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Ballari

geography Maturity 11-13 Next article →

Ballari is an important city in the state of Karnataka, India.

Madras Prov South 1909
Madras Prov South 1909

It is known as the "Steel city of South India." This is because the area has many large steel plants. One of these, JSW Vijayanagar, is one of the largest in all of Asia. The city is also a home for the Karnataka Gramina Bank. This bank has more than 1,100 branches across the state.

Ballari railway station platform No.1
Ballari railway station platform No.1

The land around Ballari has a very specific look. The city sits on a wide and level plain. This plain is made of dark black cotton soil. Huge hills made of granite rock rise from the ground. The city spreads out around two main hills named Ballari Hill and Kumbara Gudda.

BELLARY FORT 6
BELLARY FORT 6

Kumbara Gudda is a special sight. From the south-east, the hill looks like the profile of a human face. People call it Face Hill.

History has changed the name and the borders of this place. Long ago, Ballari was part of a region called Rayalaseema. It was also part of the Madras Presidency. In 2004, the city council was upgraded to a city corporation. The name of the city even changed recently. For a long time, people called it Bellary. In October 2014, the government approved a new name. On 1 November 2014, it officially became Ballari.

Bellary Fort
Bellary Fort

Many different people live and work in Ballari. The weather is often hot and semi-arid. This happens because of the Western Ghats mountains. Even so, the monsoons bring light rain throughout the year. Many people speak Kannada, which is the largest language. Others speak Telugu or Urdu.

Western Chalukya Monuments
Western Chalukya Monuments

The city is also a busy place for making clothes. There are about 260 units that make denim garments. Nearly 3,000 families work in these denim factories.

The city has a long history of making things. Cotton was a major crop in this area for a long time. In 1894, the first steam cotton-spinning mill was built. During the First World War, people moved there to stitch uniforms. These workers made clothes for soldiers in the British Indian Army. Later, they began making uniforms for school children. Today, Ballari makes famous denim brands like Walker and Podium. These clothes are sold in many countries around the world.

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🖼️ Images & Media (5)
File:Western Chalukya Monuments.svg
Western Chalukya Monuments.svg
File:Madras Prov South 1909.jpg
Madras Prov South 1909.jpg
File:BELLARY_FORT_6.jpg
BELLARY_FORT_6.jpg
File:Bellary Fort.JPG
Bellary Fort.JPG
File:Ballari_railway_station_platform_No.1.jpg
Ballari_railway_station_platform_No.1.jpg
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