Culture & Heritage

Celebrating Holi in Bagalkot

The festival of colours, Holi is celebrated all over India but nowhere with as much fervour as at this small town in Karnataka, Bagalkot. Celebrated over the course of four days with great pomp and show, Holi Habba is Bagalkot’s most important cultural tradition. The festival kicks off with Kama Dahanam – a bonfire ceremony symbolic of burning lust and other evils harboured in the human hearts. This is followed by three days of playing with colours. People gather in parks and streets all over the city bombarding each other with anything and everything in their sight, either with dry coloured powder or with water guns and water balloons filled with coloured water.

Five different localities called Onees are the traditional centres for celebrating the festival – Jainpeth, Hosapeth, Halpeth, Killa and Venkatpeth, with Hosapeth being the largest. Although of a Hindu origin, the festival is enjoyed by people of all faiths and backgrounds with everyone participating in the spirit of joy and harmony. At the end of the festivities the whole town stands painted in a myriad of hues, a symbol of the town’s colourful culture.

Mudhol Hound, first Indian breed of dog to be inducted into army

The Mudhol Hound from Karnataka will be the first desi dog to make it to the Indian Army. The Indian Army which uses German Shepherds, Great Swiss Mountain dog and Labradors is all set to induct the desi Mudhol Hound. The dogs from Karnataka were trained in the Army’s Remount and Veterinary Corps centre in Meerut. Six dogs have already been trained and they will soon be inducted into the Army at Jammu and Kashmir.

The induction is likely to take place in December. The Indian Army had expressed its desire to use the Mudhol sight hound for surveillance and border protection duties. It has obtained six Mudhol dogs for testing at the Army’s Remount Veterinary Corps at Meerut. The Mudhol Hound, also known as Caravan Hound is an Indian breed of dog of the sight hound type.

Navanagar Museum

“Navanagar Museum” is built in the “Cultural Complex” of Navanagar (Bagalkot district-Karnataka). You will realize the real culture and tradition of Bagalkot and surroundings of Bagalkot district. Navanagar museum is a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Navanagar museum make these items available for public viewing through exhibits. This is one of the Museum in Navanagar with Fine Articles.

Amingad Karadant

Aminagad is a village in the southern state of Karnataka, India. It is located in the Hungund taluk of Bagalkot district in Karnataka. Amingad is famous for its “Karadantu” Kannada: ಕರದಂಟು (A nice tasty sweet). The Karadantu will be prepared using edible gum,dry fruits, sugar or jaggery. It is made of edible gum mixed with dry fruits and has a chewy texture. The other ingredients used in its preparation are fried bengal gram flour, jaggery and seeds of marking-nut (Semecarpus anacardium) tree. Gokak is very famous for karadant. Amingad town in Bagalkot district Karnataka is also famous for the karadantu produced in its sweet shops. The tastes of the 2 varieties of kardant are almost similar but never same courtesy the ingredients used.