| Rising & Shining |
| DH News - Shyam Sundar Vattam |
| Dharwad, home of delicious, melt-in-the-mouth pedas, has 900 years of history. It is famous for its rich cultural heritage, historical importance, educational institutions, jolada rotti and, above all, its role in the freedom struggle of our country. |
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“If you throw a stone, it will fall on the house of a litterateur”. This is how Dharwad is known as. In fact, Dharwad is known as the cultural capital of North Karnataka. It also has the rare distinction of producing literary giants and noted Hindustani classical musicians of national and international repute.
The word ‘Dharwad’ means a place of rest in a long journey or a small habitation. For many centuries, this city was seen as a gateway between malenaadu (western ghats) and bayaluseeme (plains) and served as the resting place for travellers. According to one version, the place got its name from one of its rulers by name Dharav, who ruled Dharwad in the year 1403 when it was under the rule of the Vijayanagar empire. There are some inscriptions that refer to Dharwad as Kampana Sthana. Inscriptions found near the Durga Devi temple in Narendra, a tiny village near Dharwad, and the local RLS High School, date back to 12th century and have references to Dharwad, proof enough that it is about 900 years old.
While the Chalukyas ruled Dharwad during the 12th century, in the 14th century it was first ruled by the Bahmani Sultanate, after which it was annexed to the newly established Hindu kingdom of Vijayanagar. After the defeat of the king of Vijayanagar at Talikot in 1565, Dharwad was for a few years practically independent under its Hindu governor; but in 1573 the fort was captured by the Sultan of Bijapur, Adil Shah, and Dharwad was annexed to his dominions.
Adil Shah built a fort in an area later called Manna Kille, and later Nazratabad. With this fort, the strategic importance of Dharwad increased and it thus attracted the attention of subsequent conquerors, including Aurangazeb, Shivaji, Aurangazeb's son Mu Azam, Peshwa Balaji Rao, Hyder Ali, Tipu Sultan and finally the British colonisers.
A seat of education
Dharwad has been a seat of education for many decades. The erstwhile British rulers started an English medium school in Dharwad way back in 1848 and in town municipality in 1856. Later in 1863, the Basel Mission started a school and in 1867 the British opened another school by name Varmal School, which later came to be known as the Training College.
Dharwad has two universities - the Karnatak University and the University of Agricultural Sciences, besides a number of educational institutions. The place also has many colleges of repute offering professional courses.
The merger
In 1883, the municipality area included Sidapur, Lakamanhalli, Haveri Pete, Bagtalan, Madhihal, Gulaganjikoppa, Malapura, Kamalapura, Narayanpura, Saptapura, Atti Kolla and Hosayellapur. The Dharwad Railway Station was set up by the then British Government in 1888. By 1901, the town had a population of 31,279 and was home to several cotton ginning factories, a cotton mill and two high schools, one maintained by the government and the other by the Basel German Mission.
After India's independence in 1947, the Bombay Presidency was reconstituted as the Bombay State. In 1956, the southern, Kannada-speaking districts of Bombay State, including Dharwad, were added to Mysore State, rechristened as Karnataka in 1972.
In 1961, the town merged with the adjacent town of Hubli to become a single municipality, Hubli-Dharwad, and is the second-largest conurbation in the State after Bangalore.
While Dharwad has been known for art, literature and cultural activities, Hubli has been a hub of commercial activities. According to history, this city was founded by one Basappa, a trader with a cluster of houses. The place was once known for its cotton mills and ginning factories as cotton was one of the major crops of the region. The presence of UAS, Dharwad, also helped in the introduction of new varieties of cotton crops. For many years, both Hubli and Davangere competed in cotton production. However, the cotton industry has now completely collapsed and Mahadev Textile Mills, one of the biggest mills of North Karnataka with around 2,000 employees, closed down five to six years ago, as also a number of ginning and pressing mills, which have now become a thing of the past.
Tanks and lakes
When Dharwad Municipality came into being in 1846, there were 614 wells, of which 126 had sweet water. The people of Haveri Pet, Kamalapura and Malapura depended on Halageri and Koppadakeri tanks for their drinking water needs as the water in the wells in their areas was salty and hence unfit for drinking.
One such historical well has been Jakani Bhavi, situated in the heart of Dharwad city. Earlier, it was a private property, but the municipality authorities renovated it about 50 years ago and constructed steps on both sides and a protection wall. This was one of the wells that had sweet water and the road on which this well was situated came to be known as Neeru Raste. There is also a memorial right next to this well, erected in memory of freedom fighters. As time rolled by, people stopped using this water and started dumping all kinds of garbage in it. Officials concerned have also turned a blind eye to it.
Another well with an interesting story behind it is the Nucchambali Bhavi on Hosayellapura Road in the city. This well was constructed in 17th century on the banks of Hirekere when severe drought hit Dharwad. The digging of this well was taken up as part of drought relief measures and the workers were given jolada nucchina ambali instead of wages. Hence the well became popular as Nucchambali Bhavi.
Rao Bahadur Venkatrayara Bhavi (Judgi Bhavi), also situated on Hosayellapur Road, was constructed by Sri Rao Bahadur Venkatrayaru, a local judge, when drought gripped Dharwad between 1837 and 1840. He spent a huge amount for the construction of this well. After his death in 1846, his son Rao Saheb Tirumala Raya Inamdar completed the work. In recognition of this humanitarian work, the governor of erstwhile Mumbai honoured Sri Tirumala Rayaru. This well was open to the people of all castes, community and creed, and it did not go dry despite another bout of drought in 1874.
A few other wells in the place include Koppammana Bhavi, Rayara Bhavi, Udupirayara Bhavi, Srinivasa Rayara Bhavi and Railway Bhavi, most of which were constructed in late 18th century. Although many wells have vanished, there are still a few, but in urgent need of attention.
KVS
The Karnataka Vidyavardhaka Sangha, established in 1890, united the people of Dharwad, encouraging them to excel in the fields of art, music, drama, culture and freedom struggle. One of the major contributions of the Sangha has been its role in the unification of Kannada-speaking people and the formation of Karnataka.
However, it was during the early 20th century that Dharwad assumed importance as the centre of freedom struggle. The first political conference in Karnataka was held in Dharwad in 1920 and during the Non Co-operative Movement in 1921, the first ever police firing in the whole of India took place in Dharwad. The people of Dharwad participated actively in the Khilafat and Quit India movements too. A monument, right at the centre of the city, bears testimony to the active role the residents of Dharwad played in the freedom struggle.
That’s Dharwad, the district with a rich historical background.
The word ‘Dharwad’ means a place of rest in a long journey or a small habitation. For many centuries, this city was seen as a gateway between malenaadu (western ghats) and bayaluseeme (plains) and served as the resting place for travellers. According to one version, the place got its name from one of its rulers by name Dharav, who ruled Dharwad in the year 1403 when it was under the rule of the Vijayanagar empire. There are some inscriptions that refer to Dharwad as Kampana Sthana. Inscriptions found near the Durga Devi temple in Narendra, a tiny village near Dharwad, and the local RLS High School, date back to 12th century and have references to Dharwad, proof enough that it is about 900 years old.
While the Chalukyas ruled Dharwad during the 12th century, in the 14th century it was first ruled by the Bahmani Sultanate, after which it was annexed to the newly established Hindu kingdom of Vijayanagar. After the defeat of the king of Vijayanagar at Talikot in 1565, Dharwad was for a few years practically independent under its Hindu governor; but in 1573 the fort was captured by the Sultan of Bijapur, Adil Shah, and Dharwad was annexed to his dominions.
Adil Shah built a fort in an area later called Manna Kille, and later Nazratabad. With this fort, the strategic importance of Dharwad increased and it thus attracted the attention of subsequent conquerors, including Aurangazeb, Shivaji, Aurangazeb's son Mu Azam, Peshwa Balaji Rao, Hyder Ali, Tipu Sultan and finally the British colonisers.
A seat of education
Dharwad has been a seat of education for many decades. The erstwhile British rulers started an English medium school in Dharwad way back in 1848 and in town municipality in 1856. Later in 1863, the Basel Mission started a school and in 1867 the British opened another school by name Varmal School, which later came to be known as the Training College.
Dharwad has two universities - the Karnatak University and the University of Agricultural Sciences, besides a number of educational institutions. The place also has many colleges of repute offering professional courses.
The merger
In 1883, the municipality area included Sidapur, Lakamanhalli, Haveri Pete, Bagtalan, Madhihal, Gulaganjikoppa, Malapura, Kamalapura, Narayanpura, Saptapura, Atti Kolla and Hosayellapur. The Dharwad Railway Station was set up by the then British Government in 1888. By 1901, the town had a population of 31,279 and was home to several cotton ginning factories, a cotton mill and two high schools, one maintained by the government and the other by the Basel German Mission.
After India's independence in 1947, the Bombay Presidency was reconstituted as the Bombay State. In 1956, the southern, Kannada-speaking districts of Bombay State, including Dharwad, were added to Mysore State, rechristened as Karnataka in 1972.
In 1961, the town merged with the adjacent town of Hubli to become a single municipality, Hubli-Dharwad, and is the second-largest conurbation in the State after Bangalore.
While Dharwad has been known for art, literature and cultural activities, Hubli has been a hub of commercial activities. According to history, this city was founded by one Basappa, a trader with a cluster of houses. The place was once known for its cotton mills and ginning factories as cotton was one of the major crops of the region. The presence of UAS, Dharwad, also helped in the introduction of new varieties of cotton crops. For many years, both Hubli and Davangere competed in cotton production. However, the cotton industry has now completely collapsed and Mahadev Textile Mills, one of the biggest mills of North Karnataka with around 2,000 employees, closed down five to six years ago, as also a number of ginning and pressing mills, which have now become a thing of the past.
Tanks and lakes
When Dharwad Municipality came into being in 1846, there were 614 wells, of which 126 had sweet water. The people of Haveri Pet, Kamalapura and Malapura depended on Halageri and Koppadakeri tanks for their drinking water needs as the water in the wells in their areas was salty and hence unfit for drinking.
One such historical well has been Jakani Bhavi, situated in the heart of Dharwad city. Earlier, it was a private property, but the municipality authorities renovated it about 50 years ago and constructed steps on both sides and a protection wall. This was one of the wells that had sweet water and the road on which this well was situated came to be known as Neeru Raste. There is also a memorial right next to this well, erected in memory of freedom fighters. As time rolled by, people stopped using this water and started dumping all kinds of garbage in it. Officials concerned have also turned a blind eye to it.
Another well with an interesting story behind it is the Nucchambali Bhavi on Hosayellapura Road in the city. This well was constructed in 17th century on the banks of Hirekere when severe drought hit Dharwad. The digging of this well was taken up as part of drought relief measures and the workers were given jolada nucchina ambali instead of wages. Hence the well became popular as Nucchambali Bhavi.
Rao Bahadur Venkatrayara Bhavi (Judgi Bhavi), also situated on Hosayellapur Road, was constructed by Sri Rao Bahadur Venkatrayaru, a local judge, when drought gripped Dharwad between 1837 and 1840. He spent a huge amount for the construction of this well. After his death in 1846, his son Rao Saheb Tirumala Raya Inamdar completed the work. In recognition of this humanitarian work, the governor of erstwhile Mumbai honoured Sri Tirumala Rayaru. This well was open to the people of all castes, community and creed, and it did not go dry despite another bout of drought in 1874.
A few other wells in the place include Koppammana Bhavi, Rayara Bhavi, Udupirayara Bhavi, Srinivasa Rayara Bhavi and Railway Bhavi, most of which were constructed in late 18th century. Although many wells have vanished, there are still a few, but in urgent need of attention.
KVS
The Karnataka Vidyavardhaka Sangha, established in 1890, united the people of Dharwad, encouraging them to excel in the fields of art, music, drama, culture and freedom struggle. One of the major contributions of the Sangha has been its role in the unification of Kannada-speaking people and the formation of Karnataka.
However, it was during the early 20th century that Dharwad assumed importance as the centre of freedom struggle. The first political conference in Karnataka was held in Dharwad in 1920 and during the Non Co-operative Movement in 1921, the first ever police firing in the whole of India took place in Dharwad. The people of Dharwad participated actively in the Khilafat and Quit India movements too. A monument, right at the centre of the city, bears testimony to the active role the residents of Dharwad played in the freedom struggle.
That’s Dharwad, the district with a rich historical background.
| Important eveImportant events in the history of Dharwad |
| 1818: Dharwad comes under British rule and General Munroe starts civil rule. 1820: The Post Office and the District Collector's Office are established. 1821: Collector Thackeray commences land survey. 1824: Thackeray killed in the battle of Kittur by Rani Chennamma's forces. 1826: First Marathi school established. 1830: Dharwad district formed; Civil hospital built. 1831: First Kannada school established. 1835: First Silver coin comes into circulation. 1835: Samuel Hebik arrives. 1836: Basel Mission set up. 1840: Catholic church built. 1844: Hospital of mental health established. 1845: Sunday declared holiday for schools and government offices. 1848: Government English school established. 1849: Sanskrit Pathashala founded by Gurunath Rao. 1854: Native General Library founded by Lakshman Sripad Nagpurkar. 1855: The arrival of mail in bullock carts. 1856: Municipality established. 1858: School for Juvenile criminals established. 1861: Venkat Rango Katti starts publishing the first Kannada monthly Gnanabodhaka. 1861: District magistrates� court house established. 1863: Basel Mission High School established. 1865: Men�s Training College publishes the Vara Patrike weekly. 1866: Cholera epidemic in Dharwad. 1867: Import/export of cloth commences. 1868: First girls� school established. 1870: Ziggler comes to Dharwad. 1872: Chickenpox epidemic in Dharwad. 1872: First common census taken. 1873: Head Post Office established. 1876: Ziggler writes the Kannada-English Dictionary; Men�s Training College building built; Kerosene import commences. 1879: Karnataka School of Music established. 1882: School started in Kamanakatti, christened later as the Victoria High School; Southern Maratha Railway lays meter gauge railway. 1883: Lingayat Abhivriddhi Samsthe started in Chennamallappa Tenginakai's house in Adiki Oni. 1884: Dharwad upgraded to City Municipality. 1885: Telegraph office becomes operational. 1886: Dharwad Gymkhana Club established. 1887: Railway office started, which later became the Karnatak College. 1888: Dharwad-Vasco Railway commences operation. 1889: The Karnataka Vidyavardhaka Sangha founded by Ra Ha Deshpande. 1895: Shivaji and Ganesh festivals introduced by Balgangadhar Tilak; Mitra Samaj Club established; Women's training college founded. 1896: Vagbhushana magazine started; Veni Samhara, the Sanskrit play, staged for the first time; Severe famine hits Dharwad. 1897: A place near the fort area allotted to the Lingayat Abhivriddhi Samsthe, which later became the Town Hall. 1898: Plague hits the city. 1902: The Theosophical Society founded. 1907: Lokamanya Tilak visits Dharwad and delivers speech in the Anjuman College grounds; The Southern Maratha Co-operative Bank established, which later came to be known as the Mahalakshmi Urban Co-op Bank. 1911: Water supply started from the Kelageri tank. 1913: Hukkerikar Ramaraya appointed the principal of the Victoria High School. 1914: Karnataka Historical Research Centre founded. 1916: KCC Bank established by Shantaveerappa Menshinkai. 1917: Karnatak College built. 1918: Murugha Math Prasada Nilaya established. 1919: Motor vehicles arrive. 1920: Bharat Scouts and Guides School established. 1920: Mahatma Gandhi visits. 1921: Three Khilafat activists die in police firing near Jakani Bhavi; Lala Lajpat Rao visits. 1922: KLE society founded. Hostel for Lingayat students established. 1927: General strike against the Simon Commission. 1930: Rangarao Divakar arrested for selling salt without paying tax. 1933: Karnatak Natya Vilasi Havyasi Nataka Society was founded by well-known playwright Sriranga. 1936: First telephone exchange established. 1936: Salunke participates in the Indian hockey team in the Berlin Olympics. 1947: Agriculture College (now the University of Agricultural Sciences) established. Courtesy: Dharwad district administration. |
| Literary and cultural contribution |
| Dharwad is proud to have given birth to Hindustani classical singers of national and international repute - Sawai Gandharva, Mallikarjun Mansur, Bhimsen Joshi (now in Pune), Basavaraj Rajaguru, Kumar Gandharva and Dr Gangubai Hangal. The introduction of Kirana Gharana to Dharwad was quite accidental. �Sangeet Ratna� Ustad Abdul Karim Khan, who frequented the Mysore Darbar, stayed with his brother in Dharwad, where he taught his most famous disciple, Sawai Gandharva. In turn, Sawai Gandharva taught Dr Gangubai Hangal, Pt Bhimsen Joshi and Pt Basavaraj Rajaguru. Jnanapith award winners Dr Da Ra Bendre, Dr V K Gokak and Dr Girish Karnad trace their origin to Dharwad. |
| PROFILE |
| District: Dharwad. District headquarters: Dharwad Taluks: Dharwad, Hubli, Kalghatgi, Navalgund and Kundgol. Area: 4,265 km. Population: 1,604,253 (2001 census). Languages spoken: Kannada, Marathi. River: Shalmala. Food speciality: Peda, jolada rotti, rice, chapati, sprouts, yengai badanekai, varieties of chutney powder and onion. Famous personalities: Dr Gangubai Hangal, Dr G S Amur, Dr Chennaveera Kanavi, Dr M M Kalburgi, Ustad Balekhan, Mr Sadanand Kanvalli. Tourist sports in and around Dharwad: KC Park, Thackeray Tomb, Murugha Mutt, Sadhanakeri, Kelgeri, Dr Da Ra Bendre National Memorial Trust, Dr Mallikarjun Mansur National Trust, Sri Siddaroodha Mutt, Unkal Tank, Nrupathunga Hills, Varur Navagraha Tirtha, Koliwad (birth place of Kumara Vyasa). |
