The Rain Country

Kestur Vasuki writes about the slow transition that Belgaum has made into the modern world, keeping the lessons and memories of the past intact.

You cannot expect to achieve new goals or move beyond your present circumstances unless you change — this quote by famous motivational speaker Les Brown fits perfectly when one notices how present has quietly stepped in to join hands with the past in Belgaum. And resulted in this south Indian city becoming a major hub in the region after State capital of Bangalore. In fact, it is interesting to note how heritage and modernity have become the key words in the growth of this city, situated in the northwestern parts of Karnataka and on the border of two States: Maharashtra and Goa. It is one of the oldest towns in the State, at a distance of 502 km from Bangalore; 515 km from Hyderabad and 500 km from Mumbai.

The geographical location adds up to the city’s advantage since it is situated right in between Bangalore and Mumbai-Pune to support the major automotive and aerospace companies in the region. The changing face of Belgaum has been recognised by many and it has been developing as a link town between Bangalore and Mumbai. Though the links between these two metros have changed, Belgaum has managed to keep its date with history.

In fact, history has helped this conservative town turn into a cosmopolitan city, in tune with the changing world. Belgaum, today is not only an industrial hub but a big trading centre after Bangalore. Not only this, it is an important location for vegetable trading, fish, wood and mining resource trading in Karnataka.

Belgaum has an enviable heritage and much more needs to be discovered. It lies in the zone of cultural transition between Karnataka, Maharashtra and Goa with a known antiquity that can be traced up to 2nd century AD. Due to its proximity with these States, Belgaum has acquired their cultural flavour and blended it with the local Kannada culture to create its own unique rich heritage. It is also known as Malenadu or Rain Country and the vegetation here is verdant throughout the year.

Belgaum is also now developing as a Tier II city in software and hardware development, augmenting the need of the growing graduates with a number of educational institutions imparting quality education. Nestled high in the Western Ghats, it is one of the most prominent historical places in the country. The old town area with cotton and silk weavers stands gloriously besides the modern and bustling British Cantonment area.

“Belgaum is the perfect example of change which is taking place at a rapid pace. A major reason for this is its close proximity from the IT city of Bangalore and the fashion city of Mumbai, also the hub of economic activities. The diversity and change has added to the cultural menu of Belgaum as a significant city in Karnataka,” explains Professor DS Poornanda of the Department of Journalism and Communication, Kuvempu University.

The name Belgaum originated from Velugrama or Ikhsugrama. The earliest mention of this fact is made in the Nesari Plates of 805 AD. The archaeological inscriptions in the Vadgaon-Madhavapura area reveal a prosperous town of the Satavahana times.

History tells us Belgaum was built in the 12th century AD by the Ratta dynasty who were based at nearby Saundatti. The fort of Belgaum was built in 1204 by a Ratta officer named Bichiraja. It served as the capital of the dynasty between 1210 and 1250, before the Rattas were defeated by the Yadava dynasty of Devagiri. Belgaum then briefly came under the sway of the Yadavas of Devagiri. The Khiljis of Delhi invaded the region at the turn of the 1300s and succeeded in ruining both the indigenous powers of the region, the Yadava and the Hoysalas without providing a viable administration. This lacuna was supplied by the Vijayanagara empire, which had become the established power of the area by 1336.

A century later, the town had become a bustling trading hub for diamonds and wood, owing to its favourable geographic location in the kingdom. In 1474, the Bahmani Sultanate, then ruling from Bidar, captured the fort of Belgaum. Shortly afterward, in 1518, the Bahamani sultanate splintered into five small states, and Belgaum became part of the Adilshahi sultanate of Bijapur. The Adilshahis reinforced the fort of Belgaum, much of the existing structure dates from 1519.

In 1686, the Mughal emperor, Aurangzeb overthrew the Bijapur sultanate, and Belgaum passed nominally to the Mughals. However, the Mughal empire went into decline after the death of Aurangzeb in 1707, and his principal detractors, the Maratha confederacy, took control of the area during the rule of the Peshwas. In 1776, the country was overrun by Hyder Ali of Mysore, but was retaken by the Peshwa with British assistance. In 1818, the British deposed the last Peshwa and annexed his kingdom, which included Belgaum.

It is the only district in Karnataka which was fully part of the Freedom Struggle. In 1857, when the Indo-Gangetic plain was convulsed by the flames of a sepoy-led rebellion against colonial rule, its heat were witnessed in Belgaum. A Muslim Wahabi and munshi in the army were discovered instigating sepoys in Belgaum in August 1857; five of them were executed by the British and four others imprisoned for life. Mahipalsingh was deputed by Raja Venkatappa Nayaka of Shorapur (Gulbarga district) to instigate sepoys in the native infantry in Belgaum. Though he succeeded in persuading a considerable number of soldiers to revolt, his plot was discovered and he was arrested and hanged. Bhaskar Rao alias Babasaheb of Nargund planned a revolt and attacked a British contingent but was caught in Torgal and later hanged in Belgaum. His samadhi is located at the Military Dairy.

Rich deposits of bauxite that were found in Belgaum district have led to the creation of Hindalco, the famous company for the production of aluminium. Additionally, uranium deposits have recently been found in Deshnur, a small village near Belgaum. Beginning early 1970s, the city began developing as an important centre for the manufacture of heavy machine tools including high pressure oil hydraulics. Not this alone, it also is a strong industrial hub for machine shops catering to automotive manufacturing, especially crank-shaft machining.

Another significant change can be noticed when one visits Jaffer Wadi, just 3 km away. The self-sufficient village dreams of becoming part of second green revolution in the country. Villagers here grow a local variety of paddy called ‘Indrayani’ which has a unique flavour. This variety of rice which is grown abundantly is also called the ‘local Basmati’. This yield would shortly be patented and added to the flavour of Belgaum.

The city houses the Maratha Light Infantry Regimental Centre (MLIRC). It also houses the Commando Training Wing which is a part of the Infantry School, where the country’s infantry commandos are trained in endurance, escape and evasion, guerrilla and commando warfare techniques.

The city served as a major military installation for the British Raj too, primarily due to its proximity to Goa which was then a Portuguese territory. Once the British left India, the Indian Government continued and still continues to have Armed forces installations in Belgaum. In 1961, the Indian Government, under Prime Minister Nehru used forces from Belgaum to end Portuguese rule in Goa.

Like Francis Bacon said any journey “teaches life” and Belgaum does that. It teaches you the past and shows you the slow transition it has made into the modern world and has kept the lessons and memories of the past intact. It is a journey to this wonderful land that traverses and teaches past and the present.