Dharwad, also known as Dharwar, (Kannada: ಧಾರವಾಡ) is a city in India's Karnataka state.

Dharwad is the administrative seat of the Dharwad District. The municipality of Hubli-Dharwad (resulting from a merger in 1961 with its twin city Hubli, 22 kilometers away) covers an area of 200.23 km². Dharwad is located 425 km northwest of Bangalore, on National Highway 4, the main highway between Bangalore and Pune in Maharashtra. The climate is mildly hot during the summer, wet during the monsoons and pleasant during winter.

The twin cities have a history behind them dating back to the Hoysala period. Dharwad is famous for its contributions to Indian culture, most notably to classical music and literature, and prestigious educational institutions, such as the Karnataka University. The Dharwad pedha - a milk-based sweetmeat - from this town is very popular.

Today, Dharwad is well-known as a quiet and pleasant city popular with students and pensioners. It continues to grow, with industries dotting both its northern and southern boundaries. In the years ahead, it promises to be a beehive of commercial activity. The location of the city on the NH4 makes it equidistant from 2 of the most industrialised centers in the country - Bangalore , the capital of Karnataka, and Pune the 2nd most industrialised city in Maharshtra.

Geography

Dharwad is situated on the edge of Western Ghats and hence is a hilly town. Spread over seven small hills at an average altitude of 750 meters above sea level, the city enjoys a salubrious climate amidst thick vegetation. Years ago, Dhwarwad was known for its lakes but several have now dried out. The lakes that still exist are Sadhankeri, Kelgeri (a man made lake created during British rule, almost 100 years old) and Nuggikeri. Dharwad sits at the cusp of two distinct geographical divisions - Malenaadu (hilly, forest land with red soil) and Belavalanaadu (Deccan plains with black soil).

Dharwad has plenty of green cover. Karnatak University's Botanical Garden is a sanctuary for many rare plants, trees and birds. Kelgeri and Nuggikeri are also homes for water birds.

History

The word "Dharwad" means a place of rest in a long travel or a small habitation. For centuries, Dharwad acted as a gateway between the Malenaadu (western mountains) and the Bayalu seeme (plains) and it became a resting place for travellers. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word 'dwarawata', 'dwara' meaning "door" and 'wata' or 'wada'meaning "town".

A different theory suggests that during the Vijayanagara rule of Dharwad there was a ruler by name "of Dharav" (1403), and Dharwad got its name from him. There are some inscriptions that refer to Dharwad as Kampana Sthana.

Inscriptions found near Durga Devi temple in Narendra (a nearby village) and RLS High School date back to the 12th century and have references to Dharwad. This makes Dharwad at least 900 years old. Also, there is an inscription at Hanuman Temple at Bokyapur lake near Garag (a village about 18 km from Dharwad).

The Chalukyas ruled Dharwad during the 12th century. A stone inscription indicates that there was a ruler by the name of BhaskaraDeva in 1117. In the 14th century, the district was first overrun by the Bahmani Sultanate, after which it was annexed to the newly established Hindu kingdom of Vijayanagar, an official of which named Dhar Rao, according to local tradition, built the fort at Dharwad town in 1403. After the defeat of the king of Vijayanagar at Talikot (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 MannaKille, and later Nazratabad. With this fort, the strategic importance of Dharwad increased and it thus attracted the attention of subsequent conquerors, including Aurangzeb, Shivaji, Aurangzeb's son Mu Azam, Peshwa Balaji Rao, Hyder Ali, Tipu Sultan and finally the British colonizers.

In 1685, the fort was taken by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, and Dharwad, on the break-up of the Mughal empire, fell under the sway of the Maratha Peshwa of Pune. In 1764, the province was overrun by Hyder Ali of the Mysore, who in 1778 captured the fort of Dharwad. The fort was retaken in 1791 by the Marathas. After the final defeat of the Peshwa by the British in 1818, Dharwar was incorporated into the territory of the British East India Company's Bombay Presidency. During the early 19th century, when the British were expanding their domains, they faced a lot of opposition from local rulers, including Baba Saheb of Naragund and Kittur Rani Chennamma.

Dharwad was the home to the movement to unify Kannada speaking areas that eventually became Karnataka state.

Dharwad was peaceful for most of late 19th century. During those times, the British started an English medium school in Dharwad in 1848. Later, in 1863, the Basel Mission organization started another school. In 1867 the British opened another school, Varmal school, which later on became known as a training college. In 1883, the municipality area included Sidapur, Lakamanhalli, Haveri Pete, Bagtalan, Madihal, Galaganjikop, Malapur, Kamalapur, Narayanpur, Saptapur, Atti kolla and Hosayellapur. The British government also established a railway station in 1888.

The town had a station on the Southern Maratha railway. By 1901, the town had a population of 31,279 and was home to several cotton gina, 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 India's Bombay State. In 1956 the southern, Kannada-speaking districts of Bombay State, including Dharwad, were added to Mysore and renamed Karnataka in 1972. Dharwad is home to the Karnataka University and the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS) as well as numerous other colleges.

In 1941, Dharwad had a population of 47,992. In 1961, the town merged with the adjacent town of Hubli to become a single municipality, Hubli-Dharwad. The population of the twin cities is the second-largest in Karnataka, after Bangalore. 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 the year 2008, a Circuit bench of the High Court of Karnataka was established in Dharwad.

Culture

The Dharwad region has contributed some of the greatest exponents of Hindustani music including Sawai Gandharva, Mallikarjun Mansur, Bhimsen Joshi (now living in Pune), Basavaraj Rajaguru, Kumar Gandharva and Gangubai Hangal.

Dharwad is an unlikely outpost of the Kirana Gharana. Ustad Abdul Karim Khan was a frequent visitor to Mysore Darbar, where he had been conferred the title of Sangeet Ratna. On the way to Mysore, he used to stay with his brother in Dharwad, where he taught his most famous disciple, Sawai Gandharva. Sawai Gandharva in turn was the guru to Gangubai Hangal, Bhimsen Joshi and Basavaraj Rajaguru.

Jnanpith Award winners D.R. Bendre, V. K. Gokak and Girish Karnad trace their origins to Dharwad.

Food and cuisine

Dharwad produces milk products. Dharwad pedha is made from milk and khoa. Mishra's Line Bazar and Babu Singh's Thakur pedhas are among the better known.

A dish typical of Dharwad is Jolada Rotti made of jowar flour. It is made in two forms—crisp and soft, and is usually eaten with spicy brinjal (eggplant) pallya, kalu pallya (beans), "agasi" or "guryellu" chutney powder and curds.It's available in Prabhu Khanavali near court circle. The now-closed Dharwad Restaurant run by Kidiyoor Sarvothama Rao and Janardhan Rao was popular for masala dosa and was a popular hang-out place for college students. Other restaurants in Dharwad include LEA Canteen (is famous for Mirchi, Girmit & Avalakki), Basappa Khanavali, Megha Darshini, Kamat Hotels, Mytri Paradise, Bombay Restaurant(tuppa dosa(ghee dosa) with sweet Jhunuka is very tasty), Hoysala, Hotel Brindavan, Mandar Regency, Travel Inn, Ozone, etc. Phadd made of rice flour is also a good dish, eaten with Sambhar and coconut or groundnut chutney. It is available at Paul Canteen near JSS college and Bombay Restaurant near Gandhi Chowk. Sheetal Goan Fishland on Kalghatgi Road is a popular place for sea food and Hashmi Hotel is good for non-veg dishes. Last but not the least, Manju Canteen at Navodaya Nagar which is very famous for mirchi and girmit in Dharwad and is considered as a hang-out place where local boys meet in the evening to while away the time.

Agriculture

Dharwad cultivates a variety of food products. The Dharwad Cotton Hybrid (DCH), a popular variety of cotton a few years back, was basically invented in University of Agricultural Sciences. In addition to this, Dharwad produces varieties of channa, kardi, soya and groundnut seeds. Also, farmers grow sugarcane, paddy, jowar, wheat, green gram, bengal gram, munge and many other food products. Dharwad Alphonso mangoes and Navalur gauvas are also produced.

PLACES OF TOURIST INTEREST IN THE TOWN OF DHARWAD

1. The Karnataka University situated in Pavate Nagar.

2. University of Agricultural Science

3. The Two Main entraces into the Fort

4. The temple of Someshvar at Someshvar (Which is also the source of the river Shaalmalaa)

5. The temple of Dattaatreya Swamy

6. The temple of Goddess Durga

7. The temple of Hanuman at Nuggikeri

8. The Kelgeri Tank

9. The Mutt of Murugharaajendra Swaamy.

10. The All saints Church

11. The Vidyavardhaka Sangha

12. The Temple of Loard Uluvi Channabasaveshwara

13. The Dhummavaada Tank (also known as Nirsaagar)

14. The Tatvaanveshana Mandira

15. The temple of Goddess Banashankari at Amargol.

16. Bendre Bhavan

17. The Mallikarjun Mansur Trust Building

PLACES OF INTEREST IN THE TOWN OF HUBLI

1.The Nriputunga Hill

2.The Unakal Tank

3.The Chandramouleeshvara Temple at Unakal

3.The Siddhaaruudha Mutt

4.The temple of goddess Tuljaa bghavani

5,The Railway workshop

6.The Muuru Savira Mutt

7.The Satya Saayi Baabaa Temple at Unakal

8.Sayyad Fate-Shaa vali Darga

Photos:

Karnataka University