BHATKAL-MY LOVE

BHATKAL (Kannada:ಭಟ್ಕಳ, Urdu:بھٹکل) is also known as Batecala in some historical text especially in Portuguese hisotry. Bhatkal is a port town in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka, India. The town lies on NH-17 running between Mumbai and Mangalore. Bhatkal is one of the major stations along the Konkan Railway line running between Mumbai and Mangalore.The nearest airport is Mangalore International Airport.

History:
By virtue of its strategic location, Bhatkal has a chequered history. Bhatkal witnessed the rise and fall of several dynasties and rulers. A part of Hoysala empire in 1291 to 1343, Bhatkal later fell into the hands of the Vijayanagara empire. After the disintegration of the empire, the Saluva (Jain) rulers of Hadwalli (a town on the State Highway towards Jog Falls) brought this coveted town under their control. Many temples and basadis were constructed during this period. Vestiges of this period can be found in Mudbhatkal, where a few temples of that era still stand.


Cholas under Raja Raja I and his able son Rajendra Chola I waged wars against the Chalukyas of Manyakheta and after defeating Kings like Satyashraya, Jayasimha-II and their feudatories like the Kadambas and Banas of Konkana country extracted tribute. The Cholas invaded Bhatkal during 10th century. As a sign of their victory in Kannada country, they built Solesvara Temple, believed to be the oldest temple, in commemoration of their conquest. Inscriptions from successive kings from Raja Raja I to Kulothunga-III mention their generals as 'Lords of the Konkana' which included Bhatkal and of paying obesience to Lord Solesvarar of Konkana(**). The Portuguese also made their presence felt here in the beginning of the 16th century. From the Keladi rulers, Bhatkal was passed on to Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan and later to the British in 1799 after Tipu died.

Geography:
Bhatkal is located at 13°58′N 74°34′E / 13.97°N 74.57°E / 13.97; 74.57[1]. It has an average elevation of 4 metres (13 ft).


Demographics:
As of 2001 India census[2], Bhatkal had a population of 31,785. Males constitute 50% of the population and females 50%. Bhatkal has an average literacy rate of 75%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; with male literacy of 78% and female literacy of 73%. 14% of the population is under 6 years of age.


The Muslim Nawayath and the Hindu Namadhari communities are predominant in Bhatkal. The people of Bhatkal are typically called "Bhatkalis" and have since the 1960s spread afar, including UK, America, Australia but more so across the Middle East especially Dubai.