DHARWAD

The twin cities of Hubli-Dharwad are located at a distance of around 430 kms from Bangalore the capital of Karnataka state. The climate is hot and wet during the summer and rainy seasons and pleasant during winter. The twin cities have a history behind them dating back to the Hoysala period. Dharwad is the administrative capital of the Dharwad district and Hubli serves as the commerce center. Dharwad is a quiet, pleasant, and fast growing city in the northern part of Karnataka. Together with Hubli , which is a city twenty-two kilometers away, Dharwad forms a twin city.

Dharwad is known for its prestigious educational institutions. It houses the Karnataka University, which caters to graduate and research students. Karnataka College offers educational services to students just out of high school who aspire to make a career either in the arts or the sciences. S.D.M. Engineering college a more recent addition to the list of educational institutions offers education in Engineering. Hubli has an Engineering college( B.V.B College of Engineering and Technology), the Karnataka Medical College and other institutions.

Dharwad is perhaps best known for its "Pedhas", a sweet made out of milk, and is a must-buy for any tourist visiting the city.Today, Dharwad has grown beyond its borders, with industries dotting both its northern and southern boundaries. In years ahead, it promises to be a beehive of commercial activity. The location of the city on the NH4 makes it equidistant from 2 of the most industrialised centers in the country - Bangalore , the capital of Karnataka state and Pune the 2nd most industrialised city in Maharshtra.

Situated in the heart of the city, Dharwad Bus Station is connected by National Highway 4 (Pune-Bangalore). Buses ply from Dharwad to Mumbai, Pune, Belgaum, Kolhapur, Hospet, Shirsi, Bhatkal, Bangalore, Mangalore, Mysore, Goa and other major cities and towns in Karnataka and neighbouring states of South India. Semi-luxury, deluxe and hitec buses are in service. Regular services are available to Lakkundi, Annigeri, Bankapura, Dambala and Gadag.

Annigeri It is 30 kms from Hubli. It has a famous Amriteshwara temple of the time of the Kalyani Chalukyas. It was the birth place of great Kannada Poet Pampa and there is a Jain basadi of Parshwanatha. It was once a headquarters of famous rich province of Belvola-300. It was the capital of Chalukya Someshwara 4.In addition to Veerashaiva Mathas, there is a ruined Banashankari Temple and seven mosques and also an ancient Veerabhadra temple.
Bankapura 80 kms from Dharwad. It was built by Bankeya. under Chalukya many beautiful temples were raised in the city including the wonderful Nagareshwara temple in the fort and another chalukya temple called Siddheshwara.Many temples were destroyed by Ali Adilshahi in about 1567.
There is a beautiful mosque in the fort. It has Kilari cow breeding centre and a rabbit breeding centre with its office inside the fort.
Dambal It is 21 Kms from Gadag. And it is known as "Dharmapolal" in inscriptions. It was a Buddhist centre. Therec are two notable chalukyan temple called Doddabasappa Temple and somewshwara Temple.Doddabassapa as multigonal star shaped Temple Garbhagriha and fine sculpturalo representations and huge nandi Temple.Someshwara could have been a old bsadi.The Temple has a 400_year old vast tank.
There is a old ganapathi image in old ruined fort.
And we can also find a huge ganapathi image in a small shrine.
Hanagal It was the capital of Hangal Kadambas, feudatories of Chalukyas of Kalyana. It was mentioned as 'Panungal' in records and identified by tradition with Viratanagara of Mahabharatha days.
It is on the left bank of the Dharma river. The Tarakeshwara temple here is a huge structure with wonderful series of images and polished tall Chalukyan pillers. The other temples are Virabhadra, Billeshwara and Ramalinga etc.There is a famous Veerashaiva Kumaraswamy Matha here.
Gadag-Betagiri It is a twin city muncipality and it is 80 kms from Dharward .It is a great centre of Kalyana Chalukya art with the largeTrikuteshwara temple. It was latter expanded by kalyana Chalukyas into a vast complex.The complex has triple shrines once housing Shiva,Brahma and Surya.
The saraswathi temple has the finest shining decorative pillars,and the saraswathi image, and it is one of the largest example of Chalukyan art. The place has Someshwara and Rameshwara temples of Chalukyan style. It has Veeranarayana temple of Chalukyan times. The great Kannada poet Kumaravyasa composed his famous kannada Bharatha in this temple.Gadag has a mosque of Adilshahi times and church too.Betageri has many artistic herostones from 9th and 10th centuries.