Belgaum

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Template:India city infobox Belgaum is a town located in the northwest region of the state of Karnataka in India. It is the headquarters of Belgaum district. It derives its name from Sanskrit, Venugram (village of bamboos). The town is situated nearly 2,500 ft (762 m) above sea-level.

1 History
2 Language
3 Delicacy
4 Mahajan Commission Report
5 Defence Training Centres
6 Attractions
7 Professional Educational Institutions
8 External links

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History

Since 1961, Belgaum is a district in the Indian state of Karnataka

The city served as a major military installation for the British Raj, primarily due to its proximity to Goa, which was then an occupied Portuguese territory. Once British left India, the India Government continued and still continues to have an Armed forces installations in Belgaum. In 1961, the Indian government, under the Prime Ministership of Nehru used Belgaum to launch a crusade to liberate Goa from Portuguese occupation.

Belgaum has a scenic fortress believed to date from 1519 covering about 100 acres and surrounded by a moat. Within it are two interesting Jain temples.

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Language

Kannada is the primary languge spoken in the city, although there is a sizeable Marathi-speaking population too.

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Delicacy

Belgaum is famous for sweet named Kunda made up of milk,sugar and khawa.

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Mahajan Commission Report

The third Chief Justice of India, Mehr Chand Mahajan, comprised the Commission appointed by the Government of India. In August 1967, it rejected Maharashtra's demand for the transfer of Belgaum city to that State. It also rejected Maharashtra's claim over 814 villages in Uttara Kannada district (formerly North Kanara) including Karwar town on the ground that Konkani, the language spoken by a large number of people there, is a dialect of Marathi. Konkani has since then been declared state language of Goa, negating any claims that it is a dialect of Marathi. In fact Konkani language and its literature is said to be much older than Marathi. The Mahajan Commission recommended the transfer of 264 villages covering an area of 656.3 square miles from Mysore (now Karnataka) to Maharashtra. These included Nipani town and 40 villages around it. Of the 516 villages in seven taluks claimed by Mysore, Maharashtra itself had conceded that 260 of them were Kannada villages and therefore transferable to Mysore. The Commission recommended the transfer of 247 of them to Mysore. After the Mahajan Commission reported its findings, the Maharashtra government rejected it while that Karnataka government accepted it.

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Defence Training Centres

Belgaum also has a number of training centres of the Indian Armed Forces, and an air base of the Indian Air Force. The British had a sizable infantry post here, having realised the military importance of its geographical location. Perhaps that is one of the reasons for Belgaum's sobriquet The Cradle of Infantry. Development of a Rail Network for movement of resources and later troops was one of the means employed by both the East India Company and the British to exert control over India. Belgaum's Railway Station, the Mahatma Gandhi Railway Station was established by the British. A signboard declaring the sobriquet can be seen hung on Platform 1 at the Railway Station.

Belgaum houses the Maratha Light Infantry Regimental Centre (MLIRC).

Belgaum also houses the Commando Training Wing which is a part of the Infantry School, Mhow, where the country's valiant infantry commandos are trained in endurance, escape and evasion, guerilla and commando warfare techniques and to live off the land. The Commando course at Belgaum is mandatory for all infantry officers. Officers of other arms and services and even some foreign officers undergo the course if there are vacancies.

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