| Karkala ಕಾರ್ಕಳ |
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| Jain pilgrimage centre | |
| — town — | |
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Karkala
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| Coordinates | |
| Country | India |
| Region | Tulu Nadu |
| State | Karnataka |
| Division | Mysore Division |
| District(s) | Udupi |
| Settled | 1912 |
| Headquarters | Udupi |
| Nearest city | Mangalore |
| President | Mrs Prathima Mohan |
| Deputy President | Mrs. Nalini Achar |
| Legislature (seats) | Bicameral (156) |
| Parliamentary constituency | Udupi Loksabha Constituency(15th) |
| Assembly constituency | Karkala Vidhansabha Kshethra(122nd) |
| Zone | Karkal |
| Ward | 23 |
| Municipality | Karkal Town Municipal Council |
| Population • Density |
25,118 (2001[update]) • 1,089.16 /km2 (2,821 /sq mi) |
| Sex ratio | 1.11 ♂/♀ |
| Official languages | Tulu, Konkani |
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| Time zone | IST (UTC+05:30) |
| Area |
23.06 square kilometres (8.90 sq mi) • 80 metres (260 ft) |
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Footnotes
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| Website | Karkala Municipal Office |
Karkala (Kannada/Tulu/Konkani: ಕಾರ್ಕಳ [kaːrkəɭɐ]) is a town and the headquarters of Karkala taluk in the Udupi district of Karnataka, India. Located about 380 km from Bangalore, it lies near the Western Ghats.
The town was called Pandya Nagari (ಪಾಂಡ್ಯ ನಗರಿ) during the period of Jain rule, and later became known as Karikallu (ಕರಿಕಲ್ಲು), then Karkal (ಕಾರ್ಕಲ್) and finally to Karkala.
Karkala has a number of natural and historical landmarks.
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Karkala dates back to the beginning of the 10th century.
Black granite is abundant in the area, and is in wide use in the local architecture. The name of the town is derived from kari-kal, meaning black stone in Tulu.Some assert that the original name was 'Kari Kola' meaning 'elephant lake' which is the existing 'Anekere'. Tulu-speaking people call the town Karla. Muslims, and Kannadigas call it Karkala, and the Roman Catholics call it Karkol. Its alternative name, Jain Thirtha, is the result of 300 years of Jain rule. It was called Karkal by the English; later, it was called Karkala in Kannada. Karkala is on the top of a granite bed that is about 300–500 ft thick.
The Alupas were the first to rule Karkala. Their rule was followed by the Santaras, who were the feudatories of Alupas for many years. Karkala, or ancient Pandya Nagari, attained political and cultural importance from the time of the Kalasa-Karkala kingdom that was established by Bhairarasa Odeyas between 13th and 16th centuries. The Bhairarasas appear to be the descendants of the Santara chiefs, who ruled the western ghats region around the 11th century AD.
The royal family of Karkala rose to prominence during the time of the Hoysalas. During the Vijayanagara period, they expanded their kingdom to cover Sringeri, Koppa, Balehonnur, and Mudigere in Chikamagalur and most of the Karkala taluk.
The king Veera Bhairava constructed basadis at Karkala and endowed land and money on numerous temples and basadis. Ramanatha and Veerapandya were his two sons. Ramanatha predeceased his father, and in his memory, a lake called Ramasamudra was created, which still survives. Later, King Veera Pandya installed a large statue of Bahubali on the rocky hill of Karkala. The date of the installation has been ascertained as February 13, 1432. Veera Pandya also installed the Brahmadeva Pillar in front of the statue in 1436. His successor, Abinava Pandya, installed an intricate 54-foot-high (16 m) carving of manastambha in front of the Neminatha Basadi in Hiriyangadi in 1457 AD. Later, Pandya VI built the Kere Basadi in the middle of a lake called Anekere in 1545 AD.
There are 18 basadis of antiquity, including Mahaveera Basadi, Chandranathaswamy Basadi, Adinathaswamy Basadi, Ananthanatha Basadi, Guru Basadi, and Padmavathi Basadi. However, the rulers of Karkala were tolerant towards other religions. Therefore, temples of other religions exist, including the temples of Anantashayana and Venkataramana, Mahamaya Mukhyaprana, and Adi Shakti. The St Lawrence Church was built in 1845 in a village called Nitte (Attur hamlet) where people of all religions congregate every year in January for the feast of St Lawrence.
Karkala is a town of historical importance and a pilgrim centre for Jains. The single stone 42-foot (13 m) statue Gomateshwara (Lord Bahubali) is located about 1 km from the center of the town and is the second tallest in Karnataka . There are about 18 Jain basadis here. This statue of Lord Bahubali was installed at Karkala on February 13, 1432 on the instructions of the pontiff of Karkala, Lalitakeerti. There are several other temples, mosques and churches in and around Karkala. Several jain temples were constructed namely Chaturmukha Thirthankara Basadi, Hiriyangaddi Neminatha Basadi, and Anekere Padmavathi Basadi. All of these sites mentioned are listed in Archaeological Survey of India, Government of India.
The other statues of Bahubali in the state are at Shravanabelagola installed by Chamundaraya, which is 57 feet tall, at Venur installed by Timmaraja, which is 35 feet (11 m) tall, and at Dharmasthala installed by D. Veerendra Heggade, which is 39 feet (12 m) tall.
Every twelve years, hundreds of thousands of Jain devotees congregate to perform the Mahamastakabhisheka, a ceremony where the Gommateshwara statue is bathed and anointed with milk, water, and saffron paste and sprinkled with sandalwood powder, turmeric, and vermilion. The last Mahamastakabhisheka was held in February 2002, and the next will be in 2014. An annual Rathotsava is held in February.
Karkala is a piligrimage location for Jains and it attracts tourists. There are several Hindu temples, Jain basadis, mosques, churches and lakes in Karkala.
Padutirupathi is a temple dating back to the 14th century when the Jain Bhairarasa Odeyars ruled Karkala and surrounding place. It still serves as a gathering place for the people of Karkala today. [1]
St. Lawrence Shrine, or Attur church, was built in the 18th century by Christians who fled Portuguese rule in India. It is a Catholic church dedicated to St. Lawrence, and serves the Christian population of India.
Karkal is located at .[2] It has an average elevation of 81 metres (265 feet).
| City area | 23.06 km2. |
| Number of properties | 9526 habitats |
| Length of roads | 77.5 km |
| Total water supply | 2 MLD |
| Type of land | Wet |
| Water supply source | Mundli River |
| Summer temperature | 38C |
| Winter temperature | 24C |
| Annual rainfall | 4372.7mm |
| Agriculture crops | Paddy, coconut, arecanut, jackfruit |
| Latitude | 13.2000 |
| Longitude | 74.9833 |
| Altitude (feet) | 265 |
| Lat (DMS) | 13°11'60 N |
| Long (DMS) | 74°58'60 E |
| Altitude (meters) | 80 |
As of 2001[update] India census,[3] Karkal town had a population of 25,118. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Karkal has an average literacy rate of 82%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 85%, and female literacy is 79%. In Karkal, 9% of the population is under six years of age. According to recent statistics by town municipality, 25,635 people currently reside in this town, while as per the recent statistics Karkala taluk has a population of 2.10 Lacs (previous 2001 census is 2,04,571).
The undivided Dakshina Kannada District has a diverse variety of cultures.
Karkala is a multicultural and multilingual city that follows four religions, namely Hinduism, Islam, Christianity and Jainism. Tulu, Kannada, Urdu, and Konkani are the most prevalent local languages, though Hindi and English are also well understood. There are also Tuluva communities, Urdu and Bearys speaking Muslims, Marathi-speaking Maharashtrian Brahmins (chitpavans) and a few Maratha Kshatriyas. The Protestant Christians Tulu or Konkani.
Hulivesha (Tiger dance) is a unique form of folk dance in Dakshina Kannada. It is considered as the favored carrier of Goddess Sharada (the deity in whose honor Dussera is celebrated), and is performed during the Dussera celebration. It is also performed during other festivals like Krishna Janmasthami. Bhuta Kola or spirit worship is practised, usually at night. Kambala, or buffalo racing, is also conducted in paddy fields. Korikatta (Cockfighting) is another favourite sport for village people. Nagaradhane, or snake worship, is also practised, according to the popular belief that the Naga Devatha go underground and guard the species above. Konkani speaking GSBs have their own tradition of celebrating Rathotsava and Deepotsava like the Kannada speaking Brahmins.
The Christians in Karkala celebrate a special feast called Saanth Maari, also known as Attur Church festival, for three days. Thousands of people from all over India attend.
The Muslims offer prayers five times a day at the Masjids and eid prayers at Eidgah on Eid ul fitr and Eid ul adha occasions and Jains have their Jain Milans yearly.
The Karkala Town Municipal Council (Karkala Purasabhe in Kannada; ಕಾರ್ಕಳ ಪುರಸಬೆ) is the municipal corporation. Also, Karkala comes under Udupi-Chikkamaglur LokaSabha Constituency.
State and national highways are the main mode of transportation in Karkala. The closest airports and railroads are in Bajpe in Mangalore and Indrali in Udupi,
Karkala is connected to 3 major state roads and one major highway.
In this semi-urban township Industries are limited to cashew, rice, and coconut-oil only. There is one dynamite factory at Varanga village.
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