Kolar is a city in the South Indian state of Karnataka. It is the headquarters of Kolar District. It is known for being one of the gold mining sites in India. Kolar is the land of silk, milk,and gold.
Kolar district is located in the state of Karnataka and is about 68 kilometres from Bangalore. Kollara is the capital of the district, which is also popular for its gold mining activities and its ancient history. The remains of the ancient fort that surrounded the city of Kolar are still there along with several popular ancient temples.
Kolar is located in the eastern part of Karnataka and acts as an intersection between the states of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. It is said to be the only location in India where gold mines are available. Kolar has a rich historical heritage as the central hub of dynasties such as Gangas, Cholas, Hoysalas and Vijaynagar Empire.
The ancient temple, churches, mosques and monuments, built here, belong to the ancient British period and are still here in good condition. Some of the most popular ancient temples located here are Someswara temple and Kolaramma temple.
The eastern boundary of Kolar is formed by the Ammerallikere tank while the northern boundary is formed by the Kodikannur tank, which is the major source of water for the region of Kolar. Compared to the other regions the town has very less ancient temples left in proper condition and very few new temples have been constructed here.
The climatic conditions in Kolar are of Savanna type and faces extremely hot climate. Summers are here in the region from the month of March to May and the climate is extremely hot during this time. The best time to visit Kolar is in the winters, from the months of December to February when the average temperature ranges from 25⁰ to 30⁰ Celsius.
Kolar is connected by buses, cars and trains. Since Bangalore is very close to Kolar, a day trip is possible easily with cab facilities or even by buses that run regularly between them. The closest airport is the Bangalore international airport, which connects many other major cities of India to this region.
The Gangas sovereignty lasted from about 350 to 550 CE, initially ruled from Kolar as their Capital City. The founding king of the Ganga dynasty was Konganivarman Madhava who made Kolar his capital around 350 and ruled for about twenty years.
Kolar, the headquarters of the Kolar district, was earlier known as Kuvalala, also known as Kolahala Pura. Historically, Kolar is said to be associated with the epic age, which recalls many legends associated with Avani in Mulbagal Taluk, which was also called Avani Kshetra. it is the Birth place city of Ramanji.
It was once known as Avantika- Kshetra, a sacred place in Kolar district in Karnataka State. It was famous for its religious establishments from ancient times.
It was once known as Aavanya which was under the Ganga prince Madhava Muttarasa, who governed several districts. In about A.D 890, it was called Avanya-Nadu under the dynasty of king Anoop. In A.D 931, it’s earliest grant relates that Tribhuvana Kartara Deva, who held the title of Kali Yuga Rudra, ruled over the Avaniya Thana for 40 years. During this period he constructed 50 temples and two large tanks. The Avani Sthana continued to survive as a religious establishment from 9th to 11th century. There are temples dedicated to Rama Dasharathi, Laxmana, Bharata, Bali and Sugriva. This place is renowned[by whom?] as birth place of Lava- Kusa, the twin sons of Rama and also as the hermitage of Valmiki.
Madhava Muttarasa was the Shivamara Muttarasa ( Shivamara –II) who succeeded his father Sripurusha Muttarasa .
It is said[by whom?] that the sage Valmiki, the author of the epic Ramayana, lived here and Sri Rama stayed here on the way back to Ayodhya, after his conquest of Lanka. The legend goes further to establish that Seetha Devi, after being rejected by Rama, gave birth to her twins Lava and Kusha in this Avani.
The hill to the west of Kolar, called the Satasringa Parvata or 'Hundred-Peaked Mountain' is 'Antharagange', associated with the story of Parasurama and his fight with King Kartaviryarjuna over Surabhi, the divine cow. As the story goes, King Kartavirya Arjuna (Sahasrarjuna) and his army visited Jamadagni, Parasurama's father, when the king demanded the magical cow from Jamadagni. When Jamadagni refused, the King sent his soldiers to take the cow, but Parashurama killed the entire army and the king with his axe. In return, the princes beheaded Jamadagni. Thus, Parasurama took an oath to behead the entire Kshatriya race, which is said to have taken place on the hills. It is said that the 'kolahala' on the death of Kartaviryarjuna gave its name to the town, which later become Kolar. Kannada,[Telugu language] is the main languages spoken in the district of Kolar.