Karimnagar

This article is about the city. For its eponymous district, see Karimnagar district.

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Karimnagar కరీంనగర్
City
Elgandal fort, Lower Manair Dam, Jubilee Kaman, Tower Circle
Nickname(s): City of Granites
Karimnagar
Coordinates: 18°26′13″N 79°07′27″ECoordinates: 18°26′13″N 79°07′27″E
Country	India
State	Telangana
Region	Deccan
District	Karimnagar
Government
• Body	Karimnagar Municipal Corporation
• Mayor	Sardar Ravindar Singh
• M.L.A	Gangula Kamalakar
• M.P	B. Vinod Kumar (TRS)
Area^[1]
• Total	23.82 km² (9.20 sq mi)
Area rank	4th (in state)
Elevation	265 m (869 ft)
Population (2011)
• Total	260,899
• Rank	4th
• Density	10,900/km² (28,000/sq mi)
Demonym	Karimnagarites
Languages
• Official	Telugu, Urdu
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
PIN	505001-505002
Telephone code	91-878-
Vehicle registration	TS 02^[2]
Sex ratio	1.014 ♂/♀
HDI	0.572
HDI Category	medium
Literacy	84.93%
Planning agency	Karimnagar Municipal Corporation

Karimnagar is a municipal corporation and the fourth largest city in the Indian state of Telangana after Hyderabad, Warangal and Nizamabad. The city is located 165 kilometres (103 mi) north of the state capital, Hyderabad on the banks of Manair River, which is a tributary of the Godavari River. It is the administrative headquarters of Karimnagar District and has been selected as one of the 100 cities in India to be developed as a smart city under the Smart City Project.

History

Satavahana dynasty

Kotilingala in Karimnagar district was the first capital of the Satavahana Kingdom (230 BCE–220 CE). Formerly known as Sabbinadu, inscriptions dating to the Kakatiya dynasty (1083–1323) by kings Prola II and Prataparudra found at Karimnagar and Srisailam provide evidence of the area's rich history.^[3]
The history of the Karimnagar district began in the Old Stone Age around 1,48,000 BC. Archaeological excavations in Pedda Bonkur, Dhulikatta and Kotilingalu show that the area was once ruled by the Satvahanas, Mauryas and Asaf Jahis.^[4]

Elgandal Fort

Main article: Elgandal Fort

Located 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from Karimnagar City, Elagandal, originally known as Veligundula, is a hillfort built during the Kakatiya era, which served as a stronghold for the warrior Musunuri Nayaks and Recharla padmanayaks.^{[clarification needed Who were these?]} The Qutb Shahi dynasty occupied the fort in the 16th century and posted Quinamul Mulk as commander. Subsequently, it fell under the administrative control of the Mughal Empire. Amin Khan was appointed as Khiledar of Elagandal during the reign of Nizam of Hyderabad Nizam-ul-Mulk, Asaf Jah I (r. 1724–1748) followed by Muqarrab Khan. Mirza ibrahim dhamsa became Khiledar during the reign of Nawab Salabat Jung. Dhamsa rebuilt and strengthened the fort in 1754 during the Rule of Sikindar Jha (r.1803-1823). Bahadur Khan and Karimuddin served as Khiledars. Karimnagar was named after Karimuddin. While reorganising the districts, Mahbub Ali Khan, the Sixth Nizam, shifted the District Headquarters from Elagandal to Karimnagar in 1905.

Demographics

The city of Karimnagar is run by the Karimnagar Municipal Corporation. The Municipality of Karimnagar was upgraded to incorporated in 2005. Thousands of people within city limits reside outside corporation boundaries. Many areas on the outskirts have yet to be merged into corporation limits. The total population of the city (along with Karimnagar Sub-Urban and Karimnagar Rural) is around 330,000. The Municipal Corporation consists of members elected from the wards of the city. The Mayor and Deputy Mayor are elected by the members among themselves. A Municipal Commissioner, who is from the Indian Administrative Service is appointed to head the administrative staff of the Municipal Corporation and implement the decisions of the Corporation and prepare its annual budget. The literacy rate of Karimnagar Agglomeration is 84.93%, which is almost equal to the National Urban average of 85%. The literacy rate for males and females for Karimnagar stood at 91.06% and 78.69% respectively.^[5]

Religions in Karimnagar
Religion			Percentage
Hindu			92.7%
Muslim			7.22%
Christian			0.59%
Others			0.4%

Climate

Scenery at LMD Reservoir

Karimnagar experiences dry inland climatic conditions with hot summers and cool winters.^[6] The city of Karimnagar gets most of its rainfall from the Southwest monsoon. The summer season is extremely hot, but temperatures decline with the onset of the monsoons, and the winter season is generally cool. The most popular tourist season is from November to February.
The summer season starts in March and can continue through early June. During this period temperatures range from a minimum of 27 °C to a maximum of 39 °C. The highest recorded temperature in the area is around 44 °C. Nights are much cooler, and the humidity is around 50%. October and November experiences increased rainfall from the Northeast monsoon. During this time, daytime temperatures average around 30 °C. The winter season starts in December and lasts through February. During this time, temperatures range from a minimum of 20 °C to a maximum of 35 °C.

[hide]Climate data for Karimnagar
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average high °C (°F)	31 (88)	33 (91)	37 (99)	40 (104)	42 (108)	37 (99)	33 (91)	32 (90)	33 (91)	33 (91)	32 (90)	30 (86)	34.4 (94)
Average low °C (°F)	16 (61)	19 (66)	22 (72)	26 (79)	28 (82)	27 (81)	25 (77)	24 (75)	24 (75)	22 (72)	18 (64)	15 (59)	22.2 (71.9)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	32 (1.26)	8 (0.31)	43 (1.69)	17 (0.67)	41 (1.61)	162 (6.38)	204 (8.03)	126 (4.96)	133 (5.24)	75 (2.95)	48 (1.89)	18 (0.71)	907 (35.7)
Source: Sunmap

Civic administration

The city of Karimnagar is run by the Karimnagar Municipal Corporation.^[7] The Municipality of Karimnagar was incorporated in 2005. Karimnagar is run by the Karimnagar Municipal Corporation, consisting of elected representatives and a commissioner. The city is divided into wards, and each ward elects a corporator. A mayor is elected for the city from the elected corporators by indirect ballot. The commissioner (part of the IAS) is appointed by the state government. The city is represented at the state level in the Telangana State Assembly by two MLAs, and at the federal level in the Lok Sabha by an MP.
Healthcare

Apollo Reach Hospitals,Karimnagar

Karimnagar has evolved into a major health centre at the beginning of the 21st century because it is centrally located to all the talukas like Jagtial, Sircilla, Ramagundam, Kodimyal, Manthani, Huzurabad, Jammikunta, Husnabad, Choppadandi, Malyal and Gangadhara. Patients come from all over the district. Government Civil Hospital is the dominant medical institution.^[8]

Economy

NTPC Ramagundam,Karimnagar.

Switchyard of NTPC Ltd., Ramagundam

As of 2006, there were 5,806 small-scale industries in the district. The bulk of the industries are based on agriculture, engineering, forest and mineral sectors and animal husbandry, employing about 42,619 people. These units mostly consist of rice mills, saw, oil, dhall and other grain mills, seed and other processing mills. Some important small-sector industries are engineering, manufacture of paper and tiles, stone dressing and crushing, cement and concrete pipes, and motor vehicle repair. The major industries in the district are National Thermal Power Corporation at Ramagundam, Singareni Collieries Company at Godavarihani, and Nizam Sugar factory at Mutyampet.
There is nothing much like tourist places. It is just a mountain region having nothing for recreation. Though it is mostly used as a set and place for shooting Telugu movies.
Singareni Collieries are based in the Godavari valley coalfield, which is the only repository of coal in South India. It is spread over four districts of Telangana, namely Adilabad, Karimnagar, Khammam and Warangal.

Culture and cuisine

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Telugu is the major language spoken in Karimnagar; Urdu is also widely spoken. The typical attire includes the traditional Chira and Pancha, and also modern dress styles. Karimnagar Silver Filigree is one of the local silverware handicrafts.
Festivals
The spring festival of Bathukamma is typical in this region. Other major Hindu festivals celebrated in the region include Ugadi, Sri Ramanavami, Vinayaka Chavithi, Holi, Sri Krishna Janmashtami, Dasara, Deepavali, Sankranti, and Maha Sivaratri.
Muslims in this area also celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, Ramadan (ninth month of the Islamic calendar), Laylat al-Qadr (Shab-e-Qadr), Isra and Mi'raj (Shab-e-Meraj), Shab-e-barat (Mid-Sha'ban), Milad-un-Nabi (Mawlid) and Muharram (Day of Ashura). These are usually greeted with great pomp and ceremony. Christians in this area celebrate Christmas and Good Friday.
Cuisine

Transportation

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The APSRTC Garuda,^[11] connects Karimnagar with neighbouring cities.

Road

B.R.Ambedkar Bus Station,Karimnagar is a main bus stand serving Karimnagar city. Karimnagar city is located 162 kilometres from Hyderabad, 70 kilometres from Warangal and 150 kilometres from Nizamabad. It is connected with SH-1 (Hyderabad-Karimnagar-Ramagundam Road). Telangana State Road Transport Corporation has a zonal headquarters (covering Adilabad, Nizamabad, Warangal, Khammam and Karimnagar Districts) in Karimnagar.

Rail

Goods train halts at Karimnagar railway station

Karimnagar railway station is located on the Peddapalli-Karimnagar-Nizamabad railway line. It is connected by a single broad gauge railway line with the Main Line (North-South or New Delhi-Chennai) at Peddapalli (35 kilometres) to the northeast. Once the last phase of Armur-Nizamabad line is completed, which is expected by the end of 2015, Karimnagar will be directly connected to cities like Nizamabad, Nanded, Shirdi, Aurangabad, Pune, Mumbai,Vadodara,Surat and Ahmedabad . Karimnagar Railway Station is served by Karimnagar-Tirupati Super Fast Express Train and a daily passenger train (Jagityal-Karimnagar-Sirpur, Push Pull Passenger-Up/Down). Karimnagar Railway Station also generates good revenues to Indian Railways in terms of freight transport and it is one among very few stations in India which handles granite. The nearest major railway junction is Kazipet Junction, which has 147 trains passing through.

Air

There is an airport at Basant nagar Kesoram cement factory at Ramagundam which is about 50 km from Karimnagar City. It was used when the government of India was operating Vayudoot airlines, a subsidiary of Air India and Indian Airlines. After the closure of Vayudoot, it has not been in regular use. As of 2010, it is only used for landing of any VVIP's flights or for emergency landings. The nearest international airport is Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, located 162 km away from Karimnagar. The Telangana state government is planning to develop this airport as a part of developing a second airport in Telangana region.

Religious tourism

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Vemulawada
Vemulawada (or Vemulavada) Town is 35 kilometres (22 mi) from Karimnagar and the location of the Sri Raja Rajeshwara Swamy Temple complex, a site of pilgrimage for Hindu worshippers, particularly devotees of Shiva. ^[12]
Dharmapuri
Dharmapuri attained religious importance for the shrine dedicated to Narasimha Swamy, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Particular sites include Siva with Dakshinamurthy, Vinayaka and Sapitha Mathrukas carved on a single slab of stone; and Mahishasuramardhani, the sixty pillared temple, Mahalakshmi temple, Akkapalle Rajanna, and over five hundred year old sri Sita Rama Swami temple. ^[13]
Kondagattu
Kondagattu is a temple about 35 kilometres (22 mi) from the district headquarters, dedicated to Lord Anjaneya Swamy. According to folklore, the temple was constructed by a cowherd in the 18th century. The present day temple was built in the 19th century by Krishna Rao Deshmukh. It is believed that if a woman offers puja for 40 days at this temple then she will be blessed with a child. It is about 30 kilometres (19 mi) from Vemulavada. There is a Ghatroad from hilltop to base station. ^[14]
Kaleshwaram
Kaleshwaram is the site of the "Kaleswara muktheswara swamy" temple, which has a unique statue portraying two Shiva Lingas on a single pedestal—one is Lord Shiva and the other Lord Yama—collectively known as Kaleswara Mukteswara Swamy. This place is also called Dakshina Triveni Sangamam. Kaleshwaram village is in Mahadevpur mandal of Karimnagar district, 125 kilometres (78 mi) from Karimnagar and 60 kilometres (37 mi) from Manthani. Kaleshwaram is located exactly at the merging point of the Godavari River and its tributary, the River Pranahita. ^[15]
Kothakonda
Kothakonda is a village surrounded on all the sides by hills. It the location of a temple dedicated to Sri Veerabhadra Swamy (An incarnation of Lord Siva). This place is just 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) away from the Mulkanoor village known for its cooperative movement. Former Prime Minister Mr. P.V Narasimha Rao headed this cooperative society in his initial days.^[16]
Komuravelli
This temple is dedicated to Lord Sri Mallikarjuna swamy, a fierce looking deity along with Kethamma and Medalamma on the both sides of the main deity. The temple is located in a cave on a small hillock at a distance of 110 km from warangal. Pilgrims congregate on the eve of Makara Sankranthi as Brahmotsavam starts. The clay molded deity of Lord Mallikarjuna swamy is believed to be made 500 years ago. The temple is renovated and mandapamas and choultries etc., are constructed by Endowments Department. The 'pedda patnam' celebrated on Maha Sivaratri day attract pilgrims in lakhs. It is located at a distance of 85 km from the state capital on Karimnagar - Hyderabad - Highway (Rajiv Rahadari). People also calls him as “Komuravelli Mallanna", this temple is one of the famous temple in Telangana Region.^[17] ^[18]

Notable People

P. V. Narasimha Rao, 9th Prime Minister of India
C. Narayana Reddy, Poet, Writer, Lyricist, Composer, Playwright, received Padma Shri in 1977, Kala Prapoorna in 1978, India's third Highest Civilian Award, the Padma Bhushan in 1992, India's one of the highest honorary literature Award, the Jnanpith Award in 1988
Chennamaneni Vidyasagar Rao, Governor of Maharashtra,former Union Minister of State of India and two times MP from Karimnagar
N. Kumarayya, retired Chief Justice of Andhra Pradesh and ex-judge of the World Bank Administrative Tribunal
G. Ram Reddy, University Grants Commission Chairman (1990–1993), Vice-Chancellor of Indira Gandhi National Open University, Vice-Chancellor of Osmania University
Anabheri Prabhakar Rao, Freedom Fighter and Telangana Rebellion Martyr
Paidi Jairaj, film actor, director, producer and recipient of Dadasaheb Phalke Award for lifetime achievement in 1980.

Education

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Karimnagar is a major education centre in North-western Telanganaand has produced many renowned intellectuals, politicians, poets and technologists over several decades. P.V. Narasimha Rao, former Indian Prime Minister, is among them. Another was Justice N. Kumarayya, who retired as Chief Justice of Andhra Pradesh and worked for five years as a Judge of the World Bank Administrative Tribunal beginning in 1980. He had the unique distinction of being the first Osmanian ever to become a High Court Judge in 1955, and later Chief Justice of Andhra Pradesh in 1969. Many software students, born and educated in Karimnagar, have migrated to major metropolitan areas in India and across the globe.