Gangolli

Gangolli (also Ganguli) is an Indian village in the Kundapura taluk of Udupi. It is situated across the river Pancha Gangaval from the town of Kundapura. It is located on a peninsula on the west coast of Karnataka. It is bordered by the river to the east and by the Arabian Sea to the west.

The village name was originally spelled Ganguli, but in recent times it has been more commonly spelt "Gangoll"i. The postal seal still contains the old spelling.

History

Gangolli was fortified during the reign of the Keladi rulers in the sixteenth century. It was a major fortification under Tipu Sultan, who established a ship building yard here. The first colonial power to capture the fort were the Portuguese. It is believed that they had introduced coconut cultivation in this area. They also brought Catholic families from Goa for the purpose.

Under subsequent British rule, Gangolli developed as a major trading and export centre. It had business connections with Bombay, Kerala, Gujarat, the Middle East, Lakshadweep and Tanzania. Rice, jaggery and coconut were the major exports.

After Indian independence in 1948, the villagee continued to be a trading centre, but trading activities suffered due to the construction of National Highway 17 and the introduction of modern transport systems, replacing shipping.

Later, in the 1980s it developed as a major fishing centre with the introduction of mechanised fishing.

Culture

The main languages used here are Kundpur Kannada, Urdu, Zamayati, Navayath and Konkani. The historic Sri Venkataramana temple, popularly known as Malyara Mutt, is one of the oldest places of worship in the region. It was built during the Vijayanagar time.

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