Bhalki Today,भालकी टुडे,ಭಾಲ್ಕಿ ಟುಡೆ

GEOGRAPHY & DEMOGRAPHICS:

Bhalki,ಭಾಲ್ಕಿ,भाल्कि is a town, and a taluka,in Bidar district in the state of Karnataka,India.Bhalki is located at 18.03°N 77.22°E. It has an average elevation of 587 metres (1925 feet).
Bhalki is 45 km from District headquarters Bidar.It enjoys a unique location in the vicinity of three states of Karnataka,Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh and is well connected by road to major towns in the home state and the neighbouring states.It also has a model railway station in the town.The maximum recorded temperature in the town is 45.5 degree celcius and the minimum recorded temperature is 14.0 degree celcius.

According to the 2011 census,Bhalki has a population of about 40,333 with 20,741 males and 19,592 females.
Bhalki has an average literacy rate of 67%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; with 61% of the males and 39% of the females literate.14% of the population is under 6 years of age.Kannada language is spoken by the majority of the population.Marathi & Urdu are also spoken by some.
Bhalki Town stretches to an area of 12.05 SqKms and is the authority of the Bhalki Town Muncipal Council(BTMC) which was constituted in the year 1953.The BTMC has 23 Wards/Sectors and equal number of Councilors.

EDUCATION:

Bhalki is a prominent education centre in the North Karnataka with a number of Primary and Higher Schools,Science,Arts & Commerce Colleges,Degree Colleges and various Educational Societies.The town has one of the biggest Engineering Colleges in Karnataka namely 'Bheemanna Khandre Institute Of Technology(BKIT),formerly Rural Engineering College(REC) where hundreds of students from the different states of India like Mahasrashtra,Andhra Pradesh,Bihar,Assam,Manipur,
Jharkhand,West Bengal,etc along with the local students come here to study.

INDUSTRY:

Though Bhalki does not has a big industrial base,it has two big Sugar Cane factories namely Mahatma Gandhi Sahakara Sakkara Karkhane and Bhalkeshwar Sugars Limited located on its outskirts.Agriculture is the main activity in the town.
Recently,the Union Government gave an in Principle Nod for setting up a National Investment & Manufacturing Zone(NIMZ) on the outskirts of Bhalki on which a final decision is yet to be taken.

INTERESTING PLACES IN AND AROUND THE TOWN:

Bhalki fort:
Located in the old Bhalki town,it hosts a variety of buildings, including the Satyaniketan School,residences,Kumbheshwar (Ganesh) Temple,etc.This fort is locally known as the 'Gadi' (from gad,meaning a fort in Kannada and Marathi).

Bhalkeshwar Temple:
This temple is close to the fort,and dedicated to Shiva.There is also an adjoining stepped well,which is lined with locally abundant black basalt stones.

Ram Temple:
Also known as Balaji temple,is in the Gunj area of the town.
The temple was built in 1945 by the Sant Mahant Shri Premdas Baba and reconstructed under the guidance of the Marwadi Samaj in 1980.

Rameshwara Tekadee:
Located on a hill (Tekadee-hill in Marathi) a couple of kilometres north-east of the new town centre,this is a historical fort-like structure offering a panoramic view of the surrounding plains.
It also hosts a temple.

Old Town:
This is the historic Bhalki town protected by the fort.The old town is a typical example of a medieval Deccan fortified town, with old style residential houses,albeit now modified to suit modern needs.The historic Hiremath Samsthan,started by His Holiness Sri Chennabasava Pattadevaru,is also located in the old town.

Bhalki Tank:
An artificial lake created for rainwater harvesting, and a view point for some spectacular winter sunsets.

SOURCE:
www.bhalkitown.gov.in (BTMC)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhalki (WIKIPEDIA)