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Belgaum is a district 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. Originally Velugram (town of bamboos), Belgaum City (13 degrees 32'N & 42'E) is a crossroad of cultures due to its peculiar geographical location. 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). Its hinterland offers a rich resource mix attracting people as tourist, settlers, job-seekers & entrepreneurs, making it a veritable paradise or a "poor mans Switzerland.

Places of Interest

Belgaum
Belgaum, ancient `Venugrama' (`Bamboo village') was the capital of the Rattas who shifted to this place from Saundatti during the close of 12th century. The place has a fort inside which there is the famous Kamalabasti built in 1204. It has a fine huge protruding lotus (Kamala) in its ceiling and this beautiful structure in Chalukyan style houses Neminatha Teerthankara image. Inside the fort is another excellent structure, the Safa Mosque with three entrances decorated with floral and calligraphic designs. Two of its pillars have Kannada inscriptions in Nagari scripts, one of 1199 of Ratta King Kartaveerya IV and another of 1261 of Sevuna (Yadava) Krishna.

The Jamia Masjid in the fort was built by Sher Khan in 1585-86. There is a Dargah of Khanjar Wali near it. The fort has Chalukyan Pillars spread all over.A few other landmarks in Belgaum are: The St. Mary's Chruch built in 1869, the Maruthi temple believed to be of Chalukyan times, the Kapileshwar temple also of Chalukyan times. Getting here: Belgaum is connected by rail and road to Bangalore, Mumbai and other major cities and towns in Karnataka.

Belgaum
Belgaum district is located in the Northwest region of Karnataka State. The ancient name of the Belgaum was Venugrama (in Sanskrit) meaning village of

Bamboos. Till 1961, Belgaum was a part of the Bombay state. With creation of states based on the languages, Belgaum was brought under Karnataka State. The languages spoken here are Kannada and Marathi. The Belgaum district is bounded on the west and north by Maharashtra state, on the east by Bagalkot district, on the northeast by Bijapur district, on the southeast by Gadag district, on the south by Dharawad district and Uttara Kannada district, and on the southwest by the state of Goa.

Belgaum has been ruled by the Chalukyas, the Rashtrakutas, the Rattas, the Goa Kadambas, the Yadavas, the Vijayanagar rulers, the Bahmanis and the Marathas. Kittur in Belgaum district is a place of historical importance, it participated actively in the Freedom Movement with whole country. Rani Chennamma, one of the prominent lady warriors of Kittur is known for her resistance to British rule. She along with Sangolli Rayanna and Babasaheb was first to start this movement.

Belgaum district consists of ten taluks namely Athani, Bailhongal, Belgaum, Chikkodi, Gokak, Hukkeri, Khanapur, Raibag, Ramdurg and Saundatti.

How to Reach

By Air: The nearest airport is Belgaum-189 km, which is connected to Mumbai by Vayudoot flights.

By Rail: The nearest railhead is Bagalkot -- 34km on the Hubli-Sholapur meter gauge line.

By Road: Aihole is connected by road to Pattadakal (17 kms), Badami (44 kms) and Bangalore (490 kms). Package tours are conducted every day from Bangalore during the tourist season. One can also use any road service from Belgaum city via Bagalkot to reach Aihole.
 

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