| Hospet | |
| Official Name: | Hosapete |
| Nickname: | Steel City, Back Door of Vijayanagara |
| Settlement Type: | City |
| Pushpin Map: | India Karnataka |
| Pushpin Label Position: | right |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Karnataka, India |
| Coordinates: | 15.2689°N 76.3909°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: |  India |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | Karnataka |
| Subdivision Type2: | District |
| Subdivision Name2: | Vijayanagara |
| Subdivision Type3: | Talukas |
| Subdivision Name3: | Hospet |
| Established Title: | Established |
| Founder: | Krishnadevaraya |
| Named For: | Nagalapura |
| Governing Body: | City Municipal Council |
| Unit Pref: | Metric |
| Area Footnotes: | [1] |
| Area Total Km2: | 70.12 |
| Elevation M: | 479 |
| Population Total: | 206167 |
| Population Metro: | 244048 |
| Population As Of: | 2011 |
| Population Rank: | 224th India, 14th Karnataka |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Demographics Type1: | Languages |
| Demographics1 Title1: | Official |
| Demographics1 Info1: | Kannada |
| Timezone1: | IST |
| Utc Offset1: | +5:30 |
| Postal Code Type: | PIN |
| Postal Code: | 583 201, 02, 03, 11, 23, 25 |
| Area Code Type: | Telephone code |
| Area Code: | (+91)8394 |
| Registration Plate: | KA-35 |
| Website: | http://www.hospetcity.mrc.gov.in |
Hospet (officially Hosapete[2]) is the largest and fastest-growing industrial city and district headquarters of the Vijayanagara district in the Indian state of Karnataka. Hospet is known as "the steel city of Karnataka". It is located on the bank of the Tungabhadra River and is 13km (08miles) from Hampi (Vijayanagar). Hampi was once the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire. It has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Hospet is the connecting link between North and South Karnataka. It is 333km (207miles) from the state capital Bengaluru.
Hospet was built in 1520 AD by Krishna Deva Raya, one of the prominent rulers of Vijayanagara Empire. He built the city in honour of his mother Naagalaambika. The city was originally named Naagalapura; however, people referred to the city as Hosa Pete, which means "New City". The area between Hampi and Hospet is still called Naagalapura. This was the main entrance to the city of Vijayanagara for travellers coming from the west coast.
The current MLA for this area is Anand Singh.[3] The government approved a request to rename the city in October 2014, and Hospet was renamed "Hosapete" on 1 November 2014.[4]
The city currently holds the nation's tallest flagpole. During the Independence day on 15 August 2022, Hospet hoisted the tallest national flag on a 405feet pole.[5]
Hospet is well connected to several important cities in India. Some major cities like Bengaluru, Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai are connected by roadways and railways. Ballari is located approximately 60km (40miles) away. Hosapete Junction railway station lies on Hubballi-Guntakal railway line.[6] The nearest airport from the city is Jindal Vijaynagar Airport approximately 30km (20miles) away from Hospet which serves flights to and from Bengaluru and Hyderabad every day. Bengaluru is 330km (210miles) away. In addition, the city has a well-developed market area. Hospet is a well-known tourist destination, mainly due to its proximity to Hampi and Tungabhadra Dam.
The Municipal Ground is good for evening walks, the sports club, occasional exhibitions and is also surrounded by snacks counters.
According to the 2011 census, the total population of Hospet was 206,167, of which 102,668 are male and 103,499 are female. The town has an average literacy rate of 79.30%, with male literacy at 85.95% and female literacy at 72.74%. In Hospet, 13.46% of the population is under 6 years of age.
38.5% of people speak Kannada, 26.32% speak Telugu, 25.04% speak Urdu, and 10.14% speak some other language.