Belgaum The Bamboo Village

Belgaum is a city in the district of same name in the state of Karnataka. It lies near the foothills of Western Ghats at an average altitude of 762 m. With a population of about 4.8 million it is the 4th largest metro of Karnataka. It borders with the states of Maharashtra and Goa and is the second capital of the state of Karnataka. The name has its roots in the Kannada word 'Venugrama' meaning 'Bamboo village'. Both Kannada and Marathi are spoken by the people. After reorganization of states it became a part of Karnataka, though there were some disputes with Maharashtra.

Belgaum has a very long history. In the 12th century Ratta dynasty shifted their capital here and Fort was built in 1204. Later Yadavas took over the place and ruled till they were defeated by Khiljis. Then Vijayanagara kings, Aurangzeb, Bahamani Sultanate, Peshwas of Maratha and Hyder Ali ruled in succession till it was annexed by the British in 1818. It is also famous for the heroics of Rani Channamma who fought alone against the British in the early 19th century.

During British rule the city started developing fast as a commercial hub of North Karnataka. The district is known as the 'sugar bowl' of Karnataka as there are many sugarcane plantations and sugar factories here. There are also many textile manufacturing units, automotive and industrial forging units here. It is also a centre of education. There are eight engineering, five medical and several dental colleges here. There are two universities - the Visvesvarayiah Technological University and Rani Channamma University.

A popular tourist destination, people come here to have a glimpse of the monuments from the past. The fort built in the 13th century is in ruins. There are two old shrines inside the fort, one of Goddess Durga and one of Ganpati. There is a Jamia Masjid and a Safa Masjid inside the fort. Rakas kop 16 km away from city is a hill top cave in the form of a demon, who used to live there as per legends. Tourists also visit nearby dam across River Markandeya. Varapoha Falls 20 km away from here is a 150 feet fall of River Mondovi. Kamala Basti is a settlement inside the Fort, built in Chalukya style whose attraction is a lotus- shaped 'Mukhamandapa'. A Jain Temple in ruins stands outside the Basti. Kapileswara Temple in the city has a swayambu Shivling and is called Dakshina Kasi. Jamboti is a picnic spot 25 km away with an evergreen hilltop forest.

There are some good hotels here like Ramdev International, Adarsha Palace Hotel, Sanman Hotel and Sankam Residency. Belgaum has a domestic airport and a busy railway junction which connects with other major cities of India.

The India's best site for your travel planning and one of the best free photo sharing site, with pictures of famous places all over the India. For more information visit http://www.holidayiq.com.