Kumta
| Kumta ಕುಮಟ | |
|---|---|
| Town | |
|
Kumta Sunset at Beach | |
  Kumta Location in Karnataka, India | |
| Coordinates: 14°25′N 74°24′E / 14.42°N 74.4°ECoordinates: 14°25′N 74°24′E / 14.42°N 74.4°E | |
| Country |
 India |
| State | Karnataka |
| Region | Canara |
| District | North Kanara |
| Named for | Beauty |
| Government | |
| • Type | Indian National Congress |
| • Mayor | Smt. Sharadha Mohan Shetty |
| • Assistant Commissioner | G. Anuradha KAS |
| Area | |
| • Total | 15.34 km2 (5.92 sq mi) |
| Area rank | 9th |
| Elevation | 2 m (7 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 145,826 |
| • Rank | 2nd |
| • Density | 1,957.2/km2 (5,069/sq mi) |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Kannada |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
| PIN | 581 343 |
| Telephone code | +91-(0)8386 |
| Vehicle registration | KA-47 |
| Lok Sabha Constituency | Canara Lok Sabha Constituency |
| Climate | Mansoon (Köppen) |
| Website |
www |
Kumta is a town and a taluk in the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka, India. Kumta is about 142 km south of Margao and 58 km north of Bhatkal. It is one of the important stations along the Konkan Railway line running between Mumbai and Mangalore. The nearest international airport is Dabolim Airport (Vasco da Gama) which is 167 km away. www.nammakumta.com
History
During the British Raj, Kumta was a part of the North Kanara district of the Bombay Presidency. Crafts made out of Carving in sandalwood is a specialty. The city came under the rule of Maratha Empire in the 1800s, who ceded it to the British at the conclusion of the Third Anglo-Maratha War in 1818. The British established Kumta city as a part of the Bombay Presidency. During the American Civil War the cotton from the southern states that fed mills in England stopped supplying and the mills started importing a variety of cotton known as 'Kumta Hatti’ this resulted in development of Kumta port.
After India's independence in 1947, Bombay Presidency was reconstituted as Bombay State. In 1956 the southern portion of Bombay State was added to Mysore State, which was renamed Karnataka in 1972. Kumta was an ancient site of sea trade visited by the Arabs, Dutch, Portuguese, French and later the British. Famous Moroccan traveler Ibn Battuta is said to have stayed for a time in the district under the protection of Nawayath Sultan Jamal Al-Din. Ibn Battuta passed through this route during one or more of his journeys.
The renowned Bengali poet and Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, who visited Kumta in 1882, dedicated an entire chapter of his memoirs to this city. The 22 year old Rabindranath Tagore stayed with his brother, Satyendranath Tagore, who was the district judge in North Kanara. There is a substantial amount of Chardo families in this area as they had migrated due to the persecution by the Portuguese in Goa.
Geography
The city of Kumta is located on the Arabian sea coast in the district of North Kanara in the state of Karnataka. Kumta is adjacent to the vast western ghats 14°25′N 74°24′E / 14.42°N 74.4°E. It has an average elevation of 3 metres (9 feet).
Just to the north of city, the major Aghanashini river joins the Arabian Sea on her way rendering stunning scenery. The town of Gokarna near Kumta is famous for beaches. A nearby Rock Climbing spot called Yana is also beautiful with its massive black rock formations and nature trails.
Gokarna is just 30 km. Yana is just 20 km from Kumta. Places around Kumta include:
- Gorkana Beaches,
- Kadle Beach
- Dhareshwar Beach
- Kudle beach
- Holanagadde Nene Beach
- Tuin Beach
- Kumta Beach
- Baada Temple and Beach
- Mangodlu Beach
- Mirjan Fort
Demographics
As of 2011 India census Kumta had a population of 121,327. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Kumta has an average literacy rate of 77%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 82% and female literacy is 73%. In Kumta, 10% of the population is under 6 years of age. Kannada is the main language spoken in this City and Konkani is also widely spoken.
The town of Kumta features diverse population including Brahmins, craftsmen, fishermen, Christians, and Muslims. Beaches, lakes (Vishnuteerth), and mountains provide a lot of recreational opportunities to the locals. The city of Kumta features diverse population including Namadhari Naiks, Halakki Vokkaligas, Havyaka Brahmins, Daivadnya Brahmins, Gouda Saraswat Brahmins, Saraswat Brahmins, Gudigars, Siddis, Fishermen, Muslims (Nawayath) and minority of Christians (Catholics).
Climate
This part of Karnataka has very hot Summer with temperature rising of maximum of 35-36 degree Celsius and the Rainfall here is seasonal, but heavy and is above 6000 mm. in a year. The impact of winter is less in this part of Coastal Karnataka. Since the city is located on the coast, it has an extreme climate, with temperatures in the range of 360C to 280C during summer and 260C to 200C during winter. The rainy season witnesses heavy rains by the South-West Monsoon.
The Monsoon period is from June to September with rainfall averaging more than 4000mm every year and heavy winds.
| Climate data for Kumta | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 32.8 (91) |
33 (91) |
33.5 (92.3) |
34 (93) |
33.3 (91.9) |
29.7 (85.5) |
28.2 (82.8) |
28.4 (83.1) |
29.5 (85.1) |
30.9 (87.6) |
32.3 (90.1) |
32.8 (91) |
31.53 (88.7) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 20.8 (69.4) |
21.8 (71.2) |
23.6 (74.5) |
25 (77) |
25.1 (77.2) |
24.4 (75.9) |
24.9 (76.8) |
24 (75) |
24.1 (75.4) |
24.1 (75.4) |
24.4 (75.9) |
24.2 (75.6) |
23.87 (74.94) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 1.1 (0.043) |
0.2 (0.008) |
2.9 (0.114) |
24.4 (0.961) |
183.2 (7.213) |
1,027.2 (40.441) |
1,200.4 (47.26) |
787.3 (30.996) |
292.1 (11.5) |
190.8 (7.512) |
70.9 (2.791) |
16.4 (0.646) |
3,796.9 (149.485) |
Economy
Tourism
Nirvana Beach, is getting popularity among international and domestic tourist, because of its beautiful location, white sand, green coastline and gentle inhabitants. (12 km from Kumta)
Agriculture
The chief crops of the city are Rice and Arecanut along with a great diversity of other crops. Tree crops include Coconut, Sugar Cane, Cocoa, Cashew, Areca nut, Betel Leaf, Turmeric, Mango, Pineapple, Garcinia, and Sapota Banana cultivations and Fisheries; vegetables include Onion, radish, Cucumber, Cauliflower, Sweet Potato, Brinjal, and Amaranth; spices include Pepper, Cardamom, Ginger and Nutmeg. Millet and Cotton are grown in the drier portion of the city east of the Western Ghats. But the most significant produce is Areca nut and Betel leaves. It has its very own Areca nut trading centre and shandy market at APMC.
Industries
The major products of small scale industries in Kumta are Roofing Tiles, Coir Products, Jewelry, Food Products, Wood and Steel Furniture, Glass and Ceramics and Seafood. Some of these SSI and Tiny industries provide Job Works, components and spares required for large and medium scale industries, both within and outside the city. Eight large and medium scale industries in the city produce a variety of products like Paper, Duplex Board, Caustic Soda, Ferro Alloys, Transmission Gears, Food Concentrate, Herbal Medicines and Pharmaceuticals.
Transportation
Road
North West Karnataka Transport Corporation (NWKRTC) is the state transport agency in the city. The NWKRTC covers all towns & villages of Kumta. There is a good network of public transport which connects the villages to the city of Kumta. There are regular intrastate services to major cities & towns of the state like Bangalore, Mysore, Mangalore, Hubli-Dharwad & Belgaum. The Kadamba Transport Corporation (KTC) buses of neighboring Goa state provides regular service from Karwar to Mangalore and all part of Goa state. Kumta is the main hub for public transport which provides services to intra-district & intrastate round the clock.
National Highway 17 passes through Kumta. It connects Kumta with Mumbai, Panvel, Ratnagiri, Margao, Karwar, Bhatkal, Kundapur, Udupi, Mangalore and Edapally. It can be reached by even State Highways connecting Kumta to Sirsi and to Hubli via Yellapur.
Rail
Kumta [KT] is well connected through Konkan railways, which has frequent trains plying from Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Mangalore, Thiruvananthapuram, Margao, Karwar towards Mangalore (Mangalore Central [MAQ] and Mangalore Junction [MAJN]), Kumbakonam and also vice versa. The journey between Margao & Kumta takes not more than 2 hours. The Railway Station is very near to city situated about a kilometer away from National Highway.
Air
The nearest international airport is Dabolim Airport (Vasco da Gama) which is 156 km away. The next nearest international airport Mangalore International airport which is 210 km away. Hubli Airport and Belgaum Airport are two nearest domestic Airports.
Cuisine
Vegetarian Saraswat cuisine Their curries use a lot of coconut, coconut oil, tamarind, and curry leaves and is largely influenced by South Indian cuisine. Dishes such as Savalem ranapp prepared among the Bhats (Priests), Orthodox Goud Saraswat Brahmins and Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmins. This is followed by most Konkani families on Holy days and on festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi follow this style of cooking. On certain days, (Mondays in particular), all Saraswat Brahmins eat only vegetarian food.
Havyakas are traditionally lacto-vegetarian in their diet, and their cuisine consists of some unique food items including Tellavu (a light type of dosa), Todedev (a wafer-thin sweet preparation), Melara, Balehannu Shavige (A vermicelli preparation using banana), Odappe, Holige, Appehuli, Gensle (sweet which is baked in turmeric/masala leaf), Halasinakayi huli, various types of Thambli (buttermilk/yoghurt-based rice accompaniment) including Korskayi Tambli, various types of Gojju (gravy) including Kocheegayi Gojju,Korskayi Gojju,Kai Gojju,Kadle Gojju (famous in Sagara prantya), etc.[14] Other commonly prepared items include Hagalkai Hashi (a type of salad made from bitter gourd), Kai Rasaa, Karkli, patrode, famous Soppina Tambli-Swarle-kudi, various leaf-based preparations such as Honegone Soppu, Vidangada Soppu, Vasange Soppu, Yelgurge kudi/soppu, Sorle kudi/soppu, Kanchi-soppu and Choand Gte-soppu, Kajale-palya, Huli, Sasame made of mango and Kannekudi katne. Many items are prepared using jack-fruit such as sweet pappads, several types of Thamblis and a variety of Chatni pudis, Sandige and Happala which can be preserved for a long time . They are also known for their preparations of banana Halwa, Berati of jack-fruit and Halasina Hannina Kadubu. "Holige" is the most popular sweet among havyakas.
The traditional food dishes of Kumta Muslims adopt the cuisine from surrounding regions, including Kerala. Seafood has been the mainstay of the Nawayathi diet for centuries. Meat and rice are staple foods. Favoured meats are beef, poultry, goat, and lamb. A popular beverage is tea, to which cardamom or mint can be added to give a distinct flavour. Muslims are strictly prohibited from eating pork, so it is not included in local menus.
Geography
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Gokarna | Ankola | Sirsi | |
| Arabian Sea |  |
Siddapur | ||
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| Arabian Sea | Honnavar | Bangalore |
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kumta. |
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