Kollegal

Kollegal
ಕೊಳ್ಳೇಗಾಲ
city

Bird's Eyeview of Kollegal City from Maradi Gudda.
Nickname(s): black magic city
Kollegal

Location in Karnataka, India

Coordinates: 12°03′46″N 76°58′40″E / 12.0628°N 76.9777°ECoordinates: 12°03′46″N 76°58′40″E / 12.0628°N 76.9777°E
Country  India
State Karnataka
District Chamarajanagar district
Area
 • Total 27.47 km2 (10.61 sq mi)
Elevation 587 m (1,926 ft)
Population (2001)
 • Total 52,607
 • Density 1,915.07/km2 (4,960.0/sq mi)
Languages
 • Official Kannada
Time zone IST (UTC+5:30)
PIN 571 440
Telephone code 08224
Vehicle registration KA-10
Website [<span%20class="url">.kollegalacity.gov.in www.kollegalacity.gov.in%20www<wbr<wbr/>/>.kollegalacity<wbr<wbr/>/>.gov<wbr<wbr/>/>.in]</span>]

Kollegal is one of the major taluks in the Chamrajnagar District of Karnataka State in the south of India.It is also the largest taluk in Karnataka, Kollegal is well known for its silk industry which attracts traders from all over the state.

History

Until 1956, Kollegal was part of the Coimbatore district of the Madras Presidency. The States Reorganisation Act of 1956 moved Kollegal to Karnataka primarily organising it along linguistic lines. Kollegal is the name derived from the names of two hermits namely 'Kauhala' and 'Galava' who were believed to be instrumental in the development of Kollegal. Kollegal, also called "Silk City", is famous for its hand loom silk saree industry. Kollegal is one of the larger taluks in Karnataka and was previously the largest. Plans are underway to divide Kollegal, making Hanur the capital of the new taluk in the Chamrajanagar District. This separation has been ongoing for years is not yet entirely in effect.


Kollegal serves as a center for pre-university education in the region. Well known schools in Kollegal include Sree Vasavi Vidya Kendra, St. Francis Assisi High School, Lions High School, Nisarga Independent PU college, Seventh Day Adventist High School, and Mudigundam Gurukaar Subappa Veerappa (MGSV), and Mahadeshwara Degree College.

Kollegal was one of the areas which played host to the activities of Veerappan(jan 18,1952-oct 18,2004), a notorious bandit who smuggled sandalwood and poached elephants for their tusks.

Many tourists visit the Kollegal area. The Malai Mahadeshwara Hills, and the waterfalls at Hogenakal near Male Mahadeshwara hills and the waterfalls of Gagana Chukki and Bhara Chukki at Shivana Samudra (also known as Bluff) are popular destinations. In Kollegal there is a small hill called "Maradi Gudda" which is located in the heart of the city. Gundal dam is just 15 km (9.3 mi) away from Kollegal.

Transportation

Kollegal is connected by two national highways:

The nearest railway stations are Chamarjanagar 30 km (19 mi) and Mysore (MYS) 60 km (37 mi). The nearest airport is Bangalore International Airport (BLR), 150 km (93 mi) and Coimbatore International Airport CJB), 170 km (110 mi) away. Kollegal is the main junction where you can enter Salem, Coimbatore, Ooty, Kozhikode, Mysore & Bangalore. The Biligiri Rangana Betta (known as BR hills) is just 30 km (19 mi) away from the town. The K.Gudi (Kyathadevara Gudi) Wilderness camp run by the jungle lodges and resorts (a government of Karnataka undertaking) is near the B.R hills.

There are two bus routes from Bangalore to Kollegal:

Karnataka government buses from Bangalore ply from MCTC which is popularly known as Satellite bus terminal in Mysore Road.

Geography

Paddy fields-Ripe for harvest, Kollegal
Maradi Gudda at the heart of the City, Kollegal
Sri Mahadeshwara Swamy First Foot Prints at Maradi Gudda, Kollegal

Kollegal is located at 12°09′N 77°07′E / 12.15°N 77.12°E.[1] It has an average elevation of 588 m (1,929 ft). Since the town is on the foothills of the Western Ghats, it is home to a mixed topography. Temperature is moderate.

Demographics

As of 2001 India census"Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 2004-06-16. Retrieved 2008-11-01., Kollegal had a population of 52,450. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. The population of Kollegal city in 2005 was estimated to be 52,000.[2] Kollegal has an average literacy rate of 69%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 74%, and female literacy is 64%. In Kollegal, 10% of the population is under 6 years of age.

People in Kollegal speak a variation of Kannada distinct from that spoken in Mysore and Bangalore and Tamil. This dialect of Kannada at times suffixes da when spoken among friends. Kannada as spoken in Kollegal was used in the 2005 film Jogi starring Shivarajkumar.

College and Schools

Lions PU college and Sree Vasavi Vidya Kendra are the oldest private institutions in Kollegal offering best education at pre-university level. Nisarga independent PU college is one of the best college in Kollegal and all over the Chamarajanagar district.

References

  1. ↑ Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Kollegal
  2. ↑ "2005 population estimates for cities in India". mongabay.com. Retrieved 2007-04-11.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kollegal.