Bantwal

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bantwal is a taluk in Dakshina Kannada district, Karnataka, India.

It is also a town by the same name. The adjacent township of B.C. Road (Bantwal Cross Road) serves as the commercial center. National Highway 48 cuts through B. C. Road. The highway serves as the conduit for several arterial routes leading to neighboring towns with Mangalore. Mangalore is connected with other cities in Karnataka such as Mysore and Bangalore via NH-48.

In the olden days, the town of Bantwal was known for trade. However, flooding caused by the river Netravati during the monsoons compelled traders and newer settlements to move to the adjacent township of B.C.Road due to its higher altitude. Gradually, most Government offices shifted to B.C. Road.

Mostly Bunts, Byaries (Muslim community) and Gaud Saraswats inhabited the town of Bantwal. The town is still considered an important trade center for groceries, tobacco, hardware and most importantly gold.

The taluk is flanked by the state of Kerala in the south, and the towns of Belthangady and Puttur in the east, the city of Mangalore in the west and Karkala in the north. It covers an area of about 720 km square.

The Grama Panchayats in Bantwal taluk are Golthamajalu, Kolnadu, Kurnadu, Maani, Pudu, Sangabettu, Sarapady, Thumbe, Veerakumba and Vittla (Vittal).

The river Netravati passes through the taluk. Water supply to Mangalore city is provided by a vented dam at Thumbe to Netravati. There is a bridge over Netravati river at Panemangalore.

Some other places in Bantwal taluk of interest are Ajilamogaru, Alike, Karanje, Naraharibetta and Nandavara.

Prior to 1852, Bantwal Taluk was the largest Taluk in the entire of Canara Province (then comprising of North Canara, Udupi, Mangalore and Kasargod Districts) with 411 villages and a total population of 1,69,416. In 1852, a portion of it was formed into the Taluk of Puttur. (Source: "A Gazetteer of Southern India" published in 1855, searchable via Google Books)

According to this book, Buntwal (as it is spelt in the Gazetteer) was an enterpot for the produce of the province on its way to the Mysore Country and had derived great benefit of late years from the extension of the coffee trade. It contained about thousand scattered houses inhabited by Moplas, Concanies, Bunters and a few Jains.

Shri Mahalingeshwara Temple is one of the oldest temples in the region and is dedicated to Lord Shiva.

Shri Tirumala Venkatramana Swamy Temple of Bantwal is very famous. It is believed that Lord Venkateshwara or Balaji came here all the way from Tirupati.

Shri Vinayaka Shankaranarayana Durgamba temple Nandavara is another historical and famous temple situated in the banks of river Netravati

Other temples include Shri Seetharam Temple, Shri Hanumanth Temple, Shri Krishna Math, and Shri Mahamaya Temple.