Gangavati, Karnataka
Gangavathi is a city, municipality and taluk in the Koppal district of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is one of the main commercial hubs in the Kalyana-Karnataka region. It is also the largest city, in terms of area and population, in the Koppal district. It is called Rice Bowl city of Karnataka, as it has hundreds of rice mills and sends rice to all parts of the country. Gangavati has Asia's first Rice Technology Park. Geography. Gangavathi lies at an average elevation of , and is situated close to the Tungabhadra Dam. It is a taluka  (administrative division) of Koppal, a district that was previously part of Raichur and recently 2 new taluks, Kanakagiri and Karatagi, were bifurcated out of Gangavathi taluk. The major areas of the town Gangavathi are: Basavanna circle, Valmiki circle, Kumara Rama Badavane, Siddikeri, Pampanagar, Uppar street, Hirejantakal, Saibaba Nagar, Pathan wadi, Maheboob Nagar, Mujavar Nagara, Gandhi Chowk, Mahaveer Circle, Indira Nagar, Bannigida Camp, CBS Circle, Gandhi nagar, sayi vijayanagara, saroja nagar, virupapur, killa area, Gousiya colony, Amar bhagat singh nagar, Rana pratap circle, Abdul kalam circle, KBN circle, Jayanagar and KEB colony. Within the Gangavathi Taluk are thirty-eight gram panchayats , or self-governing villages. Economy. Gangavathi is a commercial center and a major focal point for the Rice Milling industry, with its rural areas being important for Paddy cultivation – it is considered the "Rice Bowl" of Karnataka. Sugar production is prominent, with Gangavathi Sugar Limited (now its shut down), from Gangavathi, once the second biggest sugar plant in Asia. Demographics. According to the 2011 India census, Gangavathi had a population of 1,05,529. Males constituted 51% of the population and females 49%. Gangavathi had an average literacy rate of 57%, lower than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy was 67 %, and female literacy 48%. In Gangavathi 15% of the population is under 6 years of age. Landmarks. Notable places of historic importance near Gangavathi are Hampi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site south-west of the town, which includes the Virupaksha Temple, the villages of Kanakagiri and Anegundi, and gurus' tombs at Nava Brindavana. The village of Hemagudda is away – it is the site of the 14th-century safe-haven Hemagudda Fort, and Dasara celebrations within a restored temple. Hampi presents the famous Ugra Narasimha statue. The spectacular stone chariot is yet another must visit site. Tungabhadra dam is located close  to the city and channels her water to many of the villages that come under Gangavathi. There is a Anjanadri hill which is hardly 12-15 km from the Gangavathi town and people believe that it's a birthplace of lord Hanuman. In Gangavathi town there are many temples and mosques which are beautifully built. Prominent temples are Channabasava swami and Mallikarjuna temple, Sri Raghavendra Swami mutt ,Kote Anjaneya swami temple, Grama devate Durugamma temple, shri Pampapati temple ,shri muddanesheswara temple,Neelakantheshwara temple, Sri Satyanjaneya temple ,Venkateshwara temple, Ram Mandir etc Ganesh chaturthi and Holi is celebrated greatly during the  festivals Many mosques are also beautifully constructed and worshipped. Moharam is the one of the main festival which is celebrated greatly in the town.