Kolar Gold Fields

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  ?Kolar Gold Fields (KGF)
Karnataka • India
Coordinates: 12°57′18″N 78°16′11″E / 12.955, 78.2698
Time zone IST (UTC+5:30)
District(s) Kolar
Codes
• Pincode
• Telephone
• Vehicle
• 563 11x
• +08153
• KA-08

Coordinates: 12°57′18″N 78°16′11″E / 12.955, 78.2698 Kolar Gold Fields (KGF) was one of the major gold mines in India and is located in the Kolar district in Karnataka, close to the city of Bangalore. It was closed in 2003 due to reducing deposits and increasing costs. The mine is considered the world's second deepest gold mine.

Contents

[edit] History

Gold was first mined in the area in the 2nd and 3rd century AD by the digging of small pits. During the Chola period in the 9th and 10th century AD the scale of the operation grew, but large-scale mining only came in the 1850s under the British with more manpower and sophisticated machinery. In 1873, M.F. Lavelle, a resident in Bangalore, applied to the Mysore Government for the exclusive privilege of mining in the Kolar district. His request was granted and he commenced operations by sinking a shaft near Urigam (Oorgaum) in 1875, but, finding that large capital would be required he, in the following year and with the approval of the government, transferred all his rights and concessions to the late Major General G. de la Poer Beresford. Major General Beresford formed a syndicate known as the Kolar Concessionaries (now merged into the Gold Fields of Mysore Co.) which took up the matter in earnest, and gradually acquired the area known as the Kolar Gold Fields.

[edit] Birth of the city

The local Kannada speaking villagers refused to work in the deep pits of the mines and so people from the North and South Arcot districts of Tamilnadu were settled around the various Shafts and a city was born.

Even today places in the area have names reminiscent of the presence of British people there - the two main towns Robertsonpet and Andersonpet being named after two British officers in the mines.

[edit] Legend

There is a legend about why the Kolar Gold Fields are so full of gold. The story goes back to the Tretha Yuga, the time of Lord Rama. During his 14 years of vanavasa, Rama along with his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana wandered through the dense forests of the present day Avani village, which is about 10 miles from the gold fields, where they set up their hut and lived. Surpanaka, sister of Ravana, one day happened to see Rama and asked him to marry her. He refused, as he was already married, so she approached Lakshmana, who got angry with her and cut off her nose.

Ravana was angry when he heard what had happened to his sister and he wanted to take revange on Rama. He sent Maricha in the disguise of a golden deer to the hut where Rama was living and Sita was so attracted to the golden deer that she asked Rama to get it for her. The deer, being a magical one, eluded Rama for a long time until they reached what is today the Kolar Gold Fields. Meanwhile Lakshamana, worried about his brother, went in search of Rama, leaving Sita alone in the hut. Ravana, in the disguise of a sage, abducted Sita, taking advantage of the situation. Rama finally managed to kill the golden deer and according to the legend, the remains of the deer spread over a large area, which is the reason for presence of gold in KGF.

[edit] Demographics

Tamil and Kannada are widely spoken by the people here apart from Telugu which is spoken by a substantial group of people. Three hundred thousand people lived in the Kolar Gold Fields at its peak production, but since the closing of mines in 2003 the population has reduced to less than a hundred thousand. Signboards are displayed predominantly in Kannada, Tamil and English all over KGF, and it is a bilingual town where people can speak two languages at ease.

[edit] People and culture

People from many different places are settled in the Kolar Gold Fields Tamil speaking people from the north and south Arcot districts of Tamil Nadu. There are also Telugu speaking people from Kuppam, Ramakuppam, V-kota and other places from Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh.So the culture has influence of all three states Karnataka,Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

Given the mixture of population, many festivals are celebrated; the most famous and popular one being the Lakshmi Venkateshwara Jaatre. The mining hospital has the distinction of being the best hospital in the whole of the Kolar district. A goddess temple situated near by the hospital is famous because of the legend that it was built by British personnel. The Hospital is recognized for occupational disease treatment. The Gold Company which is known as Bharat Gold Mines Limited has come out of various combination and permentations. The company has record chairman such as Morarji Desai as chairman of this company and some of the erstwhile chief Ministers of Mystore state as chairmen.

Bharat Earth Movers a premier earth mover manufacturing factory is located in Kolar Gold fields.

[edit] Education

KGF has an Engineering College, a Dental College, a few Mining schools and number of good schools.

[edit] Trivia

Champion Reef mine shaft at KGF
Champion Reef mine shaft at KGF
  • Kolar Gold Fields was the first city in Asia to get electricity from Shivanasamudra in Mysore
  • People from as far as Kolar could see the lights of this once prosperous city
  • KGF was known as "Little England" by the British, due to its more temperate weather and a landscape more similar to Britain's. It also had a sizable Anglo-Indian Population who worked in the various mines in different capacities.
  • The city is on the Deccan Plateau of central and south India, about 3000 feet above sea level
  • The Champion Reefs mine was the second deepest underground mine in the world when it was operational.
  • Silicosis, a form of pneumoconiosis caused by inhalation of crystalline silica dust, was first identified in KGF
  • National Institute of Miners Health had its headquarters in KGF
  • One can see the old British bungalows and buildings even today in good shape in KGF
  • Mr.K.H.Muniyappa union minister has been successful in reopening this closed mines and giving life to the almost dead city. It is told that it was his election promise.
  • KGF has been in the news recently in connection with the murder of S.Manjunath, the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) manager who was killed for doing his duty. He was from Vivek Nagar.
  • KGF played a major part in the prosperity of the British Empire
  • A collaboration of particle physicists from Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai, Osaka City University, Japan and Durham University, UK recorded the first cosmic ray neutrino interaction in an underground laboratory in KGF mines in 1965.
  • KGF also has the distinction of having a Golf course started by the Britisher's dating back to 1885 and affiliated to Indian Golf Union


[edit] Places of interest in and around KGF

[edit] External links