Bhatkal

Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R)

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Uttarkannad district map

Bhatkal (भतकल) is a town in the North Canara District of the Indian state of Karnataka.

Location

Bhatkal lies on National Highway 66, which runs between Mumbai and Kanyakumari, and has one of the major railway stations along the Konkan Railway line, which runs between Mumbai and Mangalore. This place is sometimes referred to as Mini Dubai.

Variants

• Bhatakala भतकल, उत्तरी कनारा, मैसूर, (AS, p.654)

History

Bhatkal was named after Jain Grammarian, Bhattakalanka, who hailed from Hadwalli village, a town on the state highway toward Jog Falls. With Sharavathi river flowing a few miles to the north, the town is located along the shores of the Arabian Sea.

Because of its strategic location, Bhatkal was the main factor behind the erratic history of the countryside. Bhatkal witnessed the rise and fall of several dynasties and rulers. It was a part of the Hoysala Empire, from 1291 to 1343, before falling into the hands of the Vijayanagara Empire. After the disintegration of the latter, the much-coveted town of Bhatkal came under the control of the Saluva (Jain) rulers based in Hadwalli.

Numerous temples and bases were constructed during the reign of the Saluva dynasty. Vestiges of this period can be found in Mudbhatkal, where a few temples are still standing as a testament to the magnificence of that era.

The Nawayaths arrived on the West Coast of India from countries including Iraq, Iran, Yemen, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, as traders of spices, leather, jewelry and Arabian horses. They chose to settle there and married into another trading community of India, the Jains, who had been converted to Islam more than 1,000 years before. This led to the emergence of a new community. The people belonging to this community were characterized by facial features typical of Arabs and the fair skin of the Jains.

Chola emperors under Aditya I, his son, Parantaka I, and Sundara Chola, also known as Parantaka Chola II, initially invaded and conquered territories in Kannada country, between Gangavadi on the Mysuru plateau and Bhatkal on the Sahyadri Coast, between 880 CE and 975 CE. They later built the Solesvara Temple to commemorate their victory over the region.

The Portuguese marked their presence in Bhatkal in the beginning of the 16th century. Krishnadevaraya, emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire, allowed them to build a fort in the town in 1510. From the Keladi rulers, Bhatkal passed on to Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan. Hyder Ali made Bhatkal the main base on the Canara Coast for his newly built Naval Force. Tipu Sultan made Bhatkal an important port and built a Mosque and a street named after him. One of Tipu's wives was from Bhatkal. Bhatkal later came into the hands of the British Empire in 1799 after his death, who died in a battle against the British.

Murdeshwara

Shiva statue Murdeshwara

Murdeshwara is a town in Bhatkal Taluk of Uttara Kannada district in the state of Karnataka, India. Murudeshwara is another name of the Hindu god Shiva. Famous for the world's second-tallest Shiva statue, the town lies on the coast of the Arabian Sea and is also famous for the Murdeshwar Temple. A huge towering statue of Lord Shiva, visible from great distances, is present in the temple complex. It is the second highest statue of Lord Shiva in the world. The tallest Shiva statue is in Nepal known as the (Kailashnath Mahadev Statue). The statue is 123 feet (37 m) in height and took about two years to build. How to reach Murudeshwara Beach... By road: 18 kms from Bhatkal.

List of Villages in Bhatkal tahsil

1. Agga, 2. Antravalli, 3. Aravakki, 4. Badabag, 5. Bailur, 6. Bastigalamigte, 7. Bastigalmigte, 8. Behalli, 9. Belalkhanda, 10. Belke, 11. Belni, 12. Benandoor, 13. Bengre, 14. Bese, 15. Bilurmane, 16. Chavathani, 17. Devastan Megthe, 18. Golibilur, 19. Gorte, 20. Hadavalli, 21. Hadeel, 22. Hadin, 23. Hadlur, 24. Hallari, 25. Hallyani, 26. Hasarvalli, 27. Heble, 28. Hejjil, 29. Henjale, 30. Herur, 31. Hudil, 32. Jali, 33. Kaggundi, 34. Kaikini, 35. Karikal, 36. Kekkod , 37. Kerehittal, 38. Kitre, 39. Konar, 40. Koppa, 41. Kotkhanda, 42. Kulawadi, 43. Kuntavani, 44. Kurandur, 45. Marukeri, 46. Mavalli, 47. Mavinkurve, 48. Mudbhatkal, 49. Mugali , 50. Mundalli, 51. Murkodi, 52. Muttalli, 53. Nuz , 54. Purvarga, 55. Shirali, 56. Taggorgod , 57. Talan, 58. Talgod, 59. Venkatapura , 60. Voni Bagil, 61. Yelavadikavoor,

भतकल

विजयेन्द्र कुमार माथुर ने लेख किया है ...भतकल (AS, p.654), उत्तरी कनारा, कर्नाटक में स्थित है. एक मध्यकालीन वर्गाकार और शिखररहित जैन मंदिर के लिए यह [p.655] स्थान उल्लेखनीय है. मंदिर का प्रदक्षिणापथ पटा हुआ है और शिखर विहीन छतों पर ढालू पत्थर लगे हैं. आश्चर्य है कि गुप्तकालीन मंदिरों की परंपरा, 1100 वर्षों के पश्चात भी सुदूर दक्षिण में इस मंदिर के रूप में जीवित पाई जाती है. मंदिर के गर्भ गृह के सामने एक मंडप की विद्यमानता भी भतकल के मंदिर की विशेषता है. यह जैन मंदिर अपने बहिर-अलंकरण के लिए अधिक दर्शनीय नहीं हैं किंतु इसके तीसरी भाग में सुंदर अलंकरण प्रचुरता से अंकित हैं. मंदिर पाषाण चित्तियों पर बना है जिससे इसके फर्श के नीचे स्थान-स्थान पर अवकाश है. मंदिर के निकट एक ही पत्थर का बना दीपस्तंभ है जिस पर पाषाण निर्मित दीपक आरूढ़ है. गर्भगृह की छत सबसे ऊंची है और तत्पश्चात प्रथम और द्वितीय प्रदक्षिणा पथों की छतें हैं जो क्रम से नीची होती चली गई हैं.