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Bellary District

Bellary District

About:

Bellary district is situated on the eastern side of Karnataka state extending from southwest to northeast directions. This district is bounded by Raichur district on the north, Koppal district on the west, Chitradurga and Davanagere districts on the south, and Anantapur and Kurnool districts of Andhra Pradesh on the east.

Bellary district takes its name from the word Balari which refers to goddess Durugamma as this goddess had manifested herself in this town. The district besides being an administrative area of the state is also a tourist's hot spot. The prime visiting places in and around the district includes Hampi, Bear Sanctuary and Sandur.Some of the events in the great epic Ramayana are related to this historical place. It is said that Rama while searching for Sita met Sugreeva and Hanuman at a place which is very near to Hampi, the celebrated capital of Vijayanagara kingdom. The history speaks volumes about significant role it acquired during Satavahanas, Kadambas, Chalukyas of Kalyana, Kalachuryas, Sevunas and Hoysalas period. There upon the Vijayanagara rulers built the " City of Victory " on the bank of Tungabhadra river at Hampi in Hospet Taluk. This area which had witnessed the prosperity to its peak fell into political turmoil after the fall of Vijayanagara in 1565. This district was transferred to the erstwhile Mysore State on 1st October 1953 from Madras State. With the re-organisation of the districts during 1997, the number of taluks is reduced to 7. The Harapanahalli taluk has been transferred to Davanagere district.

Bellary district is spread from South-West to North - East and is situated on the eastern side of Karnataka State. The district is situated between 14o 30' and 15o50' north latitude and 75o 40' and 77o 11' east longitude. This district is bounded by Raichur district on the north by Dharwad district on the west, Chitradurga and Davangere districts on the south and Anantapur, Kurnool districts of Andhra Pradesh on east.It comes under the administrative control of Gulbarga division and development jurisdiction of H.K.D.B, Gulbarga.

This district is bounded by Raichur District on the north, Koppal District on the west, Chitradurga District and Davanagere District on the south, and Anantapur District and Kurnool District of Andhra Pradesh on the east.

Location info:

Bellary district is situated on the eastern side of Karnataka state extending from southwest to northeast directions.

Climate/Weather of Bellary District:

 

History of Bellary District:

 

Educational Institutions of Bellary District:

Medical & Health Science Colleges in Bellary

  • Vijaynagar Institute Of Medical Science

Other Institutions

  • Pandith Taranath Govt Ayurvedic Medical
  • Tmaes Ayurvedic Medical College
  • Sri. Sharabheshwara Vidya Peeta
  • Shanthabai Memorial Para Medical Science
  • T. V. M. College Of Pharmacy
  • Bellary Veerashaiva Vidyavardhaka Sangas
  • Sharana Basaveshwar T T I
  • Kottur Swamy College Of Education
  • Unki Sannarudrappa Law College
  • Government Polytechnic
  • Tmaes S Polytechnic
  • Ses Polytechnic
  • Sandur Polytechnic
  • Sanjay Gandhi Rural Polytechnic
  • Jagadguru Kotturuswamy Iti
  • A S M Womens College
  • Govt First Grade College, Bellary
  • Govt First Grade College,kampli
  • P S College Of Physical Education
  • Theosophical First Grade Womens College
  • Vijayanagar College
  • Govt Pu College For Girls, Hospet
  • Govt Pu College, Tb Dam
  • Govt Pu College, Chithawadagi
  • Vyasapuri Comp Pu College
  • National Pu College
  • Kottureshwara College
  • Govt Ssk Girls Pu College
  • Veera Saiva College
  • Govt Pu College, Kurugodu
  • Govt Pu College For Girls ,
  • Urdu Girls Pu College
  • Basavarajeshwari Pu College
  • Sg Comp Pu College
  • Sas Memorial Womens College
  • V V S Hb Comp Pu College
  • Wardlaw Comp Pu College
  • Sujs Pu College
  • St John S Comp Pu College,
  • V. K. J Pu College,siruguppa
  • Govt Ind Pu College
  • Veerasaiva Vidyavardhaka Sanghas
  • Govt Pu College For Girls
  • Proudhadevaraya Institute Of Technology
  • Proudadevaraya Institute Of Technology
  • V. Sannarudrappa Law College
  • V. V. V. Sangha Polytechnic
  • Togari Veeramallappa College Of Pharmacy
  • Siriguppa Educational Society
  • Kannada University
  • Kannada University Distance Education Centre

Langauge

The prominent language spoken is Kannada. Other languages like Marathi, Urdu,Telugu and Gujarati are also spoken by small portion of population.

Culture:

 

How to reach Bellary District?

Nearest Railway Station:Bellary is well connected by rail to Bangalore, Raichur, Tirupati, Hubli, Guntakal, Vijayawada etc.Guntakal is one of the important junctions near Bellary from where many important trains pass through. Trains to Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai and to other important places in India are available from this junction.
Nearest Airport:Bangalore Airport is the nearest Airport - 300 Kms away. Air strips are available at Bellary and Jindal, Toranagallu.
Road Transport:Bellary city is well connected by road to all major cities, towns and important cities of neighboring states.

Tourist Attraction

Sandur in Bellary
This is a picturesque hill fringed region in a splendid valley. It has natural riches of iron and manganese ores. A huge fort can be seen in a marvellous palace here. This fort is a remarkable monument left behind by the famous Maratha rulers.

There are two wonderful temples dedicated to Lord Kumaraswamy and Goddess Parvathi. These are situated here in the hills of Bellary. The temple contains some amazing elements of art and sculpture and it has serene surroundings. A temple of Lord Rama can be seen on this hill resort.

Hampi in Bellary
Hampi MonumentHampi was earlier the capital city of the Vijayanagara Empire. It is situated at an altitude of 467 meter above the sea level. Harihara I also known as Hukka and Bukka, the Telugu princes established Hampi. This place has several precious monuments, which exist even today. This city is worth visiting to see the prestigious remnants of the great Vijayanagara Empire.Hampi. 353 kms from Bangalore and 74 kms from Bellary is Hampi. A World Heritage Centre, Hampi is the most beautiful and evocative of all the ruins in Karnataka. The erstwhile capital of the Vijayanagar kingdom, Hampi is full of delightful surprises.

Pattabhirama Temple in Bellary
This temple was constructed between 1530 and 1542. It is located on the south of the sacred river Tungabhadra. The surroundings of this temple are hilly and it is the largest among the ruins. This wonderful temple is noted for its largeness. There is a capacious hall in front of the temple.

Dussehra Dibba or Vijaya Bhavani in Bellary
This is architecturally a very wonderful temple. The ruler of Vijayanagara, Krishnadevaraya built this temple to show his gratitude towards the ultimate Supreme Being after his invasion of Orissa. Exquisite carvings decorate the temple structure. Dussehra festival is celebrated with pomp and gaiety here. The marching soldiers, beautiful damsels in various dancing postures, horses and elephants are carved on the temple walls. The ruins of the once-magnificent palace can be seen from the top of the temple.

Kalleswara Temple, one of the worth mentioning temples of Bellary district is located at Hulikeri near Koodli. The temple is about 80 ft in length and breadth. The idols of Kalleshwara, Lord Vishnu and Veerabhadra are enshrined within the temple. Vighnantaka Vinayaka temple is dedicated to Lord Ganesh.

The Balakrishna Temple is one of the oldest temples of Bellary district that was built by the great Vijayanagar King Krishnadevaraya in 1513 to commemorate his victory over Prataparudra Gajapati, the ruler of Orissa. The image of the child Krishna was consecrated in this temple.

Achyutaraya Temple is one of the largest temples of Bellary district. An officer of the King Achyutaraya, Salakaraju Tirumaladeva, built this temple complex. The temple features two enclosures, each manifested by an entrance gopura. The main deity, `Tiruvengalanatha` or Lord Venkateswara is located at the second attachment of the temple. The shrine of Garuda stands opposite to the temple.

Virupaksha Temple in Bellary
This temple was built in 1509 in the memory of Krishnadevaraya. It is also called `Temple of Pasupati`. It is also said that this temple was built by Krishnadevaraya to commemorate his triumph over the Bijapur and Gajapathy rulers. The temple has massive holy image of Lord Shiva, which is a sacred monolithic structure. The deity is called Lord Virupaksha here. The images of many other deities can also be seen here. The monolithic pillars with intricate and ethereal artwork can be seen in the mandapam of the temple. The Bhistappayyana gopuram or the temple tower here became the model for all the South Indian Vijayanagara Temple. These are also known as Rajagopurams.

Vittala Temple in Bellary
This temple is found on the banks of the holy river Tungabhadra. It is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. It is one of the still existing holy monuments of the Vijayanagara Empire though the temple tower is damaged. The temple area is a rectangular courtyard of 152 meter X 94 meter. There are total 56 strong pillars in this temple and these are special as they produce musical tones. One more interesting feature of this huge temple is that the chariot here is made out of stone. It has now got place in the list of `World Heritage Monuments`.

Patal Lingeswar in Bellary
This temple was uncovered during one of the excavations of the British. Lord Siva was believed to be the presiding deity of the temple. Now, there is no deity in this temple. The ruins of the royal guesthouse can be seen in front of this temple.

Hazara Ramaswamy Temple in Bellary
This is an ancient temple of Bellary dedicated to Lord Rama. The royal family has been worshipping in this temple since long time. Various beautiful carvings can be seen in this temple. The pillars of the temple are carved with various incarnations of Lord Vishnu and some scenes of the great epics are also depicted. Moreover, the elaborate wall paintings include images of sacred animals.

Lotus Mahal in Bellary
Lotus MahalThis is now an archaeological museum, which was earlier the resting place of the kings. A large number of artifacts can be seen in this museum. These things were unearthed from the excavations, which started in 1976, and going on even today. These articles include the ancient Chinese coins and many other instruments used by the kings of that period. A restaurant run by KSTDC can be seen at the entrance.

Kishkindha in Bellary
According to the great epic Ramayana, Kishkindha was the kingdom of the Anthropoid King Vali. This place is situated on the splendid banks of the holy river Tungabhadra. The epic also referred about the grand hills Hrishyamuk, Malyabanta and Matanga. A mound can be seen here, where the king Vali is said to have been laid to rest. A temple dedicated to Lord Rama can also be seen here.

Kodanda Rama Temple is one of the magnificent temples of Bellary district, dotted around the historical city of Hampi. This temple faces the holy bathing ghat, Chakrathirtha. The rectangular sanctum sanctorum enshrines the 15 ft high idols of Shri Ram, Sita, and Lakshman in standing posture.

Other temples , Garaga Sri Shanthinatha Temple, Raghunath Temple and Vighnantaka Vinayaka Temple are also revered temples of Bellary district in Karnataka.

Twin Temple of Bellary
This Twin Temple has wonderful artwork of the Chalukyas on the exterior walls. Fifty-nine polished and glossy pillars can be seen in the twin temple. A unique style is followed while building the Sikharas of the temple.

Tungabhadra Dam in Bellary
This dam is situated about 7 km from Hospet and 20 km from Hampi. It is of 49 meter high and runs to a length of 500 meter across the ravishing river Tungabhadra. A Japanese style garden and a captivating horticultural farm make it a perfect picnic spot. A net factory and a steel project can also be seen. There is a serene reservoir created by the dam, which spreads over 387 sq meter

Hotels/Lodge/Accommodation nearby Bellary District:

  • Mayura,Bellary
  • Shanthi Guest House,Bellary
  • Hotel Pola Paradise,Bellary

Bellary District Major Attraction

Daroji Sloth Bear Sanctuary
Hampi near Hospet, in Bellary district is a renowned world heritage centre. The unique Sloth Bear sanctuary is situated very close to this heritage site. Situated only 15 kilometers from Hampi, Daroji Sloth Bear Sanctuary is the only sanctuary in North Karnataka.....more
Narihalla Dam
Narihalla reservoir, on the way to sandur town, 25 kms from bellary, a little known little explored place, provides a lot of opportunities for photography and explorations. The redness of the soil and the lake water shows the presence of iron ore beneth.....more
Kuruvatti Archeology