Belgaum has been selected in first phase out of 20 cities, as one of the hundred Indian cities to be developed as asmart city under India's flagshipSmart Cities Mission.[11]
Belgaum was founded in late 12th century AD by theRatta dynasty, who shifted from nearbySaundatti. A Ratta official named Bichiraja builtKamal Basadi, a Jain temple, dedicated toNeminatha in 1204, which came to be called Kamalabasti. Pillars found inside Belgaum fort haveKannada inscriptions in Nagari scripts, one from 1199 by Ratta King Kartaveerya IV. The city's original name was Venugram, a Sanskrit word which means "village of bamboo". Alternatively, it is referred to as Venugram in early Indian texts, which means "city of bamboo".[12]
Belgaum became a part of theYadava dynasty kingdom (Seuna) in early 13th century. An inscription from 1261 of King Krishna belonging to the Yadava dynasty attests to this. The region was invaded byKhalji dynasty ofDelhi Sultanate in 14th century. Shortly thereafter, theVijayanagara Empire was founded, and Belgaum came under the rule of Vijayanagara. In 1474, theBahmani Sultanate conquered Belgaum with an army led byMahmud Gawan.[13]
The Belgaum fort was strengthened by the Adil Shah dynasty Sultans and they built the Safa Mosque. A Persian inscription states that the mosque was built byAsad Khan, a Bijapur commander. In 1518, the Bahamani sultanate splintered into five small states and Belgaum became part of theBijapur Sultanate. The Adilshahis extended their control to the port of Goa, but retreated after the arrival and wars with the Portuguese. In 1686, the Mughal emperorAurangzeb overthrew the Bijapur sultanate and Belgaum passed nominally to the Mughals, who called it "Azamnagar".[13] However, the Mughal empire control collapsed after the death of Aurangzeb in 1707. TheMaratha confederacy took control of the area during the rule of thePeshwas. In 1776, the region was overrun byHyder Ali andTipu Sultan after Hyder Ali's coup in theKingdom of Mysore. The Peshwa regained Belgaum, after Tipu Sultan was defeated by the British forces. In 1818, theBritish annexed Belgaum and the region in the control of the Peshwa.Kitturu Chennamma (1778–1829) was the queen of the princely state of Kittur inKarnataka and in 1824 she led an unsuccessful armed rebellion against the British in response to theDoctrine of lapse.
Belgaum was chosen as the venue of the 39th session of theIndian National Congress in December 1924 under the presidency ofMahatma Gandhi. The city served as a major military installation for theBritish Raj, primarily due to its proximity toGoa, 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 Prime MinisterJawaharlal Nehru, used military forces from Belgaum to endPortuguese rule ofGoa.
When India became independent in 1947, Belgaum and its district were part ofBombay State. In 1956, the Indian states were reorganised along linguistic lines by theStates Reorganisation Act and Belgaum including 10 taluks of Bombay State were transferred toMysore State, which was renamedKarnataka in 1973.[14]
In 2006, theGovernment of Karnataka announced that Belgaum would be made the state's second capital, and that the city would be a permanent venue for the annual 15-day winter session of the state legislature.[15]
On 1 November 2014, the city's name was changed from Belgaum to Belagavi by the Karnataka government, with approval of thecentral government of India along with 12 other cities.[16][17] Belgaum is known as Belgaon (IPA:[beːɭɡaːʋ]) in Maharashtra and amongstMarathi people.
Belgaum is located at15°52′N74°30′E / 15.87°N 74.5°E /15.87; 74.5.[18] It has an average elevation of 770 metres (2,530 feet). The city is in the northwestern parts ofKarnataka and lies at the border of two states,Maharashtra andGoa on the western ghats (50 km (31 mi) from the Goa state border). It is one of the oldest towns in the state, lying 502 km (312 mi) fromBangalore, 500 km (310 mi) fromMumbai, 515 km (320 mi) fromHyderabad, and 600 km (370 mi) fromMysore. The district comprises 1278 villages with an area of 13,415 km2 (5,180 sq mi) and a population of around 4.8 million according to the census of 2011. Belgaum district is the biggest district of Karnataka. Situated near the foothills of the Sahyadri mountain range (Western Ghats) at an altitude of about 779 m (2,556 ft), 100 km (62 mi) from theArabian Sea with the Markandeya river flowing nearby, Belgaum exhibits swift and kaleidoscopic changes in topography, vegetation and climate.
Belgaum has atropical savanna climate (Köppen climate classificationAw). It is known for its pleasant year-round climate. Belgaum is at its coldest in winter (lowest temperature in Karnataka is usually recorded in Belgaum) and it experiences almost continuous monsoon rains from June through September. Belgaum sometimes receives hail storms during April.
Climate data for Belgaum (1991–2020, extremes 1901–2020)
As per the 2011 Indiacensus, the population of Belgaum city is 490,045. Males constitute 246,537 of the population and females 243,508. Belgaum has an average literacy rate of 88.92%: 93.78% for males and 85.84% for females. 10.71% of the population is under 6 years of age. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes make up 7.84% and 3.26% of the population respectively.[25]
Kannada (37.46%) andMarathi (32.91%) are the predominant languages.Urdu is spoken by 19.82%, whileKonkani (2.64%),Hindi (2.42%) andTelugu (1.92%) are also spoken.[26]
In 2006, the Government of Karnataka decided to hold one week sessions of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly every year during the winter season at theSuvarna Vidhana Soudha administrative building, constructed and inaugurated in Belgaum in 2012.
TheBelgaum border dispute is a dispute involving the Indian states ofKarnataka andMaharashtra. Belgaum, currently a part of Karnataka and earlier the erstwhileBombay Presidency, is claimed by Maharashtra on linguistic grounds. In 1956, the States Reorganization Act incorporated the Belgaum district including the 10 taluks in theMysore state, which became Karnataka in 1973. Though according to the 1881 census, 64.39% of the population of Belgaum wereKannada speakers and 26.04% spokeMarathi.[14]
In 1948, theMaharashtra Ekikaran Samiti, a Belgaum based regional organisation fighting for the merger, was formed.[27] On 17 January 1956, Marathi activists against the inclusion were shot by the police forces of Mysore state. Since then, 17 January is observed as the 'martyr's day' by Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti.[28][29]
On 11 November 2005, Karnataka Rakshna Vedike (KRV) activists daubed Belgaum Mayor Vijay More's face with black paint (and later surrendered to the police) in the wake of Belgaum City Corporation (BCC) passing a resolution[30][31] to include the district of Belgaum intoMaharashtra, a neighbouring state. Upon his return to Belgaum, Vijay More was served with several show-cause notices by the Government of Karnataka and later dissolved the council.[32]
Following this incident, in the following year's election, Prashanta Budavi, wife of KRV (Karnataka Rakshana Vedike) City President Shantinath Budavi was appointed as mayor of the Belgaum City Corporation. Maharashtra has asked to bring 865 disputed villages including Belgaum under centre's rule untilSupreme court's final verdict. N.D. Patil, head of legal-committee appointed by Maharashtra government said that Karnataka is intensifying the problem. He added that Marathi people of border region are not able to live with honour and dignity under Karnataka's rule pointing out to the 'unconstitutional' dissolution of Belgaum city corporation and manhandling of Belgaum mayor by Kannada activists atBangalore.
Even though case is pending in supreme court, in 2019, Deputy CM of MaharashtraAjit Pawar called for the incorporation of Belgaum along with Karwar and Nipani area inMaharashtra citing it was of dream ofShiv Sena founderBal Thackeray, a statement reiterated by CMUddhav Thackeray in January 2021.[14] Thackeray went on to term the region as 'Karnataka-occupied areas'.[29] The case regarding the dispute is pending before the Supreme Court for many years.[14]
The city's humble industrial growth begin when an entrepreneur named Babu Rao Pusalkar set up a small unit in city over a century ago and that transformed Belgaum city into foundry and hydraulics base.[33]
The Belgaum District Report[36] provides detailed information about the local agricultural economy. The report describes the work of the pastoralists who herd large numbers of sheep and goats (approx 1.4m in 2003) - some settled in communities and others operating nomadically. They are supported by theWorkers Development Union (known asShramik Abhivrudhi Sangh orJana Jagran) an NGO that provides a shepherd training program in sheep care, modern medicines and modern breeding practices.
A 300-acre (1.2 km2)Special Economic Zone (India's first PrivateAerospaceSEZ) is being set up along the Pune-Bangalore National Highway (NH-4) to cater to theprecision engineering requirements of the global aerospace, automotive and industrial verticals.[37]
Belgaum's salubrious climate, proximity to the coast and strategic position nearPortugueseGoa commended it to the British as a suitable location for an army training centre andcantonment, which it continues to be today for theIndian Armed Forces, along with an air force station of theIndian Air Force. The British had a sizeableinfantry post here, having realised the military importance of its geographical location.
Development of a rail network for movement of resources and later troops was one of the means employed by both theEast India Company and the British to exert control over India. Belgaum houses theMaratha Light Infantry Regimental Centre (MLIRC). It also houses the Commando Training Wing which is a part of the Junior Leaders Wing (formerly known as Infantry School, Belgaum). This establishment is affiliated to The Infantry School,Mhow. Herein, Infantry Officers and Soldiers are trained in endurance, escape and evasion, guerrilla and commando warfare techniques and to live off the land. Thecommando course at Belgaum is mandatory for all Infantry Officers. Officers of Other branches of the military and even some foreign officers undertake the course, upon being nominated to do so. In between the Military Hospital and the Junior Leaders Wing lies theBelgaum Military School, established in 1945 spread over an area of 64 acres (26 ha). The School provides quality education to sons of wards of Servicemen and Ex Servicemen of the Armed Forces. Several of them go on to join theNational Defence Academy.
TheIndo-Tibetan Border Police, ITBP, is building a full-fledged recreation and training centre in Belgaum at Halbhavi. Belgaum provides an excellent climate for recreation andITBP will have large family bases in Belgaum for its soldiers after high altitude stressful duty.
TheCentral Reserve Police Force Institute of elite central paramilitary forces is setting up a national-level training institution (for jungle warfare) at Khanapur in Belgaum. The establishment, called theCoBRA School of Jungle Warfare is already operational.[38]
The cuisine of Belgaum is derived from the food cultures of three regionsKarnataka,Konkan andMaharashtra.[39] Typical breakfast items include poori-bhaji, idli-dosa, uppit (upma), sheera, sabudana khichadi and sabuvada. Chapatis, rice, Jolada Rotti (bhakari/jowar rotti), thalipeeth, jhunka and vegetables are eaten for lunch. Non-vegetarian preparations such as various seafoods are cooked in Goan, Maharashtrian, and North Karnataka style. Belgaum is noted for a specific kind ofbiryani, theBelgaum Biryani, which usesBelgaum Basmati Rice for its preparation.[39]
Belgaum is known forkunda, a milk-based sweet.[40] Another sweet, calledmaande in Marathi andmandige in Kannada, is a prerequisite for weddings.[41]
Belgaum is connected by road via national highways 4 (connectingMaharashtra (now part of the Golden Quadrilateral),Karnataka,Telangana,Andhra Pradesh andTamil Nadu) and 4A (connectingKarnataka andGoa).North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC) run buses to all corners of Karnataka and to neighbouring states. There are many prominent private bus companies providing services to all major destinations in Karnataka and surrounding states. KSRTC services almost all villages in Karnataka. 92% villages are served by KSRTC (6,743 out of 7,298 Villages) and 44% in other areas. KSRTC operates 6463 schedules in a day covering an effective distance of 2374,000 km with a total fleet of 7599 buses. It transports, on an average, 2457,000 passengers per day.
The North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation was established on 1 November 1997, under provision of the Road Transport Corporation Act 1950, on the auspicious day ofKarnataka Rajyotsava upon bifurcation fromKarnataka State Road Transport Corporation to provide adequate, efficient, economic and properly coordinated transport services to the commuters of North Western part ofKarnataka. The Corporation jurisdiction covers the districts of Belgaum,Dharwad,Karwar,Bagalkot,Gadag &Haveri.
NWKRTC operates its services to all villages, which have motorable roads in its jurisdiction, and also covers intra- and inter- state transport operations.
The Government ofGoa operates KADAMBA bus service from Goa to Belgaum city and some other parts of the Belgaum District.
The Government ofMaharashtra also operatesMSRTC buses from various parts of Maharashtra to Belgaum City and some other parts of the Belgaum District.
Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU), named after Bharat Ratna Sir M Visweshwariah, is located in Machhe in Belgaum. It has more than 208 affiliated colleges. Over 67,000 students graduate from VTU every year.[45]
Rani Channamma University was established in 2010 by upgrading the post-graduate centre of Karnatak University, Dharwad.Before the Rani Channamma University came into being in 2010,Karnatak University KRCPG Centre of Karnatak University,Dharwad was functioning at Belgaum. The Karnatak University PG Centre was established at Belgaum in the year 1982, to provide an opportunity to develop access to the students for higher education hailing from North Karnataka Region. In 1994 the PG centre was shifted to the present campus of 172 acres of land at Bhutramanahatti adjacent to the Pune-Bangalore National Highway – 4NH 4, about 18 km from Belgaum. Karnatak University PG Centre has been declared as Rani Channamma University in the month of July 2010 with the jurisdiction of Belgaum,Vijaypur, andBagalkot districts.
