Gulbarga District
Encyclopedia
Gulbarga district is one of the 30 districts
Districts of Karnataka
The Indian State of Karnataka is located within 11°30' North and 18°30' North latitudes and 74° East and 78°30' East longitude. It is situated on a tableland where the Western and Eastern Ghat ranges converge into the Nilgiri hill complex, in the western part of the Deccan Peninsular region of India...

 of Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...

 state in southern India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

. Gulbarga city is the administrative headquarters of the district. In Persian language Gul means flower and berg means leaf thus making Gulberga once a land of lavish living.

This district is situated in northern Karnataka between 76°.04' and 77°.42 east longitude, and 17°.12' and 17°.46' north latitude, covering an area of 10,951 km². This district is bounded on the west by Bijapur district and Solapur district
Solapur District
- Solapur District is a district in Maharashtra state of India. The city of Solapur is the district headquarters. It is located on the south east edge of the state and lies entirely in the Bhima and Seena basins. The entire district is drained by the Bhima River.Solapur district leads in beedi...

 of Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...

 state, on the north by Bidar district
Bidar District
Bidar is a district of Karnataka state in southern India. The historic city of Bidar is the administrative centre of the district. The district is located in the northeastern corner of the state, near the borders with Andhra Pradesh to the east and Maharashtra to the north and west...

 and Osmanabad district
Osmanabad district
-Osmanabad district is an administrative district in the state of Maharashtra in India. The district headquarters are located at Osmanabad, erstwhile Dharashiv . Temple of goddess Tuljabhavani at Tulajapur is famous in India...

 of Maharashtra state, on the south by Yadgir district
Yadgir district
Yadgir district is one of the 30 districts of Karnataka state in southern India. This district was carved out from the erstwhile Gulbarga district as the 30th district of Karnataka on 10 April 2010. Yadgir town is the administrative headquarters of the district...

, and on the east by Ranga Reddy district of Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...

 state.

History

The city of Gulbarga was founded by the Bahmani Sultans in the 14th century as their capital. However the history of the region dates back to the 6th Century when the Rashtrakuta
Rashtrakuta
The Rashtrakuta Empire was a royal dynasty ruling large parts of the Indian Subcontinent between the sixth and the 10th centuries. During this period they ruled as several closely related, but individual clans. Rastrakutas in inscriptions represented as descendants of Satyaki, a Yadava well known...

s gained control over the area, but the Chalukyas regained their domain and reigned for over two hundred years. Around the close of the 12th century the Yadavas of Devagiri and the Hoysalas
Hoysala Empire
The Hoysala Empire was a prominent South Indian Kannadiga empire that ruled most of the modern day state of Karnataka between the 10th and the 14th centuries. The capital of the Hoysalas was initially located at Belur but was later moved to Halebidu....

 of Halebidu took control of the district. The present Gulbarga District
Gulbarga District
Gulbarga district is one of the 30 districts of Karnataka state in southern India. Gulbarga city is the administrative headquarters of the district...

 and Raichur District
Raichur district
Raichur District is an administrative district in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located in the northeast part of the state and is bounded by Yadgir district in the north, Bijapur and Bagalkot district in the northwest, Koppal district in the west, Bellary district in the south, Anantapur...

 formed part of their domain.

The northern Deccan, including the district of Gulbarga, passed under control of the Muslim Sultanate of Delhi.The revolt of the Muslim officers appointed from Delhi resulted in founding of the Bahmani Sultanate
Bahmani Sultanate
The Bahmani Sultanate was a Muslim state of the Deccan in southern India and one of the great medieval Indian kingdoms...

 in 1347 by Hassan Gangu, who chose Gulbarga (Ahsenabad during this period) to be his capital.

From 1724 to 1948 the territory occupied by the present-day Gulbarga district was part of Hyderabad state
Hyderabad State
-After Indian independence :When India gained independence in 1947 and Pakistan came into existence in 1947, the British left the local rulers of the princely states the choice of whether to join one of the new dominions or to remain independent...

 ruled by the famous Nizams. It was integrated into India in September 1948.

Cities and towns in Gulbarga District

  • Afzalpur
    Afzalpur
    Afzalpur is a panchayat town in Gulbarga district in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is also the headquarters of the Afzalpur taluk.-Geography:Afzalpur is located at . It has an average elevation of 408 metres...

  • Aland
    Aland, Karnataka
    Aland is a town in Gulbarga district in the state of Karnataka, India. It is the headquarters of Aland Taluk.-Geography:Aland is located at . It has an average elevation of 480 metres...

  • Chincholi
    Chincholi
    Chincholi is a panchayat town in Gulbarga district in the state of Karnataka, India. It is also the headquarters of the Chincholi taluk.-Geography:...

  • Chitapur
    Chitapur
    Chittapuru is a panchayat town in Gulbarga district in the state of karnataka, India. It is also the headquarters of the Chittapuru taluk.-Geography:...

  • Gulbarga
    Gulbarga
    Gulbarga is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is the administrative headquarters of Gulbarga District. It was formerly part of Nizam's Hyderabad state...

  • Jevargi
    Jevargi
    Jevargi is a panchayat town in Gulbarga district in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is also the headquarters of the Jevargi Taluk.- Geography :Jewargi is located at . It has an average elevation of 393 metres...

  • Sedam
    Sedam
    Sedam, or Seram, is a town in Gulbarga district in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is also the headquarters of the Sedam Taluk.-Geography:The town is spread over an area of ....

  • Shahabad
    Shahabad
    Shahabad, with headquarters at Arrah was one of the districts of Bihar, India. The district was subsequently bifurcated into a number of districts. Kunwar Singh belonged to this district....

  • Wadi
    Wadi, Karnataka
    Wadi is a census town in Gulbarga district in the Indian state of Karnataka.The Wadi railway junction is an important railway junction on Indian railways...


Economy

In 2006 the Ministry of Panchayati Raj
Ministry of Panchayati Raj
The Ministry of Panchayati Raj is a branch of the Government of India looking after the ongoing process of decentralization and local governance in the States....

 named Gulbarga one of the country's 250 most backward districts
Poverty in India
Poverty is widespread in India, with the nation estimated to have a third of the world's poor. According to a 2005 World Bank estimate, 41.6% of the total Indian population falls below the international poverty line of 1.25 a day...

 (out of a total of 640
Districts of India
A district is an administrative division of an Indian state or territory. Districts are further subdivided, in some cases into Sub-Divisions, and otherwise directly into tehsils or talukas.District officials include:...

). It is one of the five districts in Karnataka currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF).

Historical places

Gulbarga Fort
Gulbarga Fort
The Gulbarga Fort The Gulbarga Fort The Gulbarga Fort (kn: ಗುಲ್ಬರ್ಗ located in Gulbarga City in the Gulbarga district of North Karnataka, India was originally built by 1347 by Al-ud-din Bahmani of the Bahmani Dynasty after he cut off his ties with the Delhi Sultanate; Islamic monuments such as...

 built in 1347 Gulbarga's old moated fort is in a much deteriorated state, but it has a number of interesting buildings inside including the Jama Masjid, reputed to have been built by a Moorish
Moors
The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of the Maghreb region who are predominately of Berber and Arab descent. They came to conquer and rule the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. At that time they were Muslim, although earlier the people had followed...

 architect during the late 14th or early 15th century who imitated the great mosque in Cordoba, Spain
Córdoba, Spain
-History:The first trace of human presence in the area are remains of a Neanderthal Man, dating to c. 32,000 BC. In the 8th century BC, during the ancient Tartessos period, a pre-urban settlement existed. The population gradually learned copper and silver metallurgy...

. The mosque is unique in India, with a huge dome covering the whole area, four smaller ones at the corners, and 75 smaller still all the way around. The fort itself has 15 towers. Gulbarga also has a number of imposing tombs(Haft Gumbaz) of Bahmani kings.

Religious places

Appana Gudi Sharanabasaveshwara Temple : Sharanabasaveshwara Temple also known as Appana Gudi is one of the Religious place to visit, dedicated to an eminent Hindu religious teacher and philosopher, Shri Sharana Basaveshwara,a Lingayat saint of 18th Century known for his Dasoha(Giving is earning) and Kayaka - an advancement of the Karma doctrine - "You have the right to perform the work assigned to you. You have no rights to 'demand' the fruits of your labor" philoshophy.

Hazrat Khwaja Bande Nawaz
Khwaja Bande Nawaz
Syed Muhammad Hussaini, commonly known as Hazrat Khwaja Banda Nawaz Gaisu Daraz , was a famous Sufi saint from India of the Chishti Order, who advocated understanding, tolerance and harmony among various religious groups.Gaisu Daraz was a murid of the noted Sufi saint of Delhi, Hazrat Nasiruddin...

: Dargah is another major attraction for devotees irrespective of caste and creed, dedicated to the famous Sufi saint who preached understanding, tolerance and harmony. Thus Gulbarga is known to be a hub of Hindu-Muslim harmony.

Thousands of pilgrims visit Gulbarga during the annual festivals i.e.Urs (Holy Gathering) of Khwaja Bande Nawaz.The festival are well attended by people from surrounding places of all faiths.
Hazrat Mohammad Badshah Qadri
Mohammad Badshah Qadri
Hazrat Khwaja Syed Mohammad Badshah Qadri-ul-Chishti Yamani Raichuri Rahmatullah'alaih , was a Sufi saint of the Chisti order in India, known commonly as Badshah Quadri or Badesha Qadri, who preached universal brotherhood and peace.Badesha Quadri was born in Raichur, Karnataka, India, during Bakrid...

 Darga (Wadi)was a famous Sufi Saint of the region.

Geography

Gulbarga is situated in Deccan Plateau located at 17.33°N 76.83°E and the general elevation ranges from 300 to 750 meters above mean sea level. Two main rivers, Krishna and Bhima, flow in the district. Black soil is predominant soil type in the district. The district has a large number of tanks which, in addition to the rivers, irrigate the land. The Upper Krishna Project is major irrigation venture in the district. Bajra, toor, sugarcane, groundnut, sunflower, sesame, castor bean, black gram, jowar, wheat, cotton, ragi, Bengal gram, and linseed are grown in this district.
The weather in Gulbarga consists of 3 main seasons. The summer which spans from late February to mid June. It is followed by the south west monsoon which spans from the late June to late September heavy rainfall may go up to 750mm. It is then followed by dry winter weather until mid January.
Barring the hot summer months, the salubrious weather of Gulbarga makes a visit to this historical city a pleasant one.

Temperatures during the different seasons are:
  • Summer : 38 to 44 °C
  • Monsoon: 27 to 37 °C
  • Winter : 11 to 26 °C

Divisions

Gulbarga district presently comprises the following 7 talukas after the separation of Yadgir district
Yadgir district
Yadgir district is one of the 30 districts of Karnataka state in southern India. This district was carved out from the erstwhile Gulbarga district as the 30th district of Karnataka on 10 April 2010. Yadgir town is the administrative headquarters of the district...

 from it.
  1. Gulbarga
    Gulbarga
    Gulbarga is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is the administrative headquarters of Gulbarga District. It was formerly part of Nizam's Hyderabad state...

  2. Aland
    Aland, Karnataka
    Aland is a town in Gulbarga district in the state of Karnataka, India. It is the headquarters of Aland Taluk.-Geography:Aland is located at . It has an average elevation of 480 metres...

  3. Afzalpur
    Afzalpur
    Afzalpur is a panchayat town in Gulbarga district in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is also the headquarters of the Afzalpur taluk.-Geography:Afzalpur is located at . It has an average elevation of 408 metres...

  4. Jevargi
    Jevargi
    Jevargi is a panchayat town in Gulbarga district in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is also the headquarters of the Jevargi Taluk.- Geography :Jewargi is located at . It has an average elevation of 393 metres...

  5. Sedam
    Sedam
    Sedam, or Seram, is a town in Gulbarga district in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is also the headquarters of the Sedam Taluk.-Geography:The town is spread over an area of ....

  6. Chitapur
    Chitapur
    Chittapuru is a panchayat town in Gulbarga district in the state of karnataka, India. It is also the headquarters of the Chittapuru taluk.-Geography:...

  7. Chincholi
    Chincholi
    Chincholi is a panchayat town in Gulbarga district in the state of Karnataka, India. It is also the headquarters of the Chincholi taluk.-Geography:...


Demographics

According to the 2011 census
2011 census of India
The 15th Indian National census was conducted in two phases, houselisting and population enumeration. Houselisting phase began on April 1, 2010 and involved collection of information about all buildings...

 Gulbarga district has a population
Demographics of India
The demographics of India are inclusive of the second most populous country in the world, with over 1.21 billion people , more than a sixth of the world's population. Already containing 17.5% of the world's population, India is projected to be the world's most populous country by 2025, surpassing...

 of 2,564,892, roughly equal to the nation of Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...

 or the US state of Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...

. This gives it a ranking of 162nd in India (out of a total of 640
Districts of India
A district is an administrative division of an Indian state or territory. Districts are further subdivided, in some cases into Sub-Divisions, and otherwise directly into tehsils or talukas.District officials include:...

). The district has a population density of 233 PD/sqkm . Its population growth rate
Family planning in India
Family planning in India is based on efforts largely sponsored by the Indian government. In the 1965-2009 period, contraceptive usage has more than tripled and the fertility rate has more than halved , but the national fertility rate is still high enough to cause long-term population growth...

 over the decade 2001-2011 was 17.94 %. Gulbarga has a sex ratio
Sex ratio
Sex ratio is the ratio of males to females in a population. The primary sex ratio is the ratio at the time of conception, secondary sex ratio is the ratio at time of birth, and tertiary sex ratio is the ratio of mature organisms....

 of 962 females
Women in India
The status of women in India has been subject to many great changes over the past few millennia. From equal status with men in ancient times through the low points of the medieval period, to the promotion of equal rights by many reformers, the history of women in India has been eventful...

 for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate
Literacy in India
Literacy in India is key for socio-economic progress, and the Indian literacy rate grew to 74.04% in 2011 from 12% at the end of British rule in 1947. Although this was a greater than sixfold improvement, the level is well below the world average literacy rate of 84%, and India currently has the...

 of 65.65 %.

Kannada is the predominant language spoken in this district. Marathi and Dakhni Urdu are also spoken in this district. Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...

 and Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and .   : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...

 are principle religions followed in this district. The Urdu speaking Muslim population is heavily influenced by Hyderabad.

Cuisine

Tahari :
Tahari is similar to pulao and is one of the famous dish in Gulbarga. Tahri is prepared by adding the meat to the rice, as opposed to the traditional Biryani
Biryani
Biryani, biriani, or beriani is a set of rice-based foods made with spices, rice and meat, fish, eggs or vegetables. The name is derived from the Persian word beryā which means "fried" or "roasted"....

 where the rice is added to the meat.

Jolada Rotti:
Jolada Rotti or Jawar ki rotti is the staple diet of the region. It is prepared from jowar flour. Jolada Rotti is served with a traditional curry and spiced peanut powder. Generally, the food in Gulbarga is believed to be very spicy when compared with the rest of the state.

Hoorana Holige :
This is a sweet which is a specialty in the place and prepared on all festivals. It is kind of stuffed pancake. Chickpeas and Jaggery are ground and stuffed into wheat flour and then cooked. This is served with Mango pulp as a side dish.

Transport

Gulbarga city is well connected by road and rail from Bangalore, Mumbai & other major cities.

Local Transport : Taxis and auto rickshaws are available for getting around the city at fairly reasonable rates. NEKRTC city buses also ply within the city and also go to the nearby towns and villages.

Long Distance Bus Routes : KSRTC runs the bus service to other cities and villages. Also there are plenty of private bus services. The Bidar
Bidar
Bidar is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the north-eastern part of Karnataka. It is the headquarters of the Bidar District....

-Srirangapatna
Srirangapatna
Srirangapatna is a town in Mandya district of the Indian state of Karnataka...

 state highway made travel easy to Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...

, and neighboring states of Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...

, Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...

. There are many private services running Volvo buses between Bangalore-Gulbarga,Mumbai-Gulbarga.

Railways : Gulbarga is served by a major rail line and is well connected by trains to all major parts of India such as Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Coimbatore, Erode, Kanyakumari, Trivandrum, Nagarcoil, Bhubneshwar, Jodhpur, etc.

Air Port : Nearest Airport is Hyderabad International Airport
Hyderabad International Airport
Rajiv Gandhi International Airport also known as Hyderabad International Airport, is an international airport near Shamshabad, about south of downtown Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India....

 220 km from City. Recently, a new airport in Gulburga is under construction.

Politics

Gulbarga is home for two ex-chief ministers of Karnataka, namely Late Veerendra Patil
Veerendra Patil
Veerandra Patil was Chief Minister of Karnataka state of India twice. The first time was from 1968 - 1971; and the second time was almost 20 years later from 1989 - 1990. He was elected several times from Chincholi assembly constituency of Gulbarga district to Karnataka state legislative assembly...

 (1968–1971, 1988–1990) and Dharam Singh
Dharam Singh
Narayan Dharam Singh , , was the 17th Chief Minister of Karnataka state in India and a former Lok Sabha member. He was sworn into office on May 28, 2004, and left office on February 3, 2006. He represents Congress in the state. The coalition government formed by the Congress with the help of...

 (2004–2006) belonging to the Congress party.

The current member of Parliament from Gulbarga is Mr Mallikarjun Kharge
Mallikarjun Kharge
Mallikarjun Kharge, is an Indian politician and currently the Union Minister of Labour and Employment of the Republic of India. He is a member of the 15th Lok Sabha of India...

. He is the honourable Minister of Labour and Employment, Republic of India.

The members of the State Legislative Assembly are Mr Qamar ul Islam
Qamar ul Islam
Qamar ul Islam is a 5 time MLA from the state of Karnataka. He started his political career in 1978 and was elected to Karnataka Legislative Assembly during the terms 1978-83, 1989-1994, 1994-96, 1999-2004 and 2008. He was the cabinet minister for Housing and Labour in the administration led by...

 (Gulbarga North), Mrs Aruna Patil Revoor (Gulbarga South) and Mr Revu Naik Belamgi (Gulbarga Rural).

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK