Karwar
By Kartik Patil
Etymology[edit]
Karwar derived its name from the nearby village of kadewada. Kade means last and wada means precinct or area in Konkani. Before Indian independence, the name Karwar was spelt Carwar.[3] The name Baithkhol, is an Arabic term Bait-e-kol, meaning the bay of safety. This is in the Indian History for maritime trade wherein pepper, cardamom and muslin were exported from this Kadewad port and after the war with Veer Henja Naik (1803), the port activities were shifted to Baithkol. Thereafter the port of Kadwad was isolated and Kurmagad Fort was activated by the Portuguese.
History[edit]
Karwar Town was built by the British in the year 1857 after the Mutiny. Kawar is also known as 'Kashmir of Karnataka'. Earlier to 1857 there was no existence of Karwar as a city. Honnavar was the District Head of Canara District consisting up to Mangalore to Kodibag Karwar, till Kali river and Karwar existed as settlements of villages like Habbuwada, Kajubag, Kodibag, Kone village, Baad Village, Kathinkon, Sunkeri village, Shirwad village and Binaga village. After that the bank towards the north was under the rule of Sadhashiv Nayak and Maratha province. After the mutiny of 1857, the British made division of Canara District into two parts as South Kanara [Dakshin Kannada] with headquarters at Mangalore attached to Madras Province and North Kanara [Uttar Kannada] with headquarters at the newly built town Karwar, which was attached to Bombay province. It is a planned city like Panji, Mumbai, Dharwad, Bangalore. After the rule of Indian Government from 1947, Karwar is more or less neglected politically and kept without major developments.
Ancient History[edit]
Portuguese traders knew Karwar as Cintacora, Chitrakul, Chittakula or Sindpur. In 1510, the Portuguese captured and burnt a fort at Karwar. They called it Fort Pir, Forte de Piro or Pito due to the presence of a Muslim Dargah (tomb of a Sufi saint, Shahkaramuddin).
In 1638 the English trading Courteen Association established a factory at Kadwad village, 6 km east of Karwar and traded with merchants from Arabia and Africa. The common commodities were muslin, black pepper, cardamom, cassier and coarse blue cotton cloth. In 1649 the Courteen Association merged with the British East India Company, and Karwar became a company town. The East India Company built fighting ships in the Karwar harbour. For example, the Britannia (1715) which had 18 guns was built to defend Bombay from attacks by Maratha Koli[4] admiral Kanhoji Angre.[5]
In the 1700s, Karwar was a part of the Maratha Empire. Having marched from Bednore in the south, visiting on his way the sacred temple at Gokarna, Shivaji seized Ankola and the next day came to Karwar (then known as Kadwad). Both the East India Company and Sher Shah, the sardar of Bijapur, were very much alarmed at this sudden development. They collected huge amount and offering it to Shivaji, praying that they may be spared. Satisfied at the recognition of his authority, Shivaji crossed the Kali River and conquered Sadashivgad on 21 February 1665.
In 1784, at the time of the Treaty of Mangalore between Tipu Sultan and the East India Company, Karwar and Sadashivgad were spelt Carwar and Sadasewgude respectively.[6] After the defeat of the Marathas in the Third Anglo-Maratha War, Karwar was captured by the British. Kot Siveshvar, another fortress, was built near Karwar (in Siveshvar village) by the Sultan of Bijapur to counterattacks from the north.
At the ruins of Fort Siveshvar are a Muslim graveyard and a tunnel at the eastern gate. The Bengali poet and Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, who visited Karwar in 1882, dedicated a chapter of his memoirs to this town.[7] At 22 years, Tagore stayed with his second brother, Satyendranath Tagore, who was a district judge in Karwar.
From 1862 until the re-organization of the Indian states after Independence, Uttara Kannada district was a part of the Bombay Presidency. During this time, major public works carried out included improvement of roads, building of a wharf, wharf road and a sea wall at the Karwar port as well as the construction of a multi-floor storage building, staff housing, a post office, kutcheri (kutcherries or zamindar's offices) and a Christian burial ground.[8] At the same time, the local Konkani-speaking people had close connections with Mumbai and Goa. Many Marathi middle schools were established in the Karwar and Joida taluks. Many Konkani people in Goa still have close connections to Maharashtra and Goa.
During World War II Karwar was an Indian Naval training site.[9]:172
Post-Independence[edit]
Post-Independence Karwar was made a part of newly formed Mysore state following requests by the people of Karwar. Karwar during the 1950-60s played import role against the Konkani language agitation, helping cement Konkani as an independent language during Konkani conferences held in Karwar. The city played an important role in Konkan culture and Konkani culture hosting many Konkani conferences to promote the language. There have been demographic shifts since the state reorganizations act, and Karwar is no longer the stronghold for Konkani culture and has been overtaken by Panji, Goa (after Goa achieved statehood) and by Mangalore[10] The city is also neglected by the state government and devoid of development. Spots of attractions are usually underfunded, relatively little money is allowed for development and people have to constantly rely on the neighboring state of Goa to carry out their needs.[11]
Geography[edit]
Karwar is a seaside city on the west coast of the Indian peninsula. To the east are the Western Ghats. Karwar is situated on the banks of the Kali river (Kali nadi) which flows west to the Arabian sea from its headwaters at Bidi village in the Western Ghats. The Kali river has a length of about 153 km and is the main source of irrigation in the region. Karwar is 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) south of the Karnataka – Goa border, 65 kilometres (40 mi)South of Margao , 519 kilometres (322 mi) north-west of Bangalore, the capital city of Karnataka, and 272 kilometres (169 mi) north of Karnataka's chief port city Mangalore.
Baitkhol port at Karwar is a natural harbour with land side hills and ocean side islands protecting it from cyclonic weather. The four fathom mark lies close to the shore. The tidal range is 1.2 to 2.5 metres (3 ft 11 in to 8 ft 2 in).[9]:172
Biodiversity[edit]
Several small mangrove covered islands lie off the Kali river estuary including Anjadip Island and Devagadaguda Islands. The sub-tidal regions of the islands have a high biodiversity, although the waters off Karwar have recorded higher than normal faecal coliform counts.[12]:248
Climate[edit]
Karwar lies on a coastal strip known as the Monsoon Coast.[13] Karwar has hot summers from March to May where the temperature may reach 37 °C. The Arabian Sea is warm throughout the year. Winters from December to February are very mild (24 °C and 32 °C). The windy monsoon period from June to September has an average rainfall of over 400 centimetres (160 in).
| hideClimate data for Karwar (1981–2010, extremes 1901–2012) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 38.2 (100.8) | 39.1 (102.4) | 39.6 (103.3) | 38.9 (102.0) | 37.4 (99.3) | 36.6 (97.9) | 32.8 (91.0) | 33.3 (91.9) | 34.0 (93.2) | 39.4 (102.9) | 37.8 (100.0) | 37.2 (99.0) | 39.6 (103.3) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 32.8 (91.0) | 32.4 (90.3) | 32.7 (90.9) | 33.5 (92.3) | 33.5 (92.3) | 30.9 (87.6) | 29.6 (85.3) | 29.5 (85.1) | 30.2 (86.4) | 31.9 (89.4) | 33.5 (92.3) | 33.4 (92.1) | 32.0 (89.6) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 19.2 (66.6) | 19.7 (67.5) | 22.7 (72.9) | 25.3 (77.5) | 26.7 (80.1) | 25.1 (77.2) | 24.5 (76.1) | 24.3 (75.7) | 24.2 (75.6) | 23.9 (75.0) | 22.2 (72.0) | 20.4 (68.7) | 23.2 (73.8) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 12.7 (54.9) | 11.6 (52.9) | 15.6 (60.1) | 17.2 (63.0) | 20.3 (68.5) | 18.3 (64.9) | 18.3 (64.9) | 20.3 (68.5) | 20.5 (68.9) | 16.8 (62.2) | 13.7 (56.7) | 12.5 (54.5) | 11.6 (52.9) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 0.1 (0.00) | 0.1 (0.00) | 0.2 (0.01) | 8.9 (0.35) | 123.1 (4.85) | 964.8 (37.98) | 965.0 (37.99) | 684.8 (26.96) | 305.6 (12.03) | 194.5 (7.66) | 31.4 (1.24) | 7.0 (0.28) | 3,285.6 (129.35) |
| Average rainy days | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 4.5 | 22.6 | 26.5 | 24.3 | 13.6 | 7.3 | 2.1 | 0.5 | 102.2 |
| Average relative humidity (%) (at 17:30 IST) | 60 | 63 | 68 | 68 | 71 | 82 | 85 | 85 | 81 | 76 | 65 | 59 | 72 |
| Source: India Meteorological Department[14][15] | |||||||||||||
Demographics[edit]
The total population in Karwar is 157,739 as of 2014 by Indian Government. As of 2014, Karwar had an average literacy rate of 89%, higher than the national average of 74%: male literacy was 94%, and female literacy was 84.85%.[2] In Karwar, 10% of the population were children under 6 years of age.
Language[edit]
Though Kannada is the official language of the state of Karnataka, Konkani is the native language of Karwar and is widely spoken among the locals and in general is closer to South Goan Konkani than Canarese Konkani. The city features many dialects of the language. Bhandari (mix of Konkani and Marathi) is spoken by locals. Contrary to popular belief Konkani has existed in Karwar prior to the Portuguese invasion of Goa. While Marathi holds a sizable diaspora in the taluk (township), the advent of Kannada traders from nearby places of Hubli and Dharwad created a spur in spoken Kannada. With English and Hindi also being part of the curriculum in many schools and colleges, influx of people from outside the state for business or career, and exposure of the local population to movies, TV and media, these languages are also widely understood or spoken by sizable number of locals in Karwar.
Border issues[edit]
Karwar taluk is ethnically Konkani, however it was historically ruled by the Kannada and Marathi kings of Karnataka and Maharashtra. It was part of the Bombay Presidency during the British 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 taluks. Marathi films were often released in Karwar. The visit of Marathi drama troupes from Bombay and Pune was an annual feature. However, Konkani-speaking people were disenchanted when Marathis began to claim that 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. Goa which would have been a natural fit, was not a part of India yet.[17]
There have been recent assertions by both Maharashtra and Goa that Karwar should belong to their states[18][19]
Religion[edit]
Most people in Karwar are Hindu. Christianity was introduced to Karwar by the British and by the Portuguese in Goa in the 17th and 18th centuries. 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. Muslim villages in Karwar include: Shiveshvar, Chittakula, Sawar Pai and Hotegali. Islamic tradition holds that two brothers, descendants of Ali, the son in law of Mohammad, settled in Shiveshvar and made the village a place of Islamic learning. In Shiveshvar, there are three shrines dedicated to Muslim saints: Gaiby Pir, Nizam Pir and Shamshuddin pir-in Kot. Christianity was introduced to Karwar by the British and by the Portuguese when ruling Goa in the 17th and 18th centuries. Portuguese also visited Karwar in those Days.
Economy[edit]
Karwar is an economic hub in Uttara Kannada and accounts for the largest part of the districts economic output.[20] The city is the largest in the district and its economy has been increasingly diversifying and growing.
Primary industry[edit]
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, 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, hardheads 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.[21]
Secondary industry[edit]
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.[citation needed] In 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[22][citation needed]
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.[12]:246
Tertiary industry[edit]
At Kaiga, 50 kilometres (31 mi) away, the Nuclear Power Corporation of India operates an 880 MW nuclear power plant. The Karnataka Power Corporation Ltd. operates a dam and 150 MW power house between Kadra and Mallapur townships, approximately 33 kilometres (21 mi) from Karwar town.
INS Kadamba[edit]
The Indian Navy operates a naval base at a bay near Binaga township. It is the navy's third largest base. The base was founded as part of Project Seabird. Casurina beach near Binaga (now called Kamat Bay) and Arga beach were incorporated into naval property. The public has access to the base during Navy Week in December and in visiting educational groups. The naval base includes a civilian support community at Amadalli, a ship lift and an hospital. INS Kadamba is the homeport of India's largest aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya.
INS Vajrakosh[edit]
INS Vajrakosh, commissioned on 9 September 2015, is the latest establishment of the Indian Navy at Karwar which will serve as special storage facility for specialised armaments and missiles. INS Vajrakosh will have all the required infrastructure and will be manned by specialists to provide specialised servicing facilities for these sophisticated missiles and ammunition.[23]
Aditya Birla Chemicals[edit]
Aditya Birla Chemicals (India) (ABCIL) is a unit of the Aditya Birla Group.
ABCIL has also acquired chlor-alkali and phosphoric acid division of Ballarpur Industries Ltd / Solaris Chemtech Industries Limited, based in Karwar, Karnataka.
Transport[edit]
Karwar Airport[edit]
The proposed Karwar Airport will be built by the Indian Navy at Alageri village[24] 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 Karantaka to have all 3 major modes of transport(Air, Sea, Land)
Konkan railway[edit]
The Konkan railway connects Karwar to most major towns and cities. Karwar has three railway stations: Karwar, Asnoti and Harwada. The nearest Goan station is Canacona, 36 km away. Madgaon station lies 68 km to the north.[25] and Mangalore station 253 km to the south.
Port[edit]
Karwar port is located at Baithkol, Karwar Bay. Hills and coastal islands make the port a natural harbour, sheltered from the Arabian sea. The port which is operated by the Government of Karnataka, services the hinterland of northern Karnataka, Goa and southern Maharashtra.
The length of the port is 355 metres (388 yd). The quay has two berths, with a draft capacity of 9.25 metres (30.3 ft). Karwar port also berths coastal vessels and there is a jetty for fishing vessels.[26] 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 Shirwad 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).[26] Part of the 2008 Hindi film Golmaal Returns was filmed at Karwar port.
Tourism[edit]
Rabindranath Tagore beach[edit]
- "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[7]
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