Kolar, Karnataka

Last updated

Kolar
City
View from the rear of Someshwara temple at Kolar.jpg
Someshwara Temple
Nickname: 
Kuvaḻālapura (old)
Kolar, Karnataka
Kolar in Karnataka
Coordinates: 13°08′00″N78°08′00″E / 13.1333°N 78.1333°E / 13.1333; 78.1333
CountryFlag of India.svg  India
State Karnataka
District Kolar
Government
  TypeMunicipal Council
  BodyKolar Municipal Council
Area
  Total
46.56 km2 (17.98 sq mi)
Elevation
849 m (2,785 ft)
Population
 (2011) [1]
  Total
138,462
  Density3,000/km2 (7,700/sq mi)
Languages
  Official Kannada [2]
Time zone UTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN
563101, 563102, 563103
Telephone code08152
Vehicle registration KA-07
Website www.kolarcity.gov.in www.kolarcity.mrc.gov.in

Kolar or Kolara is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is the headquarters of Kolar district. The city is known for its milk production and gold mines. It is also known for the Someshwara and Kolaramma temples.

Contents

History

The Western Gangas sovereignty lasted from about 350 to 550 CE, initially ruled from Kolar as their Capital City. The founder of the Western Ganga dynasty was Konganivarman Madhava, who built Kolar as his capital around 350 and ruled for about twenty years. He was succeeded by his son Madhava I. Kolar, the headquarters of the Kolar district, was earlier known as Kuvaḻālapura, 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 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 AD 890, its 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. Maharshi Valmiki, the author of the epic Ramayana, lived here. The legend goes further to establish that Seetha Devi, after being sent to exile, gave birth to her twins Lava and Kusha at Avani. The Avani continued to survive as a religious establishment from the 9th to 11th centuries. There are temples dedicated to Lord Rama.

The hill to the west of Kolar called the Shatasringa 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. Gangas built the temple of Sri Uttameshwara temple in Uttanur Mulbagal Taluk.

Antaragange is one of the tourist attractions of Kolar. It is also known as "Dakshina Kashi Kshetra". In the temple is a pond which gets a continuous flow of underground water from the mouth of a Basava (stone bull).

Geography

Kolar is located at 13°08′N78°08′E / 13.13°N 78.13°E / 13.13; 78.13 . [3] with an average elevation of 849 metres (2,785 ft).

It is located at a distance of about 70 kilometres (43 mi) from Bangalore, 50 kilometres (31 mi) from Kempegowda International Airport, 147 kilometres (91 mi) from Hogenakkal waterfalls & 32 kilometres (20 mi) from Kolar Gold Fields. 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 Bangarapet Junction railway station. It is situated on the Bangalore - Chennai National Highway 75.

Kolar is also the gateway to Tirumala and Chennai via National Highway 75.

Climate

The city is ranked among top 10 Indian cities with the cleanest air and best AQI in 2024. [4]

Demographics

As of the 2011 census, Kolar city municipality had a population of 138,462 and has 30,506 households. [5] The population of scheduled castes in the city is 16,536, while that of scheduled tribes is 2094. [5] The city has grown at the rate of 21.56% in the last decade. [5]

The municipality had a sex ratio of 978 females per 1,000 males and 11.5% of the population were under six years old. [1] Effective literacy was 84.02%; male literacy was 87.28% and female literacy was 80.69%. [1]

Religions in Kolar city (2011) [6]
ReligionPercent
Hinduism
51.13%
Islam
46.51%
Christianity
1.98%
Other or not stated
0.36%

Kolar is a city with Hindus and Muslims in nearly equal population. Christians are a small minority. [6]

Languages of Kolar city (2011) [7]

   Urdu (46.49%)
   Kannada (36.26%)
   Telugu (11.52%)
   Tamil (3.04%)
   Hindi (1.20%)
  Others (1.49%)

At the time of the 2011 census, 46.49% of the population spoke Urdu, 36.26% Kannada, 11.52% Telugu, 3.04% Tamil and 1.20% Hindi as their first language. [7] Kolar is part of Morasu Nadu, where Kannada, Telugu and Tamil languages and cultures blend. After Bangalore, it is the most diversified city. The Kannadigas are a minority here as flow of other people were huge. Tamils and Telugus are native to this city and have been here for centuries.

Governance and politics

Kolar city is governed by Kolar City Municipal Council. [8] The municipality covers an area of 18.3 square km and is divided into 35 wards, each represented by a councillor. [5] [9] It is headed by the Municipal Commissioner, R. Srikanth. [10] The president is the elected head, currently incumbent B.M. Mubarak. [11] The executive wing has 8 departments: engineering, health, revenue, town planning, finance, birth and death, election and day-NULM. [9]

Civic utilities

The masterplan of the city is developed by the Urban Development Department, State of Karnataka. Kodikannur tank in the north of the city is its main source of water supply. [9] [12] The city has a shortage of drinking water, being an area with a 'permanent drought', and pipes being over 35 years old. [13] [14] Water is also supplied from four borewells at Maderahalli tank, and five more borewells that were revived in April 2020. [15] According to the city municipality's website, the city receives a total of 56.20 MLD water, at 125 LPCD per capita. [9]

The city has both open and closed drains. [5] Kolar receives wastewater from Bangalore as part of the KC project, which was expected to increase groundwater levels but has received criticism when it started contaminating the area. [16] In 2017, it was reported that non-clearance of garbage by the municipal council had caused unhygienic conditions in the city. [17]

Tourist attractions

Transportation

Kolar has transportation amenities such as Buses, Taxis, and Auto Rickshaws.

Kolar also has a local transportation facility " Antaragange Kolara Nagara Sarige" which was inaugurated in July 2012 but Govt has stopped this services and utilising these buses for rural areas. [ citation needed ]

Railways

The district headquarters has a railway station connecting two destinations:

1. Bangalore - Via Bangarapet Junction railway station

The nearest junction to Kolar is Bangarapet Junction railway station. It is the first railway junction in Karnataka on Chennai Central– Bengaluru City line

2. Bangalore - Via Srinivaspura, Chinthamani, Sidlaghatta, Chikkaballapura, Devanahalli, Yelahanka

Educational institutes

Notable people

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chittoor</span> City in Andhra Pradesh, India

Chittoor is a city and district headquarters in Chittoor district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is also the mandal and divisional headquarters of Chittoor mandal and Chittoor revenue division respectively. The city has a population of 189,332.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kolar district</span> District of Karnataka in India

Kolar district is a district in the state of Karnataka, India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kolar Gold Fields</span> City in Karnataka, India

Kolar Gold Fields (K.G.F.) is a mining region in K.G.F. taluk (township), Kolar district, Karnataka, India. It is headquartered in Robertsonpet, where employees of Bharat Gold Mines Limited (BGML) and BEML Limited and their families live. K.G.F. is about 30 kilometres (19 mi) from Kolar, 100 kilometres (62 mi) from Bengaluru, capital of Karnataka. Over a century, the town has been known for gold mining. The mine closed on 28 February 2001 due to a fall in gold prices, despite gold still being present there. One of India's first power-generation units was built in 1889 to support mining operations. The mine complex hosted some particle physics experiments between the 1960s and 1992.

Malur is a town and taluk headquarters in Kolar district of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is 30 km from Kolar, the district headquarters, and about 50 km from Bangalore. It is accessible from Bangalore by road and railways. The Chennai Central-Bangalore City line passes through Malur, with trains to various parts of India, including Tirupati, Chennai, Kochi, Trivandrum, Patna and Calcutta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Bengaluru</span> Account of past events in Bengaluru, India

Bengaluru is the capital city of the state of Karnataka. Bengaluru, as a city, was founded by Kempe Gowda I, who built a mud fort at the site in 1537. But the earliest evidence for the existence of a place called Bengaluru dates back to c. 890.

Mulabagilu is a town and administrative center of Mulabagilu taluk, in the Kolar district in the state of Karnataka, India. The town is situated on the National Highway 75 and is the easternmost town of the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Avani, Kolar</span> Village in Karnataka, India

Avani is a small village in Mulabaagilu taluk, Kolara district in Karnataka, India, about ten miles from Kolar Gold Fields. The village is located at 32 km from Kolara, the district centre and 13 km from Mulabaagilu, the Taluk headquarters. It is a popular location for rock climbing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western Ganga dynasty</span> Ruling dynasty of ancient Karnataka in India

Western Ganga was an important ruling dynasty of ancient Karnataka in India which lasted from about 350 to 999 CE. They are known as "Western Gangas" to distinguish them from the Eastern Gangas who in later centuries ruled over Kalinga. The general belief is that the Western Gangas began their rule during a time when multiple native clans asserted their freedom due to the weakening of the Pallava empire in South India, a geo-political event sometimes attributed to the southern conquests of Samudra Gupta. The Western Ganga sovereignty lasted from about 350 to 550 CE, initially ruling from Kolar and later, moving their capital to Talakadu on the banks of the Kaveri River in modern Mysore district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vokkaliga</span> Group of castes in Karnataka

Vokkaliga is a community of closely related castes, from the Indian states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

Bangarapet is a town in Kolar district in the state of Karnataka, India. Bangarapet is the headquarters of the taluk of Bangarapet. Bangarapet was originally called Bowringpet, named after an officer working in the Kolar Gold Fields. This town came into existence as the connecting point of traffic between the gold fields. Telugu is largely spoken in Bangarapet. During the Karnataka state formation there was 54% Telugu population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chintamani, Karnataka</span> Town in Karnataka, India

Chintamani is a Taluk Headquarters in the Indian state of Karnataka. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka. Chintamani is one of the well planned and developed Towns in the District of Kolar and presently Chikkaballapur. Chintamani is known for its silk and tomato production and their largest markets in Karnataka.

Gudupalle is a village and mandal in Chittoor district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is the mandal headquarters of Gudupalle mandal. This mandal is under Kuppam Revenue Division.The village lies on NH-4 highway connecting Bangalore and Chennai.

Parigi is a village in Sri Sathya Sai district in the state of Andhra Pradesh in India.

The Western Ganga Dynasty was an important ruling dynasty of ancient Karnataka. Its members are known as Western Gangas to distinguish them from the Eastern Gangas who in later centuries ruled over modern Orissa. The Western Gangas ruled as a sovereign power from the middle of fourth century to middle of sixth century, initially from Kolar, later moving their capital to Talakad on the banks of the Kaveri River in modern Mysore district. Though territorially a small kingdom, the Western Ganga contribution to polity, culture and literature of the modern south Karnataka region is considered noteworthy. The Ganga kings showed benevolent tolerance to all faiths but are most famous for their patronage towards Jainism resulting in the construction of fine monuments in such places as Shravanabelagola and Kambadahalli.

Karnataka is a state in the southern part of India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act. Karnataka is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, Goa to the north-west, Maharashtra to the north, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to the east, Tamil Nadu to the south-east, and Kerala to the south-west. The state covers an area of 74,122 sq mi (191,976 km2), or 5.83% of the total geographical area of India. It comprises 30 districts. Kannada is the official language of Karnataka and as per the 2011 census is the mother tongue of 66.5% of the population. Various ethnic groups with origins in other parts of India have unique customs and use languages at home other than Kannada, adding to the cultural diversity of the state. Significant linguistic minorities in the state in 2011 included speakers of Urdu (10.8%), Telugu (5.8%), Tamil (3.5%), Marathi (3.4%), Hindi (3.2%), Tulu (2.6%), Konkani (1.3%) and Malayalam (1.3%).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kadugodi</span> Neighbourhood in Bangalore Urban, Karnataka, India

Kadugodi is a suburb located in Whitefield, Bangalore in the state of Karnataka, India. The area is said to have been founded over 1000 years ago by the Chola dynasty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ramalingeshwara group of temples, Avani</span> Hindu temple in Karnataka, India

The Ramalingeshwara group of temples, situated in Avani town of the Kolar district, Karnataka state, India, is constructed in the dravida style. According to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the temple is an ornate 10th-century Nolamba dynasty construction which was partially renovated later by the Chola dynasty.The Vijayanagara kings built the main Mandapam and Rajagopuram. The temple is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India as a monument of national importance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bangarapet Junction railway station</span> Railway Station in Karnataka, India

Bangarapet Junction railway station, also known as Bangarapete Junction railway station is a double-line electrified railway station which is located in the heart of the city. It is one of the important railway stations in the Chennai Central–Bangalore City line where many people board and de-board for many purposes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karnataka Tamils</span>

The Karnataka Tamils are a social community of Tamil language speakers living in Bangalore, capital city of the Indian state of Karnataka and Mysore, Mandya, Kolar Gold Fields, Chamrajnagar, and other districts of old Mysore Kingdom. According to The Hindu newspaper, Tamil-speaking settlers migrated to Bangalore in four major waves, the first after the 10th century; the second during the Vijayanagara period; and the third, in the 18th century, after the need for government service required by British East India Company who built the train tracks in Bangalore. Lastly now most Tamilians move to Bangalore for work. However some may say both Kannadiga and Tamils were there from the very beginning. According to census 1991, people speaking Tamil as mother tongue in Bangalore formed about 21%. There are 2.1 million Tamils living in Karnataka as of 2011 Census report.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">S. Srikanta Sastri</span>

Sondekoppa Srikanta Sastri was an Indian historian, Indologist, and polyglot. He authored around 12 books, over two hundred articles, several monographs and book reviews over four decades in English, Kannada, Telugu and Sanskrit. These include "Sources of Karnataka History", "Geopolitics of India & Greater India", "Bharatiya Samskruthi" and "Hoysala Vastushilpa". S. Srikanta Sastri was a polyglot well versed in fourteen languages spanning Greek, Latin, Pali, Prakrit, Sanskrit and German among others. He was Head of the Department of History & Indology at Maharaja College, University of Mysore between 1940 and 1960. He was conferred the Kannada Literary Academy award in 1970 and was subsequently honoured by Governor of Karnataka Mohanlal Sukhadia in 1973 during mythic society diamond jubilee function. A Festschrift was brought forth and presented to him during his felicitation function in 1973 titled "Srikanthika" with articles on History and Indology by distinguished scholars. His work on Indus Valley civilization and town planning at Harappa and Mohenjodaro were published in successive articles and drew considerable attention. His articles on The Aryan Invasion theory, the date of Adi Sankaracharya, Oswald Spengler's view on Indian culture, Jaina epistemology, Proto-Vedic religion of Indus Valley Civilization and evolution of the Gandabherunda insignia remain relevant today.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Provisional Population Totals, Census of India 2011; Cities having population 1 lakh and above" (PDF). Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 27 March 2012.
  2. "52nd Report of the Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities in India" (PDF). nclm.nic.in. Ministry of Minority Affairs. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 May 2017. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  3. "Maps, Weather, and Airports for Kolar, India". www.fallingrain.com. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
  4. Gupta, Cherry (21 November 2024). "India's top 10 cities with the best air quality in 2024: Global cities' AQI insights revealed". The Indian Express. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "District Handbook - Karnataka - Town Amenities (row 322)". Census of India. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  6. 1 2 "C-01 Population By Religious Community: Karnataka". Census of India.
  7. 1 2 "Table C-16 Population by Mother Tongue: Karnataka". www.censusindia.gov.in. Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India.
  8. "Municipalities | Kolar district, Government of Karnataka | India" . Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  9. 1 2 3 4 "Kolar City Municipal Council - City Summary" . Retrieved 28 September 2020.[ permanent dead link ]
  10. "CMC requests owners to clear property tax dues". Deccan Herald. 6 May 2020. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  11. "AMRUT Cities Contact details of Heads" (PDF). Amrut.gov.in. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  12. "Master Plan". uddkar.gov.in. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  13. "16 of 24 'eternally drought-prone' districts in country are in Karnataka". The Hindu. 19 December 2018. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  14. "59 इंच की कोलार लाइन फूटी, कई घरों में भरा पानी, आधे शहर में दो दिन किल्लत; कोलार रेस्ट हाउस के सामने फूटी लाइन, तीन लोग घायल". Dainik Bhaskar (in Hindi). 29 September 2020. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  15. "MP S Muniswamy to CMC: Ensure water pumping facility at borewells". Deccan Herald. 22 April 2020. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  16. Rao, Mohit M. (13 October 2018). "In Kolar, a parched land in a sea of sewage". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  17. Kundapura, Vishwa (6 January 2015). "'Mandur of Kolar' in the making?". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 29 September 2020.