About Bellary

Visiting Bellary, a beautiful and historical city of Karnataka can be a never-forgettable experience for all the travel enthusiasts. It is undoubtedly the most amazing city for all the historians, art-lovers and travelers. It offers a wide range of things to make the visitors feel close to the past. The city tells the tales of many famous battles and dynasties. It is a silent witness of the rise and fall of many empires. Historians and archaeologists have unraveled many neolithic archaeological sites around Bellary.


Situated in the eastern part of Karnataka, the city is bounded by Dharwad, Raichur and Chitradurga districts. This historic place stands amidst the level, wide plain of black cotton soil. This rapidly growing industrial town is known for the magnificent granite rocks and hills and is surrounded by Kumbara Gudda and Ballari Gudda, the two big rocky granite hills. These two Guddas (meaning hills) are the most prominent features of the city.

The city owes its name from the word ‘Balari’ (name of the Goddess Durugamma). It has become one of the best places for tourists coming from far across the planet. The reason lies in its historical and natural treasure.

Art and architecture shows the creative side of the inhabitants of the city. From wood carvings, doll making to ivory carving, each and every art just makes you fall in love with the place. The design, paint, texture and finishing are just amazing.

Travelholics are allured to this part of the world to witness the beautiful blending of nature and history- the creation and the destruction. Following are some popular attractions of the city are;

• Tungabhadra Dam
• Daroji Bear Sanctuary
• Narihalla Dam
• Bellary Gudda
• The Rocks
• Bellary Zoo
• Kumbara Gudda
• Kaate Gudda
• Hospet
• Dr. Rajkumar Park

The city is attracts thousands of tourists across the globe due to its versatility. It is a wonderful blend of art, architecture, history, nature and festivity. The best time to visit this part of the planet is between October and March.

Geography of Bellary

Bellary district is located on the eastern side of Karnataka and spreads from southwest to northeast. The city is surrounded by Raichur in the north, Kurnool and Anantapur of Andhra Pradesh in the east, Koppal in the west and Devanagere and Chitradurga in the south. Chikkahagari, Tungabhadra and Hagari are the important rivers flowing through Bellary. Being rich in natural resources, this city has a number of mineral and steel plants and other factories.

Climate of Bellary

The city lies in rain shadow region and hence receives very little rain from the southwest monsoons. Therefore, the climate is basically semi-arid. The summers are very severe and last from March to mid-June. The highest summer temperature recorded so far is 44.9 degree Celsius. Although there is very little rainfall, the monsoon period (July- October) is relatively pleasant. The average rainfall is about 25 inches. Winter months (November- February) are mildly cool with an average temperature of 22 degree Celsius.

Tourism in Bellary

The city being rich in history and mythology, it is an ideal location for both history enthusiasts as well as the religious crowd. Attractions within the city:

• Bellary Durgamma temple
• Yogini Kolhapuri Mahalakshmi temple
• Laxminarayana temple
• Bellary fort
• Kuntegadda Park
• Museum
• Bellary Zoo
  

Festivals in Bellary

Bellary witnesses a few major festivals in addition to the other Indian festivals. Hampi Festival is one of the most famous festivals here. The festival falls on the first week of November and is celebrated in Hampi (near Bellary) as Hampi Utsava. The temple dedicated to Lord Shiva in Mailar of Bellary celebrates Mallari festival. It is one festival that attracts people from all over the country. The festival is celebrated during the month of February-March. Apart from this other festivals like Dassera, Janmashtami, Deepavali, Uggadi, etc are celebrated with a lot of fervour and enthusiasm.

Eating Out in Bellary

Here is a list of must-haves in Bellary:
Vogani Mirchi- a snack preparation made of puffed rice is a must-have. It is served with fried dumplings and must be had hot. Holigai which is a sweet preparation with stuffed rolled bread.
Rasam Bonda and Vegetable Biryani are also famous too.

Shopping in Bellary

Bellary is famous for textile cotton mills and hence clothes are a major shopping attraction here. Apart from this you get regular items in the shopping malls.

How to Reach

There are direct trains to Bellary from Bangalore, Hubli, Hyderabad, Guntakal, Hampi and Kolhapur. Also, being connected by state and national highways, there are a number of buses plying between various cities that stop at Bellary.

Quick Facts

Government in Bellary: Mayor - Council
Area: City– 85.95 km2
Elevation- 485 m ( 30 ft)
Population as per the 2011 Census
City– 409644
Density– 4,800/km2 ( 11,540/sq. mi)
Metro– 555,944
Time zone- IST
Postal Index Number– 583 10x
Bellary STD Code– 08392
Official languages– Kannada