Border issues

Karwar taluka is majorly Konkani by first language speakers. It was part of the Bombay Presidency during the British colonial rule, before the reorganization of states. The native Konkani speakers had close connections with Bombay which extended to matrimonial relations too. Many Marathi-medium schools were also established in Karwar and Joida talukas. Marathi films were often released in Karwar. The visit of Marathi drama troupes from Bombay and Poona(Pune) was an annual feature. However, Konkani-speaking people were disenchanted when Marathis began to claim Konkani as a dialect of Marathi. They disputed it and asserted that Konkani had independent status as a language. It was the native Konkani-speaking people led by late P. S. Kamat who argued before Mahajan Commission that Karwar was an integral part of Karnataka.

There have been recent assertions by both Maharashtra and Goa that Karwar should belong to their states.

Religion

thumb|Sunset at Karwar bay

Karwar is and has primarily been Hindu. Christianity was introduced to Karwar by the Portuguese while ruling Goa in the 16th and 17th centuries and contemporary Karwari Catholics are descendants of those early Christians. Muslim seafaring traders migrated to Karwar from the Deccan (Bahamani) kingdoms. Karwar was called Baithkol meaning the "house of safety" or Bait-e-kol meaning "place of safety" in Arabic.

Industry

Primary industry

thumb|Fishermen returning home at sunset, Devbagh, Karwar

Karwar is an agricultural region. The common crops are rice, groundnuts, green vegetables, onions, watermelons, and flowers. Other primary industries include animal husbandry, sericulture, horticulture, beekeeping, prawns farming, gathering and lumbering and the growing of homeopathic medicinal plants.

The coastal location of Karwar lends to fishing and fisheries which are concentrated in Harikanth, Konkan Kharvis, Gabiths and Ambigas. The common types of fish are mackerel, sardines, crabs, clams, seerfish and prawns. Fishing is done from land with nets or from boats such as pandy (motor launch) and dhoni (dug out canoes). There is also mechanised trawling. The brackish water of the Kali estuary is suitable for prawn farming.

Secondary industry

thumb|upright=1.2|Muslin used in dress making

Members of the Daivadnya Brahmin caste are engaged in jewellery design, manufacturing and goldsmithing. Leather works are common.

Since 1638, when William Counten opened a mill, Karwar town has been a producer of fine muslin. In the 1660s the factory was prosperous, exporting the finest muslins in Western India; the weaving country was inland to the east, at Hubli and other centres, where as many as 50,000 weavers were employed. Besides the great export of muslin, Karwar provided pepper, cardamoms, cassia, and coarse blue cotton cloth (dungan). I

In Binaga township, a chemical company Aditya Birla Chemicals (earlier owned by Ballarpur Industries Ltd / Solaris Chemtech), manufactures caustic soda lye and flakes, chlorine, hydrochloric acid, phosphoric acid, kestra pipes and bromine.

Aditya Birla Chemicals

Aditya Birla Chemicals (India) (ABCIL) is a unit of the Aditya Birla Group.

ABCIL has acquired chlor-alkali and phosphoric acid division of Ballarpur Industries Ltd. (BILT) / Solaris Chemtech Industries Limited, based in Karwar, Karnataka.

Transport

Karwar International Airport

The proposed Karwar Airport will be built by the Indian Navy at Alageri village near Ankola, in Karnataka. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) will operate a civil enclave at the naval air base which is part of the Navy's Rs 100 billion Phase 2 of Project Seabird. After the construction Karwar will be the second city in Karnataka to have all 3 major modes of transport (Air, Sea, Land)

Konkan railway

thumb|upright=1.2|[[Karwar railway station]]

The Konkan Railway connects Karwar to most major towns and cities. Karwar has two railway stations: Karwar and Asnoti. The nearest Goan station is Loliem, 18 km away. lies 68 km to the north. and 253 km to the south.

Port

The Karwar Port is acclaimed as one of the best natural all-weather ports on the West Coast, located in Uttar Kannada district at the Southern side of the Kali River. caters to the trading needs of northern Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra. The port is located in Baithkol, just beside the National Highway (NH66) that connects Mumbai and Kochi, one of the country’s busiest corridors. Also, it is only 8 km away from the Konkan Railway network.

thumb|upright=1.2|Karwar beach looking towards Madlimgadh and Kurumgad Islands

Hills and coastal islands make the port a natural harbour, sheltered from the Arabian sea. It is operated by the Government of Karnataka, services the hinterland of northern Karnataka, Goa and southern Maharashtra.

The length of the port is . The quay has two berths, with a draft capacity of . Karwar port also berths coastal vessels and there is a jetty for fishing vessels. The Government of Karnataka has planned to develop Karwar port on a Public Private Partnership (PPP) basis to provide six additional berths, a container terminal, and a rail link to Karwar railway station.

The port is able to handle all types of commodities, including "B" and "C" class petroleum products. There port has liquid storage tanks for bitumen, furnace oil, molasses, and HSD. A ban of iron ore mining and export in Karnataka state reduced congestion at the port. The port has arrangements for berthing coastal vessels, and a jetty for fishing boats.

In 2012, the Government of Karnataka carried out maintenance dredging in the port, the approach channel and the nearby anchorage. The port may be closed from 16 May to 15 September (the monsoon season).

Places of interest

thumb|upright=1.2|Maritime museum at Tagore beach, Rabindranath

thumb|upright=1.2|Sadashivgad Fort from the Kali River Bridge

Seaside

  • Kali River Garden, Kodibag
  • Rock Garden, Karwar
  • Binaga Beach
  • Devbagh Beach
  • Kali Bridge
  • Karwar Beach
  • Sub- Regional Science Centre
  • Kurumgad Island
  • Majali Beach
  • Oyster Rock Lighthouse, a round white masonry construction with red trim protects ships from the rocks of Devgad Island, the largest off the Kali Estuary. in Kodibag, which features interactive science exhibits and a virtual reality lab developed by fotonVR.

Culture

Cuisine

Karwar is known for its seafood cuisine. Karwar cuisine has been historically influenced by Konkan and Goan cuisine with there being a lot of similarities and shared dishes. Fish curry, with cashews, coconut and rice is a staple dish. Karwar curries use ginger and turmeric but not always garlic.

thumb|upright=1.2|Kurle Ambat (crab masala), a local dish

Local festivals

  • Kurumgad jatra
  • São João where garlands of freshly picked fruits leaves and flowers are worn and people jump into wells, ponds, rivers, and lakes.
  • Anjedweep island festival
  • Karavali Utsav, an annual three of four-day festival at Rabindranath Tagore beach. It is organised by the Uttara Kannada District Administration as a cultural and social event. Many shops and stalls are installed at Tagore beach. People from all parts of the district and from all over the state and neighboring Goa state attend. Many cultural events are held in the evenings where regional, national and international artists including Bollywood stars, Kannada film stars, Goan artists and local artists perform.
  • Karwar utsav in summer season where local artistes and celebrities come and perform.

Media

Media outlets include:

  • Karwar News Konkani, Karwar Plus Konkani, This channels provides regular updates and news in local language Konkani.
  • Karwar Mirror, An online news portal providing reliable and responsive non-political news about Karwar.
  • Karwar eNews, online local newspaper.
  • Karavali Munjavu, Kannada language daily newspaper.
  • Zilla Varta Kendra media centre.
  • District Library, near the district court and next to Mitra Samaj.
  • All India Radio (Akashwani Kendra), Gurumath Road, Kajubag.

Education

Karwar has Government and private engineering college and Government medical college. The city has private and Government schools and institutions for PU, diploma and ITI courses.

Government Polytechnic is also located in the area.

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Notable residents

  • Rama Raghoba Rane (1918–1994), the only Param Vir Chakra Award winner from Karnataka
  • Jayshree Gadkar, a Marathi movie actress of the 1960s, born to a Konkani speaking family in Kanasgiri, near Sadashivgad
  • Bollywood singer Anuradha Paudwal, born in Karwar as Alka Nadakarni in a Konkani speaking family and brought up in Mumbai
  • Gajanan Kirtikar, Member of parliament from Mumbai North West (Lok Sabha constituency)
  • Krishna Kalle, Playback singer in Marathi, Hindi, and Kannada films

Villages of Karwar

Karwar comprises the following blocks or villages:

  • Ambrai
  • Amadalli
  • Angadi
  • Arga
  • Asnoti
  • Baad
  • Baitkol
  • Balni
  • Bhaire
  • Bhagatwada
  • bargadda
  • Bhandishitta
  • Binaga
  • Birtulbag
  • Bore
  • Chendia
  • Chittakulla
  • Devalmakki
  • Devabag
  • Dhol
  • Gopashitta
  • Goyar
  • Gotegali
  • Halebag
  • Halekote
  • Halga
  • Hankon
  • Hapkarni
  • Harwada
  • Hosali
  • Hotegali
  • Kadra
  • Kadwad
  • Kaiga
  • Kajubag
  • Kalaswada
  • Kanasgiri
  • Karkal
  • Kathinkon
  • Kerwadi
  • Kharga
  • Kinner
  • Kodibag
  • Kolage
  • Kurnipet
  • Lower Makeri
  • Majali
  • Maingini
  • Mallapur
  • Mudgeri
  • Nandangadda
  • Nargeri
  • Sadashivgad
  • Sakalbalni
  • Sanmudageri
  • Shejebag
  • Shejwad
  • Shirwad
  • Siddar
  • Sunkeri
  • Thoralebag
  • Todur
  • Ulga
  • Umlijug

See also

  • Sadashivgad
  • Kali river
  • Uttara Kannada

References

  • Karwar City Municipal Council
  • Zilla panchayat Karwar