Belambar

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Belambar is a village in Ankola taluk, Uttara Kannada district, Karnataka, India. It lies between the Arabian Sea to the west and the Western Ghats to the east, with a plain that extends up to about 2.5 km from the coast.

Population and people: As of 2011, Belambar had 4,983 residents (2,539 men and 2,444 women). The village is multilingual, with Kannada and Konkani spoken widely. Hinduism is the main religion. Major communities include Halakki Vokkaligas, Goud Saraswat Brahmins, Shettys, Naiks, and Nadavaru. The Halakki Vokkaligas are a local subcaste known as the Aboriginal people of Uttara Kannada; they have their own Halakki Kannada dialect and distinctive attire.

Climate: The area receives about 95% of its rainfall from May to October and is quite dry from December to March. Humidity averages around 75%, peaking in June to August; July is especially humid, while January is drier.

Life and culture: Belambar is surrounded by temples, schools, paddy fields and mango groves. The coast offers natural beaches. A popular local folk dance is Suggi Kunitha, performed by dance troupes during the paddy harvest and shared with nearby villages.

Festivals and temples: The Bandihabba mela is celebrated each May, and Hanuman Jayanti is observed as well. Temples include Shri Mahasati Temple, Maruti Temple and Shri Ganapati Temple.

Food: Common dishes include boiled white rice (kuchige akki), fish, basale soppina saru (vegetable sambar) and Nati Koli Saaru (chicken curry). A special preparation is Kotte Roti, a steam-cooked, idli-like bread made in a cone-shaped container from jackfruit leaves.

Transport and education: Public road transport to Ankola is provided by NWKRTC buses; road travel is the main link for residents, with inland water navigation also used. The nearest railway station is about 12 km away. Belambar has government, government-aided and private educational institutions.