Hospet

Hospet (officially Hosapete) is the largest and fastest-growing industrial city and district headquarters of the Vijayanagara district in the Indian state of Karnataka.^[2] Hospet is known as "the steel city of Karnataka".^[3] It is located on the bank of the Tungabhadra River and is 13 km (8.1 mi) from Hampi (Vijayanagar). Hampi was once the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire, and has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Hospet is the connecting link between North and South Karnataka. It is 333 km (207 mi) from the state capital Bengaluru.

Hospet
City
Hosapete
Tungabadhra Dam near Hospet
Nickname(s):  Steel City, Back Door of Vijayanagara
Hospet Location in Karnataka, India
Coordinates: 15.2689°N 76.3909°E / 15.2689; 76.3909
Country	India
State	Karnataka
District	Vijayanagara
Talukas	Hospet
Established	1520 (505 years ago) (1520)
Founded by	Krishnadevaraya
Named after	Nagalapura
Government
• Body	City Municipal Council
Area [1]
• City	70.12 km2 (27.07 sq mi)
Elevation	479 m (1,572 ft)
Population  (2011)[1]
• City	206,167
• Rank	224th India, 14th Karnataka
• Density	2,900/km2 (7,600/sq mi)
• Metro	244,048
Languages
• Official	Kannada
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN	583 201, 02, 03, 11, 23, 25
Telephone code	(+91)8394
Vehicle registration	KA-35
Website	http://www.hospetcity.mrc.gov.in

History

Hospet was built in 1520 AD by Krishna Deva Raya, one of the prominent rulers of Vijayanagara Empire. He built the city in honour of his mother Naagalaambika. The city was originally named Naagalapura; however, people referred to the city as Hosa Pete, which means "New City". The area between Hampi and Hospet is still called Naagalapura. This was the main entrance to the city of Vijayanagara for travellers coming from the west coast.

The current MLA for this area is Anand Singh.^[4] The government approved a request to rename the city in October 2014, and Hospet was renamed "Hosapete" on 1 November 2014.^[5]

The city is currently home to the tallest flagpole in the nation. During the Independence day on 15 August 2022, Hospet hoisted the tallest national flag on a 405 ft (123 m) pole.^[6]

Views from Joladarashi Gudda

About

60 years for T.B DAM

Tungabhadra Lake on a summer afternoon in 2018

The Hospet cityscape viewed from atop the Joladarashi Gudda. Monsoon, 2023.

Hospet is well connected to several important cities in India. Some major cities like Bengaluru, Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai are connected by roadways and railways. Ballari is located approximately 60 km (37 mi) away. Hosapete Junction railway station lies on Hubballi-Guntakal railway line.^[7] The nearest airport from the city is Jindal Vijaynagar Airport approximately 30 km (19 mi) away from Hospet which serves flights to and from Bengaluru and Hyderabad every day. Bengaluru is 330 km (210 mi) away. In addition, the city has a well-developed market area. Hospet is a well-known tourist destination, mainly due to its proximity to Hampi and Tungabhadra Dam.

Photographed in the monsoon of 2017, the lighthouse in Hospet can be seen under construction.

The Municipal Ground is good for evening walks, the sports club, occasional exhibitions and is also surrounded by snacks counters.

Demographics

Religions in Hospet city (2011)[8]
Religion			Percent
Hinduism			72.42%
Islam			25.04%
Christianity			1.28%
Jainism			1.05%
Other or not stated			0.21%

According to the 2011 census, the total population of Hospet was 206,167, of which 102,668 are male and 103,499 are female. The town has an average literacy rate of 79.30%, with male literacy at 85.95% and female literacy at 72.74%. In Hospet, 13.46% of the population is under 6 years of age.^[9]

Languages

Languages of Hospet (2011)^[10]

1. Kannada (53.14%)
2. Urdu (23.31%)
3. Telugu (11.29%)
4. Tamil (4.95%)
5. Hindi (2.83%)
6. Marathi (1.54%)
7. Others (2.94%)

At the time of the 2011 census, 53.14% of the population in the city spoke Kannada, 23.31% Urdu, 11.29% Telugu, 4.95% Tamil, 2.83% Hindi and 1.54% Marathi as their first language.^[10]