Kollegala is one of the major taluks in the Chamarajanagara District of Karnataka State in the south of India. It is also the largest taluk in Karnataka, Kollegala is well known for its silk industry which attracts traders from all over the state.
History
Until 1956, Kollegala was part of the Coimbatore district of the Madras Presidency. The States Reorganisation Act of 1956 moved Kollegala to Karnataka primarily organising it along linguistic lines. Kollegala is the name derived from the names of two hermits namely 'Kauhala' and 'Galava' who were believed to be instrumental in the development of Kollegala. Kollegala, also called "Silk City", is famous for its handloom silk saree industry. Kollegala is one of the larger taluks in Karnataka and was previously the largest. Plans are underway to divide Kollegala, making Hanur the capital of the new taluk in the Chamarajanagara District. This separation has been ongoing for years is not yet entirely in effect. Kollegala serves as a center for pre-university education in the region. Well known schools in Kollegala include Lions High School, Sree Vasavi Vidya Kendra, St. Francis Assisi High School, Nisarga Independent PU college, Seventh Day Adventist High School, and Mudigundam Gurukaar Subappa Veerappa, and Mahadeshwara Degree College. Gajanuru of Thalavadi Taluk of Tamil Nadu is the hometown of Legendary Kannada thespian, the demigod of Karnataka, Dr.Rajkumar. Kollegala was one of the areas which played host to the activities of Veerappan, a notorious bandit who smuggled sandalwood and poached elephants for their tusks. Many tourists visit the Kollegala area. The Malai Mahadeshwara Hills, and the waterfalls at Hogenakkal near Male Mahadeshwara hills and the waterfalls of Gagana Chukki and Barachukki at Shivanasamudra are popular destinations. In Kollegal there is a small hill called "Maradi Gudda" which is located in the heart of the city. Gundal dam is just away from Kollegala. It also includes BRT Tiger Reserve which is approximately 25–30 km from the town, which is a home to many fauna and flora including mammals like Tigers, Leopards, Indian Elephant, Indian Guar and the Sloth Bear.
Transportation
Kollegala is connected by two national highways:
NH 209 this starts from Bengaluru-Dindigul via Coimbatore, Kollegala
NH 212 this starts from Kollegala to Calicut, via Narasipura, Mysuru
The nearest railway stations are Chamarajanagara and Mysuru . The nearest airport is Kempegowda International Airport,, Mandakalli airport, and Coimbatore International Airport, away. Kollegala is the main junction where you can enter Salem, Coimbatore, Ooty, Kozhikode from Mysuru & Bengaluru. The Biligiri Rangana Betta is just away from the town. The K.Gudi Wilderness camp run by the jungle lodges and resorts is near the B.R hills. There are two bus routes from Bengaluru to Kollegala:
Bengaluru > Maddur > Malavalli > Kollegala Bengaluru Mysuru highway, take left diversion at Maddur after 80 km from Bengaluru
Karnataka government buses from Bengaluru ply from MCTC which is popularly known as Satellite bus terminal in Mysuru Road. Since the town was in Coimbatore district in the past, buses run between Coimbatore and Kollegala.
Geography
Kollegala is located at. It has an average elevation of. Since the town is on the foothills of the Western Ghats, it is home to a mixed topography. Temperature is moderate.
Demographics
India census Kollegala had a population of 57,149. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Kollegala has an average literacy rate of 69%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 74%, and female literacy is 64%. In Kollegal, 10% of the population is under 6 years of age. People in Kollegala speak a variation of Kannada distinct from that spoken in Mysuru and Bengaluru.There are 5000 Tamil language speakers in Kollegal. This dialect of Kannada at times suffixes da when spoken among friends. Kannada, as spoken in Kollegal, was used in the 2005 filmJogi starring Shivarajkumar.
College and Schools
MCKC High School,Lions School and PU college, Seventh Day Adventist English school, St. Francis Assisi School and PU college, RC mission, Sree Vasavi Vidya Kendra, Mahadeshwara College, JSS Women's College And College For Nursing are the oldest educational institutions in Kollegal offering best education. Manasa degree college and school and its PU college is a decade old private institution. Wisdom school is a recently opened private institution.
