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Karwar

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Template:Infobox Indian jurisdiction

Karwar (Konkani: कारवार , Kannada: ಕಾರವಾರ) is the administrative headquarters of Uttara Kannada district in Karnataka, India. It is a seaside town situated on the banks of the Kali river which is on the west coast of the Indian peninsula. The town lies about 15 kilometres south of the Karnataka-Goa border and 519 km north-west of Bangalore. 'Karwar' also refers to the encompassing Taluk which includes the surrounding villages. The city has parallel and perpendicular concrete roads.

Etymology

The name 'Karwar' is a misnomer. It is derived from a nearby village called Kadwad (the British, probably, had trouble pronouncing "d" and replaced it with "r"). The present Karwar town is entirely a new settlement. Karwar used to be written as "Carwar" earlier.[1]

History

Kali River & Sadashivgad Fort as seen from Nandangadda Village

Karwar was an ancient site of sea trade visited by the Arabs, Dutch, Portuguese, French and later the British. Ibn Battuta passed through this route during one or more of his journeys.

Significant and picturesque, the Sadashivgad fort of historical importance is now a popular tourist destination located by the Kali river bridge, which has been built at the confluence of the river and the Arabian Sea.

Portuguese

Cintacora as known to the Portuguese was a very old port and was also known as Chitrakul(Chittakula) and Sindpur. When Sadashivgad was built in this area, the village also came to be known by that name.

A fort existed at Cintacora which was captured and burnt by the Portuguese in 1510. They called it Pir fort due to the Muslim Dargah(Tomb of a Sufi Saint Shahkaramuddin) they found there - & was known in Portuguese language as Forte de Piro or Pito.

The creek at the mouth of the Kali River was a trading center from early days. It came into greater prominence after Sadashivgad was built and the Portuguese realized the advantages of its sheltered harbor.

British

In 1638 a rival English trading body, the Courteen Association, established a factory at Karwar (actually the village named Kadwad, situated 6 km eastwards on the banks of the Kali river). It was a trade port frequented by traders from Arabia and Africa. Baitkhol port (the current civil port of Karwar) was famous for its natural harbor. The name Baithkhol is an Arabic term, Bait-e-kol, meaning bay of safety. Muslin was the chief commodity purchased but Karwar was also a source for pepper, cardamom, cassier and coarse blue cotton cloth. Situated on India's west coast, 50 miles south-east of Goa, Karwar was noted for its safe harbour. In 1649 the Courteen Association united with the British East India Company and Karwar became a Company factory.

Sultan of Mysore

In the Treaty of Mangalore signed in 1784, between Tipu Sultan and the East India Company, one finds reference to Karwar and Sadashivgad written as Carwar and Sadasewgude respectively.[2]

Maratha Empire

Karwar was a part of the Maratha Empire during the 18th century. After the defeat of the Marathas in the Third Anglo-Maratha War, it became a part of British territory. It was a part of the Bombay Presidency until 1950.

The British Empire

The British made Karwar their district headquarters in 1862. Since 1862, the time from which it came under Bombay Presidency, Karwar was described as a first rate harbour between Bombay and Colombo.

The renowned Bengali poet and Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, who visited Karwar in 1882, dedicated an entire chapter of his memoirs to this town.[3] The 22 year old Rabindranath Tagore stayed with his second brother, Satyendranath Tagore, who was the district judge in Karwar.

Geography

Coconut palms on the beach, Karwar

The town is sandwiched between the sea on one side and the Western Ghats on the other. It is rich in flora and fauna.

Kali river (Kalinadi) is a west flowing river which takes its birth at a height of 600 m in the Western Ghats at the village of Bidi. Kali River is a prime source of irrigation in Karnataka and has a total length of 153 km. The Kali river flows through Karwar town and finally empties into the Arabian Sea.

Demographics

As per the 2001 India census,[4] Karwar had a population of 62,960. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Karwar has an average literacy rate of 80%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 85%, and female literacy is 75%. In Karwar, 10% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Majority of the local population is Hindu.[citation needed] The prominent castes and subcastes include Daivadnya Brahmin, Konkan Maratha, Kshatriya Komarpanth, Vaishyavani, Harikantra, Konkan Kharvi, Halakki Vokkaliga, Gouli, Bhandari, Kunbi, Padthi, Ram Kashtriya, Havyaka Brahmin and Gaud Saraswat Brahmin.[citation needed] In the 17th century, due to rampant persecution by the Portuguese, over 20% of Goans migrated to Karwar. [citation needed]

Halakki Vokkaligas living in the foot of Western Ghats are known as the "Aboriginals of Uttara Kannada". They have an administrative system of their own and the headman is called "Gouda".[citation needed] Their way of living is still ancient; the women adorn themselves with beads and necklaces, heavy nose rings and distinct attire. Goulis are a nomadic tribe who migrated to Karwar from Maharashtra.[citation needed] They are mainly cow and goat raisers. They stay on the fringes of the forest. Some have taken up agriculture. Kunabis are said to be the most backward of the tribes of Uttara Kannada district. They live in small groups deep inside forests in bamboo huts built in a row sharing common walls. Not having access to medical facilities due to seclusion, mortality rate among them is very high.[citation needed]

Partly due to the presence of the British, who had a major presence in this town and by virtue of being next to the then Portuguese-controlled Goa state, Christianity has been in existence here since the 18th century. A majority of the Christians here are converts who fled the Portuguese Inquisition, which demanded complete severance from the native rituals practiced by the converts.[citation needed]

Muslims, mainly forming a part of the trading community, came down from the Deccan (Bahamani) kingdoms to Karwar, and are known to be sea-farers.[citation needed] It is due to Muslim influence that the Karwar port is known as "Baithkol" meaning the House of Safety, or Place of Safety ("Bait-e-kol" in Arabic).[citation needed] Major villages of Muslims were Shiveshvar, Kadwad, Sunkeri, Chittakula, Sawar Pai and Hotegali.[citation needed] It is believed that two brothers who were descendants of Prophet Mohammed's son-in-law Ali were settled in Shiveshvar and this village became a citadel of Islamic learning.[citation needed] In this village three shrines of Muslim Saints (Gaiby Pir, Nizam Pir and Shamshuddin pir-In Kot) are visited by worshippers.[citation needed]

Language

Konkani is spoken as a local language in Karwar.[5] Kannada, being the state language is also widely spoken. Marathi is widely understood in Karwar due to the prevalence of Marathi literature and arts in the area.[6] Hindi, Urdu and English are also used in social communication.

Border Issues

Uttara Kannada district was a part of Bombay Presidency during the British rule. Before reorganization of the States, the district was in Bombay State. The local Konkani-speaking people had close connections with Mumbai then. They had matrimonial relations also with the people in Bombay. Many Marathi-medium schools had also been established in Karwar and Joida taluks. Marathi films were released often in Karwar. The visit of Marathi drama troupes from Mumbai and Pune was an annual feature. However, Konkani-speaking people were disenchanted when Marathis began to claim that Konkani was a dialect of Marathi. They disputed it and asserted that Konkani had independent status as a language. It was the Konkani-speaking people led by late P.S. Kamat who argued before Mahajan Commission that Karwar was an integral part of Karnataka.[6]

The Goa State Konkani Ekikaran Manch (GSKEM) was launched with Asha Palankar as convener in Sadashivgad in 2006. According to members of the Ekikaran Manch, their aim is to organize the movement for the unification of Konkani language speaking Karwar and Joida taluks with Goa. The local unit of the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samithi (MES) at Sadashivagad and its leaders like Vishnu Kalgutkar and Shivanand Rane joined hands with the GSKEM and said they would dissolve the MES unit and fight for merger of Karwar and Joida in Goa. MES had a long history of pursuit for Karwar alongside Nippani and Belgaum in their quest to merge these areas into the state of Maharashtra. The activists said that Karwar and Joida, with 90 per cent of Konkani speaking people, should be merged with Goa, the only Konkani state in the country.[5]

Communities

[Kshatriya Konkan Marathas] - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konkan_Maratha

Notable people

File:Major RR Rane.jpg
Major Rane

Industry

Karwar is rich in flora and fauna

A major industry in Karwar is fisheries. Though the district is located along the coast, its marine products are not much renowned. But activities connected with fisheries are carried out on a large scale by the fishermen communities like Harikanth, Konkan Kharvis, Gabiths, Ambigas.

A majority of the population lives in rural areas, undertaking agriculture as the main occupation.

The main traditional occupations are agriculture, fisheries, animal husbandry, sericulture, horticulture, beekeeping and leather works.

Solaris Chemtech (previously BILT - Ballarpur Industries Ltd.) at Binaga manufactures caustic soda, chlorine, hydrochloric acid and phosphoric acid. NPC's nuclear power plant at Kaiga is around 50 kilometres away from Karwar town. Karwar is situated on the Konkan Railway route. The railway station is located at Shirwad, 6 km away from Karwar town.

Project Seabird

A bay near Binaga has become a new naval base for the Indian Navy called INS Kadamba, as part of Project Seabird. Thus, its beautiful beaches like the Casurina Beach (at Binaga) - now christened as Kamat Bay by the navy - and the Arga Beach are now transformed with shore infrastructure built by the Indian Navy and are out of bounds for the common man. However, the navy opens its portals for one and all during the Navy Week in December and for educational institutions and groups visiting the base.

Karwar port

Karwar port is located in Baithkol area of Karwar town on the edge of Karwar bay. The bay's mountain range opposite the port towards the Arabian Sea protects the ships berthed at the port from the sea waves, which makes Karwar among the best natural harbours in the world.

Karwar port is one of the main ports of Karnataka, serving the hinterland of northern Karnataka, Goa and southern Maharastra, with a total length of 355 meters. The quay has two berths with a draft capacity of 9.25 meters each for berthing of deep ocean going ships. It is maintained and operated by the Government of Karnataka with all necessary facilities. The Government of Karnataka has a proposal to develop Karwar port on Public Private Partnership (PPP) basis for 6 additional berths, a container port terminal, and a rail link from Karwar port to Shirwad railway station for transport of cargo by railway wagons. The port has been declared by Government of India as handling all types of commodities, including "B" and "C" classes of petroleum products.

At present Iron ore Fines (IOF) is the prime cargo handled by the port. The cargo lorries plying on the National Highway 17 to the port play havoc during arrival of ships, due to discharging and dumping of cargo in and around the port area. This leads to regular protests and agitation by local residents and NGOs. The locals argue that the authorities are not taking enough measures for safe movement of vehicles and also that dumping of cargo in and around the port area leads to pollution of the area which in turn, is hazardous for human habitation. Karwar port also has arrangements for berthing of coastal vessels. A fishing jetty is attached to the port which is used to berth fishing boats. Karwar port plays a major role in the sea trade, fishing and maritime services of the nation.

Karwar Port is also the headquarters for the Department of Ports & Inland Waterways, Government of Karnataka. This department is headed by a Principal Director who is in charge for all maritime and inland waterway activities of Karnataka state (excluding New Mangalore Port - being a major port, it is under Central Government control).

There are rumours that the National Highway 17 passing adjoining to the port will be closed and diverted through another part of the town due to security reasons.

Tourism

Karwar Evening
Bridge on River Kali, Karwar
Kali river bridge, Karwar, Karnataka

Prominent places of tourist interest in Karwar are:

  • Oyster Rock Lighthouse
  • Karwar Beach
  • Devbagh Beach
  • Kurumgad Island
  • Kodasall
  • Binaga Beach
  • Tilmatti Beach
  • Majali Beach
  • Guddahalli Peak
  • Hyder Ghat Pass
  • Shirve Ghat
  • Devkar Falls
  • Anshi National Park
  • Durga Devi Temple
  • Naganath Temple
  • Shahkaramuddin Dargah, Sadashivgad (Tomb of a Sufi Saint)
  • Kot Shiveshvar
  • Mudgeri Dam
  • Jamiya Mosque,Shiveshvar
  • Chaitanya Park
  • Jamba
  • Sadashivgad Fort
  • High Church
  • Maruti Temple
  • Kali Bridge
  • Chendia Falls - Nagarmadi Falls (a small waterfall which passes under a huge rock)
  • Habbu Mountain (opp. Venkateshwara Gas Agencies)
  • Shri Kshetra Gurumath, Baad,Karwar
  • Shri Ayyappa Temple, KEB Road
  • Jai Santoshi Maata Temple, Nanadangadda, Karwar

Karwar cuisine

Kurle Ambat

Karwar is famous for a variety of seafood delicacies. Fish curry and rice is the staple diet of the locals, cashews and coconut

  • Kurle Ambat – Crab prepared in coconut, red chillies and tamarind paste.
  • Bangada Fry – Mackerel fried in masala (spices) and semolina.
  • Gojju – A vegetable dish made of capsicum, carrot, cucumber and eggplant fried in butter.
  • Kalwa Sukka
  • Tisaryachi Ekshipi – Clams with one shell on.
  • Masli Kadi – Fish cooked in coconut gravy.
  • Miri Phanas Chi Bhaji – Breadfruit cooked with grated coconut, spices and either shellfish or shrimp.
  • Shagoti – Chicken or mutton cooked in coconut gravy and shagoti masala.
  • Sukhe Masli – Dried, salted fish like mackerel (bangada), Bombay duck (bombil), sardine (tarle) and others.
  • Paez – Parboiled rice (ukhde tandul) cooked in water and salt. Is eaten with ambat or masli kadi.
  • Sutryan – Boiled rice shaped into a disc or vada-like form. Is eaten with prawn (zinge) gravy.
  • Kakadi chi Roti
  • Mungachi Kheer
  • Sakhroli
  • Chile
  • Ghavane
  • Shevaya – Vermicelli noodles made from boiled rice. Is eaten with coconut milk and jaggery.
  • Patoli – A sweet prepared by wrapping the ingredients in turmeric leaves and steaming them.
  • Patrado
  • Sukrundo – A sweet prepared during Ganesh Chaturthi. People believe that this is Lord Ganesh's favourite.
  • Bhinda Kadi – A drink prepared from the kokum fruit.

Karwar Taluk

Karwar Taluk/Tehsil comprises the following blocks/villages: Kathinkon, Kinner, Siddar, Halga, Ulga, Asnoti, Bhaire, Balni, Kharga, Kadra, Hankon, Baad, Kolage, Majali, Hosali, Bhaire, Gopashitta, Sunkeri, Amdalli, Arga, Chendia, Kerwadi, Karkal, Gotegali, Hotegali, Bore, Mallapur, WailBalni, Upper Makeri, Lower Makeri, Hapkarni, Kunnipet, Sanmudageri, Mudageri, Kaiga, Harwada, Hosalli, Devabag, Hotegali, Thoralebag, Sadashivgad, Angadi, Birtulbag, Hankon, Ambrai, Shejebag, Halebag, Sakalbalni, Kodibag, Nandangadda, Kajubag, Baitkol, Binaga, Nargeri (area around the Konkan Railway Station), Shirwad, Shejwad, Kadwad.

Festivals

Ganesha Chaturthi Festival is one of the major festival season of Karwar. It is celebrated as the birthday of Lord Ganesha. Two to three months prior to Ganesh Chaturthi, life-like clay models of Lord Ganesha are made for sale by specially skilled artisans. They are beautifully decorated & depict Lord Ganesh in various poses. The size of these statues may vary from 3/4 of an inch to over 25 feet.Ganesh Chaturthi starts with the installation of these Ganesh statues in colorfully decorated homes and specially erected temporary structures mantapas (pandals) in every locality. The pandals are erected by the people or a specific society or locality or group by collecting monetary contributions. The mantapas are decorated specially for the festival, either by using decorative items like flower garlands, lights, etc. or are theme based decorations, which depict religious themes or current events. The statues are worshiped with families and friends.

Diwali is also celebrated by Karwarians with lot of spirit. Diwali is celebrated as return of Rama, King of Ayodhya, with his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana to Ayodhya after 14 years exile, and a war in which he killed Ravana. It is also called the Festival of Lights. All homes, shops, establishments & offices are decorated & special arrangements are made at night for lighting.

Muslims community of Karwar celebrates Id-ul-Fitar (Ramdan Id) on the completion of Ramadan month & Id-ul-Adha (Bakri-Id) in the remembrance of Prophet Abraham's sacrifice of his son Prophet Ismail to the will of Almighty Allah and completion of Haj rituals at Mecca.

Christian community of Karwar celebrates Christmas Day on 25 December being birthday of Jesus Christ.

Every year, a festival called the "Karavali Utsav" is held on the Rabindranath Tagore Beach, lasting 3 to 4 days. It is organised by Uttar Kannada District Administration as a cultural-social festival of district level. Many shops and stalls are installed at the Tagore Beach Karwar, people from all parts of district and all over the state and neighbouring Goa state participate in the festival. Many cultural events are held at evening time in which artist of regional, national and international level present their shows, they include Bollywood stars, Kannada film stars, Goan artists and local artists.

Quote

The sea beach of Karwar is certainly a fit place in which to realize that the beauty of Nature is not a mirage of the imagination, but reflects the joy of the Infinite and thus draws us to lose ourselves in it. Where the universe is expressing itself in the magic of its laws it may not be strange if we miss its infinitude; but where the heart gets into immediate touch with immensity in the beauty of the meanest of things, is any room left for argument?

— Rabindranath Tagore[3]

Rail connectivity

Karwar Railway Station

Karwar is well connected to Madgaon (Goa), Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Mangalore, Cochin, Trivandrum and other important places through the Konkan Railway. The three railway stations falling under Karwar Taluka on Konkan Railway route are Asnoti, Karwar (Shirwad) and Harwada. The Nearest Goan station is the Canacona station after the asnoti station at a distance of 36 km. The next being the Madgaon station towards the North. Karwar is 68 km from Madgaon.

From other cities in India

Place Distance from karwar (in km) State
Madgaon 68 Goa
Bangalore 520 Karnataka
Hubli 165 Karnataka
Mangalore 288 Karnataka
Mumbai 850 Maharastra
kumta 68 Karnataka
Sirsi 120 Karnataka
Bhatkal 115 Karnataka
Panjim 105 Goa
Canacona 36 Goa
Polem (Goa Border) 15 Karnataka-Goa Border
Vasco-da-gama 95 Goa
udupi 220 karnataka
Belgaum 131 Karnataka
Dandeli 117 Karnataka
Ankola 33 Karnataka
Dharwad 180 Karnataka
Verna 85 Goa
Chennai 881 Tamil Nadu
trivandrum 894 kerala
pune 662 maharastra
thrissur 690 kerala
kozhikode 574 kerala
honnavar 94 karnataka

News and media

  • Karwar eNews (http://www.karwarenews.com) is the major online local newspaper in the region.
  • Karavali Munjav, a Kannada daily published from Karwar is the most popular local daily amongst the masses of Uttar Kannada district. Karavali Munjav has circulations in every nook & corners of the district.
  • Karwar also have a District Press / Media Center (Zilla Varta Kendra) near DC Office, NH-17.
  • There is a Government District Library Near District Court next to Mitra Samaj attracting people from all ages and groups. It is a favourite spot for reading in the city and has a public reading room and a collection of books on various subjects.

Others

  • A Part of the 2008 Hindi Picture film Golmaal Returns was shot in KARWAR port.

See also

Karwar (KAWR)
Next 'Small' station towards Mumbai:
Asnoti 		Konkan Railway : Railway (India) Next 'Small' station from Mumbai:
Harwada
Distance from Mumbai(CST) = 0816 KM
Next 'Main' station towards Mumbai:
Madgaon 		Konkan Railway : Railway (India) Next 'Main' station from Mumbai:
Bhatkal

References

  1. ^ History Of Gingee And Its Rulers
  2. ^ Project South Asia
  3. ^ a b Karwar in Tagore's memoirs
  4. ^ Template:GR
  5. ^ a b Goa Konkani Manch launched in Karwar - The Times of India
  6. ^ a b The Hindu : Karnataka News : MES campaign on border issue in Karwar condemned
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