Gavali (also Gawali) is a small village located in the Belgaum district,

Karnataka Karnataka ( ) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed as Mysore State on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, States Re ...

state in

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

, southwest of the city of

Belgaum Belgaum (Kannada ISO 15919, ISO: ''Bēḷagāma'', ), officially known as Belagavi (also Belgaon), is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka located near its northern western border in the Western Ghats. It is the administrative headquarters ...

. The village is surrounded by forests, waterways and falls, which are subject to

illegal mining Illegal mining is mining activity that is undertaken without state permission. Illegal mining is the extraction of precious metals/rocks without following the proper procedures to participate in legal mining activity. These procedures include pe ...

, removal of medicinal plants and

deforestation Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal and destruction of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. Ab ...

. A proposed

Mandovi River The Mandovi (International Phonetic Alphabet, IPA: ) or Mahadayi (International Phonetic Alphabet, IPA: ), formerly known as the Rio de Goa, is a river described as the lifeline of the Indian state of Goa. The Mandovi and the Zuari River, Zua ...

(Mahadayi River) water diversion and hydroelectric power plant project would result in the submersion of some or all of Gavali.

Geography

Sitting on a large plateau, the village is about above sea level. It is surrounded by forests of the Western Ghats, one of the 18 global ecological hotspots, known for its dense forests, medicinal plants and trees,

agricultural Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created f ...

lands and

mining Mining is the Resource extraction, extraction of valuable geological materials and minerals from the surface of the Earth. Mining is required to obtain most materials that cannot be grown through agriculture, agricultural processes, or feasib ...

resources that are at risk due to illegal mining, smuggling of medicinal plants and trees and deforestation. Over 500 acres of farmland was bought from Gavali village farmers by one person.Kasbekar, Durgesh; Mhaskar, Major; Madhav, Vishweshwar; Dongre, Vrushal
Bhimgad a forest worth saving.
Bhimgad site. Retrieved 2011-11-11. Gavali village is one of the identified Medicinal Plants Conservation Areas requiring eco-restoration. Between the village of Gavali and Chapoli, the

that flows to the beautiful Vajrapoha Falls (also Vajrapoya waterfalls), best seen after the monsoon season (June–October).The Hermitage Guest House in the Western Ghats
The Hermitage Guest House. Retrieved 2011-11-12. The falls are about 1.5 hours southwest of the city of

. The Mandovi River (also called the Mahadayi River) is fed by streams near the villages of Gavali, Hemmadaga, Jamboti, Kankumbi, and Talawade. Lying in the mountainous Western Ghats (also called Sahyadris), the region may receive up to of rainfall per year. During the summer months (March–May) the stream and river water levels can become low, resulting in water shortages. The Gavali village temple area is thought by some to be the birthplace of the Mandovi river.

Proposed Mandovi River Dam project

A proposed Mandovi River (also Mahadayi River) water diversion and

hydroelectric power Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is Electricity generation, electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies 15% of the world's electricity, almost 4,210 TWh in 2023, which is more than all other Renewable energ ...

project would result in submersion of 1,000 acres of agricultural land and 4,300 acres of forest. Some or all of Gavali would be submerged with other neighbouring towns. Under the project, * the main Kotni dam would divert water above Khanapur and produce power * five additional dams would be built to produce hydroelectric power * six more dams would be built to divert water to the Malaprabha River. The governmental plan, on hold for various reasons, to build the Kotni dam has been recently revived. While

geologist A geologist is a scientist who studies the structure, composition, and History of Earth, history of Earth. Geologists incorporate techniques from physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, and geography to perform research in the Field research, ...

s determine whether the area can support a dam, Paryavarni, an environmental group, and the Goa government seek to stop the dam from being built and protect the regions delicate environment.

Languages

Languages spoken in the area are Marathi,

Kannada Kannada () is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly in the state of Karnataka in southwestern India, and spoken by a minority of the population in all neighbouring states. It has 44 million native speakers, and is additionally a ...

and in towns English is commonly spoken.

Education

Baburao Thakur, a Gaud Saraswat Brahmin (GSB), was a noted journalist, freedom fighter and social worker who led the establishment of the Belgaum Jilha Prathamik Shikshan Samiti on 1 October 1937. The Samiti established its second primary school in the remote village of Gavali and 206 schools were established and managed by the Samiti by 1939. Although the teachers faced housing issues, poor sanitation, inadequate water supply and low wages, the schools became a model for the Government of Bombay (now Mumbai). In the course of the work in the remote communities, the Samiti developed adult education courses, built roads, advised on agricultural issues and developed programs for sanitation — all of which raised the local

standard of living Standard of living is the level of income, comforts and services available to an individual, community or society. A contributing factor to an individual's quality of life, standard of living is generally concerned with objective metrics outsid ...

Prehistoric rock art

Rock engravings are found at Gavali, Udupi made during the megalithic period of a side view of a humped bull.Making history : Karnataka's people and their past, vol. 1
Volume 1: Stone Age to Mercantilism (40,000 BP-240 BC). CSCS. Retrieved 2011-11-11.

References

External links

Map of Gavali and Belgaum District area.

Belgaum district site

lovely area photos, including the Gavali temple and Vajrapoha Falls. {{DEFAULTSORT:Gavali, Belgaum district, Karnataka, India Villages in Belagavi district