Belgaum
Belgaum or
Belgaon (
Marathi:बेळगांव) (possibly from the
Sanskrit Venugrama, "Bamboo village") 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:
Marathi,
Kannada and
Konkani are the main languages spoken. The city is next only to the state capital
Bangalore, in modernity and educational facilities.
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
Maharashtra government has been claiming Belgaum city and adjoining area based on the claim that the mother-tongue of a majority of people in Belgaum is Marathi. The controversy is still proactive and a court case is pending in the Supreme Court.
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 AD by a Ratta officer named Bichiraja. Belgaum served as the capital of that dynasty between 1210 AD and 1250 AD, 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 1200s and succeeded in ruining both the indigenous powers of the region without providing a viable administration. This lacuna was supplied by the
Vijayanagara Empire, which had become the established power of the area by 1326 AD. 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 AD, 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.
In interesting vignette of history, the newly annexed regions were attached to the
Madras presidency between 1818 and 1830. In the latter year, the region was transferred to the
Bombay presidency. In 1836, the district of
Belgaum was created from a portion of Dharawad district, with the city of Belgaum as its administrative center. After the
independence of India in 1947, Belgaum remained part of
Bombay State until 1956, when provincial boundaries were reorganised on the principle of shared language. On this basis, the
States Reorganisation Act awarded Belgaum to
Karnataka state. This has been disputed by neighbouring
Maharastra state, which claims that a majority of people in the town speak
Marathi. The
Mahajan Committee which was formed at
Maharashtra's behest to look into this claim, has however, rejected the claim in no uncertain terms.
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.
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 valiant 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 if there are vacancies. The centre here is unrivalled in quality the world over.
*Panta Maharaj Balekundri. He was a poet philosopher and a teacher in Belgaum. He was born in a village Balekundri situated about 8 miles from Belgaum.He was born in 1855.His book of spontaneous verses Dattapremalahari is full of Avadhoot Sampradaya Philosophy and is very much revered by his devotees. You can reach Pant Balekundri by road and city buses ply from cbt belgaum at regular intervals
*
Gokak Falls - waterfall of the
Ghataprabha River * Hanging bridge at Gokak Falls
*
Rakaskop Dam - Dam across the
River Markandeyi (20 km north of Belgaum)
*
Hidkal Dam - One hour's drive from the city
*
Shirur Dam - 3/4 hour from Hidkal Dam
*
Godchinamalaki Falls - One hour's drive from the city, 1/2 hour from Hidkal Dam
*
Navil Thertha Dam - Dam across the
River Malaphrabha (1.5 hours from Belgaum)
*
Belgaum Fort, built in
1519*
Parasgad Fort at
Saundatti built in
1674*
Yellammangudda famous
Yellammadevi or Renukadevi Temple
* Old Jain Temple called Kamal Basthi in Belgaum Fort
*
Sogal Falls and famous
Someshwara Temple at
Sogal*
Safi Masjid: Built in
13th century*
Kamala Basti*
Halasi: capital of the
Kadambas. Dotted with temples
* Military Mahadev Temple
*
Nandagad: Shoor Sangolli Rayanna Smarak
*
Munavalli Panchalingeshwara Temple*
Hooli Panchalingeshwar Temple*
Godachi Veerbhadhreshwar Temple*
Sirsangi Kalika Temple*
Dhupadal Dam: 70 km from Belgaum
*
Vajrapoha Falls: 26 km from Belgaum
* Queen's Garden/Rani Bagicha, Camp
*
Kittur Fort*
Rani Chennamma Statue
* Kapileshvara temple
*
Children's traffic park at Shivaji Garden*
Jamia Mosque*
Famous Yellamma Devi (Saudatti Yellamma) temple at Saudatti* Famous Adavisiddeshwara Math at Ankalagi, 45 minutes from the city
* Shanti Giri, a Jain temple at Kothali near Chikkodi
* [Hindalga Ganapati]. A famous Ganapati Temple 5 kms from Goa Ves. Near the Hindalga Central Jail. Now maintained by the Military Cant, as the area is under the cantonment.
*
Visweswaraiah Technological University*
Gogte Institute of Technology*Maratha Mandal Engineering College & Polytechnic
*
KLE College of Engineering*
Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College*Institute of Management and Educational Research, Tilakwadi, Belgaum
*
Hirasugar Institute Of Technology*
National Institute of Hydrology*St. Mary's High School, Camp, Belgaum
*St. Xavier's High School, Camp, Belgaum
*
St. Paul's School, Camp, Belgaum
*Gogte College of Commerce, Tilakwadi, Belgaum
*Rani Parvati Devi College, Tilakwadi, Belgaum
*Govindram Sakseria Science College, Tilakwadi, Belgaum
*M. V. Herwadkar English Schhol, Tilakwadi, Belgaum
*Raja Lakhamgouda Law College, Tilakwadi, Belgaum
*Military School , Belgaum
*
Belgaum on Wikimapia*
Government website on Belgaum district*
Zilla Pancyhayat, Belgaum*
On Belgaum's history*
Statue of Rani Chennamma at Bangalore*
BelgaumTechies the group for job seekers from Belgaum*
Shrihari mandir, Belgaum
