| Settlement Type: | Town |
| Pushpin Map: | India Karnataka#India3 |
| Pushpin Label Position: | right |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Karnataka, India##Location in India |
| Coordinates: | 13.967°N 74.567°W[1] |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Type2: | District |
| Subdivision Name1: | Karnataka |
| Subdivision Name2: | Uttara Kannada |
| Government Type: | Town Municipal Council |
| Governing Body: | Bhatkal Town Municipal Council |
| Area Total Km2: | 355.50 |
| Elevation M: | 3 |
| Population Total: | 161,576 |
| Population As Of: | 2011 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Population Demonym: | Bhatkally, Bhatkalite |
| Demographics Type1: | Languages |
| Demographics1 Title1: | Official |
| Demographics1 Info1: | Kannada |
| Demographics1 Title2: | Regional/Spoken |
| Demographics1 Info2: | Kannada, Urdu, Nawayathi (Konkani)[2] |
| Timezone1: | IST |
| Utc Offset1: | +5:30 |
| Postal Code Type: | PIN |
| Postal Code: | 581320 |
| Area Code: | +91-8385 |
| Area Code Type: | Telephone code |
| Registration Plate: | KA-47 |
| Official Name: | Bhatkal |
Bhatkal is a coastal town in the Uttara Kannada District of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bhatkal lies on National Highway 66, which runs between Mumbai and Kanyakumari, and has Bhatkal railway station which is one of the major railway stations along the Konkan Railway line, which runs between Mumbai and Mangalore.
Bhatkal was named after Jain Grammarian, Bhattakalanka, who hailed from Hadwalli village, a town on the state highway toward Jog Falls, Shimoga.[3] It was also known as Susagadi, and Manipur in Sanskrit. The Hamilton referred to it as Batuculla, which means 'Round town'.[4]
Some have claimed that Marathi influence is responsible for the word's derivation. According to Deshabandhu M. Shanker Linge Gowda, when the military leaders of the Patwardhan family under the Peshwas used to periodically invade and pillage the Manipura kingdom, they called it Vatkul, which means "hills around the town," because the Manipura fort was located in a valley surrounded by hills. In slang, Vatkul has now evolved into Bhatkal.[5] [6]
The Bhatkal term originated and can be found in one of the oldest manuscripts of Nawayathi from 1100 A.H. (or 1688 A.D.) by Akhun Seedy Mohammed. The author mentions the old name for bhatkal as Abadaqilla (آبادقلعه). But the word itself is susceptible of alteration, and it is quite likely that initially it was 'Abadaqilla,' meaning 'inhabited fort,' and subsequently changed into badaqilla, and finally Bhatkal. Such a name can be applied only by Arabs, who have been associated with the place for a very long time.[7]
Name variations include Batigala (by Friar Jordanus, 1328), Batticala (by Barbosa, 1510), Baticala (De Barros), Batticola (Logan, 1887).
Bhatkal witnessed the rise and fall of several dynasties and rulers. Chola empire under Aditya I, his son, Parantaka I, and Sundara Chola, also known as Parantaka Chola II, initially invaded and conquered territories in Kannada country, between Gangavadi on the Mysuru plateau and Bhatkal on the Sahyadri Coast, between 880 CE and 975 CE. They later built the Solesvara Temple to commemorate their victory over the region.
From 1291 to 1343, it was a part of the Hoysala Empire before passing into the Vijayanagara Empire's control. Bhatkal was governed by the Nawayath Sultanate (Honnur) from the beginning of the 14th century until 1344. According to Ibn-e-Battuta, it was the vassal state of "Haryab," which some historian have identified to as the Hoysala Empire. The port town gained popularity 50 years after the Nawayath Sultanate was overthrown when Nawayath relocated to Bhatkal from Honnavar.[8] Later, when it was under the control of the Vijayanagar Empire, spices, sugar, and other masalas were traded with them.[9] [10] According to Ibrahim Khori, powdered sugar, brown sugar, as well as sugar itself, were produced in Bhatkal.[11]
In 1479, Bhatkal and Honnavar got once again attacked by the Vijayanagar Empire over an alleged conspiracy over the trade between the Bahmani Sultanate. Vijayakirthi II constructed a town named 'Bhattakala' for his disciple, the king Devaraya. The rulers of Haduvalli were from the Suluva (Jain) Dynasty, and the Bhattakalanka was the last and well-known grammarian of Haduvalli as per the Biligi Ratnatraya Basadi inscription.[12] At the time of Narasimha Deva Raya, he ended the tyranny of Virupaksha and re-established the friendship between the Nawayath.[13]
On 28 August 1502, Vasco de Gama-led Portuguese forces attacked and burned the port in the town that was under the control of the Kingdom of Gersoppa, a vassal state of the Vijayanagara Empire, and forced it to comply with Portuguese demands.[14] [15] In 1606, it came under the control of the Nayakas of Ikkeri (also known as the Nayakas of Keladi) after the war between Venkatappa Nayaka and Bairadevi.[16] In 1637, it became the territory of the Dutch East India Company.[17] The British were unsuccessful in their attempts to establish an agency through locals in 1638 and a corporation in 1668. The Keladi Nayakas invited Kazi Mahmoud, who was a grandson of the Chief Kazi of the Adil Shahi kingdom of Bijapur, to settle in Bhatkal in the year 1670. The revenue of Tenginagundi village was given to Kazi Mahmoud. The Kazi family of Bhatkal is popularly known as the Temunday Family due to the ownership of lands in Tenginagundi. Many Nawayath Muslims were appointed to the administrative positions. The families of these nobles from Nawayath still use their surnames as Ikkeri and are mainly settled in and around Bhatkal. The Golden Kalasa on the dome of Bhatkal Jamia Masjid, popularly known as 'Chinnada Palli' meaning 'Golden Mosque' is believed to be a generous gift from Keladi rulers.
From the Keladi rulers, Bhatkal passed on to the Mysore Sultanate. Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan made Bhatkal the main base on the Canara Coast for their newly built naval force, with the help of the Dutchman Joze Azelar.[18] Later, Tipu Sultan built a mosque in 1793, and a street was named after him. One of Tipu's wives was from Bhatkal.[19] Bhatkal later came into the hands of the British Empire in 1799 after they defeated Tipu. In 1862, Bhatkal was annexed to the Bombay Presidency. With the reorganization of the state in 1956, the town became a part of Karnataka State in 1960, and the sub-taluks of Bhatkal and Supa were upgraded into full-fledged taluks.[20]
The residents celebrate festivals such as Eid ul Fitr, Ramadan, Eid al azha, Muharram, Milad un nabi, Makara Sankranti, Nagara Panchami, Krishna Janmashtami, Ganesh Chaturthi, Navaratri, Deepavali. Folk sports like Kambala and folk arts like Yakshagana are also popular. Unlike other states, Nawayathi men wear lungis, which are stitched in the middle and are cylindrical in shape.[21]
Bhatkali cuisine is a blend of Arabian and Konkan cuisine. Bhatkali biryani is an integral part of the Nawayath cuisine and a specialty of Bhatkal, prepared with basmati rice that has been spiced with full garam masala and saffron. Separately, pieces of mutton, chicken, fish, or prawns are cooked. Some people even refer to it as a layered korma and rice meal with fried onions, curry, or mint leaves on top. Another type of biryani is shayya biryani, made from vermicelli (shayyo) instead of rice.[22] [23] The dishes used for breakfast are theek and goad thari (sweet and spicy semolina), gavan or thalla shayyo (wheat or rice vermicelli), varieties of appo (pancakes), fau (poha), theek and goad khubus (sweet and spicy bread), masala poli (heavy spiced paratha), gavan poli (wheat paratha), and puttu (steamed cakes).[24]
Bhatkal is connected to other cities and states in India by roads and railways. The National Highway 66 (India) crosses the town, which had a major impact on its development. Under the Konkan Railway, many trains run day and night to and from the town. The Bhatkal railway station has two platforms. The nearest airports to Bhatkal are Mangalore International Airport and Goa-Dabolim International Airport. The town has one large, one medium, and one small fishing port.
As per the 2011 India census, Bhatkal Taluk had a population of approximately 161,576 out of which, 49.98% were males and 50.02% were females. Bhatkal has an average literacy rate of 74.04%, with 78.72% and 69.36% of male and female literacy, respectively. Around 11% of the town's total population is under age 5. Scheduled Castes constitute 8.87% and Scheduled Tribes constitute 5.67% of the total population.[25]
Bhatkal municipality was founded in 1890 and was part of Honnavar Taluk; a decade later, in 1903, the income was 6500 rupees. Two small mosques and two large mosques existed within the town.[26] The town municipal council is divided into 23 wards, for which elections are held every 5 years.Bhatkal is a State Assembly constituency in Uttara Kannada district and the coastal Karnataka region of Karnataka. It is a part of the Uttara Kannada Parliamentary constituency.[27] Mankal Vaidya, of the INC, is the incumbent MLA.[28]