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Harihara Harihar
City
Harihara Location in Karnataka, India
Coordinates: 14°30′25″N 75°48′00″E / 14.507°N 75.8°E / 14.507; 75.8Coordinates: 14°30′25″N 75°48′00″E / 14.507°N 75.8°E / 14.507; 75.8
Country	India
State	Karnataka
District	Davanagere district
Government
• Body	Harihara City Municipal Council
Area
• Total	7.8 km2 (3.0 sq mi)
Elevation	539 m (1,768 ft)
Population (2011)[1]
• Total	85,000
• Density	11,000/km2 (28,000/sq mi)
Languages
• Official	Kannada
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN	577 601
Telephone code	(91) 08192
Vehicle registration	KA-17
Civic agency	Harihara City Municipal Council
Distance from Davangere	14 kilometres (8.7 mi)
Distance from Bengaluru	275 kilometres (171 mi)
Website	hariharcity.gov.in

Harihara ([harihəra] also called Harihar^[2]) is a city in Davanagere District in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Harihara Taluk. Harihara is famous for Harihareshwara temple, also known as "Dakshina Kashi", and as the "Industrial Hub of central Karnataka."

Harihara is situated on the banks of the Tungabhadra River, 275 kilometres north of Bangalore. Harihar and Davangere (14 km away) are referred as "twin cities". Harihar is connected by road and railway, and is located on national Highway 4 (Puna – Bangalore). It has a very pleasant climate year round. The major lifeline of this city is the Tungabhadra river, which is being exploited and polluted as a result of heavy industrialization.

History

Harihar (or Hari-hara) is a syncretic deity in Hinduism, combining the two major gods Vishnu(Hari) and Shiva (Hara). Images of Harihara (also known as Sambhu-Visnu and Sankara-Narayana, variants of the names of the two gods) began to appear in the classical period after sectarian movements, which elevated one god as supreme over the others, had waned sufficiently for efforts at compromise to be attempted. The region of Harihara had been under the control of the Hoysalas from the 11th to 13th centuries AD.

There is a famous temple built in the 12th century during Hoysala's time called Harihareshwara temple (Guharanya Kshetra) – from which the city gets its name – which is also known as "Dakshina Kashi".

The god Harihareshwara is a combination of the gods Shiva and Vishnu. There is a story behind the avatar of this god. In ancient days this place was known as "Guharanya", a dense jungle and habitat of a demon Guhasura. He had a gift that no human or Rakshasa or god can kill him. And he started harassing people around this place. Then Vishnu and Shiva came together in a new avatara called Hari – Hara (Harihara) – and killed demon Guhasura. That is how this place got the name Harihar. Every year the Car festival is celebrated. Harihar also has a famous Ragavendra Mutt located on the banks of Tungabandra.

As Harihara is geographically located in the center of Karnataka, it was proposed to be made the capital of the state, but Bangalore was chosen instead.

Industry

Harihar serves as a major industrial base also. It was served by the Kirloskar industry and at present Aditya Birla Group's Grasim Industries, Synthite, Shamanur Sugar's, Cargill and more. Kirloskar Engineering company has closed down in 2001, resulting in a loss of nearly 15,000 jobs.

Attractions

Harihareshwara Temple at Harihar

Harihar is popular for temples.

• Harihareshwara Temple


• Sri Parvathi Temple at the temple premises.


• Omkar Math: Shri Math has its building or boundary to the south of Shri Harihareshwara Temple on the banks of the holy river Tungabhadra. By the influence of Shri. Adi Shankar on the universal thought of Advaita, Shri Shivananda Teertha established Omkar Math with the co-operation of local devotes on 28 March 1941 where in Sri Sharadambha, Sri Dattatreya and Sri Adi Shankara on the idols of Sri Math. Swami Sri Shivananda Teertha trust is being established to keep the activities of Sri Math alive and jubilant. For more information visit the website.^[3]
  


• Banashankari Temple on the Banks of Tungabhadra.


• Kanyaka Parameshwari Temple in Temple Street.


• Jai Hanuman Temple opp. Old Shoba Talkies.


• Rama Mandhira in Rajaram Colony and Narayana Ashrama on harihara-Hosapete highway.


• Raghavendra Swamy temple (popularly known as Raayara Matha)


• Ayyappa Temple other side of the river.


• Rajanahalli Hanumappa temple (Hanuman temple in Rajanahalli, around 6 km from Harihar on bypass highway)


• Grama Devata temple


• Maargadha Durgamma temple (towards Ranibennur on NH4, around 3 km)


• Kumaranahalli Sri Ranganatha temple and Sri Ranganatha Ashram built by Swamy Shankaralinga Bhagavan (towards Malebennur, around 20 km) www.shankaralingabhagavan.org/komaranahalli.html


• Sri Kalika Devi Temple


• Mother Mary's Church (Shrine Our Lady of Health)


• Hazarat Chaman Shah Wali Dargha at Bathi Sharief, 6 km towards Davangere


• Hazarat Naadband Shah wali baba Dargha


• Hazarat Ahmed Shah Wali Mahmood Shah Wali Dargha


• 
  Kondajji situated a few kilometers from Harihar is a picnic spot. It is also a major Scouts and Guides camp. It has a lake, where boating is available and hills.


• 
  Ranibennur Blackbuck Sanctuary around 20 km

Education

Harihareshwara Temple mandapa at Harihara

Harihara is a developing city, with the private sector growing faster than the government sector; it has a modern look to it. Mysore Kirloskar Education Trust(MKET) is one of the oldest educational institution in the town. A list of school's and colleges in Harihar town follows:

• Sri Kalidasa Education Trust, Primary & High School


• Sm^[4]t Zulekhabi Havanur Independent Pre University College, Director Mohammed Fayaz M H, Contact No : 8904508821.


• 
  


• MKET's Lakshman Rao Kirloskar High School


• MKET's Lakshman Rao Kirloskar School affiliated to CBSE(New Delhi)


• MKET's Kirloskar Independent Pre University College


• Vidyadayini School (Affiliated to CBSE (New Delhi)


• Smt Ŕádhá Bai D Gopala Rao Pre University College


• Maria Nivas (Pre-Nursery to High School)


• St. Mary's Convent (Pre-nursery to High School)


• Bapuji (Pre-nursery to High school)


• Ambedekar school


• Amrutha Varshini school


• MRB & Eshwari (Pre-nursery to High school)


• Aditya Birla (Pre-nursery to High school)


• SJVP groups (PUC to MBA, BEd., DEd.)


• St. Aloysius College, Harihar


• St. Aloysius PU College, Harihar


• Ambedekar College


• Aditya birla College


• Government Polytechnic (Diploma Engineering)


• Smt. Giriyamma Ladies College


• Anjuman e Islamiya High school Harihar

Education has mainly been dominated by the Mysore Kirloskar Education Trust, Vidyadayini School, and Sri Shaila Jagadguru Vagish Panditaradhya (SJVP) group of schools and colleges. Every year when 10th (SSLC) and 12th (PUC) results are announced most of the top ranked students will be from the Vidyadayini School /Smt Radha Bai D Gopala Rao PU College, MKET schools/ colleges, St. Mary's School, or Birla Schools or Colleges, generating competition among these schools which generates greater efforts on the part of the students.

Harihara also has one ITI college which provides industrial training in carpentery, fittings and joints, electrical, and turners.

SJVP College is another longstanding school in Harihar which provides education for both boys & girls, from school through degree level, in science, arts and commerce at the PUC level and for BS, BA, BCom, MS, MA, MCom, BEd, MEd, and TCH at the degree level.

Apart from the above-mentioned schools and colleges, many new ones are opening. There is a plan to open an orphanage at the St. Aloysius group of Institutions.

Harihar lacks an engineering college; only a Government Polytechnic Diploma Institution. Presently students of Harihara have to travel 14 kilometers to Davanagere or 28 kilometers to Ranibennur to study engineering. The government of Karnataka is planning on opening an engineering school in Harihara.

Geography

Harihara is located at 14°31′N 75°48′E / 14.52°N 75.8°E / 14.52; 75.8.^[5] It has an average elevation of 540 metres (1771 feet).

Demographics

As of 2011^[update] India census,^[1] Harihar had a population of 85,000. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. In Harihar, 11% of the population is under 6 years of age. Kannada is the official and most spoken language.

Connectivity

Situated exactly in the middle of Karnataka, Harihar has a good connectivity with the South and North of Karnataka.

Air

The nearest airport is at Hubli 131 km from Harihar. From there one can reach Bangalore and Mumbai. The nearest International airport is 275 km away in Bangalore, from where one can take flights to most of the important cities in India. Harihar also has a private airport owned by Aditya Birla Group on their grounds and often used by politicians and famous personalities.

Railway

Harihara is well connected with most of the major cities like New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai through regular trains. Harihar has two Railway Stations, in central Harihar and at Amaravati Colony Junction. These stations connect Harihara to Bangalore Pune Railway lines and to Hospet and Bellary via Kottur.

Good Train faciliiesy, again the Hubli-Bangalore route. "Intercity express", "Rani Chennamma Express", and "Janashatabdi Express" are the major commuter trains. Other trains include "Hubli-Bangalore Fast Passenger" which is by all means the most convenient train to Bangalore (departs from Harihar at 8:30 pm, arrives at Bangalore at 7:10  am) or to come to Harihar (departs from Bangalore at 11:00 pm and arrives at Harihar at 7:00 am). Another train which inaugurated recently is the "Dharwar-Mysore express" train which departs from Harihar at 10:45 pm.
There is a direct weekly train from New Delhi to Mysore (via Harihar), "Swarna Jayanthi Express". It is one of the longest routes reaching Harihar. It passes Harihar around 1:30 AM.

• Train# 12079, 12080 : Janashatabdi express


• Train# 56912 : UBL (Hubli Junction) to SBC (Bangalore city) fast passenger


• Train# 586 : SBC (Bangalore city) to UBL (Hubli Junction) fast passenger


• Intercity express Dharwar to Bangalore, Bangalore to Dharwar.


• Dharwar Mysore Express


• 
  Chalukya Express Bangalore to Mumbai and back


• 
  Sharavathi Express Mysore to Mumbai and back


• Now another railway line connecting Harihar to Shimoga via Honnali is under construction by SWR.

Road

With NH4 (Part of Golden Quadrilateral): passing close by there is a good network of roads that connects Harihar to other important cities of the region.

It is a 3-hour drive from Hubli (131 km) and 6 hour-drive from Bangalore (278 km). Almost all the buses which run from/to North Karnataka to/from South Karnataka go via Harihar. The town is 14 km from Davanagere city, which was earlier a part of the Chitradurga district (78 km). This town is also near to Hampi, a historical place, and Tungabhadra Dam, Hospet. Most of the buses running from North Karnataka to Dharmasthala, Shimoga, Mysore go via Harihar. Private travels include:

• Mahesh Travels


• Vijayanand Roadlines (VRL)


• Durgamba travels


• SRE travels


• Latha Tours And Travels

References

External links

• Defiling of Tungabhadra continues in Harihar