CHAPTER IV RAICHUR DISTRICT: PROFILE OF THE STUDY AREA

Transcription

1 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 120

2 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. ( 121

3 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 122

4 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, 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 ( 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 123

5 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 124

6 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 Geographical 15 09' to North latitude location to ' 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. 125

7 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. 126

8 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. 127

9 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 to 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 and is about 600 mm in the NE region of the dist RAICHUR DISTRICT AT A GLANCE Geographical Info. Latitude Between and N Longitude Between and E Area 18,432 sq.km Elivation 498 m(1,634ft.) Headquarters Mahabubnagar Boundaries East West North South Soil Rivers Guntur district of AP Gulbarga and Raichur districts of Karnataka Ranga Reddy & Nalgonda districts of AP Kurnool district of AP Red Sandy, Black cotton, Loamy soils Krishna, Tungabhadra, Vendi, Peddavaagu, Chinnavaagu 128

10 Major River Projects Priyadharshini Jurala, KoilSagar, Sarla Sagar,Dindi Reservoir Climate Rainfall(Normal) 604mm mm mm mm mm 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 ha Major minerals found stone metal, lime stone, black & color granite, sand, feldspar, quartz, and laterite Agriculture, sheep rearing, handloom weaving, Major economic activities Industry 129

11 Infrastructure Industrial Infrastructure Number of IEs/ IDAs industrial parks Number of Large/Medium Scale units 48 working Number of SSIs ( ) 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 4 IDAs, one IE Green Park, Textiles park, mini leather park, Agri export park, 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 130

12 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 131

13 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 ( 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 ), 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. 132

14 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 ( ), 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 133

15 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 penname 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 134

16 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) 135

17 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 136

18 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. 137

19 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 138

20 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. 139

21 Industrial Area, Devasugur, Raichur: Total land available is Acres out of which an extent of 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 Operational ANGANWADI CENTRES Sanctioned Functioning as on March

22 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. 141

23 States/UTs No. of AWCs Sanctioned by GOI No. of Mini-AWCs Sanctioned by GOI Total Andhra Pradesh Arunachal Pradesh Assam Bihar Chhattisgarh Goa Gujarat Haryana Himachal Pradesh Jammu and Kashmir Jharkhand Karnataka Kerala

24 Madhya Pradesh Maharashtra Manipur Meghalaya Mizoram Nagaland Odisha Punjab Rajasthan Sikkim Tamil Nadu Tripura Uttar Pradesh Uttarakhand West Bengal

25 Andaman and Nicobar Islands Chandigarh Delhi Dadra and Nagar Haveli Daman and Diu Lakshadweep Puducherry India