Understand
Belgaum got its name from Venugrama meaning Bamboo Village. It is the district HQ. The most ancient place in the district is Halsi; and this, once the capital of a dynasty of nine Kadamba kings. In 1776 the country was overrun by Hyder Ali of Mysore, but was retaken by the Peshwa with British assistance. In 1818 it was handed over to the British East India Company part of Bombay presidency and made district of Sangli state.
The Divisional headquarter of seven northen Districts of Karnataka and District Headquarters, Belgaum is a picture of contrasts. On one side is the old town area where the cotton and silk weavers still create magic with their fingers. And on the other the modern, bustling, tree lined Cantonment built by the British.
Kittur in Belgaum district is a place of historical importance. Queen Chennamma of Kittur 1778-1829 is known for her resistance to British rule; another person in the history of Belgaum known for his resistance to British rule is Sangolli Rayanna.
There are several names available for Belgaum city. Marathi people call it as Belgav, Kannada people call Belgavi, South Karnataka people call it as Belagam.
Belgaum is in the northwestern part of the state of Karnataka, in the southern region of India. It lies near the borders of the Indian states of Maharashtra and Goa. It is 502 km from Bangalore, 500 km Southeast of Mumbai Bombay and 125 km southeast of Goa. The town is at the foothills of the Sahyadhri range Western Ghats at an altitude of 25,00 feet 779 m above sea level. The weather of Belgaum is pleasant, owing to its hilly topography. Summers April-June are mildly hot and winters are cool November-February. It experiences heavy southwestern monsoon rains during July-September. It receives as much as 50 inches of rain annually.
