Gavali, Karnataka

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Gavali (also Gawali) is a small village in Belgaum district, Karnataka, India, about 810 metres above sea level and near the city of Belgaum. It sits on a plateau in the Western Ghats, an ecologically sensitive area with forests, streams and the Vajrapoha Falls, which are best seen after the monsoon. The village had 373 people in 94 households (2011 census). The official language is Kannada, with Marathi also spoken in the region; English is common in towns.

Gavali is surrounded by forests that are home to medicinal plants and wildlife, but illegal mining, removal of medicinal plants and deforestation threaten the area. A plan to divert the Mandovi (Mahadayi) river for hydroelectric power could submerge Gavali, including about 1,000 acres of farmland and 4,300 acres of forest. The Kotni dam project has been revived but faces opposition from environmental groups and the Goa government who want to protect the ecology.

The Mandovi river is fed by streams near Gavali and nearby villages. The Vajrapoha Falls, about 200 metres tall, lies toward Chapoli and is a popular sight after the monsoon. The Western Ghats receive heavy rainfall (roughly 3,800–5,700 mm per year), and water levels can drop in the summer.

The Gavali temple area is sometimes considered the birthplace of the Mandovi river. Megalithic rock engravings, including depictions of a humped bull, have been found in the Gavali area.

Baburao Thakur, a Gaud Saraswat Brahmin, was a journalist, freedom fighter and social worker who helped establish the Belgaum Jilha Prathamik Shikshan Samiti in 1937. The organization opened many primary schools in Gavali and the surrounding region by 1939, improving education and living standards.