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Revision as of 06:43, 9 October 2006 by Heimstern (talk | contribs) (rv; non-encyclopedic)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Template:Infobox Indian urban area Belgaum (Kannada: ಬೆಳಗಾವಿ, Marathi: बेळगांव) pronunciation (possibly from the Sanskrit Venugrama, "Bamboo village"), also known as Belagavi or Belgaon, is a town located in the northwestern part of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is the headquarters of Belgaum district, which borders the states of Maharashtra and Goa. The town enjoys rich cultural diversity stemming from this proximity: Kannada, Marathi and Konkani are the main languages spoken. On October 7th 2006, Government of Karnataka has announced that on November 1st 2006, Belgaum will be renamed to its pre-colonial Kannada name Belagavi.
Belgaum is situated nearly 2,500 ft (762 m) above sea-level. 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. Apart from being an important training center for the Indian armed forces, Belgaum houses many interesting monuments, including a scenic fort dating to 1519 AD.
Belgaum is also an important educational center, and hosts the Visweswaraiah Technological University, to which all the engineering colleges in Karnataka are affiliated. The city is comparable to the state capital Bangalore in modernity and educational facilities.
History
The city of Belgaum 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 1300s 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 afterwards, 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.
Belgaum was chosen as the venue of the 39th session of Indian National Congress in December 1924 under the President ship 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.
India became independent in 1947, and 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 will be made the state's second capital and that the annual 15-day session of the state legislature will be hosted in the city permanently.But on October 7, 2006 Karnataka home-minister M.P.Prakash has clarified that goverment is not going to make Belgaum the 2nd capital of Karnataka.This has saddened Kannada organisations which were pushing for it.
Geography
The Belgaum district is situated in the northwestern parts of Karnataka. It lies at the border of two states Maharashtra & Goa. It is one of the oldest towns in the state, lying at a distance of 502 km from Bangalore & 500 km from Mumbai. The district comprises 1278 villages with an area of 13,415 sq.km with a population of around 5 lakh. Nestling in the foothills of the enchanting Sahyadris (Western Ghats), at an altitude of about 779m, 100km from the Arabian Sea with River Markandeya flowing nearby Belgaum is unique. Its natural beauty & environment are a world of contrast & harmonies with swift & kaleidoscopic change in topography, vegetation & climate (50" rainfall).
Climate
Belgaum is known for its pleasant climate, but can get extremely hot in the summer (April through June). It is at its coldest in winter (November through February), and experiences heavy and continuous Monsoon rains during July to September.
Environment
Buildings
Economy
Belgaum is an ideal location for vegetable trading, fish, wood & mining resource trading in north Karnataka. Recent reports have shown that the city has a per capita income much higher than that of the country.
Defence Training Centres
Belgaum also has a number of training centres of the Indian Armed Forces, and an air base of the Indian Air Force. The British had a sizable infantry post here, having realised 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, guerilla 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.
Tourism and attractions
Please expand this section by adding description of some of these places
Imagine gushing rivers, enchanting hills and dense evergreen forests. Add to this a cool salubrious climate and you’re in Belgaum, a charming city nestling in the foothills of the Western Ghats; which create a beautiful backdrop. 502 kms from Bangalore and 125 kms from Goa, is a picture of contrasts. The old town area with cotton and silk weavers stands gloriously beside the modern, bustling, treelined British Cantonment. Step out of the forts and you have a wide choice of temples and churches to visit viz The historical fort, Kamala Basti, Kapileshwar temple (South Kashi), the hills of Vaijyanath, Ramtirth in Kanbargi, The aerodrome at Sambra etc.
Educational Institutions
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.
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.
For a list of educational institutions, please see the articles on Karnatak University and Visvesvaraya Technological University.
Transportation
Road
Belgaum is connected by road via the National Highways 4 (connecting Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu) and 4A (connecting Karnataka and Goa).
Air
Belgaum is directly connected with Bangalore, Goa, Mumbai and Kolhapur. Schedules have been erratic, as the air connectivity is primarily provided by feeder airlines.
Rail
Belgaum is on the main Indian Railways grid and is well connected by rail to major destinations such as Bangalore, Mumbai (via Miraj) and Goa.
Border Disputes
- Main article: Belgaum border dispute.
The Belgaum district was incorporated into the newly formed Mysore state (now Karnataka) with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act (1956), which reorganised India's states along linguistic lines. The Maharashtra government contested the inclusion, claiming the district for itself on the grounds of its opinion that the district had more Marathi speaking people than Kannada speaking people.
External links
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. {{cite encyclopedia}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
- http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/oct82006/index2044162006107.asp
- http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?id=418913
- http://www.tarunbharat.com/NewsUpdate.asp?daten=10/7/2006&id=99