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CHAPTER IV
RAICHUR DISTRICT: PROFILE OF THE STUDY AREA
4.1 INTRODUCTION
4.2 HISTORICAL PERSEPECTIVE
4.3 GEO-INFORMATION OF RAICHUR DISTRICT
4.4 PHYSIOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE
4.5. RAICHUR DISTRICT AT A GLANCE
4.6 LITERARY & CULTURAL ACTIVITIES OF RAICHUR DISTRICT
4.7 EDUCATIONAL PROSPECTS OF RAICHUR DISTRICT
4.8 INDUSTRIAL PROFILE OF RAICHUR DISTRICT
4.9 ANGANAWADI WORKERS IN KARNATAKA
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4.1 INTRODUCTION
Rachur district is known as ―Rice Bowl‖ of India situated in the eastern part of
Karnataka covering five talukas i.e. Devadurga, Lingasugur, Manvi, Raichur and
Sindhanur. Ranks first in Mosambi (sweet lime) production established trading market
for the cotton industry. Raichur district has the only gold manufacturing unit in the
country and is one of the nation‘s most efficient thermal power plant. Raichur district
popularly known as Do-Aab lies between two important rivers of Karnataka state,
Krishna (North side) and Tungabhadra (South side). Tourism in Raichur district is a
journey down the ages as the district is rich in historical associations and cultural
traditions. It has a considerable number of places, which are of interest with respect to the
history, heritage, religion and culture.
(http://www.mapsofindia.com/parliamentaryconstituencies/karnataka/raichur.htm)
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The Raichur district derives its name from its headquarters town Raichur (origin
of name Rayachooru in Kannada), as do most of the other districts also in the State.
Though many of the villagers round about still call the place by the earlier from of the
name which is Rayachooru, however, in modern times, it has come to be generally
written and pronounced in Kannada as Rayachooru. The name of this place which is of
considerable antiquity, can be traced back to the Twelfth Century.
Today, Raichur city has become the commercial, educational and industrial hub
of the Raichur District. Raichur is famous for its produce of rice, oilseeds and cotton. The
city is an important station on the Guntakal-Mumbai railway line. The best time to visit
Raichur is from October to March. The hill fort of Raichur, Bijapur styled Tomb of Pir
Sailani Shah, Fort Jami Masjid, Ek-Minar-ki- Masjid, citadel or the Bala Hisar, etc. are
the major attractions of Raichur. Visitors to Raichur can also take excursions to nearby
places like Anegundi (135 km from Raichur), which is famous for the Ranganatha
Temple, Pampa Sarovara, Kamal Mahal, Huchchappayana Matha and Nava Brindavana.
Bellary (145 km from Raichur), which is famous for its Mallara Temple and the World
Heritage Site Hampi are other places of interest near Raichur.
4.2 HISTORICAL PERSEPECTIVE
Raichur is very rich from the epigraphical point of view. It has already yielded
hundreds of inscriptions, ranging right from the Mauryan period up to the end of the
Muslim period, in a variety of languages like Sanskrit, Prakrit, Kannada, Arabic and
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Persian and belonging to almost all the dynasties that ruled over the Deccan plateau. The
most important places in the district from historical point of view are Maski, Koppal,
Kuknur, Mudgal and Raichur itself.
The district was a part of the Hyderabad State till the re-organization of State on
1st November, 1956. The recorded history of the district is traced to as far back as the 3rd
century B.C. The fact that three minor rock edicts of Ashoka are found in this district one
at Maski in the Lingasugur taluk and the other two near Koppal, prove that this area was
included in the dominions of the great Mauryan king Ashoka (273 - 236 B.C.) At that
time, this region was under the governance of the Viceroy or Mahamatra of Ashoka.
Early in the Christian era, the district appears to have been a part of the kingdom of the
Satavahanas. The Vakatakas, who reigned during the 3rd and 4th centuries A.D., seem to
have held sway over Raichur for sometime, after which it appears to have been, included
in the Kadamba dominions. The next dynasty of importance, which ruled over this
region, was that of the Chalukyas of Badami. According to an inscription from Aihole,
Pulikeshi-II having defeated the Pallavas, occupied this area and made it a province in his
empire under the governance of his son Adityavarma. Later the whole of the present
Raichur district was included in the dominions of the Rashtrakutas, who rose to power in
the 8th century, as could be gathered from the inscriptions of that period found in this
district. According to an inscription from Manvi taluk, one Jagattunga, a subordinate ruler
under the Rashtrakuta king Krishna-II, was ruling the province of Adedore
Eradusavirapranta, i.e., the area constituting the present Raichur district. Nripatunga, a
Rashtrakuta king, has described Koppal in his Kannada work, Kavirajamarga, as the great
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Kopananagara.
Maski in Raichur district is home to an inscription dating back to the time of
Emperor Ashoka. The region has been ruled by several dynasties including the Mauryas,
Shatavahanas, Kakatiyas, the Rashtrakutas, Vijayanagar kings, Bahmani Sultans and
Nizams at different points in history. Evidence of these glorious dynasties are present in
the form of the many forts and temples that dot the district. The Raichur fort has been
standing tall ever since the time of the Chalukyas of Badami. Later, it was during the
reign of the Chalukyas of Kalyana that the fort was renovated. The Kakatiyas of
Warangal sought to strengthen the fort further in 1294 AD. According to a Kakatiya
edict, the inner tiers of the fort were built during the administration of Vithalanatha, a
commander of the army of a prince Goregannayya Reddy who ruled under Rani
Rudramma Devi. The Vijayanagara King, Krishnadevaraya, built the north entrance in
celebration of one of his conquests, according to some historians. Another fort that draws
attention in the Raichur region is the Mudgal fort. This fort, it is said was built in 1053,
by a landlord called Muddappa Reddy. There is mention of the same in the Nizamshahi
Gazette. The Bahmani Sultans, Vijayanagar kings and the Adil Shahis of Bijapur, all
went into war with each other over the conquest of this fort. The Mudgal fort has seen
many a battle over the centuries. After the battle of Rakkasatangadi in 1565, the fort fell
into the hands of the Adil Shahis. The Mudgal of then, ruled by many dynasties, is now a
small town in Lingasugur taluk. Talk about Lingasugur and one has to mention
‗Jaladurga‘ a historic fort in the taluk, that was ruled by Vijayanagar kings, Bijapur‘s
Adilshahis and Bahmani Sultans. The fort is known to have had a huge vault, where
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riches were stored. There is mention in historical texts that those who were sentenced for
life were known to have been pushed from the top of the fort into the river Krishna
flowing nearby. Ten kilometres away from Raichur is the Maliabad fort, which was
strengthened during the time of the Kakatiyas in the 13th century. The outer layer of the
fort was built in the 15th century.
4.3 GEO-INFORMATION OF RAICHUR DISTRICT
Raichur district is bounded by the Krishna River on the north and the
Tungabhadra River on the south. The wedge of land between the rivers is known as the
Raichur Doab, after the city of Raichur. Bijapur and Gulbarga districts lie to the north
across the Krishna River. Bagalkot and Koppal districts lie to the west. Across the
Tungabhadra lies Bellary District of Karnataka to the southwest and Mahabubnagar of
Telangana to the southeast. Kurnool District of Andhra Pradesh state lies to the east, and
includes the lower portion of the Raichur -584 102.Geographical 15 ̊ 09 ' to 16 ̊ 34‘ North
latitude location 75 ̊ 46 ‗ to 77 ̊ 35 ' East longitude Temperature 45 ̊ C (Max.) 18 ̊ C
(Min.) Average Rainfall 681 mm Rivers Tungabhadra, Krishna Area 8,441sq km District
Raichur headquarter Population 1,924,773 (As per 2011 census) Population 228 per sq
km density Sex ratio 992 per 1000 male Literacy rate 60.46% Airport Hyderabad
International Airport Major Industrial 4 Industrial Estates & 4 Industrial Areas
Infrastructure.
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Raichur district lies between 15 deg. 09 min. and 16 deg. 34 min. N latitude and
75 deg. 46 min. and 77 deg. 35 min E longitude and in between two major rivers, namely,
the Krishna and the Tungabhadra. The general slope of the district is from the north-west
towards the south-east, its average height above the Mean Sea-Level being just 1,311
feet.
The district is bounded on the north by the district of Gulbarga, on the west by the
districts of Bijapur and Dharwar, on the east by the district of Mahboobnagar of Andhra
Pradesh, and on the south by the districts of Kurnool, also of Andhra Pradesh and
Bellary. The two rivers, the Krishna and the Tungabhadra, form the entire northern and
southern boundaries of the district.
The region around Lingsugur, gets the least amount of rainfall in the district while
towards the south as well as the east, rainfall increases. During the south-west monsoon
months, viz., June to September, the district received about 71% of the annual rainfall,
September being the month with the highest rainfall. In the post-monsoon months of
October and November also, the district receives some rain. The variations in the annual
rainfall from year to year are large as is the case in the neighbouring districts.
The district on the whole has a dry climate, the period from November to May
being the driest part of the year. Even during the south-west monsoon period, the
humidities are not very high.
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4.4 PHYSIOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE
The undulating black cotton soil strips, cut by numerous nallahs, characterize the
region of the Dharwar schist, which is now practically denuded of trees and presents a
monotonous landscape, while the gneissic region is generally more or less broken and
covered with a thin mantle of red loamy soil. Gneissic hills, Sedimentary formations,
which cover a small belt of the region adjoining the confluence of the Krishna and the
Tungabhadra rivers, occupy more or less flat plateaus. Regionally viewed, the hills in the
area present some structural features, which are of interest in relation to the geology of
the area:
a) Taking the most South Westerly group, the hills of Karigudda, Manvi and
Rabhinakal show continuity along roughly North-West and South-East direction;
b) From Sirwar and Yermasagar, running in a roughly South-East direction, may be
recognized the hill of Madhugiri, Neermanvi, Gorkal, Kurvi and the one two
miles West of Kamalahatti;
c) Between Masarakal and Gabbur, a number of gneissic hills are seen at Kakargal.
Jinnapur, Hungundabad. Ramdurga, Jagatkal, Khardigud, Maladkal and Gabbur.
The hills around Uttanur are seen to be in line with the outh-western group of
hillocks in the above area as also the hill-clusters around Kalmala and Kallur, are
seen to be situated in the same north-west and South-east disposition as that of the
group of gneissic hills enumerated above;
d) The hills around Raichur, which constitute a prominent landmark in the area, may
also be seen roughly to display north-west and southeast trends.
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Soil: The district is bestowed with varied soil resources comprising 57.6% of
black soil and 42.4% of red soil. Within the black soil, 44.2 per cent is deep black soil
followed by 41.6 per cent medium black and 14.2 per cent shallow soils. Among the red
soils, 48.9 per cent area is constituted by loamy soils while remaining 51.1 per cent
comprises of sandy soils. The soils are poor in nitrogen, phosphorous, zinc and iron but
rich in potassium.
Rainfall: Generally Rain is observed between June to December. The rainfall in
the district occurs from South- West monsoon extends from June to September and
ranges from 998.2 to 594.30 mm. An average of 59 rainy days registered during1901 to
1970, with the rainfall contribution of about 64.9% from South-West monsoon and by
North-East monsoon 35.1%. The yearly normal rainfall of 772 mm recorded during 1971-
2000 and is about 600 mm in the NE region of the dist.
4.5. RAICHUR DISTRICT AT A GLANCE
Geographical Info.
Latitude Between 15 ° 55‘ and 17 °29‘ N
Longitude Between 77°15 ‘ and 79 °15 ‘E
Area 18,432 sq.km
Elivation 498 m(1,634ft.)
Headquarters Mahabubnagar
Boundaries
East Guntur district of AP
West Gulbarga and Raichur districts of Karnataka
North Ranga Reddy & Nalgonda districts of AP
South Kurnool district of AP
Soil Red Sandy, Black cotton, Loamy soils
Rivers Krishna, Tungabhadra, Vendi, Peddavaagu,
Chinnavaagu
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Major River Projects Priyadharshini Jurala, KoilSagar, Sarla
Sagar,Dindi Reservoir
Climate
Rainfall(Normal) 604mm
2007-08 507.6mm
2006-07 474.7mm
2005-06 973.2mm
2004-05 420.44mm
Temperature(Avg.) 35°C(95 °F)
In Summer 40.9 °C (106 °F)
In Winter 25.0 °C (77 °F)
Demographical Info.
total population 3 ,513,934
Population density 191 persons/sq.km
Literacy Rate 44.4 (AP 61.55)
For more details about population Click Here
Administrative Setup
No, of revenue divisions 5 (Mahabubnagar, Nagarkurnool, Gadwal,
Narayanpet, Wanaparthy)
No. or mandals 64
No. of villages 1475 inhabited and 69 uninhabited
No. of Towns 7
No. of Municipalities 4
Agriculture
Food crops Paddy, Jowar, Ragi Bajra, Vegetables, Pulse
(redgram, greengram) and Other millets
Commercial crops Groundnut,Castor, Sugarcane,
Horticulture crops Mango, sweet orange, acid lime, guava, sapota,
papaya,
Net area sown 8,76,700 Ha
Major source of irrigation Canals, tube wells & wells, tanks
Area under forests 302700 ha
Major minerals found stone metal, lime stone, black & color granite,
sand, feldspar, quartz, and laterite
Major economic activities
Agriculture, sheep rearing, handloom weaving,
Industry
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4.6 LITERARY & CULTURAL ACTIVITIES OF RAICHUR DISTRICT
Raichur district has rich cultural traditions and has been playing an important role
in the field of literary activities since early times. The temples and mathas were centers of
cultural, literary and social activities. A galaxy of eminent personalities, who shone in the
cultural field, hailed from this district. Rulers of powerful kingdoms like those of the
Chalukyas and Rashtrakutas, of Viajayanagara and of the Bahmanis and Adil Shahs,
which arose in the vicinity of the district, were great patrons of arts and letters. There
were independent Bhakti movements pioneered by Sharanas and Haridasas who were
dedicated souls and many of whom have left a deep impress on the literature and culture
of the Kannada country. In the 11th century, nearly a 100 years before the time of Sri
Basaveshvara, Naoli, in Lingsugur taluk, was known for two reputed vachanakaras,
namely, Shankara Dasimayya and Dhakkeya Marayya. They were the beginners of the
vachana style which produced, in the following centuries, a unique treasure of Kannada
Infrastructure
Industrial Infrastructure
Number of IEs/ IDAs 4 IDAs, one IE
industrial parks Green Park, Textiles park, mini leather park, Agri
export park,
Number of Large/Medium Scale
units 48 working
Number of SSIs (31-1-08) 3382
Credit Institutions
Leading Bank State Bank of India
No. of Commercial Banks 18
Commercial Banks Branches 135
Regional Rural Bank 70
Dt. Co-operative Banks 19
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literature. In the 12th century, Ayadakki Marayya of Amareshwara in Lingsugur taluk,
his wife Ayadakki Lakkamma, and Bibbi Bacharasa of Gabbur made a notable mark
as vachanakaras. In the 16th century, Lingannacharya of Kallur wrote Vararamya-
Ratnakara in Bhamini-shatpadi metre. During the times of the Vijayanagara kings, the
mathas were re-organised, and during the reigns especially of Proudha Devaraya and
Krishnadeva Raya, cultivation of arts and letters received a great impetus. The great
Haridasa tradition was propagated in Raichur district by several eminent saints like
Vijayadasa, Gopaladasa and Jagannathadasa in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Vijayadasa was born in 1687 A.D., at Chikalparvi in Manvi taluk in very humble
circumstances. At an early age, he went to Varanasi for education. It is said to have
composed 25,000 songs, the largest number of Kannada songs, ranking second after
Purandaradasa in that respect. Gopaladasa, born in 1717 A.D., at Masarkal of Deodurg
taluk, was a disciple of Vijayadasa. Gopaladasa is well known for his songs, which are
full of devotion. There is hardly a topic, which he has not dealt with concerning
mysticism. Jagannathadasa was born in 1727 A.D., in a family of Kukarnis (village
accountants) at Biagwat, a village in Manvi taluk. He was called Jagannatha Vitthala
by Gopaladasa. He was an eminent scholar of Sanskrit and a proficient writer in
Kannada. He composed a number of devotional songs and wrote a learned treatise called
Harikathamritasara. He was admired by Purnaiya, the great Dewan of Mysore Manohar
Vitthala of Buddinni in Manvi taluk, earlier called as Buddinni Desai Narayanappa,
was a disciple of Sri Gopaladasa. He lived about 175 years back. He wrote
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Raghavendraguru Stotra, Manmathavilasa, Sri Krishna Jayantikatha, Gadayuddha,
Sankocha Bharata, Anantakathe and other works.
Vasudeva Vitthala, whose earlier name was Venkataramacharya and later known
as Paramahamsa Vyasattvagna, was a famous saint of the 18th century (1705-1801 A.D.)
He was a great devotee of Sri Raghavendraswamy of Mantryalaya. He is said to have
performed many miracles. He was proficient both in Sanskrit and Kannada. He wrote 13
works in Sanskrit, of which his treatises on Manasasmriti and Upasanabhaga and his
comments on the seventh canto of Bhagavata are well known. In Kannada, he wrote ten
ugabhogas, sixteen suladis and hundreds of padas. Praneshadasa (Pranesh Vitthala 1744-
1822), whose former name was Yogappa, was born in Lingsugur taluk. He is said to have
served his guru, Jagannathadasa, for nearly sixteen years.
The other famous Dasas were Panganama Thimmanna Dasa, Kallur
Subbannacharya, Guru Pranesha, Sreesha Pranesha Vitthala, Guru Sreesha Vitthala,
Ananda Dasa, ModalakalSeshadasa, Sri Varadesha Vitthala, Srinivasa Vitthala, Asigyala
Govinda Dasa, Manvi Gundacharya, Lingsugur Padmanabha Dasa, Panduranga Rao
Kasbe, etc., and a number of others strove earnestly to continue the Haridasa tradition.
During the 18th century, there were also a good number of Veerashaiva writers.
Sangavibhu of Ganekal wrote Kumara Vijaya (a Champoo kavya) and three Shatakas,
namely, Basava Shataka, Pampa Shataka and Bhuvanaika-Nayaki Shataka.
Ganamathadarya was the author of Bhakti-Sudharasa, while Kudlur Basavalinga
Sharma wrote Brahmatatva-Ratnakara.
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The famous writers of the 19th century were Veerabhadra kavi, the author of
Aravattumuru Puratanara Purana, Gugal Parappayya who was the author of Anubhava
Padyagalu and Mariswamy who also composed Anubhava Padyagalu. The late
Kaviratna Chenna kavi and Maski Basavappa Sastry were famous for their Puranas.
The famous works of Chenna kavi are : Hemareddy Mallammana Purana, Anagal
Kumareshwara Purana, Sollapurada Nalwathar Veereshwara Purana, Mulagunda
Balaveera Mahanta Shivayogi Purana, Gowlakere Annadaneshwara Purana and other
works.
The research work of late Gorebala Hanumantha Rao of Lingsugur in the field
of Dasa Sahitya (the literature of Dasas), has brought to light the works of several Dasas
(through Varadendra Sahitya Mandala, Lingsugur) who strove hard to propagate the Dasa
tradition. He brought out more than 50 works containing keertanas of several Dasas. It
was also discovered that there were Harijans and Muslims too among the Dasas. During
the twenties and thirtees of the present century, the literary and cultural activities gained a
considerable momentum through the strenuous efforts of Pandit Taranath (1891-1942),
an eminent thinker, linguist and social worker, who hailed from South Kanara District
but spent many active years of his life in the Raichur region. He attracted a number of
devoted followers whom he inspired to work earnestly for the country. He wrote Dharma
Sambhava, Dharmada Tirulu and other works, which are thought- provoking. He was
highly proficient in Ayurveda also and trained up many youths in that medical science. He
founded the Hamdard High School at Raichur. The late Kallinatha Shastri Puranik
wrote Puranas, like his father Kaviratna Chenna kavi, of which Sharana Basaveshwara
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Purana, Gudleshwara Purana, Belwantara Chennabasaveshwara Purana and Itagi
Bhimambika Purana are well known. He has written also plays, songs and other works.
Late Prof. D.K.Bhimasen Rao of Bidgi in Manvi taluk, who worked as the Head of the
Kannada Department of Osmania University, was responsible for fostering Kannada
movement in Hyderabad through Kannada Sahitya Mandir and Nizam Karnatak Sahitya
Parishat. His literary contributions are Hadimurane Shatamanda Karnataka, Andhra,
Maharashtra Sahitya Avalokana, Shabdamani Darpanada Pathantaragalu Mattu
Harikathamrita and Humale (a collection of poems edited), etc.
Late Sri Manvi Narasinga Rao, who worked for the cause of Kannada through
Kannada Sahitya Mandir, Hyderabad, contributed to the Kannada literature Saraswati
Tatva (a collection of essays) and Kannada Yatre (a travelogue), etc. He was mainly
responsible for organizing the Nizam Karnatak Sahitya Parishat. Sri Tawag Bhimasen
Rao of Tawag in Lingsugur taluk, a retired Kannada Lecturer, made a notable
contribution by establishing Kannada Shitya Sangha in Gulbarga which has become a
nucleus of many Kannada activities. His contributions are mostly in the form of articles
or criticism published in literary journals like Prabuddha Karnataka. Sri Siddayya
Puranik (son of the late Sri Kallinatha Shastri Puranik), an administrator, whose pen-
name is Kavyananda, is one of the present-day eminent poets. His Manasa Sarovara, a
collection of poems, won him a State award and his Thuppa Rotti Ge Ge Ge (children‘s
poems) won him a National award. He has written three dramas namely Atmarpana,
Rajatarekhe and Bharataveera, two collections of stories, namely, tusharahara and
Kathamanjari, and a novel, namely, Tribuvanamalla. Sharanacharitamrita is his other
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well known book of life-sketches of sixty-three Sharanas. Besides, he has edited
Kannada Padya Ratnakara, Srikara Prabandhamale, Subodha-Sara, Mahatma
Kanakadasa Prashasti and Sharanaprasada. His other works are Jalapata, Karana
Sravana, Kallolamale, Modala Manavanagu, Vikasa Vani, etc. His brother Sri
Annadanayya Puranik has written Channabasava Shitya, Bhageeratha Nyayadarshana,
etc. Dr.S.M.Hunashal, Principal of the Hamdard Higher Secondary School, Raichur, has
published several works both in English and Kannada, among which are the Veerashaiva
Social Philosophy, Puratana Shraneyara Vachanagalu, Bharatada Samskritiya Ithihasa
and Vichara Taranga (a collection of poems). Pandit D.M.Sharma has published a
Kannada work entitled Amareshwara Purana. Shantarasa, a teacher by profession, has
published a collection of poems called Musuku-tere; he is also the author of Satyasnehi,
Nanjumorevalu and Manasagalli (poems), and has edited Siddharama, Kalyanadeepa,
Basava Shataka and other works. Sri Jaithirth Rajpurohit, another administrator, is a
noted novelist and a short-story writer. Suligali, a novel of his, won him a prize in 1968 in
a competition. His other literary contributions are Paravvana Panchayati, Rohini (short
stories), Halu Jenu (novel), Thungeyangaladalli (plays in verse) and Kanakagireesha
Charite. Sri Chandrashekhara Sastry of Raichur has brought out several works on
philosophy, while Vidwan Sri Veereshwara Shastry, a journalist and editor of
Amaravani (a local monthly), has written a commentary on Bhava-Chintaratna of Gubbi
Mallanarya. Sri Gadwal Shankarappa of Raichur, the organizer of Sangadigar Samithi,
has been responsible for publication of several books brought out by young writers. He
has also written Avale Ivalu, Brahma Tatva Ratnakara and Hariharana Kathegalu. Prof.
T.Srikanthaiah of the L.V.D. College, Raichur, has written Arivu (a collection of poems)
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and Hariharanu Chitrisiruva Kelavu Sharanaru; he has also edited Shabara Shankara
Vilasa. To the credit of Sri Chennabasava Swamigalu of Naradagadde, a religious
place, are works of literary and spiritual value such as Savijenu, Swayamprabha,
Antaranga (being collections of his vachanas) and Sri Gurusannidhi. Sri Kushtagi
Raghavendra Rao is working in Mysore University as a research worker on Dasa
Sahitya. Sri Devendra Kumar Hakari, a Lecturer in Karnatak University, Dharwar, has
written Chinmayi, Ache Eche, Chelva Kogile and Koogutive Kallu, while Sri
Panchakshari Hiremath, another noted writer of Raichur district, has written a novel
Borban Club serialized in a journal. In additiona to the above person, mention may be
made of several others such as Sriyuths : the late Sugaveera Sharma and Manikya Rao,
G.Krishna Rao, Jambanna, Hanumnthachar Updhyay, Amarananda, Vsanta
Kushtagi, Vasudeva Bhat, Kanthannanavar, Basavaiah, Seetharam Jagirdar and so
on who have earnestly contributed to Kannada literature.` Raichur Karnataka 1 People
Like this place Raichur, the headquarters and the city municipal council of Raichur
District of Karnataka, is a historic city with rich cultural heritage. The cultural ethnicity
of Raichur has made it a popular tourist destination of South India. Situated on the banks
of the River Tungabhadra, Raichur lies in the north eastern part of Karnataka. Raichur
town is at a distance of about 409 km from Bangalore, the state capital of Karnataka and
151 km from Hyderabad Airport. Raichur has a rich historic and cultural background as it
was ruled by all the dynasties who reigned over the Deccan Plateau. The city of Raichur
is famous for its Fort which was constructed by the Kakatiya rulers in 1294 AD. Raichur
Fort and the city of Raichur came under various empires like Mauryas, Chalukyas,
Vijayanagara, Bahmanis and the Mughals. The region of Raichur hence imbibed the
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culture of these dynasties to become a cultural kaleidoscope of India. The origin of the
name ‗Raichur‘ can be dated back to the 12th century when this city was called by the
name of ‗Rachavoor‘ or ‗Rachanoor‘ which means ‗King's Place‘. The conquering of
Rachavoor by the Hoysala King Vishnuvardhana has been detailed in the Hoysala
Inscriptions dated 1161 AD, 1178 AD and 1183 AD. By 1294 AD, ‗Rachanoor‘ was
shortened to ‗Rachoor‘ or ‗Rachooru‘, which is evident from the Kakatiya inscription on
the wall of the Raichur Fort. Malik Kafur captured the region of Raichur in the year 1312
and it consequently came under the reign of Vijayanagara, Bahmani, Bijapur, Mughal and
Asaf Jahi Kings. The region of Raichur, in fact, was often referred to as ‗Doab‘ (two
rivers) in the ancient texts, due to its proximity to River Krishna and River Tungabhadra.
Today, Raichur city has become the commercial, educational and industrial hub of the
Raichur District. Raichur is famous for its produce of rice, oilseeds and cotton. The city is
an important station on the Guntakal-Mumbai railway line. The best time to visit Raichur
is from October to March. The hill fort of Raichur, Bijapur styled Tomb of Pir Sailani
Shah, Fort Jami Masjid, Ek-Minar-ki-Masjid, citadel or the Bala Hisar, etc. are the major
attractions of Raichur. Visitors to Raichur can also take excursions to nearby places like
Anegundi (135 km from Raichur), which is famous for the Ranganatha Temple, Pampa
Sarovara, Kamal Mahal, Huchchappayana Matha and Nava Brindavana. Bellary (145 km
from Raichur), which is famous for its Mallara Temple and the World Heritage Site
Hampi are other places of interest near Raichur.
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4.7 EDUCATIONAL PROSPECTS OF RAICHUR DISTRICT
Raichur has 1465 primary schools & 20 Pre-university colleges. In higher
education segment, the district has 8 general colleges, 1 medical college, 1engineering
College, 2 ITIs, 1 dental college, 2 law colleges and 2 polytechnics.
Raichur has close to 40 primary health centres along with 4 major
hospitals.Dispensaries and drug shops are also available in plenty in the district. The
district has been the centre for various healthcare initiatives at Government level like TB
control programme, polio immunization programme, etc
Navodaya Medical College was the first private sector institution for medical
education to be established in the Raichur district of Karnataka. The college was set up in
the year 2001 as an independent medical institute. It is located at Navodaya Nagar on
Mantralayam Road in Raichur, Karnataka. The coeducational college is recognized by the
Medical Council of India (MCI), New Delhi. It is affiliated to the Rajiv Gandhi
University of Health Sciences (RGUHS), Bangalore. The college is devoted to the
mission of creating medical professionals who would serve humanity with selfless
interest. The college provides excellent facilities and a team of highly educated teachers
who impart medical education par excellence to the students. Navodaya Medical College
is spread across a vast stretch of land. The most notable thing about the campus is the
modern structure of the college. The massive structure is designed with striking
architectural beauty. The colege building houses first-rate infrastructural facilities and
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latest equipments for imparting medical education. Away from the hustle bustle of city
life, noise and pollution, the peaceful campus provides the ideal environment for teaching
and learning.
4.8 INDUSTRIAL PROFILE OF RAICHUR DISTRICT
Raichur is the second largest District in the state in terms of Area. All the five
talukas of the district are very well irrigated, with water from the Tungabhadra Dam on
the Tungabhadra River, and Narayanpura Dam on the Krishna River. Raichur is known
for its paddy fields and its riceis of extremely superior quality. Raichur has numerous rice
mills which export high quality riceto different countries. It also has a good trading
market in cotton industry.It is one of the five districts in Karnataka currently receiving
funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme.
Raichur District is one of few places in India with gold resources. Hatti Gold
Mines are situated in Raichur District, around 90 km away from Raichur city has a
average production of 3 tons per annum.
Existing Status of Industrial Areas in the District are
Raichur Industrial Area : An extent of 153 acres of land has been developed.
Industrial Growth Centre at Shakthinagar, Raichur : Total Land available is 2000
Acres out of which an extent of 450 Acres has been developed.
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Industrial Area, Devasugur, Raichur: Total land available is 214.86 Acres out of
which an extent of 82.62 Acres has been developed.
Industrial Area, Devdurga, Raichur (Under progress) : An extent of 59 acres and
29 guntas of land was acquired for formation of Industrial Area
Industrial Area, Manvi, Raichur (Under Progress) : In Manvi, an extent of 59
acres and 29 guntas of land was acquired for formation of Industrial Area.
4.9 ANGANAWADI WORKERS IN KARNATAKA
The Integrated Child Development Services Scheme was started in Karnataka on
2nd October 1975 with a pilot project at T.Narasipura in Mysore District with just 100
Anganwadi Centres. Since then, the programme has been expanded to cover all the
revenue taluks and 10 urban areas in the state. At present 185 projects are in operation
covering all the 175 taluks and 10 urban areas. The profile of Anganwadis in Karnataka
is shown in following table.
Rural Urban Tribal Total
ICDS PROJECTS:
Sanctioned 166 10 9 185
Operational 166 10 9 185
ANGANWADI CENTRES
Sanctioned 46369 1819 3426 51614
Functioning as on March 2007
45940 1799 3411 51150
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Researcher in an effort to visit to the various Anganawadi centres in Raichur
distrct is shown in following snaps.
State-wise Number of Sanctioned/Operational Anganwadi Centres in India
(As on January, 2013) is shown in following table.
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States/UTs
No. of AWCs
Sanctioned
by GOI
No. of Mini-AWCs
Sanctioned
by GOI
Total
Andhra Pradesh 80481 10826 91307
Arunachal Pradesh 6225 0 6225
Assam 56728 5425 62153
Bihar 86528 5440 91968
Chhattisgarh 55709 8681 64390
Goa 1262 0 1262
Gujarat 50552 1585 52137
Haryana 25450 512 25962
Himachal Pradesh 18386 539 18925
Jammu and
Kashmir 29577 0 29577
Jharkhand 35881 2551 38432
Karnataka 61187 3331 64518
Kerala 32986 129 33115
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Madhya Pradesh 80160 12070 92230
Maharashtra 97475 13011 110486
Manipur 9958 1552 11510
Meghalaya 3922 1234 5156
Mizoram 1980 0 1980
Nagaland 3515 0 3515
Odisha 62657 10216 72873
Punjab 25436 1220 26656
Rajasthan 54925 6204 61129
Sikkim 1233 0 1233
Tamil Nadu 50602 4940 55542
Tripura 9911 0 9911
Uttar Pradesh 165331 22186 187517
Uttarakhand 18039 5120 23159
West Bengal 117170 0 117170
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Andaman and
Nicobar Islands 689 31 720
Chandigarh 500 0 500
Delhi 11150 0 11150
Dadra and Nagar
Haveli 233 34 267
Daman and Diu 107 0 107
Lakshadweep 96 11 107
Puducherry 788 0 788
India 1256829 116848 1373677
