Dharwad

Foreword Having been a Dharwadian for several decades, I thought knew Dharwad pretty well as a climatically pleasant resort of pensioners and a busy educational destination, with some melodious music doing its rounds. That was until I came to know about the INTACH listing of heritage sites. The search uncovered many a historical narrative, some of them even wonders, which my naked eye failed to comprehend. The exercise explored temples, masjids, churches, wells, buildings, reservoirs, institutions, gardens, even trees, and made us run through historical deposits from early days to the present, through kings and dynasties, rulers and governors from Vijayanagara epoch to the Adil Shahis of Bijapur. It also explored the Portuguese fringe, Tipus guest appearance, Shivaji-Peshwa conquests and bnally the Englishmans reign. It has been a fascinating journey through the length and breadth of Dharwad, a little over 5-km long and equally broad. It stands till date and has embraced several settlements lying on the outer crust of the old town.

The town, sitting astride the eastern fringe of the Western Ghats and the vastness of the plains, combines within its small extent the characteristics of Malenadu (Ghat area) and the black soil plains. The small ridge in the middle of the town, a fort from the Adil Shahi period, serves as a virtual dividing line between Malenadu to the west and the plains to the east. A discerning person can tell the difference through the temperature as well. The city of Hubli, barely 18 km away, is totally different.

Introduction Dharwad, a district headquarter for over 150 years, is enriched with a history spanning over 1,500 years 4 witness to the glory and might of many kingdoms and dynasties spanning from the early. Chalukyas to the British, including the Kalyan Chalukyas, Vijaynagara. Adil Shah, Mughul, Hyder Ali, Tipu Sultan and the Peshwas, the city: has seen it all As a result of historical churning of geography, dynasties, religion, commerce and conquests, Dharwad has had numerous names and has evolved its own interactive) integrated composite culture in architecture, religious tolerance, linguistic growth, literary field and musical excellence.

Raju Balgo Sachchidanand Caugh Dewangan Inscriptions, monuments, names, hero stones and structures of yore also stand testimony to the various rulers who traversed across its It was also popular with the armies of Shivaji, Mughuis, Peshwas, Tipu Sultan and then the British. Some of the defence works, wells and the memory of those residing in rural areas around Dharwad, like at jogyallapur, Savadatti, Hooli etc., bear witness to Dandin Dari. The Portuguese at Goa, with their commercial tie-ups with Vijayanagara, brought even greater clout to Dharwad as it acted as a junction not only for commerce but also travel. The city is referred to as Daracha in the annals of the Portuguese, particularly Domingo Paes and Fernao Nuniz in 1520 AD as they made their way to Vijayanagara. Robert Sewell in his book A Forgotten Empire Vijayanagara surmises Daracha as Dharwad.

boundaries. The genesis of this important hub lies in a small village from where it grew to a Kampanosthalo part of an Agrahara to a centre of trade, rest and re-supply and finally graduated to an administrative node. With the advent of the British, the city developed its educational acumen, artistic excellence (particularly musical), communicational network and an integrative cultural footprint of its own.

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