Of scary creature and popular dish

Women selling crabs in the Belgaum market.



The demand for crab meat has been increasing over the years, though crab-farming is yet to catch up in the region.
Crabs are caught from tanks, rivers, bunds, paddy fields and wells by crab-hunters who bring their catch to towns and cities in the region during shandy days and earn between Rs. 300 and Rs. 1,000 by selling a crab for Rs. 10.
A large number of women are involved in crab-hunting and selling, says Nagavva Lakappa Nadvinmani of Hidkal village, who has been selling crabs at Belgaum’s Fish Market for the past few years. She earns up to Rs. 500 on a shandy day.

Crab is a popular dish of the people of the region. Puneet, son of a doctor, says crab curry is his favourite dish. For the poor living near water bodies, crabs are their first choice. According to National Institute of Oceanography, crab curry is good for those suffering from asthma. Similarly, soup made of crab species such as Portunus sanquinolentus and P. pelagicus is given for people recovering from malaria and typhoid.

Scylla serrata helps people overcome diarrhoea and dysentery.
Carapace of Uca spp. paste helps in controlling hyperacidity. Crab meat is rich in vitamins and is good for those suffering from cold, asthma, eosinophil, and other ailments.
Source The Hindu

Magistrate to probe attack on official

Source The Hindu

Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa has agreed to order an inquiry by a magistrate into the attack on the Chief Engineer of Irrigation, North Zone, Belgaum, S.S. Khanagavi, here on July 3.
This was announced by Minister for Water Resources Basavaraj Bommai who was here to hold talks with the agitating staff of irrigation and other departments here on Sunday.

Demands
Mr. Bommai, who spoke to Mr. Yeddyurappa over telephone, said that the Chief Minister had agreed to fulfil demands such as an inquiry into the incident, transfer Circle Inspector S.M. Nagaraj (Camp Police Station) and Sub-Inspector Pradeep Yadvin (APMC Police Station), and apology by BJP MLA Abay Kumar Patil to Mr. Khanagavi.
However, later addressing presspersons, he said that the demand for Mr. Patil’s resignation had been conveyed to the president of the State unit of the BJP, D.V. Sadananda Gowda.
Mr. Bommai said that after reviewing the sequence of events that led to the “planned attack” on Mr. Khanagavi and hearing the statements of eight eye witnesses, he felt the need for an impartial inquiry.
The incident had posed a question to the integrity and impartiality of the Government, he said.

Abhay Patil MLA arrested

Photo Taken from Tarun Bharat.

The police on Friday arrested BJP MLA Abhay Kumar Patil and four of his supporters in connection with the attack on the Chief Engineer, Irrigation, North Zone, Belgaum, on Thursday. He was produced in the JMFC IV Court which granted him bail. The other accused Raju Patil, Rajendra Pawar, Deepak Jamkhandi and Sanjay Patil were also produced in the court which granted them bail.

Earlier, Various organisations condemned attack on irrigation official. Protest was organised by Karnataka State Engineering Service Association. Associations seek action against policemen for remaining mute to the attack.

A large number of employees of the Irrigation, Public Works and other State Government departments on Friday took out a procession in protest against the attack on S.S. Khanagavi, Chief Engineer of Irrigation, North Zone, and seeking the arrest of BJP MLA Abhay Kumar Patil here on Friday.

Source The Hindu

Belgaum ring road map

BJP, Sangh Parivar activists beat up Chief Engineer in Belgaum

Source The Hindu

Belgaum Bandh successful

The Belgaum bandh called by the VHP and Bajrang dal as a part of the nation wide bandh call today, the response has been almost 100%.

All the businesses are closed. The activists did try to close a few open shops and burnt tyres at Bogarves circle, but the police removed it immediately and restored the traffic. Small incidents of stone pelting happened. No major incident has been reported until now.

Belgaum Bandh on Thursday:Rohini Patil in Indian Judo team: Ravishankar new DC

Bandh
The VHP-Bajrang Dal have called for a nation wide bandh tomorrow 3 rd July. Today the VHP and Bajrang Dal will take out a rally in protest of the J & K govt decision to take back the land allotted to Amarnath board. In a press release, they also said that Belgaum would be BANDH on thrusday as a part of the nation wide bandh called.

Belgaum Aniket in MTV ROADIES: Voting begins tonight

MTV the popular music channel has organized Sony Ericsson MTV Roadies Battleground a reality show where the contestants had to do what ever

Aniket Halgekar a just 25 lad from Belgaum is part of the 14 contestants for the finals of the said event.

It is the longest running reality show with 5 seasons. Now Mtv has come up with India’s first ever-online reality show dat makes use of both, the media and the Internet.

There are 14 finalists selected from all over the globe out of 1 lakh plus contestants who participated in online GDs and Video Tasks. These 14 finalists will be competing over a span of 8 weeks and the finalists gets a direct entry in MTV HERO HONDA ROADIES 6.0 and a cash prize of 1 lakh rupees.

There will be 2 tasks given every week which the finalists will have to perform and send it to MTV. The Roadies community members will then vote for their favorites based on these tasks. The other finalists vote the person who gets the max vote for a task gets the immunity for the week and so cant out. Out of the remaining, two people leave the show through vote outs amongst the finalists.

Thus, the one who survives until the end gets the prize money. Since only the ROADIES community members can vote, one has to join the community first and then add an application to their profile. Only then they can vote.The link to the community that has to be joined is

Did you know this?Basvan Galli Jain Temple

Did you know this?

I am starting a new series on this blog. Did you know this?
We still do not know so many things. This is an effort to know it.

If any of you have some interesting info kindly, send it to ukmad@airtelmail.in

Information shared by Brmhananad Chipre: http://kamalbasti.blogspot.com/

In Basvan Galli there is a Jain temple, the idol was brought from killa (the Belgaum fort).

The Britisher's were not allowing the idol to be shifted from the fort and hence to get the Idol, the local jain's took the idol as it was a dead person on their shoulders and the Britisher's thought it was a dead body and left it and the whole thing was done at mid night. The temple was later built there.

Belgaum Mayor seeks infrastructure fund

Source The Hindu
Requests Chief Minister to speed up establishment of Apparel Park

Social Justice Forum opposes Suvarna Vidhana Soudha on green belt

Confederation of Indian Industry focus on Belgaum

Source www.chennaionline.com Link Contributed by Sundeep Sheri

Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), southern region, will focus on a ten-point agenda and implement the key recommendations of 'Vision 2025' document towards making southern region a front-runner in socio-economic development.
''Skills and employability, infrastructure development, promotion of MSMEs, development of tier II and III cities, agriculture and education were some of the thrust areas to be focused on to accelerate the growth of southern states,'' CII Chairman, southern region, B V R Mohan Reddy told newspersons here today after unveiling the theme for the year - @ 75 - The Emerging Agenda.'

Dr Reddy said CII's initative would ensure that over 25,000 school dropouts in the southern states were trained on work skills and modular employable skills.It would adopt 92 ITIs in the region for upgradation through PPP scheme and train about 5,000 faculty members on 'soft skills' through industry-university consortium across the region, he said, adding it would also work for the introduction of 'soft skills' as choice-based credit system in 15 universities in and set up a skills academy at Chennai.'' Dr Reddy said CII believes that tier II and III cities such as Hosur, Erode, Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Belgaum, and Kottayam were the new for investments and the growth engines of economy.

Middle-class feeling the heat of inflation

Source The Hindu
Vijaykumar Patil
The poor remain out of focus; common man the most helpless

The common man has started feeling the heat of the ever-rising inflation, which the Government claims to have caused steep increase in the prices of fuel and subsequently of essential commodities. The common man is the most helpless with no alternative but to shell out more to buy essentials as it is him on whom the burden is passed on to, ultimately.

Traders wasted no time in increasing the prices of all essential commodities and edible oils. Private passenger transport operators have also increased ticket price and passed off the extra burden on the commuting public. Goods transporters are apparently not lagging behind.
In Belgaum city, where the cost of living is relatively higher than many other cities and towns in the State, the prices have further gone up. The middle class is finding it difficult to cope with the rise in expenditure as the prices of essential commodities, land value and house rent have all gone up. The poor families remain simply out of focus and remain harassed.

In addition to the fuel pumps and foodgrains/vegetable/fruit markets, one of the sectors where the heat of price rise is immediately felt is the hotel industry. As far as Belgaum city is concerned, the prices in all restaurants have gone up. The average increase is from 20 per cent to 50 per cent on all regular dishes on the menu.

Though the number of customers has marginally come down in a few hotels, the loss is well made good by the increased prices. In a popular hotel in the city, the situation has not affected its daily turnover because the management has “marginally” increased the prices of food items, from Rs. 2 to Rs. 3 on idli, dosa, vada, puri bhaji and Rs. 5 on plate meals (from Rs. 40 to Rs. 45). The business continues to be as usual, says a senior staff of the hotel.

The prices in roadside chat and mobile tea stalls have also gone up. Vijay Dattaram Gaude, who runs a petty tea stall on Narvekar Galli in the city and arranges for door-delivery on a “missed call” on his mobile phone, has also increased the price from Rs. 2 to Rs. 2.50 for a small cup of tea. Whereas the same tea costs Rs. 5 to Rs. 6 in other canteens and cafes and restaurants.
Then, some hoteliers have been just more than shrewd and are taking the customer for a ride by not only increasing prices by Rs. 10 to Rs. 15 for each dish but also reducing quantity. Apparently, while traders continue to make profits, the common man continues to pay through his nose.
Interestingly, even invitations for tea from friends have come down.

Different names of Belgaum

Source: http://kamalbasti.blogspot.com/
Mr Chipre is doing a great job for the reasearch.

No doubt India has different names, which we use them even today. India, Bharat and Hindustan all are the same. Similarly, Belgaum went through different name changes ever since the Ratta Dynasty started ruling this place.
Below are the names it achieved in the past history.
Jirnasitapura - Old Belgaum and Shahpur, the then Sapur were together called Jirnasitapura in the 7th Century. [ Refrence Pg 138 of The Indian Antiquary ]
Vamsapura, it got this name when Queen Gunavati got a offspring from King Kuntamaraya. [ Refrence - Pg 140 of The Indian Antiquary ]
Venugrama or Velugrama or Ikshugrama was the name in 805 AD [ Refrence - Pg 862 of Karnataka State Gazetteer]
Venugram in 1199AD [ Refrence - Pg 862 of Karnataka State Gazetteer]
Azamnagar [ According to Mr. Strokes (Belgaum, 45), after the fall of bijapur, the fort of Belgaum remained for several years in possession of Aurangzeb's second son Azam and from him was called Azamnagar. This seems doubtful.
According to Orme (Historical Fragments, 286-287) Belgaum was called Azamnagar under the Bijapur Kings. Refrence - Pg 547 Bombay of Gazzattee]Mustafabad [ In memory of one of its Commandants or Killedars, who thoroughly repaired and strengthened the ramparts of the Belgaum Fort. Refrence - Pg 548 of Bombay Gazetteer ]Belagugrama to Belugav to Belgavi [ Refrence - Pg 500 of Bombay Gazetteer ]
Belgaum - in 16 or 17th Century when the British East India Company were unable to pronounce the word Belgavi, they changes the name as per their accent and called it as Belgaum.
Till date, this is what we know today but not to worry as the JD(S) and BJP led coalition Govt forwarded a list of District Names of the Karnataka State to get changed and sent it to the Central Congress Govt in 2006 on the eve of 50th Year of Independence of Karnataka State. So belgaum is expecetd to get back its name from Belgaum to Belgavi.
Belgavi expected to get its name soon in near future.

Othere places name changes that were also related to Belgaum were :-
Yalur [ Refrence Book A Legend of Old Belgaum, May 1875 Pg - 139.]
Yellur as we know it today.
Sapur in 11th Century [ Refrence Pg 138 of The Indian Antiquary ]
Chapour in 1680 by the East India Company
Shahpur as we know it today.
Hrasvagiri in 11th Century [ Refrence Pg 138 of The Indian Antiquary ]Anagola [ Refrence Pg 138 of The Indian Antiquary ]
Angol as we know it today.
Kondanur in 11th Century.
Konnur as we know it today

Unknown facts about Belgaum History

This Story is taken from the http://kamalbasti.blogspot.com/
I would ask each of you to visit the blog. The contents on the said are enormous and the amount of effort put in by Bramhanand Chipre to make that blog is commendable.
How many of you knew this I Dont Know, for sure I did not know a thing about this.
From the Blog:

People don't know there is an Original Story behind Old Belgaum. But this story below will clarify your doubts.
How Belgaum was formed? Why the Jaina temples in Belgaum Fort were built?
Who built the Belgaum Fort? Etc . . . .

It is hard to believe, but the truth was written long back with evidences by a British writer GILMOUR M’CORKELL in his book THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.

He clearly tells that there were 108 Jain Temples in the premises of the present Belgaum Fort, which were demolished and overthrew by the then Musalman kings and ultimately with the same stone and pillars the Belgaum Fort as built. He also clearly mentions in the Book: Old Belgaum is said to have been found by a Jaina King

but the earliest notice that we have of it is to be found in the Gulhalli inscription 1150 AD."[ Reference Book A Legend of Old Belgaum, May 1875 Pg - 139 ].

A LEGEND OF OLD BELGAUMBy: GILMOUR M’CORKELL, Bo. C. S.

The Legend
There was a poet by name Sarasijabhavanandana, belonging to the ancient Jaina cast, and an inhabitant of Belgaum. He has composed in Old Kanarese language a short history of kings. Having, by means of rhetorical and an ornate Sanskrit expressions, applied such epithets as ripen as if they were plentiful given in the Karnataka Country, he has complied an account of Belgaum. In it we obtain full information of those kings who formerly were, their names, their good qualities, their castes, and the virtuous deeds that they preformed. And memorials of the acts which were done by those same kings are to be met with, even in the present day, in Belgaum, and are as written below :-

Sapur and Belgaum were formerly collectively called Jirnasitapura, and there lived there governor of the city of Samantapattana, whose name was Kuntamaraya, a Jaina by caste, very religious and compassionate. So the people had great joy and happiness. One day (it happened that) one hundred and eight Jaina sages, -- who had come from the South Country into the forest of Anagola, of which the name was formerly Hrasvagiri -- remained there all night, because their rules did not permit them to advance a single footstep during the darkness. When this news reached Kuntamaraya, the King, with the expressed assent of his wife Gunavati, went out to the sages and, having preformed respectful obeisance, besought them as follows :- “

Oh mighty saints, take pity upon me and bestow your favour upon me, so that my region may become famous.” But, as their custom was never to say anything at night, they held no converse with the king. Accordingly the king returned home in great despondency, (and, as he was going) sparks of fire fell from the torches, and the dry forest was set on fire, and all those sages were burnt to ashes.On the following day, in the early morning the king again went into the forest and saw all those Jaina sages had been consumed. When they saw this, both husband and wife were much terrified and began to consider. Accordingly there and then, he proposed a plan to Gunavati, where by these Jaina sages might attain the state of final emancipation, -- as follows: - “Let us bring stones and build 108 temples, and, when we have performed worship to them, I shall accomplish the propagation of offspring.” When he has so said, they returned home, and, and in accordance with the above plan, he caused to build 108 Jaina temples at that very place where are even at the present day some Jaina Temples in the Fort of Belgaum. After he had initiated into the mysteries of the Jaina faith and had reigned for some time, Gunavati at length became pregnant. And now, although he had been very anxious that his wife should have children, his dread of not having any offspring vanished. On this account he gave to Belgaum the name of Vamsapura. Now the word in Marathi for Vamsa is Bel. In this manner we arrive at the name Belgaum.

Afterwards they lived in Old Belgaum, Santa the son of Kuntam the king of Savantavadi, famous, deeply learned in the mysterious of the Jaina religion, thoroughly skilled in the worship of the gods of forefather, very brave, and lauded by prince who are born in the races of the Sun and Moon, a supporter of the rules of the faith of the Kshatriyas, a protector of Jaina sages, very skilful in bestowing on the temples of Jinendra that wealth which consists in courtesans, &c. He had fourteen wives. The chief of there wives, by name Padmavati, was very famous. She had a son by Santa named Anantavirya. One day, attended by his retinue of maid-servants, &c. he (Santa) went to the river Sundarsana near Yalur for the purpose of playing in the water, and in the lake of Nagasarovara he met his death by a thunderbolt. Then three ministers of state came from Savantavadi and crowned Anantavirya King. He also reigned according to the customs of his fathers. One day, many sages, along whom Sudarsana was the chief, arrived. When he has made respectful obeisance to them, Anantavirya inquired concerning his ancestors, and those sages recounted from their Puranas the above story in which has been related to fate of King Santa. Afterwards there was a king of his race and lineage by name Mallikarjuna. During his reign a famous Musalman by name Asta Khan (Asad Khan) came from Bengal, and, Asta Khan acquired the kingdom of treachery, he deposed him (Mallikarjuna), overthrew those one hundred and eight Jaina temples, and built a fort. Even at the present time we find stones (belonging to those in the fort).