Overview
Hassan is a city and the administrative headquarters of Hassan district in the southern Indian state of Karnataka. Located in the Malnad–Maidan transition zone of southern Karnataka, the city is widely known as the gateway to the Hoysala heritage sites at Belur, Halebidu and Shravanabelagola, all of which lie within its district.
Key facts
| Country | India |
|---|---|
| State | Karnataka |
| District | Hassan |
| Region | Southern Karnataka (Mysuru division) |
| Official language | Kannada |
| Civic body | Hassan City Municipal Council |
Etymology
The city is traditionally said to take its name from Hasanamba, the presiding goddess of a temple in the heart of the town. The temple is opened to devotees only once a year, during a festival that draws large crowds from across the state.
Geography
Hassan lies on the eastern fringes of the Western Ghats, at an elevation that gives it a relatively temperate climate compared with the plains of southern Karnataka. The terrain to the west of the city rises into the Malnad hill country, while the east opens out into the Mysuru plateau. The district is drained by the Hemavati river, a tributary of the Kaveri, and the Hemavati reservoir near Gorur is a major source of irrigation and drinking water.
History
The region around Hassan was a core territory of the Hoysala Empire, which ruled large parts of southern Karnataka between roughly the 11th and 14th centuries from capitals at Belur (Velapuri) and Dwarasamudra (Halebidu). The temples at Belur, Halebidu and the Jain pilgrimage site at Shravanabelagola, with its monolithic statue of Bahubali (Gommateshwara), are among the most important medieval monuments in India and are situated within the present Hassan district.
After the decline of the Hoysalas, the area passed successively under the Vijayanagara empire, the Wodeyars of Mysore and the rule of Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan, before becoming part of the princely state of Mysore under the British paramountcy. Hassan district was constituted as an administrative unit during the Mysore state period and was incorporated into the new Mysore State (renamed Karnataka in 1973) after the reorganisation of states in 1956.
Civic administration
Local administration is carried out by the Hassan City Municipal Council. The city is the seat of the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Hassan district, the Zilla Panchayat and the District and Sessions Court. It is part of the Hassan Lok Sabha constituency and the Hassan Vidhana Sabha constituency in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly.
Economy
Agriculture is the dominant economic activity in the surrounding district, with potatoes, paddy, ragi, coffee, coconut and arecanut among the main crops; Hassan town serves as a major regional market for these commodities. The city is also home to industrial activity associated with the Hassan Industrial Area developed by the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB), and to the Master Control Facility (MCF) of the Indian Space Research Organisation, which monitors and controls geostationary satellites.
Transport
Hassan is well connected by road, lying on National Highway 75 (Bengaluru–Mangaluru) and is also linked by national and state highways to Mysuru, Chikmagalur and Shravanabelagola. The Hassan Junction railway station is a key node on the South Western Railway, with the Hassan–Mangaluru line through Sakleshpur and the ghat section providing rail access to the coast. The nearest major airports are at Mangaluru, Mysuru and Bengaluru.
Education
The city hosts several institutions of higher education, including Malnad College of Engineering (founded 1960), the Hassan Institute of Medical Sciences (HIMS), and colleges affiliated to the University of Mysore and other state universities. Government and private schools in the city follow the Karnataka State Board, CBSE and ICSE curricula.
Culture and tourism
Hassan serves as a base for visitors to the Hoysala heritage circuit: