th century A.D.
Kolaramma Temple: This 'L' shaped temple has two shrines, one for Durga (Kolaramma) and the other for the Saptamatras. Both have a common vestibule. The Durga Shrine has a wagon-roof tower. The stucco figures in the Saptamatras shrine are unusually large. The temple is of Dravida Vimana Style, built in the Ganga Tradition (11 century AD). The Mahadwara has imposing pavilions in the inner side. The temple contains several Chola inscriptions, the earliest belonging to Mr. Yendeti (1012-1045 AD).
Anoop G P
Epaper web site : www.newsvani.com
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
n 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...
. It is the headquarters of Kolar District
Kolar district
Kolar district is a district in Karnataka state of India. The town of Kolar is the district headquarters. Kolar district is located in the southern region of the State and is the eastern-most district of the Karnataka State...
. It is known for being one of the gold mining sites in India.
It is located at a distance of about 68 kilometres (42.3 mi) from Bengaluru and 39 kilometres (24.2 mi) from Kolar Gold Fields. It is situated on the Bengaluru 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...
National Highway-4
National Highway 4 (India)
National Highway 4 is a major National Highway in Western and Southern India. NH 4 links four of the 10 most populous Indian cities - Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore and Chennai. NH 4 is in length and passes through the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.NH 4 constitutes...
.
The city is located on the southern maidan (plains) region 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...
. The Ammerallikere, a tank, forms its eastern boundary. To the north is the Kodikannur tank, the main source of water supply to the city. The nearest railway junction is Bangarpet at a distance of about 15 km.
History
The GangasGangas
The Western Ganga Dynasty was an important ruling dynasty of ancient Karnataka in India. They are known as Western Gangas to distinguish them from the Eastern Gangas who in later centuries ruled over modern Orissa...
sovereignty lasted from about 350 to 550 CE, initially ruled from Kolar as their Capital City. The founding king of the Ganga dynasty was Konganivarman Madhava who made Kolar his capital around 350 and ruled for about twenty years.
Kolar, the headquarters of the Kolar district, was earlier known as Kuvalala, also known as Kolahala Pura. Historically, Kolar is said to be associated with the epic age, which recalls many legends associated with Avani in Mulbagal Taluk, which was also called Avani Kshetra. it is the Birth place city of Ramanji.
It was once known as Avantika- Kshetra, a sacred place in Kolar district in Karnataka State. It was famous for its religious establishments from ancient times. <
It was once known as Aavanya which was under the Ganga prince Madhava Muttarasa, who governed several districts. In about A.D 890, it was called Avanya-Nadu under the dynasty of king Anoop. In A.D 931, it’s earliest grant relates that Tribhuvana Kartara Deva, who held the title of Kali Yuga Rudra, ruled over the Avaniya Thana for 40 years. During this period he constructed 50 temples and two large tanks. The Avani Sthana continued to survive as a religious establishment from 9th to 11th century. There are temples dedicated to Rama Dasharathi, Laxmana, Bharata, Bali and Sugriva. This place is renowned as birth place of Lava- Kusa, the twin sons of Rama and also as the hermitage of Valmiki.
Madhava Muttarasa was non other than the Shivamara Muttarasa ( Shivamara –II) who succeeded his father Sripurusha Muttarasa .
It is said that the sage Valmiki
Valmiki
Valmiki is celebrated as the poet harbinger in Sanskrit literature. He is the author of the epic Ramayana, based on the attribution in the text of the epic itself. He is revered as the Adi Kavi, which means First Poet, for he discovered the first śloka i.e...
, the author of the epic Ramayana
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
, lived here and Sri Rama stayed here on the way back to Ayodhya, after his conquest of Lanka. The legend goes further to establish that Seetha Devi, after being rejected by Rama, gave birth to her twins Lava and Kusha in this Avani.
The hill to the west of Kolar, called the Satasringa Parvata or 'Hundred-Peaked Mountain' is 'Antharagange', associated with the story of Parasurama and his fight with King Kartaviryarjuna over Surabhi, the divine cow. As the story goes, King Kartavirya Arjuna (Sahasrarjuna) and his army visited Jamadagni, Parasurama's father, when the king demanded the magical cow from Jamadagni. When Jamadagni refused, the King sent his soldiers to take the cow, but Parashurama killed the entire army and the king with his axe. In return, the princes beheaded Jamadagni. Thus, Parasurama took an oath to behead the entire Kshatriya race, which is said to have taken place on the hills. It is said that the 'kolahala' on the death of Kartaviryarjuna gave its name to the town, which later become Kolar. Kannada
Kannada language
Kannada or , is a language spoken in India predominantly in the state of Karnataka. Kannada, whose native speakers are called Kannadigas and number roughly 50 million, is one of the 30 most spoken languages in the world...
, is the main languages spoken in the district of Kolar.
Old City
The old city of Kolar mainly consisted of the five areas of Cottenpet(KataripalyaKataripalya
Kataripalya is a place in Kolar city, Karnataka state of India. This is one of the classic places in Kolar.The name roughly translates to sword town in Kannada.Kataripalya is home to a historic temple of Gangamma.-External links:*...
),Gandinagar, M.G road, M.B road, New Bus Stand, Rahmath Nagar, Gowripet, Khutub Ghowri Mohalla, Aralepet and Kurubarapet. Kote, or the fort area once encompassed the Temples of Kolaramma
Kolaramma
Kolaramma is the presiding deity of the town of Kolar in Karnataka. The Kolaramma temple is thousand years old and built by the Cholas in the South Indian style. Goddess Parvathi is worshipped as Kolaramma by the people of Kolar. The erstwhile maharajas of Mysore frequently visited this temple to...
, Someshwara
Someshwara
Someshwara is the presiding deity in the temple of same name. The temple is situated in the heart of Kolar town. Lord Shiva is worshipped as Someshwara. The temple is built in the 14th century Vijayanagara Empire early Vijaynagara style....
and was bordered by the Kolaramma Lake. Now the fort is all but gone, disappeared into new residential areas.
Kolar's Clock Tower is one of the very well known landmarks
Geography
Kolar is located at 13.13°N 78.13°E. It has an average elevation of 822 metres (2,696.9 ft).Demographics
India censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, Kolar had a population of 113,299. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Kolar has an average literacy rate of 72%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 76%, and female literacy is 68%. In Kolar, 13% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Kannada is the major language, however a significant population speaks Telugu. Tamil is also spoken in few places like KGF.
Places of interest
The major templesThe major temples in the town are the Kolaramma Temple and the Someswara Temple. Someswara Temple is a fine example of the Vijayanagara style, complete with a massive pillared Mukha Mandapa
Mandapa
A mandapa in Indian architecture is a pillared outdoor hall or pavilion for public rituals.-Temple architecture:...
, heavy Prakara walls, ornate Kalyana mantapa, a Devi Shrine and a lofty Gopura with fine stucco figures on the tower; while the door frame is carved in the typical Vijayanagara style, with dwarapalas, etc. The temple has a large tank (Kalyani) also. There are Vijayanagara inscriptions on the wall of the store room and the yagashala, dated to 15th century A.D.
Kolaramma Temple: This 'L' shaped temple has two shrines, one for Durga (Kolaramma) and the other for the Saptamatras. Both have a common vestibule. The Durga Shrine has a wagon-roof tower. The stucco figures in the Saptamatras shrine are unusually large. The temple is of Dravida Vimana Style, built in the Ganga Tradition (11 century AD). The Mahadwara has imposing pavilions in the inner side. The temple contains several Chola inscriptions, the earliest belonging to Mr. Yendeti (1012-1045 AD).
Famous people from Kolar
- Sir Kolar Mustafa: The most respected man of kolar in his time, the richest man in kolar.
- Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvarayya: The architect of modern Karnataka and of the world famous Brindavan Gardens
- D. V. Gundappa: Kannada poet
- Masti Venkatesha Iyengar: Kannada poet and recipient of Jnanpith Award
- K.C.ReddyK. C. ReddyK.C.Reddy or Kysamballi Chengalraya Reddy was the first Chief Minister of Karnataka in India. He belonged to Kysamballi village of Kolar district....
: First Chief Minister of Karnataka, (then Mysore State) - M. V. Krishnappa: Member of Jawaharlal Nehru’s ministry, Represented Kolar, Tumkur, Bangalore North and Chikkaballapur (1952–80), Revenue Minister in Karnataka(1962–67)
- Hyder AliHyder AliHyder 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...
: Father of Tipu SultanTipu SultanTipu 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... - K. H. Muniyappa: Union Minister of State for Railways, Government of India
- K. Srinivas Gowda: Ex Member of Legislative Assembly and Chairman of IFFCO Tokio
- Varthur Prakash: Member of Legislative Assembly.
- A.V.Ravi - Ex Mr India
- Sushma Bellappa: Film actress (Kannada, Hindi)
- R. L. Jalappa: Member of Parliament and Chairman of Sri Devaraj Urs Medical College
- A. N. Prahlada RaoA. N. Prahlada RaoA. N. Prahlada Rao is an Indian author and Kannada crossword writer Crosswordwho has created the highest number of crosswords in India.-Crossword writer:...
: Highest crossword writer in Kannada, author of the book Bangarada Manushya: the biography of Dr. Rajkumar See external link below - K. Pattabhiraman: Noted freedom fighter, Sarvodaya Nayaka (Leader), eminent lawyer and Member of Legistive Assembly of Mysore(MLA) in 1951. One of the four Independent candidates who won from Mysore State during that elections, amidst a near sweep by Indian National Congress (INC). He was slated to be the first Chief Minister of Mysore but due to caste politics, K. Chengalaraya Reddy (Bangarpet constituency) became the first CM. One of Kolar town extensions named after him - "Pattabhiraman Extension" which was previously called Old Extension.
- Justice NK Sudheendra Rao: - First Judge who sent Ex- CM (Yediyurappa) to jail for the corruption
- Lokayukta Venkatachalaiah: - Initiate against the corruption and left his post to Santosh Hegde
- Soundrya: - famous actress
Member of Parliament
- K.H. MuniyappaK.H. MuniyappaK.H. Muniyappa is a member of the 15th Lok Sabha of India. He represents the Kolar constituency of Karnataka and is a member of the Indian National Congress political party. He is presently The Union Minister of State for Indian Railways, and earlier during 2004-09.-Political career:K.H....
, Won Continuously Last 6 times in MP Election, Present Minister of State for Railways, Government of INDIA
Anoop G P
Kolaravani
Kolaravani is a largest Circulated Kannada Regional morning Daily from Kolar is now available in surrounding Five districts.Epaper web site : www.newsvani.com