Chikodi

Chikkodi
ಚಿಕ್ಕೋಡಿ
city

Location in Karnataka, India

Coordinates: 16°26′N 74°36′E / 16.43°N 74.6°E / 16.43; 74.6Coordinates: 16°26′N 74°36′E / 16.43°N 74.6°E / 16.43; 74.6
Country  India
State Karnataka
District Belgaum
Government
 • MP(Member of Parliament) Prakash Hukkeri
Elevation 683 m (2,241 ft)
Population (2011)
 • Total 40,000
Languages
 • Official Kannada
Time zone IST (UTC+5:30)
PIN 591201
Telephone code 08338
Vehicle registration KA-23

Chikodi is a taluka and Town Municipal Council city constituted in 1973 in the Belagavi district of Karnataka, India. It is situated at the Karnataka-Maharashtra border and is surrounded by hills.

History

Around 200–300 years ago, Chikodi was called as Chik-kodi (small village) where as the nearby Hirekudi (big village) was bigger than Chikodi. Overtime, Chikodi experienced growth due to its famous betel leaves and came to lie on a major road.

Geography

Chikodi is located at 16°26′N 74°36′E / 16.43°N 74.6°E / 16.43; 74.6.[1] It has an average elevation of 683 meters (2240 feet). The town has an area of 18.29 km2. and is situated amidst hills, temperature varies from a maximum of 35⁰ C to a minimum of 18⁰ C, maximum average rainfall annually is 826.64 mm.

Demographics

As of 2011 India census,[2] Chikodi had a population of 38,307. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Average literacy rate of 73%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; with male literacy of 79% and female literacy of 66%.

Business

Chikodi, mostly dependent on agriculture. Sugarcane occupies an important place in the economy of Chikodi which has three sugar factories, Dudhaganga Krishna Sugar Factory, Nanadi which is the nearest, Venkateshwara Power Project Ltd. Bedkihal, and Om Sugars Ltd. Jainapur among others. Tobacco farming is another major agricultural sector. Major production of tobacco comes from Galatga, Shiragaonwadi, Khadaklat villages. Nowadays trend of Sericulture is picking up.

Tourism and attractions

Education

Chikodi is considered as an education hub in Belagavi district for its educational institutions and facilities. Some of them are:

There is also a proposal to start Sub-regional Science Centre in Chikodi..

Transportation

Majority of public transport in Chikodi connecting surrounding villages and towns is through city buses run by North West Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC) from Chikodi bus depot. Auto rickshaws are commonly available for commuting inside the city.

Road

Chikodi is well connected by road by major State Highways which connect to National Highway 4. The State Highways passing through Chikodi are: SH 18 (Mudhol to Nipani), SH 12 (Vijayapur to Sankeshwar) and SH 78 (Ichalakaranji to Hattargi).

State Highway 12 has been declared as the National Highway which goes from Sankeshwar to Vijayapur via Gotur-Chikodi-Kagawad-Athani-Tikota.

NWKRTC runs buses from Chikodi to all corners of Karnataka as well as neighboring states.

There are many prominent private bus services like VRL Travels, SRS Travels, Manish Travels, Sugama Tourist and Sea Bird Travels which operates daily night from Chikodi to Bangalore. Ganesh Travels and Sugama Tourist which operates daily night from Chikodi to Kundapur, Udupi, Moodabidre and Mangalore.

Rail

The closest railway station is located at Chikodi Road Station at a distance of about 20 km (near Kabbur). This station falls under South Western Railway Zone (Hubli). Hubli Junction (UBL) and Miraj Junction (MRJ) which are well connected to major cities like Bangalore, Mysore, Mangalore, Pune, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Goa, New Delhi and Chennai.

Air

The closest airports are Belgaum Airport and Kolhapur Airport located at a distance of about 70 km and 60 km respectively.

References

  1. ↑ Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Chikodi
  2. ↑ "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 2004-06-16. Retrieved 2008-11-01.
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