Hubballi history

Hubballi (formerly Hubli, Kannada: ಹುಬ್ಬಳ್ಳಿ) is a city in the state of Karnataka in India. Along with Dharwad, Hubli forms a twin-city and is the second largest conurbation in Karnataka, afterBangalore. It is the administrative headquarters of Dharwad District.Hubli is situated about 20 km south-east of Dharwad, is the commercial centre and business hub of North Karnataka.Cotton and peanuts (called groundnuts locally) are grown aplenty in the surrounding areas, and Hubli is a major trading center for both commodities. Sea food from Karwar, a coastal town 165 km away, is transported to Hubli. It is also an important city for the Indian Railways, being the headquarters for South Western Railway Zone and the Hubli Division. On the occasion of celebration of golden jubilee of formation of Karnataka state called Suvarna Karnataka, the Hubli city was named as Hubballi. The name Hubballi supposedly means "Hu" - flower and "Balli" - creeper in Kannada.

Demographics

The population of the twin cities is 786,000, as per 2001 census and it is estimated to be more than 1,200,000 now. Hubli-Dharwad's population increased 22.99% between 1981 and 1991, from 527,108 to 648,298, and by 21.2% between 1991 and 2001. In terms of population Hubli - Dharwad city is the second largest city in Karnataka after Bangalore city. The municipality covers 202.28 Sq.Kms. Hubli is located 425 km northwest of Bangalore, on the National Highway 4 between Bangalore and Pune^[1]. The City is governed by the Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation , having an elected council.

Climate

The climate of the city is extremely good throughout the year and especially Dharwad is known for its salubrious climate.

The M.S.L. of Hubli is 626.97 meters and that of Dharwad is 696.97 meters. The average yearly rainfall is 838 mm.

History

Rayara Hubli, also called 'Eleya Puravada Halli' or 'Purballi' was the old Hubli, where there is a Bhavani Shankara temple and Jaina basti. Under the Vijayanagara empire, Rayara Hubli grew as a commercial centre, known for trade in cotton, saltpetre and iron. The British opened a factory here when it came under the Adilshahis. Shivaji looted the factory in 1673. The Mughals conquered it and the place came under the Savanur Nawab who built a new extension named Majidpura and trader Basappa Shetty built new Hubli around the Durgadabail (fort maidan)^[3].

There is the famous Moorusavira Matha, and the Matha authorities claim that it was begun by a Sharana of Basaveshwara's period.

Hubli was conquered by the Marathas from the Savanur Nawab in 1755-56. Later Haider conquered it, but it was recaptured by the Marathas in 1790, and the old town was administered by one Phadke under the Peshwa and the new town by Sangli Patwardhan. The British took old Hubli in 1817 and the new town with 47 other villages was handed over to the British by the Sangli Patwardhan in lieu of the subsidy in 1820. Hubli is a prosperous handloom weaving centre and has a Textile Unit. The Railway Workshop started here in 1880, made it a reckonable industrial centre.

The Bhavanishankar temple in old Hubli and the impressive Chandramauleshwara / Chaturlinga temple in Unakal are of Chalukyan times. The Siddharudhaswamy (1837-1929) Matha in Old Hubli is visited by hundreds. In addition to the impressive Moorusavira Matha, Rudrakshi Matha and Hanneradu Yattina Matha. There is Mahdi mosque at Bandiwadagase and Mastan Sofa Mosque in Old Hubli.The most famous Darga Hazarat Sayyed Fateh Shah wali Darga situated in Old Hubli, its one of the very old and all the community people are visiting and perform their prayers. Of the churches, the Church of Ascension (1905), Church of Holy Name (1928), St. Joseph's (1858) and the St. Andrew's (1890) are notable. Unakal has a church of the Basel Mission and there is a Gurudwara of the Sikhs in Vidyanagar. There are many notable Jain temples of Shwetanbers & Digambers followers,out which Varur Navgrah Trith,Gabbur Parshv Padmalaya Trith,Boodersing Rajendra Trith,Shantinath Temple etc.The place has Medical (Govt.), Engineering and other colleges having all educational facilities. It has Indira Gandhi Memorial Glass House and Nripatunga Park on a Hillock.

Kundgol, 15 km. south of Hubli, has the huge Shambhu Linga temple of Chalukyan times.

Industrial Centre

Hubli is an important industrial centre, with more than 1000 allied small and medium industries already established. There are machine tools industries, electrical, steel furnitures, food products, rubber and leather industries and tanning industries.

With the establishment of:

• Tata Marcopolo Motors Ltd.
• Telco Construction Equipment Company Limited (Telcon).
• Kirloskar Eelectrical Co Ltd.
• Bhoruka textile Mill.
• NGEF Limited.
• Karnataka Milk Federation.
• BDK Group of Industries.
• Murudeshwar Ceramics Ltd.

IT Park in Hubballi

[edit]Culture and Education

Kundgol, den for renowned Hindustani classical music singers, is a town situated about 20 km south-east of Hubballi. Panchakshri Gavai, Pandit Putturaj Gawai, Pandit Sawai Gandharva, Pandit Mallikarjun Mansoor, Pandit Basavaraj Rajguru, Pandit Kumar Gandharva, Gangubai Hangal, Pandit Arjunsa Nakod and Pandit Bhimsen Joshi are some of those exponents from this part of the region who have enriched the Hindustani music with their contributions. To continue the tradition of Guru-Shishya parampara, endorsed by such legendaries, the government will set up a Rs 5-crore centre for excellence in the field of Hindustani music — Centre for Hindustani Music — on a sprawling 5-acre (20,000 m²) serene land near Unkal Lake.

BVB College of Engineering & Technology

Greatly influenced by neighbouring educational-centre (Dharwad), the city has numerous colleges and schools in all streams providing quality education like Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) and KLE Society Belgaum's BVB College of Engineering & Technology. This is one of the oldest engineering colleges of the state, and was established in 1947.

[edit]Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation

Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) was constituted in the year 1962 by combining two cities separated by a distance of 20 kilometers. This is a unique experiment in urban development history. The area of this Corporation is 181.66 km². spread over 45 revenue villages. The population of the city as per the 1991 Census was 7 Lacs. The present population is around 15 Lacs.

• Hubli: Under the Government of India Act of 1850, the Hubli-Municipal council was established on August 15, 1855.
• Dharwad: The Dharwad Municipal Council first came into existence on 1 January 1856. The first non-official President of the Council was S.K. Rodda in 1907, and Shri S.V. Mensinkai, was nominated in the following year. But the credit of being the first elected President goes to Shri S.G. Karigudari, who took office in 1920.

Hubli is well known as a commercial as well as industrial centre, whereas Dharwad is seat of learning. Popularly believed that, it is this diversity and geographical positions that the state government amalgamated the two cities. The twin-city Corporation occupies unique place in Karnataka State. After the capital city of Bangalore, this is the largest city Corporation in the State. Off late, HDMC has seen numerous positive changes. The administration has become more transparent and public-friendly. The processes have been streamlined and developmental projects have been taken up on all fronts. With all the standards and policies set, HDMC has been awarded with ISO certification.

[edit]Trade

The city is situated in the dividing line between Malenadu and planes. The Malenadu is well known for its forests and forest based industries and the other three side region are known for their agricultural products like cotton, groundnut, oilseeds manganese ore and granite stones. The value of agricultural products coming into Hubli market runs into multiple crores. The Cotton Market of Hubli is one among the five biggest markets in India.

[edit]Transportation

Hubli is well connected by Road, Railways and Air.

[edit]By road

NWKRTC (North West Karnataka Road Transport Corporation) is a state run corporation headquarted at Hubli. There is excellent inter-city transportation between Hubli and Dharwad as NWKRTC and Bendre Nagara Sarige (a consortium of private bus-owners) healthily compete to cater to the large number of commuters between Hubli and Dharwad daily. Bus services from the twin-cities exist to every part of Karnataka and neighbouring states and other popular destinations. There are many private bus operators who render travel services between Hubli andBengalore, Mangalore, Pune and Mumbai.

[edit]By railway

Several express and passenger trains ply between Hubli and Bangalore everyday. Hubli being an important railway junction has daily trains to Bangalore, Mumbai, Pune, Miraj, Delhi, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Vijayawada, Mysore and weekly services to Chennai, Howrah andThiruvananthapuram.

[edit]By air

Kingfisher Airlines provides daily flights to Bangalore, Mumbai and Hyderabad. With night-landing facilities being constructed at Hubli Airport, the traffic is expected to grow. Hubli airport is currently being expanded, this will convert Hubli into the hub of North Karnataka.

[edit]Culture

Carnatic music, also known as karnātaka sangītam is one of the two styles of Indian classical music, the other being Hindustani music. Even though the earlier writers Matanga, Sarangadeva and others also were from Karnataka, the music tradition was formally named Karnataka Sangeetha for the first time only in the 13th Century when the Vijayanagara empire was founded. Around the 12th century.

Hindustani classical music diverged from the principle which eventually came to be identified as Carnatic classical music. Karnataka is unique in the sense that it offers rich traditions in both Hindustani as well as Carnatic music. Carnatic music being prevalent in Old mysore, Hoysala Karnataka and parts of Dakshin and Uttara Kannada regions.

Hindustani music is patronized in the regions of Hubli-Dharwad, Hyderabad Karnataka, Belgaum region.

Kundgol, den for renowned Hindustani classical music singers, is a town situated about 20 km south-east of Hubli. Sawai Gandharva, Kumar Gandarva, Gangubai Hangal, Bhimsen Joshi, etc. have had their birth as singers from the very place.

[edit]Tourism

Chandramouleshwara temple Unkal (Hubli-Dharwad)

A temple of chalukya times, dedicated to god Chandramouleshvara ( another name of Shiva),

Chandramouleshwara temple Hubli

with impressive architecture can be seen in Hubli.

Bhavanishankar Temple This Chalukyan temple with the image of Sri Narayana is flanked by the ten incarnations of God.

Asar It was built by Mohammed Ali Shah in about 1646 to serve as a hall of justice. The building was also used to house two hairs from the Prophet's beard. Women are not allowed inside.

Nrupatunga Hill is a hillock located on the North-Eastern fringe of Hubli. The top of the hillock offers a pleasing panoramic view of Hubli city. The span of the panoramic view extends from Amargol in the North, to the Airport in the West all the way to the Southern parts of Hubli. It is a popular location for morning-walkers and especially in the evenings for the youth of Hubli to spend time. However, the development of real-estate on this hillock is a cause for concern.

Siddharoodha Math is the eminent religious institution, a centre of Advaita philosophy as preached by Swami Siddharoodha,

Sidharoodha Math Old-Hubli

is located at near outskirts of Hubli

Unkal Lake

A pictorial water spot with a magnificent sunset view, this perfect picnic spot has green garden, recreational facilities for the children, boating facilities, etc. The lake is 3 km away from Hubli.

Unkal Lake

Glass House As the name suggests, this is a palace of glass, inaugurated by the former Indian Prime Minister, Smt.Indira Gandhi.

Banashankari Temple Amargol Between Hubli and Dharwad, Conservation and restoration work is in progress

[edit]Hubli-Dharwad region Tourism

• Annigeri
• Kundgol
• Saundatti
• Bankapura
• Dandeli
• Tamboor
• Kalghatgi
• Mundgod
• Aminbhavi

[edit]Cuisine

The North Karnataka Cuisine can be primarily found in the northern districts of Karnataka, including Bidar, Kalburgi, Vijapura,Bagalakote,Belagaavi, Raayachooru, Dharwad, Gadag, Haveri, Koppala, and parts of Ballari.

North Karnataka meal

Dharwad pedha

The following are typical items in a typical vegetarian Northern Karnataka meal :

• Rotti or bhakri, Rice, Saaru, Happala, kosambari
• Badane kaayi gojju/enne-gai/tumbu-gai - Stuffed and/or sauteed
• Shenga/Ellu dry chutney in powder form - sometimes called Hindi (not hindi language). kempukhaara - hot chutney paste made with/of red chillis, consumed as a condiment
• Bele palya - cooked split or whole beLe, chana, moong with greens such as methi and spinach, orspring onion
• Mosaru bajji or raitha - salad involving yogurt, Mosaru and majjige, beNNEe or tuppa. Raw Salads - ofspring onion, onion, green chili, methi leaves, sometimes with oggaraNe of sasive and/or jeerige
• Dharwad pedhe - a milk-based sweet.
• Mirchi - Bhaji - Deep fried Pakora made of hot green chillies.
• Girmit - North Karnataka version of Bhelpuri

[edit]Rich Folk Heritage

• Dollu Kunitha

It is a popular drum dance. The large drums are decorated with coloured cloth, and are slung around the necks of men. The dances are at times accompanied with songs relating to religious praise or wars.

• Veeragase

Veeragase is popular folk dance. It is a symbolic presentation of the heroism and valour of God Veerabahadhra. Its exponents are called Lingadevaru and they perform the dance with religious fervour at festival time especially during the months of Shravana and Kartika.

• Nandikolu kunitha

This art form is the domain of male devotees of Lord Siva. The Nandi pole is about 18 cubits in length, each cubit representing a 'dharma'. The length of the pole is fitted with brass pots and plates, and ornate silver or brass umbrella at the top with a silk tassel, which is the flag. The performer on a sling balances the pole; this requires skill as well as strength. The sight of the devotee's inspired dance, to the background beat and the resulting symphony of sounds, from the pots and plates on the pole, is truly breathtaking.

• Jodu halige

Halige meaning two percussion instruments used by two artists to produce rhythmic notes of astounding energy and power. Their movements along the stage expressive of their physical energy harmonizes with the notes produced by the instrument. The Haligi (wood) circular in shape is made of buffalo hide. A short stick is used on it. The notes combined with the bodily movement pervade the stage and overflow to the audience.

• Lambani nruthya

Lambani women dressed colourfully and move circularly with clapping and singing. This dance is out of the common. In dress, mode of living and dwelling, they dance on important festivities in a free manner.

• Veerabhadra kunitha

The dance form depicts the story of Veerabhadra, the legendary minor god created by Lord Siva to teach a lesson to his father-in-law Daksha. Veerabhadra to go to the place of the yaga and destroy the ceremony.

[edit]Notes

1. ^ http://www.hubli.stpi.in/about.html
2. ^ http://www.hdmc.gov.in/
3. ^ Govindamurthy Desai, Savanuru Navabaru, Kannada University, Hampi, 1999

[edit]External links

• Namma Hubli
• Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation
• Hubballi at the Open Directory Project
• [1]
• City population
• Hubli-Dharwad city profiles
• Hubli Yellowpages