Shimoga facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Shimoga
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| Shivamogga | |
 .jpg)   Images, from top down, left right
Indian lion in the Tyavarekoppa Tiger and Lion Reserve Statue of Keladi Shivappa Nayaka Sculpture of Mahishasura Mardhini Shivappa Nayaka palace |
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 Shimoga
Location in Karnataka
Shimoga
Location in India
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| Country | India |
| State | Karnataka |
| District | Shimoga |
| Region | Malenadu |
| Government | |
| • Type | City Corporation |
| • Body | Shivamogga Mahanagara Palike |
| Area | |
| • City | 70.01 km2 (27.03 sq mi) |
| • Rural | 1,037.29 km2 (400.50 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 569 m (1,867 ft) |
| Population
(2011)
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|
| • City | 322,650 |
| • Rank | 10th (Karnataka) |
| • Density | 4,608.6/km2 (11,936.3/sq mi) |
| • Rural | 184,674 |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Kannada |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN |
577201 - 577205
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| Telephone code | 91-(0)8182-XXXXXX |
| ISO 3166 code | IN-KA |
| Vehicle registration | KA-14 |
| Climate | Aw |
Shimoga, also known as Shivamogga, is a city in the state of Karnataka, India. It is the main city and headquarters of the Shimoga district. The city is located on the banks of the Tunga River.
Shimoga is often called the "Gateway of Malnad" because it leads to the hilly Western Ghats region. In 2011, about 322,650 people lived in Shimoga. The city was chosen for the Smart Cities project, which aims to make cities better places to live.
Shimoga is 569 meters (1,867 feet) above sea level. It is surrounded by green fields of rice, arecanut, and coconut trees. The city is about 267 km (166 miles) from Bangalore, the state capital. It is also 195 km (121 miles) from the port city of Mangalore.
Contents
History of Shimoga
The name Shimoga comes from the word shivmoga. One story says that the god Shiva drank from the Tunga River, so the name means "face of Shiva." Another idea is that the name comes from Sihi-Mogge, which means "sweet pot."
Long ago, in the third century BC, this area was the southern part of Emperor Ashoka's Mauryan Empire. Over the centuries, different powerful groups ruled the region. These included the Kadambas, Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Hoysalas, and Vijayanagara rulers.
Later, the Nayakas of Keladi became important rulers. They were based in Keladi (in today's Shimoga district). They first served the powerful Vijayanagar Empire. After the empire fell in 1565, the Nayakas became independent. They ruled large parts of the Malnad region and coastal areas of Karnataka. In 1763 AD, Hyder Ali defeated them, and their lands became part of the Kingdom of Mysore.
During India's fight for freedom, Mahatma Gandhi visited Shimoga. He encouraged people to join the movement. After India became independent in 1947, the Mysore state joined the Republic of India.
In 2006, the government of Karnataka decided to change the city's name to "Shivamogga." This change became official on November 1, 2014.
Geography and Climate
The city of Shimoga covers about 70.01 square kilometers (27 square miles). A good part of this area is green spaces and water bodies. Many hills around Shimoga are part of the Western Ghats. This region is famous for its heavy rainfall and lush green nature. The Western Ghats were even named a World Heritage site in 2012.
The Tunga River flows through Shimoga. This river is the main source of drinking water for the city. The city gets its water from the Tunga dam, also known as Gajanuru dam.
Weather in Shimoga
Shimoga has a tropical wet and dry climate. This means summers are hot and wet, and winters are dry. The average temperature in summer is between 20°C and 35°C (68°F and 95°F). Most of the rain falls from June to early October.
Shimoga is part of the Malnad region, which means "land of hills." The city gets about 731.1 mm (28.8 inches) of rain each year. April is usually the warmest month, with an average high of 35.5°C (95.9°F). The coolest months are July, August, November, and December, with average highs around 27°C (80.6°F).
| Climate data for Shimoga (1981–2010, extremes 1950–2005) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 35.0 (95.0) |
38.8 (101.8) |
41.4 (106.5) |
39.7 (103.5) |
44.0 (111.2) |
40.0 (104.0) |
34.7 (94.5) |
35.0 (95.0) |
38.0 (100.4) |
35.0 (95.0) |
34.4 (93.9) |
34.0 (93.2) |
44.0 (111.2) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 31.5 (88.7) |
33.6 (92.5) |
36.0 (96.8) |
36.4 (97.5) |
34.9 (94.8) |
30.1 (86.2) |
28.2 (82.8) |
27.8 (82.0) |
29.6 (85.3) |
30.4 (86.7) |
30.1 (86.2) |
30.0 (86.0) |
31.6 (88.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 15.3 (59.5) |
16.5 (61.7) |
19.5 (67.1) |
21.5 (70.7) |
22.2 (72.0) |
21.5 (70.7) |
20.9 (69.6) |
20.5 (68.9) |
20.3 (68.5) |
20.2 (68.4) |
18.2 (64.8) |
15.8 (60.4) |
19.3 (66.7) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 6.5 (43.7) |
9.0 (48.2) |
11.7 (53.1) |
11.5 (52.7) |
15.0 (59.0) |
16.0 (60.8) |
15.7 (60.3) |
13.0 (55.4) |
11.5 (52.7) |
11.7 (53.1) |
8.0 (46.4) |
6.0 (42.8) |
6.0 (42.8) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 0.2 (0.01) |
0.3 (0.01) |
5.9 (0.23) |
34.8 (1.37) |
41.1 (1.62) |
109.0 (4.29) |
158.2 (6.23) |
129.0 (5.08) |
70.8 (2.79) |
140.4 (5.53) |
30.4 (1.20) |
11.2 (0.44) |
731.1 (28.78) |
| Average rainy days | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 2.4 | 3.2 | 8.4 | 11.9 | 12.7 | 5.3 | 6.3 | 1.9 | 0.7 | 53.3 |
| Average relative humidity (%) (at 17:30 IST) | 42 | 40 | 36 | 43 | 53 | 74 | 78 | 79 | 73 | 69 | 59 | 48 | 58 |
| Source: India Meteorological Department | |||||||||||||
People and Languages
In 2011, Shimoga had a population of 322,650 people. There were slightly more males than females. About 32,691 children were aged 0 to 6 years old.
Most people in Shimoga can read and write. About 78.9% of the population is literate. For people aged 7 and above, the literacy rate is even higher, at 87.8%.
| Religions in Shimoga City (2011) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Religion | Percent | |||
| Hinduism | 72.76% | |||
| Islam | 23.93% | |||
| Christianity | 2.17% | |||
| Jainism | 0.82% | |||
| Other or not stated | 0.32% | |||
| Distribution of religions | ||||
The main language spoken in Shimoga is Kannada. Most people (72.76%) follow Hinduism, and a significant number (23.93%) are Muslims. There are also smaller groups of Christians and others.
Kannada is the most common language, spoken by over half the population. Urdu is the second most spoken language. Other languages like Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Marathi, and Konkani are also spoken.
Economy and Business
The APMC (Agricultural Produce Market Committee) in Shimoga is a major trading center. It is especially important for areca nut, which is a big crop grown in the area. Shimoga has the largest market for high-quality areca nuts. Other farm products like rice, maize, chili, and coconut are also sold here.
Shimoga also has an IT Park, which is a hub for information technology companies. It is located just outside the city, near the new Shimoga Airport. This park has a large office building with constant electricity and fast internet. It is designed for IT businesses like data centers and call centers.
Getting Around Shimoga
Road Travel
Shimoga has good road connections to other major cities. You can easily travel by road to places like Bangalore, Mysore, and Mangalore. Two main National Highways, NH69 and NH169, pass through the city.
Train Travel
The city has two railway stations. The main one is Shivamogga Town Railway Station. Trains run from here to cities such as Bangalore, Mysore, Tirupati, and Chennai.
Air Travel
The Shimoga Airport is located near Sogane, about 13 km (8 miles) south of the city. This airport is special because it is run by a company owned by the Karnataka government. The closest international airports are Kempegowda International Airport in Bangalore and Mangalore International Airport.
Education in Shimoga
Shimoga is an important center for education in Karnataka. It has many good schools and colleges.
- For high school, Jnanadeepa school is well-known.
- For pre-university (PU) education, Sri Aurobindo PU College and PACE PU College are popular.
- PES college is located on the outskirts of the city.
The village of Gajanur has a Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya. This is a central boarding school. Kuvempu University is also nearby, about 20 km (12 miles) from Shimoga.
Shimoga has medical colleges like Shimoga Institute of Medical Sciences and Subbaiah Institute of Medical Sciences. It also has engineering colleges, including Jawaharlal Nehru National College of Engineering and PES Institute of Technology and Management.
Notable People from Shimoga
Many famous people come from Shimoga. Some of them include:
- U. R. Ananthamurthy, a famous writer who won the Jnanapeetha award.
- Kuvempu, a national poet and Jnanapeetha winner.
- Sudeep, a well-known actor and director in Indian movies.
- B. S. Yediyurappa, who served as the Chief Minister of Karnataka.
- Shekhar Naik, a former captain of the Indian blind cricket team.
- Abhilash Shetty, a film director.
- Shimoga Subbanna, a playback singer.
Images for kids
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Spar Mall
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City Centre Mall
See also
In Spanish: Shimoga para niños
