Kannada Koota - Bidar, Karnataka

Bidar almost 700 kilometers from Bangalore, which lies at the farthest north-eastern corner of Karnataka. Bifurcated and truncated during the re-organisation of states in 1956, it is only a fraction of its vast expanse in the erstwhile state of Hyderabad. The name of Bidar appears to be derived from 'bidiru' which means bamboo. The place seems to have been known for bamboo clusters in the past, came to be known as 'Bidaroor' and then 'Bidare', 'Bidar'. Bidar was one of the most prosperous cities of south India during the period of 11th century to 16th century. The Bidar Sultanate was absorbed by the Bijapur Sultanate to the west in 1619, which was in turn conquered by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in 1686. Bidar became part of the dominions of the Nizam of Hyderabad from 1724 to 1948. When Hyderabad was annexed to India, Bidar became a part of the Indian Union, but still being a part of the Hyderabad state. In 1956, it became a part of Mysore state, later renamed Karnataka.

Bidar in Karnataka India

	Bidar
Taluk	Bidar, Bhalki, Aurad, Basavakalyan, Homnabad
Headquarters	Bidar
Population	1,502,373 (2001)
Density	276 /km² (715 /sq mi)
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
Area	5,448 km² (2,103 sq mi)
Code	Pincode 585 401 Vehicle KA-38 Telephone ++ 91 (0) 8482
Website	http://www.bidar.nic.in/

General Profile

Number of Taluk Panchayat	05
Number of Assembly Constituencies	06
Number of Gram Panchayat	175

Rivers : The main river of the district is Manjra River, which is a tributary of the Godavari River. The Karanja River itself is tributary of Manjra River. The district has two river basins, the Godavari and the Krishna. The Godavari basin extends to over 4,411 km² of which Manjra covers up to 1,989 km² and Karanja up to 2,422 km². Manjra is the main river of the district and it is a tributary of Godavari. Karanja is also a tributary of Manjra. Language : Kannada, Urdu, Urdu mixed Kannada, and Marathi are the main languages spoken Economy : Agriculture is the main occupation in rural parts of the district. Greengram, bengalgram, blackgram, paddy, groundnut, wheat, redgram, sugarcane and chillies are other agricultural crops and jowar remains the major crop.

Tourism
Hazrath Shamsuddin Quadri Shrine,Narasimha Zarna, Papa nashini, Guru Nanak Jhira, Madarsa, Basvesvara Temple, Tomb of Mehmood Gawan
Hazrath Shamsuddin Quadri Shrine popularly known as multani Badshah. Narasimha Zarna (Lord Narasimha Temple), Papa nashini (Shiva Temple), Guru Nanak Jhira Gurudwara, Bidar fort at Bidar, the great Friday mosque at Bidar, Nayee kamaan (fell down - so no more), Madarsa (university) of Mehmood Gawan, choubara (watch tower)at Bidar, several dargahs (mausoleums) of local Islamic saints, Basvesvara Temple, Barid shahi garden, Tomb of Mehmood Gawan, Kalyani shariff, 12th Century Cave, Kalyan shariff, Kalyan Fort, Kalyan shairff, Pap Nash Temple: It is believed that Lord Sri Rama, on the way to Ayodhya from Lanka after defeating Ravana, visited this place and that resulted in the temple which would wash off his act of killing Ravana who is a Shiva Bhakt. Narasimha Zarna: The temple virtually runs into a cave waterbody and is one of the unique in the world. The water in the cave will guide the pilgrims to the idol. Madarasa: One of the oldest universities which was founded by Md. Gawan.Bidar Fort: The fort is one the largest and strongest forts in India. It was built in 15th century.

People, Art and Culture :
Bidar district, which occupies a central position in Deccan plateau, is mixed with several racial strains, ethinic groups and socio-cultural clusters. Long after the fusion of Dravidian and Aryan elements, there was, in the medivial times, a continuous influx of batches of various types like the Turks, Mughals, Iranians, Afghans and Arabs who were welcomed and encouraged to settle down in the area. As a result of these admixtures there has been a cultural mosaic. Bidriware Derives its name from Bidar. The 500 year old art is Persian in origin, but bidriware is purely Indian innovation. This art of engraving and inlaying is handed down by generations and is execlusive to Bidar.