Kannada Koota - Bellary, Karnataka

Bellary district takes its name from the word Balari which refers to goddess Durugamma as this goddess had manifested herself in the town. Some of the events in the great epic Ramayana are related to this historical place. It is said that Rama while searching for Sita met Sugreeva and Hanuman at a place which is very near to Hampi, the celebrated capital of Vijayanagara kingdom.Bellary was subsidiary to the Marathas under Shivaji. The story goes that as Shivaji was passing that way some of his foragers had been killed by the garrison, prompting him to occupy Bellary;but he restored it again to the Nayakas at once on condition that tribute should be paid to him. Bellary was the seventh largest town in Madras Presidency, and was one of the chief military stations in Southern India, garrisioned by British and native Indian troops under the British Indian Government.

Bellary in Karnataka India

	Bellary
Subdistricts	Bellary, Hosapete, Kampli, Hoovina Hadagali, Kudligi, Sandur, Siruguppa, Hagari, Bommana Halli
Headquarters	Bellary
Population	2,245,000 (2003)
Density	196 /km² (508 /sq mi)
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
Area	8,447 km² (3,261 sq mi)
Code	Pincode: 583 10X Telephone: +91 8392 Vehicle : KA-34 to KA-35
Website	http://www.bellary.nic.in/

General Profile

Number of Taluk Panchayats	07
Number of Revenue Sud Divisions	02

Economy:The major occupation of this district is agriculture and 75% total labour force is dependent on agriculture for its livelihood. The important crops grown are cotton, jowar, groundnut, rice, sunflower and cereals. The main source of irrigation is Tungabhadra Dam. The Canal network accounts for 64% of irrigated area. The important rivers are Tungabhadra, Hagari and Chikkahagari. This district is endowed with rich mineral resources.The metallic minerals are abundant in only three taluks, Sandur, Hospet and Bellary in the order of mining activity intensity. The western taluks of the district are dogged with scarcity conditions with the failure of rains during successive years. The real estate prices have already started to shoot as more and more industries are finding their way into this city. Bellary to its credit has the second largest single rock mountain in the world.

Tourism
Hampi-Virupaksha Temple, Lakshminarasimha, Vijaya Vithala Temple, Daroji Sloth Bear Sanctuary and Daroji Tank
Hampi:Amidst an awesome boulder-strewn landscape along the banks of the Tungabhadra river, Hampi was one of the glittering showpieces of India's might in the 15th century. Virupaksha Temple: Dedicated to Lord Shiva and his consort Pampadevi, this is the only temple here that is still used for worship. Parts of the temple predate the Vijayanagara empire. LakshminarasimhaThe awesome 6.7 meters high monolith depicting the man-lion form of Vishnu is seated on a seven hooded serpent. Vijaya Vithala Temple: is Hampi's crowning glory, with a magnificent stone chariot standing temple courtyard. Equally impressive is the large Ranga Mantapa with 56 musical pillars that resound with musical chimes when struck. Daroji Sloth Bear Sanctuary: Locally known as KARADI, the Sloth Bear (Melursus Ursinus) lives in open scrub forests having outcrop of rocks, tumbled boulders and caves as shelter. Daroji Tank:This tank built by Tipu at Daroji village whicj is 48 kms from Sandur town.This tank is said to be one of the biggest tanks in the district.

Culture:
Bellary is well known for Ready-Made-Garments: Especially for Jeans pants. There are about 260 Garment units in Bellary and nearly 3000 families are working in these units. There are the two spinning mills in the district, out of which, one is at Kottur and another mill is at Bellary. Both the mills produce lower counts yarn. Cotton is the major agriculture product in Bellary District. There are about 115 Ginning mills working in cotton ginning and pressing. Sandurs best-known line is Lambani embroidery, which is done by Lambani women from the region. The women continue to wear their striking traditional costumes.