Gokak

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Template:Infobox Indian jurisdiction Gokak is a town and taluk headquarters in the Belgaum District of Karnataka state, India. It is located around 70 km from Belgaum at the confluence of two rivers, the Ghataprabha and the Markandeya. The population of the city is according to 2011 census is approximately 1,20,000 [1] . The common language in use is Kannada. The town contains old Hindu temples with inscriptions.

Gokak city has its own history. Nature has been kind to this place with the ranges of hills on one side and the vast black soil on the other. The river Ghataprabha rushes forth in a majestic manner on the north side of the city. Before she passes through Gokak city, she dashes down through a cleft of 167 ft, to form a famous Gokak Falls. Her waters have been harnessed and hydroelectric power is generated to run the well-known Gokak Mills since long. The hanging bridge across the river adds to the dreamy charm of the beautiful picture painted by Mother Nature. Another dancing river Markendeya joins river Ghataprabha to form “Holy Sangam” on north-west side of the Gokak city. The river Markandeya, near village Godachinmalaki, dashes down through 43 ft step wise hill plates to form another beautiful Godachinmalaki Falls.

The town is growing rapidly in terms of industries, business, as well as the fields of education, arts, literature and folk-art. It is associated with famous Kannada writers and thinkrs such as Shri Krishna Murty Puranik, Anand Kanda, Dr. S. B. Totad, Basavaraj Kattimani,Prof.Kundanagar Rngler D.C.Pawate and Raghavendra Patil Many popular folk-artists such as Padmashri Dr.Chandrashekar Kambar, Ningayya Swami Pujari, Ishwarappa Minachi, Yallappa Pujeri, Dr. Hatapaki and Ishwarachandra Betageri are also associated with the town. Gokak has a world famous waterfall known as Gokak Falls. Famous Tikare Typing Institute which educated many people from past 30 years who are now serving in Govt, is still operating, even after the computers took over Typewriter.

Gokak is also renowned for its sweets, which are known all over India, such as karadantu (a Kannada term, which literally means fried edible gum), a sweet richly stuffed with nuts and edible gum, and ladagi laadu.

History

Gokak is a place of philosophical and historical significance. There was once was a dispute and a battle between Rani Abbakka and Gokak Kotawals. A fort can still be seen at the western side of the city.

The Mallikarjun temple, also known affectionately as the "Maliksaab Temple", stands atop a hill, also called the Malik-saab hill. The tomb of the Raja of Kittur Mallasarja is at the nearby Duradundeshwar temple in Arabhavi Math.

During the British rule in India, the Forbes Spinning Mill (now owned by Gokak Textiles Limited of the Shapoorji Pallonji Group) was started here, and is functional to this day, providing jobs for thousands of people. A small scale hydroelectric power generation plant was also set up in Gokak Falls, one of the oldest such projects in the whole of Asia. This plant is also in good working condition to this day, and is used by the Spinning Mill and the nearby area. Riddi Shiddi Gluco Biols limited is another industry situated here that provides employment to thousand of people.

Geography

Gokak is second biggest city after Belgaum in Belgaum district and is surrounded by the Western Ghats. The Ghataprabha River, which has water almost throughout the year, is the chief source of agricultural and drinking water for local people living in the surrounding villages. Gokak is located at 16°40′N 74°50′E / 16.67°N 74.83°E / 16.67; 74.83[2]. It has an average elevation of 553 metres (1814 feet). The city is situated in the central part of Belgaum district which is located in northwestern parts of Karnataka and lies at the border of two states, Maharashtra in the north and Goa on the west. It is located at a distance of 540 km from Bangalore which is the capital city of the state of Karnataka. Gokak comes under Tropical decidious moist belt in south central India [3]. Majority of the soil in Gokak taluka is composed of Laterite soil and small amounts of Black soil is found as well [4].

Demographics

As of 2001 India census[5], Gokak had a population of 67,166. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Gokak has an average literacy rate of 67%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 74%, and female literacy is 60%. In Gokak, 13% of the population is under 6 years of age. According to the 2011 census Gokak had a SC and ST population of about 7216 and Below Poverty Line population of about 12203. The literacy rate in men and women as of 2011 was about 76% and 68% respectively. [6]

Economy

IT/BPO

Trans Solutions is a BPO company that has IT enabled service center in Gokak. The company provides free training with stipend and employs hundreds of local people to meet the back office demands of its clients.

Tourism and attractions

Gokak is located 540 km from Bangalore and 190 km from Panaji. Nestled in the hilly terrain of the central Belgaum region, it enjoys a moderately warm climate and is surrounded by mountainous vegetation and rivers. The city is surrounded by number of historic buildings and Temples.

Tourist attractions around the city

  1. Godchinamalaki Falls is a popular destination at a distance of about 20 km from Gokak. It is famous for its stepwise arrangement which are spanned approximately 100 metres in length, with a step at every 30 metres. [7]
  2. Gokak Falls is yet another magnificient waterfall located 6 km from Gokak which is often called as Karnataka's Niagara. It is famous for its hanging bridge as well whose legacy goes back to British Raj. It connects the villages located north and south of Gokak Falls. This falls has a height of about 170 feet. Except in width & colour of the water, the general features of the water falls namely its height, shape and rapidity are similar to those of Niagara Falls. The water falls has a horse-shoe shaped crest and a breadth of 177 meters. July to Spetember is the best time to visit. [8] [9] [10]
  3. Yogi Kolla is a small village situated in the foots of western ghats and is one of the scenic beauty spots. The place derives its name from a valley which is in between horse shoe shaped rocky hill ranger. There is a Temple in the hill located in a cave type opening and one has to climb about 800 to 900 steps to reach it. Beneath this temple there is a small stream that originates. [11]
  4. Ghataprabha Bird Santuary is worth visiting. It is located about 20 km away from Gokak, and is spread over an area of 29.78 km².The boundaries of the sanctuary encloses a stretch of about 28 km of Ghataprabha River. Sanctuary is known for migratory birds like Demoiselle crane and European white stork. The best time to visit the santuary is between November and March when most of the migratory bird species nest there. [12]
  5. Mahalingeshwara Temple is one of the old temples in the region and is located in the town of Gokak Falls about 7 km away from Gokak. It was built around 1153 A.D. It is thought to be built in a later Chalukyan type of architecture. It contains several inscriptions that date back to 1100 A.D. [13] [14]
  6. The toy factory in Gokak is well-known for decades for its exquisite toys. It specialises in manufacturing wooden toys, fruits, flowers, etc. which are decorated, painted, polished and encased in transparent boxes.
  7. Hidkal dam is located about 25 km from Gokak. It is a water reservoir and a famous tourist spot as well.
  8. Dhoopdal dam is located about 15 km from Gokak near the town of Konnur. It has a hydroelectric power generating unit and is known for its lush green gardens.
  9. Gandhi maidan is located about 5 km west of Gokak on the way to Gokak Falls. It is a famous hiking spot.
  10. Jamboti, 85 km south-west of Gokak, is a popular tourist spot with its evergreen hilltop forests.
  11. Amboli hill station (Maharashtra) is a famous hill-station which is located around 115 km from Gokak. It is known for its breath taking view atop the hills and is a famous tourist destination in the monsoons.
  12. Dudhsagar Water Falls, located around 150 km from Gokak, is a scenic waterfall. The spot also provides options for hiking and treking. Monsoon is the best time to visit.
  13. International Golf Course (18 hole) located at Desur, 70 km from the Gokak and 10 km from Belgaum.
  14. Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary (Khanapur) is located about 85km from Gokak.


Transportation

Road

Gokak is connected by road via State Highway 31 (Jath to Jamboti) and to National Highways 4 (exit at Hattargi cross). NWKRTC which is a sub-division of KSRTC runs buses from Gokak to all corners of Karnataka as well as neighboring states. There are many prominent private buses which operate across all major destinations in Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra. The other state highways passing through Gokak are State Highway 44 (Sankeshwar to Sangam), State Highway 45 (Arabhavi to Challakere), State Highway 103 (Gokak to Saundatti), State Highway 134 (Badami to NH 4 at Hattargi Cross).

Rail

Gokak Road and Ghataprabha are the two main railway stations near Gokak. These stations fall under Indian Railways grid and are a part of south western division. They are well connected by to major cities like Bangalore, Mysore, Mangalore, Pune, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Goa ,New Delhi and Chennai.

Air

Main article: Belgaum Airport

The closest airport to Gokak is Belgaum Airport located in the town of Sambra. It is the only airport in north Karnataka with an airforce base. Belgaum is directly connected with Mumbai and Bangalore. The airport is located at 10 km from Belgaum on SH 20. Schedules have been erratic, as the air connectivity is primarily provided by feeder airlines. Belgaum currently has no flight service. The only flight to Mumbai was stopped in Nov 2011 owing to the financial crisis at Kingfisher Airlines. [15] [16]

Gokak images

Colleges:There are many colleges rendering services in various faculties in the city. The Government First Grade College has been established in 2007. At present it comprises 522 students. (Prof B B Patil)

References

  1. ^ "Population Census of Karnataka, 2011" (PDF). Government of India.
  2. ^ "Geo-coordinates". Retrieved 4 October 2011.
  3. ^ "Vegetation map of India". Retrieved 4 December 2009.
  4. ^ "Soils in Karnataka". Retrieved 4 December 2009.
  5. ^ Template:GR
  6. ^ "CMC Gokak, Govt of Karnataka" (PDF). Gokak City Muncipal Council (C.M.C). Retrieved 15 September 2011.
  7. ^ "Attractions in Belgaum and Gokak". The Hindu. Retrieved 16 July 2010.
  8. ^ "Karnataka Tourism". Govt. of Karnataka. Retrieved September 2010. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  9. ^ "Gokak Falls, Karnataka's Niagara Falls". Retrieved 04 January 2008. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  10. ^ "Gokak Falls in monsoon". The Hindu. Retrieved 07 July 2005. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  11. ^ "Karnataka Tourism" (PDF). CMC Gokak, Govt. of Karnataka. Retrieved 22 September 2011.
  12. ^ "Karnataka Wildlife Sanctuaries". Karnataka Forest Department, Govt. of Karnataka. Retrieved October 2005. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  13. ^ "Visit Karnataka". Kannada Portal. Retrieved January 2012. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  14. ^ "Karnataka Holidays". Karnataka Holidays. Retrieved June 2008. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  15. ^ "Kingfisher airlines faces DGCA notice for cancelling flight operations". Democratic paper. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
  16. ^ "Kingfisher cancels 30 more flights in Mumbai". The Times of India. Retrieved 17 March 2012.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gokak.


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