Saturday, April 4, 2009

DHARWAD.. a place i call home...

Dharwad is situated on the edge of Western Ghats and hence is a hilly town. Spread over seven small hills at an average altitute of 750 meters above sea level, the city enjoys a salubrious climate amidst thick vegetation. On the western Side Mountains of Saiyhadri a river called Shalmala originated in Dharwad but she flows underground. Western part of Dharwad is called Malenadu full of forestry of red soil. Eastern part of Dharwad is called BelawalNadu Flat land of black soil. Central Part of Dharwad is Gadinadu -Mixture of both.Years ago, Dhwarwad was known for its 9 lakes but many have dried out now.The ones that still exist are Sadhankere, Kelgeri kere and Nuggikere. Dharwad sits at the cusp of two distinct geographical divisions - malenaadu (hilly, forest land with red soil) and beLavala naadu (deccan plains with black soil). The earstwhile NH 4, runs almost as a dividing line.

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".

Another theory is 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.

HISTORY

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).

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.

CULTURE

Dharwad is a district very rich in culture.There is a famous saying in dharwad which goes like this.. "If u throw a stone randomly in dharwad,it will fall on the roof of the house of a poet or a writer." It's the land of wroters,poets,musicians,theatre artists and a huge bunch of educated people.
Dharwad is famous for its natural scenic beauty and has inspired many a poet and writers of national and international renown. The Jnanapeeth award- the highest award in literature, was conferred to two giants of literature , Dr Dara Bendre and Dr V K Gokak. Both the writers lived and wrote some of their finest works in Dharwad.Patil Puttappa also being a renowned writer from Dharwad.

Shri Ranga and Girish Karnad being the most talented arists who hail from Dharwad.
Shri Ranga: A great dramatist whose dramas are repeatedly played even today. Wrote 22 plays and he was also Sanskrit scholar.
Girish Karnad who is a Actor , director , play writer. Recipient of prestigious Jnyanapeeth Award in 1999 for his contribution to Kannada literature and theatre. He has also given an enourmous contribution to Marathi theatre. Acted in many films and TV serials.
To name a few writers Prof. Bhusnurmath,Dr. Shankar Mokashi Punekar and Saali Ramachandra rayaru.

The Dharwad district of northern Karnataka boasts a formidable tradition in Hindustani music and adduces the following list in support of its claim:
The legendary Bhimsen Joshi currently based in pune,Gangubai Hangal,Mallikarjun Mansur,Kumar Gandharva, Basavraj,Rajguru,Madhav Gudi,Vasant Kanakapur,Sangeeta Katti,Jayateertha Vasanthrao Mevundi,Geeta Javadekar,Ganpati Bhat Hasanagi.

Pravin Godkhindi is a popular flute ( Bansuri ) artist who follows Hindusthani style of music.He is trained Electrical engineer.He is alumni of SDM College of Engineering and Technology,Dharwad.He masters in traditional style of flute as well as western.He has experimented with fusion of both Indian and Western music.He has presented many concerts and is a regular artist in All India Radio ( A.I.R ). He plays a very significant role in popularizing the Indian Classical Music among the masses.

FOOD CUISINES

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. The restaurants in Dharwad include LEA Canteen, Basappa Khanavali, Megha Darshini, Kamat Hotels, Maitri Paradise, Bombay Restaurant, Hoysala, Brindavana, Mandar Regency, Travel Inn, Ozone, etc.Hoysala,Maithri and Kamth Hotels provide you eith a complete family atmosphere. While the ones like Ozone which has shacks on mango tree tops,provides the ultimate fun experience for youngsters.Travel inn and Mandar regency,Red fort,Mayur Paradise are all exclusive experiences in Dharwad. 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 in Gandhi chowk.


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, groundnut seeds,Sunflowers. 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.

EDUCATION

Dharwad has been a renowned centre of learning, with many famous high schools, colleges and universities. These include:

Karnatak Arts College, Estb 1917



Traditional Saree of Dharwad
Unkal sarees are the assets of the women of Dharwad.The typical Dharwad belle looks ethnic and gorgeous in these sarees.They are available in both silk and cotton.






There probably doesn't exists another district like Dharwad which is as rich in culture and talent.
The peacefully life here has won the hearts of many people.The warm hearted people here are never short of a smile and hospitality.Though their language may not seem so polite initially but you will soon realise the genuine care the people of Dharwad are capable of.They create a homely atmosphere instantly.Pretence is not their cup of tea.Cheers to Dharwad a place i call home...

17 comments:

Manoj said...

Very neatly drafted details about our city ..... Its really heaven on earth.

downpourofwords said...

phew.....Its heartening to see such a wonderful piece written on the place where i was born and live for 22 years....Memories seemed to surpass me every moment i read through this post of yours...Great workk

Its much so appreciable since its been written by a person not born and bought up in Dharwar....Kudos to you priyanka...

By the way, you dont seem to be checking your emails in gmail :-)

Anonymous said...

Hello Priyanka!

Very well written facts about Dharwad, which happens to be my native place , although I was raised in Hyderabad and am now in the US for the past 11 years and nothing can beat the peace and joy it brought during our short summer breaks.

Salma

Unknown said...

hey..!!!! u made dharwad come alive...feels proud 2 b in dharwad...thak u 4 making it so special

Anonymous said...

Hello Dharwar,

I lived in that beautiful city 26 years ago. It was a peaceful place and as a foreigner student and woman I believe you are so civilized. I remember my teachers, Shafi khan who passed away 6 years ago. Hegede sir, kourian , Body and kuri. Dharwar with love and affection from Europe,
As the children of Shiva poury colony called me,
Maria aunty
Ps : more pictures please.

Unknown said...

Its a great feeling to see my grandpa's name here. i feel proud that i belong to his family. it a tremendous honour and pleasure. thank you to all who created this and its here on google..

ManjunathCBhat said...

Hi priyanka,

Its really awesome to know these things. Many of the things i dint know about my Hometown.

Its more surprising me to know that you are much more interested in literture even you have done the engineering... rare combination.

Prakash.V.Dharwad said...

Its amazing piece of info left on this net. Thanks Priyanka for wonderful initiative of urs. Keep penning the new developments/good old stories about this city and pls keep updating about OUR Great Heaven-DHARWAD.

Shrikanth said...

shrikanth.s------
hello madam. I m really impressed by ur blog n things which u have put in it. I m proud 2 be a Dharwadian. Keep ur work on. DWD ROCKS

Shrikanth said...

shrikanth.s------
hello madam. I m really impressed by ur blog n things which u have put in it. I m proud 2 be a Dharwadian. Keep ur work on. DWD ROCKS

Unknown said...

I got connected immediately after 30 years! Credit goes to you!No place in the world can be as cozy as Dharwar.
It is high time Dharwar should be developed in IT sector.It is the center for potentials. People like me crave to come back but lack of development in technology stops us!

Girish Mallya Udupi said...

Really great post on Dharwad, Priyanka! Reached this page when I searched for "Nuggikere" on Google images. Good job!

Sameer Adur said...

Dear Priyanka,
Hearty wishes on a very nicely drafted article on a 'Heaven On Earth - Dharwad'. Your articulation reminds me of the fantastic times spent in Dharwad Aka KE Boards, KCD Etc and many mirchi, chai joints.
Hope to return to this town and be part of it again soon.

Anonymous said...

Hey its my Home town. I felt really Awesome when i read this. Great work priyanka.



Regards,
Shilpa

Shetty Priyanka said...

Hey.. thank u all.. :)

Unknown said...

Hey priyanka... really a big salute to u... It is grt to see all ur info on dwd... I being in dwd fr almost 18 years didn even knew d half of yo info... I m happy say that pepole lik u can b a idol fr people lik us... perfectionist priyanka. ... ha ha lol...... thnk u fr yo info...

Unknown said...
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