Originally a part of the British cantonment’s infantry barracks, this building was later converted into a military jail, called the Alipore (Allipura) jail, towards the end of the 19th century. The jail lodged prisoners of war from various First World War theaters, including France, Denmark and Turkey. Even the crown prince of Turkey was an inmate of the jail; his body was buried in Bellary’s Turkish martyrs’ cemetery. In 1920, this military jail became an additional civilian prison, Bellary Central Jail, when over 2,000 Mappilas from Travancore were imprisoned there. Famous personalities of the freedom movement were imprisoned, such as C. Rajagopalachari, V. V. Giri, Tekur Subramanyam, Kamaraj Nadar, Potti Sri Ramulu, Neelam Sanjiva Reddy, Bezawada Gopala Reddy, E.V. Ramasamy, O. V. Alagesan, Bulusu Sambamurti and Ghantasala Venkateswara Rao. This jail was closed (the only other in the subcontinent to be closed, apart from the Cellular Jail at Port Blair) in 1958 and the old buildings and the entire area of 173 acres (0.70 km2) was converted into a medical college campus in 1961. However, unlike the cellular jail, the entire Alipore jail with over 14 jail blocks was not considered for the status of a National Heritage Museum. The records pertaining to this historic jail in Madras Presidency were sent to the National Archives in Chennai. The jail blocks were assigned to the Government Medical College. All the blocks except one were converted into laboratories and hostels. Mahatma Gandhi spent about eight hours on 01 October 1921 at the City Railway station during his visit to Bellary.

Mantapam inside the Upper Fort. The upper fort (wikimapia) is a polygonal walled building on the summit, with only one approach, and without accommodation for a garrison. It consists of a citadel on the summit of the rock at 1,976 feet (602 m), guarded by three outer lines of fortification, one below the other. It contains several cisterns excavated in the rock. Outside the turreted rampart a ditch and covered pathway are present. The main turret on the east currently features a huge mural of the Indian Flag facing east (wikimapia). There is only one way up to the fort, which is a winding rocky path amongst the boulders. On the top, outside the citadel. there is a small temple, the remains of some cells, and several deep pools of water. Within the citadel there are several strongly constructed buildings, and an ample water supply from reservoirs constructed in the clefts of the rocks. Muzzaffar Khan, the Nawab of Kurnool, was confined here from 1823 to 1864 for the murder of his wife. The Lower Fort

Bellary has a historic garment industry dating back to the First World War period, when the Marathi speaking “Darji” (tailor) community with its native skills in tailoring migrated from the current Maharashtra region to stitch uniforms for the soldiers of the colonial British Indian Army stationed at Bellary. After the war, the community switched to making uniforms for school children, and gradually the uniforms made here became popular all over the country. Currently, Bellary is well known for its branded and unbranded denim garments, with brands like Point Blank, Walker, Dragonfly and Podium being successfully marketed nationally and internationally. There are about 260 denim garment units in Bellary with nearly 3000 families working in these units. The Karnataka State Government has proposed to build an apparel park at Bellary at the cost of 27 crore (US$4.9 million), setting aside 154 acres (0.62 km2) of land for the purpose at Mundargi and Guggarahalli villages on the south of Bellary city.

This school on Ananthapur Road is over 150 years old. One of the oldest institutions in the town, it was started as a composite school for students from the Class IV elementary to Class VI form school final, with English as the medium of instruction along with other languages like Telugu, Kannada and Urdu, besides ancient languages such as Sanskrit, Arabic and Persian. John Neale was the first headmaster of the school, followed by eminent people such as Arcot Ranganath Mudaliar, T. D. Logan, Arcot Bheemachar, K. S. Vedantham, B. Madhava Rao, and Bahaddoor S. Seshagiri Rao. The foundation for the present building on Anantapur Road was laid on 16 July 1926 by R. G. Grieve, Director of Public Instruction, Government of Madras, when Nagaruru Narayana Rao was the chairman of the Bellary Municipality. Moulana Abul Kalam Azad High School (MAKA High School)

The lower fort (wikimapia) lies at the eastern base of the rock and measures about half a mile in diameter. It probably had an arsenal and barracks. It consists of a surrounding rampart with numerous bastions, faced by a deep ditch and glacis. The entrance to the lower fort is via two gates, one each on the western and eastern sides. Just outside the eastern gates of the lower fort there is a temple dedicated to Hanuman – the Kote Anjaneya Temple (Kote (????) = fort in Kannada) (wikimapia). Later additions to the lower fort by the British include a commissariat store, Protestant church, orphanage, Masonic lodge, post office, and numerous private dwellings. Now the lower fort contains a number of public buildings, government offices, schools and other educational institutions, and churches.

After the Sevuna Yadavas and the Hoysalas were defeated by the Islamic sultanates of Delhi, the Vijayanagara Empire arose under Harihara I and Bukka I, who dominated the Bellary area. Bellary itself was ruled by the family of Hande Hanumappa Nayaka, a Palayagara of the Vijayanagara rulers. After the fall of the Vijayanagara empire, the Hande Nayakas of Bellary were successively subsidiary to the Adilshahi sultanate, the Mughals, the Nizam, Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan, and finally the British Empire after the Nizam ceded a large part of the southern Deccan to the British East India Company. The Hande Nayakas ceased to be rulers of Bellary after Major Thomas Munro disposed of the palayagars of the ceded districts and established the Ryotwari land revenue system.

Bellary Fort is located on top of Ballari Gudda (“Fort Hill”). The fort was built around the hill during Vijayanagara times by Hande Hanumappa Nayaka. Hyder Ali, who took possession of the fort from the Hande Nayaka family in 1769, renovating and modifying it with the help of a French engineer. The lower fort was added by Hyder Ali around the eastern half of the hill. Legend has it that the unfortunate French engineer was hanged for overlooking the fact that the neighbouring Kumbara Gudda is taller than Ballari Gudda, thus compromising the secrecy and command of the fort. His grave is believed to be located near the east gate of the fort, though some locals believe it to be the grave of a Muslim holy man instead.

A new international airport is being planned by the Infrastructure Development Corporation of Karnataka (iDecK), to be constructed near Sanganakallu on the north-eastern end of the city, around Chaganur and Siriwar villages. Nodal agency Infrastructure Development Department, Karnataka Government, has identified 1,000 acres (4.0 km2) for the airport. The contract for the development and operation of this greenfield airport has been awarded to Chennai-based MARG Limited, which has incorporated a special purpose vehicle, MARG Krishna Devaraya Airport Pvt. Ltd. In addition to terminal buildings, runways and control towers, MARG will develop access facilities and build utilities necessary to serve the airport during the operational phase.

As of 1901 AD, Bellary was the seventh largest town in Madras Presidency, and one of the chief military stations in southern India, garrisoned by British and native Indian troops under the British Indian Government. The town included a civil railway station to the east of the Bellary Fort, the cantonment and its railway station on the west, the Cowl Bazaar and the suburbs of ‘Bruce-pettah’ (currently spelt Brucepet) and ‘Mellor-pettah’, named after two British officers once stationed in the town. The industries in the town included a small distillery and two steam cotton presses. The steam cotton-spinning mill established in 1894 had 17,800 spindles and employed 520 hands.

15.15°N 76.93°E. It has an average elevation of 495 meters (1459 ft). The city stands in the midst of a wide, level plain of black cotton soil. Bellary has a semi arid climate. As the city lies in the rain shadow region of the Western Ghats, it receives little rain from the southwest monsoon. Temperatures remain high throughout the year, but the months from March to June are especially hot, with temperatures sometimes reaching 45 °C (110 °F). The months from October to February are relatively mild, with average temperatures of around 22 °C (71 °F). The city receives about 24 inches (610 mm) of rain every year, mainly in the months from August to October.

Currently, two railway stations serve the city, both built during British rule. The city station (Bellary Junction) and the Cantonment station (Cantonment). The city is served by the Hubli–Guntakal line and the extended Bellary–Rayadurgam–Chitradurga line and falls under the jurisdiction of South Western Railway. Bellary is well connected by rail to Bangalore, Hyderabad, Raichur, Anantapur, Hindupur, Tirupati, Hubli, Guntakal, Adoni, Guntur, Vijayawada, Howrah, Pune, etc. Guntakal is an important junction near Bellary from where trains to Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai and most other places in India are available.

According to the 2011 India census, Bellary has a population of 409,444.Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%.Bellary has an average literacy rate of 75%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; with 82% of the males and 77% of females literate.12% of the population is under 6 years of age.While Kannada is the administrative language, Kannada and Telugu are dominant languages spoken by the residents, along with Dakhni (Deccan Urdu). A majority of the population is multilingual, speaking both Kannada and Telugu, and some speak Dakhni and Hindi as well.

A museum to exhibit findings from the Sanganakallu and other neolithic sites is proposed to be built at the Kannada and Culture complex, adjacent to the deputy commissioner’s residence in Patel Nagar, Bellary. The proposed museum complex aims to bring into focus the history and cultural heritage of Bellary. There are also plans to create an audio-visual time capsule of landmarks of the people of the region through the ages. A fully built two-storied building of about 8,000 sq ft (740 m2) has been made available by the district administration for the museum.

The growth of the famed cotton and silk Ilkal saree is attributed to the patronage provided by the local chieftains in and around the town of Bellary. Additionally, the nearby town of Rayadurgam, formerly in Bellary district but now in Andhra Pradesh, is also renowned for its silk and cotton sarees. Similarly, Molakalmuru, a town in Chitradurga district but much closer to Bellary than its district headquarters, is known for its silk sarees branded by the town’s name. However, Bellary itself has no saree manufacturing industry. Cotton processing

Founded in 1842 as Sabhapathy Mudaliar Hospital, with 40 beds. Rai Bahadur A. Sabhapathy Mudaliar donated the building for the hospital. Now popularly known as Ghosha hospital, it is situated in the heart of city, spreading over an area of 15 acres (61,000 m2) and with 210 beds for Paediatrics, Gynecology and Post Mortem cases. A 20 bed Infosys ward has been added recently for the treatment of Japanese Encephalitis cases. This hospital is soon to be moved to the VIMS campus. Government Wellesley Tuberculosis & Chest Diseases Hospital

On 1 October 1953 AD, the Bellary district of Madras State was divided on a linguistic basis. Areas with a significant Kannada speaking population were transferred to Mysore state, which later became Karnataka state. Areas of the district with a significant Telugu speaking population were merged into the Anantapuram and Karnulu districts in what would later become Andhra Pradesh state. Bellary city itself, with large numbers of both Kannada and Telugu speakers, was included into Mysore state after protracted debate and controversy.

This school in Kaalamma Street was founded as a school in 1846 by the Rev. R. S. Wardlaw, D.D. of the London Mission, and raised to a second grade college in 1891. For a long time, it was the only arts college in the Ceded Districts. In 1903–04 it had an average daily attendance of 319 students, of whom 17 were in F.A. Class. This is the oldest educational institution in Bellary town and it continues to offer quality education to the people of Bellary. Prof. U. R. Rao of ISRO studied at this institution. Municipal Junior College

Ashoka Siddapura, 30 km to south of Bellary, is an important archeological site where Emperor Ashoka’s edicts were found. The nearby Brahmagiri village is the ancient site of Ishila, one of Emperor Ashoka’s provincial capitals. One of his earliest rock edicts, dated circa 3rd century BC, written in Brahmi script in the Prakrit language and containing Kannada words, was discovered here. Nearby is Ramagiri, a hillock that has mythical associations with the epic Ramayana and a temple dedicated to Rameshwara built circa 926 CE.

With cotton being one of the major agricultural crops around Bellary historically, the city has had a thriving cotton processing industry in the form of ginning, spinning and weaving plants. The earliest steam cotton-spinning mill was established in 1894 AD, which by 1901 AD had 17,800 spindles, and employed 520 hands. The city continues to thrive in this sector with one spinning mill and numerous cotton ginning and pressing mills, hand looms and power looms. Garment manufacture

There are several legends explaining how Bellary got its name. The first is that a few devout traveling merchants halting in Bellar, could not find a Shiva Linga for their worship. They then installed a balla (a measuring cup or seru used to measure grain) upside down as a Shiva Linga and worshiped it. Eventually, that place was turned into a temple dedicated to Balleshwara or Shiva, which became distorted to Malleshwara’, and thus Bellary derives its name from this temple.

The Arcelor Mittal group and Brahmani Industries Karnataka Ltd. have signed individual MoUs to invest in Steel plants in the district to invest 30000 crore (US$5.5 billion)and 36000 crore (US$6.6 billion)respectively, each to set up 6 million tonne per annum integrated steel plants with captive power plants on site. The projects of both companies will be located in and around Bellary district and will provide employment to 10,000 and 25,000 people, respectively.

Daroji Bear Sanctuary is the only sanctuary in North Karnataka for the Indian Sloth Bear, and is located 50 km away from the city to the west. In October 1994, The Government of Karnataka declared 5,587.30 hectares of Bilikallu reserve forest as a Daroji Bear Sanctuary. However, the hills that stretch between Daroji of Sandur taluk and Ramasagar of Hospet Taluk in Bellary district have always been a host to the Indian Sloth Bears.

Officially called the Golden Jubilee Park or the Dr. Rajkumar Park, this former slum area has been changed into a beautiful urban park due to the efforts of a succession of district commissioners starting with Ms. Gouri Trivedi and Ms. Manjula. The park features an artificial lake formed out of a disused granite quarry, a fountain with a daily musical show, a children’s play area and a variety of garden flora. Bellary Zoo

These hills form the major natural lung spaces in the city, accommodating a host of flora including various species of Ber , the thorny Acacia (latronum, nilotica , pennata, ferruginea, catechu, chundra, etc. locally classified as jaali in Kannada), and the interesting Whirlnut (Gyrocarpus americanus Jacquini – illustration), which is not found elsewhere in the city. Kuntegadda Park

Granite rocks and hills form a prominent feature of Bellary, and so granite quarrying is big business. The city is spread mainly around two huge rocky granite hills, the Ballari Gudda and the Kumbara Gudda (Gudda means hill in Kannada). These two hills are dominant features of the city and visible from every part of the city.

Ballari Gudda has a circumference of nearly 2 miles (3.2 km) and a height of 480 feet (150 m). The length of this rock from north-east to south-west is about 1,150 ft (350 m). To the east and south lies an irregular heap of boulders, to the west there is an unbroken monolith, and the north is walled by bare, rugged ridges. Kumbara Gudda

The numerous private and/or charitable hospitals in the city far outnumber the government facilities, though not in services provided. Historically, private facilities were of limited sophistication; however, this trend has been slowly changing, with private entrepreneurs investing much to acquiring more sophisticated infrastructure and expertise.

The civilian Bellary Airport, located at the far end of the Cantonment area, has previously been serviced by Vayudoot and Air Deccan, linking Bellary with Bangalore, Goa and other nearby destinations. However, the services have been limited and inconsistent, with currently no commercial service available from this airport. Vidyanagar Airport

Apart from these two hills, there are a number of other smaller granite hills within the city, the prominent among them being: 1.Kaate Gudda (wikimapia) opposite the Municipal Junior College, which also houses a water tank and pumping station. This hill is also nicknamed Kaage Gudda for its teeming flocks of Crows

JSW Steel Ltd is a unit of Jindal Steels located at Toranagallu in Sandur taluk, 30 km from Bellary. JSW has further announced an investement of 15131 crore (US$2.8 billion) on capacity expansion and a captive power plant. Additionally, Jindal Saw Pipes plans to set up a steel plant in Bellary at 130.88 crore (US$24 million)

Bellary is currently served by Vidyanagar Airport, located at the JSW Steel Ltd. complex, Toranagallu in Sanduru Taluk, 40 kilometres from Bellary. Bangalore based Charter airline, Taneja Aerospace and Aviation Ltd (TAAL), operate sightseeing charter flights to Hampi and Mysore since October 2002. International Airport

The city is served by the North East Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NEKRTC), offering travel services to almost all parts of Karnataka, many parts of Andhra Pradesh, Chennai, Pune and many parts of Maharastra. Additionally, a sizable number of private businesses offer travel services to important destinations.

Bellary was ruled in succession by the Mauryas, the Satavahanas, the Pallavas, the Kadambas, the Badami Chalukyas, the Rashtrakutas, the Kalyani Chalukyas, the Southern Kalachuryas, the Sevuna Yadavas, and the Hoysalas, and also ruled briefly by the Cholas during the wars between Kalyani Chalukyas and the Cholas.

Situated in a naturally arid region with semi-desert flora, the city has slowly accumulated greenery over the past few decades due to the collective efforts of the city residents, the regional forest department and the municipal council/corporation. The following is a short list of major green spaces in the city:

Numerous neolithic archeological sites have been discovered around Bellary, such as the ash mounds at Sanganakallu, Budhihal, Kudithini, Tekkalakote, Hiregudda and Kupgal. The Sanganakallu settlement, spread over an area of 1,000 acres (4.0 km2), is one of the largest neolithic complexes known around Bellary.

The main inter-city bus station is located in the now empty Nalla Cheruvu (???? ??????) basin. This is a new improvement over the older bus stand located near Gadigi Chennappa Circle. The old bus stand still serves state owned buses which connect rural locations and city buses.

In 1808 AD, the ceded districts were split into the Bellary and Kadapa districts, and in 1867 AD the Bellary Municipal Council was created. Further, in 1882 AD, Anantapuram district was carved out of the Bellary District. The Maratha princely state of Sandur was surrounded by Bellary district.

Established in 1981, this zoo and children’s park covers nearly 2.4 hectares and hosts a variety of fauna including Blackbuck, Spotted deer (Chital), Jackal, Crocodile, Indian Peafowl, Cobra, Python, Bear, Panther, Boar, etc. This zoo is due to be relocated to a new facility. Kaategudda Park

This academic institute with an adjoining medical college hospital was commissioned in 1966, and currently has 680 beds. It is locally known as OPD, which refers to the Out Patient Department of the hospital located in the Cantonment. Women & Children’s Hospital or The District Hospital

The second legend is that the city is named after Indra, the king of Gods, who slew a Rakshasa (demon) named Balla who lived nearby. Balla-ari means ‘enemy of Balla’ (ari – enemy in Sanskrit). The third legend derives the city’s name from the old Kannada word Vallari and Vallapuri.

The city is host to a number of Hindu temples of varying antiquity, examples being the Bellary Durgamma temple in the Gandhinagar area, the Malleshwara temple in the Fort area, the Laxminarayana temple on Brahmin Street and the Yogini Kolhapuri Mahalakshmi temple at Vidyanagar.

This is a major route for mining trucks transporting iron and manganese ore from the Sanduru hill ranges to the sea port at Mangalore and Karwar. This highway also connects the city to Hubli, Hospet and Hampi. State Highway 19, connecting Bidar to Srirangapatna.

Yogini Kolhapuri Mahalakshmi temple at Vidyanagar, Bellary. Bellary Fort is a place of historical, archeological and geological interest. Daytime is most suitable for visits. The hill fort is illuminated on Sundays and days of national importance.

The Municipal High School was bifurcated in the 1950s and the Municipal Muslim High School located in the Fort area was later renamed Moulana Abul Kalam Azad High School. Janaab Meer Mohammed Hussain became the headmaster of the new school.

The old school building has been demolished to give way to a modern building. However, the facade of the older structure has been retained as a ‘heritage structure’. The adjoining convent and church remain intact. St. John’s School Complex

2.Eeshwara Gudda , behind the Anaadi Lingeshwara Temple in Parvati Nagar-Shastri Nagar area. This has now been quarried extensively and almost flattened with all loose boulders removed, making way for residential occupation.(wikimapia)

This school in the Cantonment was founded in 1885. In 1901, a technical class was run at the high school by the nuns of the Order of Good Shepherd, and the pupils were almost all Europeans or Eurasians. Wardlaw Composite Jr. College

Most graduate education in Bellary falls under the jurisdiction of Gulbarga University and Visvesvaraya Technological University. The following is an abridged list of educational institutions of historical importance in the city:

Raayadurga town in Andhra Pradesh, located 40 km from the city, features a hill fort of more antiquity than the Bellary Fort. The hill is also host to a wide variety of wild life, including peafowl. bears, jackals, and panthers.

Donimalai, Sanduru and Narihalla Dam on the Sanduru hill range are places of natural beauty. The Kollur Mookambika Water Sports facility features boating and other water sports in the back waters of the Narihalla Dam.

The 500 MW Bellary Thermal Power Thermal Station (BTPS) is located 19 km away from the city at Kuditini village. This is the second thermal plant in Karnataka, after the Raichur Thermal Power Thermal Station.

The city is surrounded by numerous iron and steel plants, owing to the availability of huge deposites of iron and manganese ore in the Sanduru hill ranges and surroundings. The following is an abridged list :

This highway connects the city to Raichur, Gulbarga and Bidar in the north and Bangalore and Mysore in the south. State Highway 132, connecting the city with Adoni, Kurnool, Vinukonda, Guntur, Vijayawada.

Malepaty Sreenivasulu Setty – One of the oldest bankers, philanthropist; politician and theosophist; served as a treasurer of congress, Member of Z.R.U.C.C and currently a political advisor to Congress.

The following is a partial list of buildings built during the British colonial period. Although many of them having been partially modified, they retain a typical colonial British style of architecture.

Rai Bahadur A. Sabhapathy Mudaliar – Philanthropist; The Women & Children’s Hospital or The District Hospital was initially named after him, following his donation of land and building to the hospital.

The other hill is called Kumbara Gudda (wikimapia). When viewed from the south-east it looks like the profile of a human face and is therefore also known as Face Hill. Others

Locally known as the TB Sanitarium/Sanatorium, it was started in 1929 during British rule and is spread over a spacious area of 20 acres (81,000 m2) in the Cantonment area. The Urban Health Center

Gali Janardhan Reddy – Chairman, OMCPL, and incumbent Minister for State Tourism Development in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly {Presently in Hyd Chenchaguda Jail because of a mining scam).

The fort was ranked as 1st class by the British Administration. This fort gave Bellary its ancient importance, and led to its selection by the British rulers as the site for a cantonment.

Kuntegadda Park (the Golden Jubilee Park or Dr. Rajkumar Park) is a paid-entry urban park suitable for people of all ages. It features a musical fountain show in the evenings.

Tekur Subramanyam – Indian Freedom Fighter, First post-independence MP of Bellary, elected thrice in a row since 1952, Political Secretary to Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru

Bellary is well connected by road to different parts of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Goa. The following are the major highways passing through the city :

During British rule, Bellary was served by The Southern Mahratta Railway, connecting Bellary with Hubballi on the west and Guntakallu on the east, and thus to Madras.

Haji Syed Abdul Salam – one of the leading entrepreneurs of Bellary and his son Syed Abdul Thawab – amongst the first in the mining business in the early 1960s.

This temple can still be found in the fort area of the city, and an annual festival and fair dedicated to Shiva is conducted at the temple premises even today.

The Gavisiddeshwara temple is a place of religious importance, located 25 km away from the city in the Hirehaalu mandal of Raayadurga taluk in Andhra Pradesh.

Bahaddoor S. Seshagiri Rao – Former principal of the Municipal High school, national award winning teacher and associate of the Gandhi Bhavan in Bellary.

The old school building has been retained as a ‘heritage building’ but it is not used. Classes are held in newer buildings. St. Joseph’s School Complex

Most medical facilities are owned and maintained by the government, under the jurisdiction of VIMS. The most prominent hospitals in the city are:

The Bellary city municipal council was upgraded to a city corporation in 2004. Bellary’s population was 409,644 according to the 2011 census.